Whisky and wild water - Scotland is beautiful

Thurso, Scotland

So, we've started a family tradition...

Anybody who knows us will be aware that going back to somewhere you've already visited is not encouraged. I don't know why, it just seems to be a thing. However, the trend has well and truly been bucked because we have had two, yes two, trips to Scotland in the last couple of years. I know there's a third planned for 2020 because we've decided to head to the West Highlands on this occasion.

The Spey

We have enjoyed two long weekends Speyside. Both times staying in hotels in Grantown-on-Spey which is a couple of hours drive from Aberdeen airport. Our preferred method of travel is to fly to Aberdeen (quite cheaply from Heathrow in the BA sale!) and hire a car. From there we have the freedom to explore lots of different places. With Grantown as our base we were able to visit Cairngorm mountain (2018) via the funicular railway (currently being repaired) and almost got blown away by strong snowy winds on the summit or go as far as John O'Groats (2019) just for the sheer hell of it (via the mountain roads, like a pair of nutters). Grantown is a quiet town and is right up our street. It boasts a couple of nice restaurants - including two Indians - and the biggest hotel (The Grant Arms) claims a royal visit, has charming rooms and a delicious menu of local foods (we stayed there in 2018). We've also visited a couple of distilleries on these trips - the first year to the very traditional Glenfiddich and this year to Macallan. Both very different but equally fascinating places.

 That's a section of the River Spey. Isn't it huge? It sounds as huge as it looks. And so clear. We walked a along it a while and crossed a large steel bridge that wobbled a little. There were benches here and there and the occasional fisherman in his waders; fly fishing.

The end of the earth...

The trip from our hotel to John O'Groats didn't look that far on the map. It took about four hours in the end. Well worth it, despite the interesting mountain roads which while well maintained are absolutely in the middle of nowhere and with no phone signal we felt completely isolated. Stopping for a driving break by Loch Royal we stood by our car and heard nothing. The silence was deafening. There was something beautiful about it.