FFRC and Scotland

Saturday July 13

Well, five weeks at FFRC have come to an end. It has gone far too quickly and has been very busy. Catathon was a large part of the busyness but lots of kitties also added to that. I have enjoyed the time there and I am already looking forward to my next trip. It is such a great environment at FFRC and all the volunteers work hard with Jacci for the benefit of the cats and kittens. As well as the people, I do miss the kitties of course, Camvi the pocket rocket has stolen all our hearts I think because of her spirit, she has had to overcome a lot of adversity.

They all have their own personalities but I am missing Dahnay very much. She will make a wonderful companion, she loves to be petted, has a very quiet chirp and is very playful. I also hope that all those who were adopted during that time are bringing as much pleasure to their new humans as they did to us. FFRC could not exist without the support of everyone out there in Camland with donations, gifts of food and supplies as well as moral support and I for one, am very grateful to everyone out there!!

Archer testing my gruel!!

There were several highlights including Catathon and the amount that was raised, working with the cats and learning about treatments etc, helping Elisabeth put a collar on Zelda and the trip to Fallen Timbers, pity it was not a particularly good day weather wise. Jacci has an impish sense of humour and delights in playing jokes on people so it was good to get one back at her! There were also the lowlights, most of those being cat related. 

Life always has its ups and downs and as Jacci has told me, we should always try to stay positive and not let the down moments spoil the rest. Jacci is an amazingly positive person, the way she copes with adversity and sadness is an example to us all. She asked me what the highlight of this trip was and I replied that it was helping with the cats and learning so much about cat care that I did not know before! She has a wealth of knowledge that she is always willing to share.

The flights from Fort Wayne and Chicago were uneventful and on time. Chicago is developing an International terminal but as yet it is well below the standard of the Domestic terminal, hopefully it will improve. I had never flown Virgin Atlantic before and the cabin staff were excellent. The food was not too bad but I am afraid comes nowhere near the fare Air New Zealand serves up, and I do not think I am biased about that!

Sunday July 14

The plane from Chicago arrived on time at 8 am and I did not manage to get any sleep on the flight which was a pity. The flight to Glasgow was scheduled for 4 pm so a long wait was in store, this was made worse when the flight was rescheduled and eventually did not leave until approximately 5.25 pm. The original plane had a fault so we had to wait until an airbus with a similar passenger configuration arrived as there were about 160 passengers to look after. The one we flew on had come from a European airport. My bag was one of the last off as it was probably one of the first on and then I had to queue for my rental car. It was worth the wait, a nice red Vauxhall Astra with less than 10,000 on the clock.

I set off for Callander, a small Scottish Village where I had booked in for one night. I avoided the motorway and travelled on country roads, it was a very pleasant drive and I managed to stay on the left! The hotel, however, did not turn out to be a good choice. The place itself was fine, a quaint hotel, very old that also doubled as a Pub. There was no parking as such but I did manage to score a park across the road! Unfortunately there was a very loud band playing until midnight, the room was small and hot and the fan I was told was in the cupboard did not exist. Thirty seven hours with no sleep does not leave a person in a good space to cope with those issues!!

Monday July 15

At least I was provided with a hearty breakfasts before a wander round Callander and then hitting the road to Inverness. Haggis was on the menu but I decided not to partake of that particular delicacy!

The weather was pleasant for driving, fine but not too hot, and I had a good trip all the way. The Scottish countryside is beautiful and you can drive miles without seeing much habitation. There are rolling hills, high peaks interspersed with river valleys, both small and large. There are many shades of green all around and on some hillsides brilliant swathes of purple. I stopped at a place called Aviemore on the edge of the Cairngorn Mountains for afternoon tea. This is a real tourist town in the summer as well as winter and is a centre for all types of outdoor activities from rock climbing to skiing.

A couple of wrong turns along the way did not cause too much trouble although I had fun trying to find the place I was staying at, it was on a one way system!! Unlike in most of the US, road names are not signposted opposite the end of them so they are easy to find, they are posted on a wall at the end of the street! This means that if you manage to see the name at all you are past the street!! Of course, add in busy roads and traffic on your tail, 'nuff said!! Again, the place had no parking as such but yet once more I managed to score a park across the road, so very lucky twice.

I had a lazy evening and fell asleep over my laptop for a couple of hours early on, on waking I learned about Jacci’s trip to rescue two CH cats so I hope all goes well for her! The WiFi access I have been getting has not been very good and makes trying to watch FFRC and chat difficult. I have had to take my IPad down to breakfast or sit on the stairs outside my room to get reasonable signal strength. I am also not sure about the type of Internet Access my friends have so unsure about my online world over the next three weeks. I will try and post the blog as well as add some pictures over the rest of my travels but it could be intermittent! Tomorrow I head for new pastures never having been north of Inverness before, so it should be a good day full of adventure and new experiences.

Tuesday July 16

Breakfast was a choice of fruit, cereals and toast today. I set off about 9.30 am for the trip north and was lucky to find a petrol station cheaper than the rest. There is really  only one road north and it mainly narrow and hilly following the coast for some of it. I took a slight detour down to the village of Dornoch and the castle that has been converted into a hotel. The drive round the coast back to the main road was along a single track with passing bays. I stopped at one spot as there were some seals basking in the sun on a sandbar just across from the road. I left the coast at Latheron and drove on to Thurso. Along the way I have seen a variety of landscapes and in places it would be bleak on a wet day. This is a remote part of Britain with small isolated hamlets and farms.

From Thurso I drove through Castletown where I am to be staying for the next week. My friend, Issy, won't be home until 5 pm so I carried on to visit Dunnet Head, mainland Britain's most northerly point. It has seabird colonies and a lighthouse. I also gained my first look at the Orkney Isles. I then carried on to John O'Groats which was much smaller than I thought it would be. I again travelled along single lane roads for much of the trip, these are prevalent up here and have passing bays. There is one particularly nasty spot with a stone barn on a sharp left hand corner. On the return trip! I checked nothing was coming and stopped to take a photo. It is a good thing I did not stop longer because on turning the corner there was the local bus on the road in front of me. He had to back up so we could pass, there is no way I could have backed round the corner with the possibility of someone coming along behind me! So on to my friend Issy's at Castletown!

The weather was lovely today, some cloud but also sunny and the temperature aired between 20 and 28 degrees C.

Wednesday July 17

An early rising as we had to be on the road by around 7.30 am. One of Issy's friends Kat, short for Katrina, picked us up and drove us to John O'Groats where we were to board the ferry for a trip to the Orkney Isles. It is a forty minute trip across the sea to Burwick.

We arrived at Burwick, on the Island of South Ronaldsay, and boarded our bus for the tour, there were 44 humans plus1 dog on board. The driver was excellent as it turned out, he gave us an overview of the day and then as we travelled from place to place he gave us some history and/or information about each place we visited or went past. We set off to the north towards the capital Kirkwall. There are 70 islands that comprise the Orkney group and they belonged to Norway until 300 years ago. At that time, the then King of Denmark was also King of Norway and wanted to marry his daughter to the then King of Scotland. The dowry demanded was huge and too much for the King of Denmark so he loaned the Orkney Islands to the Scots until such time as they could pay the dowry. Of course, it has never been paid so the Orkneys have remained part of Scotland since that time.

There are 20,000 people on the Orkneys, 60,000 sheep and 100,000 cattle. It does not take much to work out what the main industry on the Orkneys is!! We followed Scapa Flow for much of our tour and of course this is well known from World War II when a German U-Boat snuck into the area and sunk the Royal Oak battleship with the loss of over 800 lives. There were some outlets to the North Sea that the navy thought were blocked by sunken ships. 

However, the ships were sunk some years previously and had moved with the tides thus allowing the U-Boat to find a way in. Scapa Flow was used by Arctic convoys and the British Fleet as an assembly area and fortunately the majority of the fleet had left a few days before the attack. Since that time, five causeways have been constructed, these are the Churchill Barriers and there are five of them. Scapa Flow is now a mecca for divers as there are numerous wrecks submerged in the area.

We passed a lighthouse constructed by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson.

We then drove on to Skara Brae, a prehistoric village that had been discovered after the sand was blown away in a big storm in 1850. It is the best preserved in Northern Europe and consists of a cluster of houses and a workshop. It shows a level of organisation that we might envy!! A little later we passed a new Neolithic excavation, the Ness of Brogdar. This was first discovered only 10 years ago and is turning out to be a huge site. It is also changing the thinking about Neolithic Orkney!

We stopped at Stromness for a break and then travelled on to the Ring of Brodgar, a perfectly circular henge monument originally of 60 megaliths although only 27 remain. It dates form 2,700 BC and many solar and lunar alignments can be observed there. We moved on to the Standing Stones which originally comprised of 12 stones but only three remain. The farmer pulled 9 down to stop people coming onto his land and looking at them. He was stopped before he completed the job!!

Back at Kirkwall we went to see St Magnus Cathedral where the only part of the Royal Oak that has been recovered, the ship’s bell, was to be found. We hopped into a café opposite the cathedral for some refreshments and while sitting there a young lady came through and asked if I was Janet A, she was an ex pupil of mine from about 7 or 8 years ago!! She now lives in Glasgow and lectures in Education. Her father is the deputy principal of the school. It IS a VERY small world!! It was here that I also caught up with Jacci’s arrival back at FFRC via a commentary from the mods, thanks for that!!

Our final stop before heading back to the ferry terminal was at the Italian Chapel. During World War II a large group of Italian sailors were taken off a ship and told they had to build some barriers to the North Sea. They refused at first but then they were told they were building roads so people could get from island to island. Then they complied! It was back breaking labour in 8 hour shifts with heavy rocks to be moved and put in place. Eventually, the sailors were paid for their work and allowed to build a chapel for their own worship.

We returned to Burwick to await our ride home. The crossing was fairly calm but on returning to my friend’s house my stomach decided it did not like what had happened!!! So to bed early with a hot water bottle!!

Thursday July 18

My friend let me sleep in today and I felt so much better. We headed off for lunch at a local Kirk (Church) hall where a light lunch is served every Thursday and a donation is given. It was very pleasant with good company. One of the ladies who served us was quite the character and made it fun. She told me it was $16 for a top up of my cup of tea!!! One of the other ladies had made the Strawberry Pavlova, a famous New Zealand dessert.  I told her that I would be giving it the taste test, It was made as a separate dessert so was not a true Pav, she explained that a couple fo weeks before she had made the cake version, chewy in the middle, but it was hard to cut up!! Now that is a true pav!!

A quiet afternoon and evening followed although we did take Issy's two dogs for  walk on the local beach.downloading all my photos off both cameras. The blog is nearly ready for posting and I would like to put some photos in it.

Friday July 19
My friend was working today so after a lazy start, I headed out. However, before I could go I had to stop at the local garage where she was working and ask her how to lock the front door. It was a “pull the handle up to lock” design that I have hardly ever met before!!! I drove to a place called Wick on the north east coast passing several landmarks along the way.

Then I followed the coast road back to John O’Groats. I took a detour to Duncansby Head which is the most north easterly point of the British Isles and spent some time taking photos there. This meant more one track roads, this time with sheep to negotiate as well. 


On the way back I called into May Castle, the home of the Queen Mother and what wonderful views she would have had. Then back to Dunnet Head for some fresh air and sun. On the way I stopped at a spot where seals are often seen and was lucky enough to spot some. Adults were swimming and pups were basking on the rocks.

For most of the day a Haar (sea mist) has been hanging around but it gradually cleared and is a very nice evening with clear skies. I went to have a shower and had just soaped myself thoroughly when the water went cold. It seems I had not had the full instructions and a switch I thought was water pressure was actually the temperature gauge!! Seems I will wash my hair tomorrow night!

Saturday July 20
After a lazy start today we headed for Wick on the north east coast of Scotland for the Caithness County Show. It was a gorgeous day although there was a cool breeze in some parts of the arena. There was quite a crowd in attendance and it was just like the A and P shows back in New Zealand.

Lots of tractors and other farm equipment on show, different marquees with a variety of goods for sale as well as competitions and many Arts and Crafts on display. Last, but not least, of course there were the farm animals, many different cattle beasts, sheep, goats, pigs and horses!

 

We wandered round all the exhibits and I was introduced to many of Issy's friends, two of them had been to Napier so I continue to learn that it is a very small world. We grabbed some strawberries and wandered down to the main arena to see what was on offer.

We saw the Horse champion chosen and then the supreme animal at the show, a Charolais bull who was shown by a friend of Issy's so she was very pleased. Then we had the parade of animals followed by the parade of horses. We saw many breeds of horses from Clydesdales to Shetlands, some of them had foals at foot.

We were then attracted to stay to watch the motor bikes and that turned out to be great fun as we watched two guys perform their stunts off a ramp. Several people could not watch it but I thought it was great fun and they were very good. We then wandered away to buy an Angus Steakburger with fried onions. I am not generally a burger fan but these were very good! We then went to the Scottish SPCA tent where Issy gave a helping hand. I wandered over to the toilets and I have never experienced any like those at an outdoor event, they were flush toilets and were just like decent public toilets.

 

I went for a cup of coffee before we left and the lady told me that is their livelihood, they drive round from event to event with their coffee van! We left the show about 5.30 pm and made our way back to base, tired and slightly sunburnt after a great day out.

Issy has two dogs Alice and Megan. They are ex Gamekeeper dogs and once she has had them for between six months and a year she will get them tested for Pets in Therapy. The test includes some basic things a dog should do. If they pass, she will then take them to homes, hospitals and schools in the local area.

Sunday July 21
After another lazy start to the day we headed back to John O'Groats to do a Wildlife Cruise. A Haar (Sea Mist) had descended over most of the water and visibility was not the best offshore. On land it was cloudy but looking as if it would clear. When we reached our destination it was obviously much cooler and the Haar appeared to be closing on on the land! We boarded the boat (I had taken some meds to hopefully help me get through this trip OK!!) and set off. It got colder and colder as we crossed for our trip round Stroma Island. A far cry from yesterday!!

Stroma used to be a fishing/farming community but the last inhabitants left in 1962 and the houses are now deserted. The burial crypt was built in the late 1600's.

We saw many different types of sea birds and the eastern side of the island was a haven for Puffins. They make their nests in burrows on top of the cliffs.

We did catch a glimpse of some of the few inhabitants of the island, some sheep!!  As we travelled further round we continued to see many different sea birds and of course fishing is their main occupation!! As we approached the Stroma Lighthouse we had to move away from some nasty currents and a whirlpool that can be tricky for small boats. The lighthouse is now automatic as most are around the coasts now and controlled by computer from Edinburgh. In front of the lighthouse are the remains of the structure that housed the foghorn as well as the original lighthouse.


The wind was even keener on the north of the island and I was starting to feel the cold by this time!! As we travelled further we saw a seal colony on some rocks. This was followed a bit further along by cliffs full of nesting birds. The most common being Razor Bills and Guillemots.

We also saw many birds who, after fishing, struggled to leave the water they were so full!!


Issy had had a long conversation with two people from Invercargill at the bottom of the Soouth Island in New Zealand and they would have been comfortable in the conditions!!. We finally finished the trip around the island and by this time I was freezing!!! As we passed the remains of the harbour some visitors on the island waved us goodbye. The owner sometimes takes people over to visit!!i

On our return, we decided to go to the Seaview Hotel just up the road to try and thaw out, well me anyway!! After some good Scottish soup I certainly felt a lot better. By the time I was feeling warm again we were absorbed in the British Open Golf Championship. watching Lee Westwood and Adam Scott drop shots so it was no surprise when Phil Mickelson made a move. His birdie on the eighteenth hole just about confirmed him as the winner well before the rest of the field completed their rounds. As time was passing we ordered dinner and by the time the trophy was presented we were well fed. So home to bed after an interesting day out!

Monday July 22
Issy was at work at the local garage again today so it was time for me to pack my belongings and try to catch up on various bits and pieces. I wrote and posted a few postcards back to New Zealand but suspect I will beat them home!

I drove down to the Castle of Mey for one last look at the Queen Mother's home in this part of the world. I can see why she would have enjoyed being there and, on a good day, there would have been some wonderful views. I had a late lunch and then drove to the garage to fill up and wash the car. It hardy looked like the car I had collected just over a week earlier being very sticky form the salt air. It looked much better ten minutes later!!

Issy took me down to the local harbour to take some photos of her with Alice and Megan, her tow wonderful dogs. We then walked down to the local hotel for dinner, my shout, and we both enjoyed the sirloin steak! I also found a pear cider, hooray!!! We stayed and watched some friends of Issy's who were doing a music gig for a bus tour group and via FFRC we got the news of THE birth!! The end of a wonderful week but still more to look forward to.


Just to finish, I first met Issy on 1971 when we both flew to New Zealand as part of a contingent of teachers. Our paths took us separate ways but then came together again in 1975. When Issy left New Zealand I lost contact but she returned for a holiday some years ago and now she has joined the IT age and has email it is easier to keep in contact!!

Tuesday July 23

Today would have been my mother's 94th birthday, sadly she did not even make it to 60 but she was with me today!!

The day dawned cloudy but not too cool. I left Castletown about 8.30 am after farewelling Issy, Megan and Alice. I have had a great week and thanks so much to Issy for her hospitality and local knowledge! Thurso is only three miles to the west so that was behind me very quickly. I then passed a sign to a place called "Janetstown" but decided not to call in!

The scenery changed from the rolling land to more hilly land with peaks in the distance. I passed Dounreay, the nuclear power facility that caused some controversy and is now in the process of being fully decommissioned. I also passed some lovely inlets and bays as the road followed the coast. In a month or so the hills will be a lovely shade of purple as the heather blooms, at the moment there are some small patches to be seen. Around a place called Bettyhill the road became single track with passing bays and this continued for many miles until I reached Lairg, well on my way south. I stopped at a quaint wee place for a restroom and an early lunch. I studied the map, and managed to get some WiFi access as well.


I then headed further south and the weather changed once more as the mist rolled in from the sea and down from the hills. I also drove through some typical Scottish villages with their terraced houses made of stone.

An accidental detour took me to Invergordon where the North Sea oil rigs are maintained and repaired. It was quite a site looking at them tied up along the Firth.

This obviously means work for the locals so I guess everyone is happy. Not so happy are many people with the appearance of Wind Farms. Just as in New Zealand and North America,I have seen many of these and they are eyesores usually placed in beautiful scenery. None can better for size the one I saw in Ohio well south west of Defiance!!

I had an excellent run through with very little traffic until I got closer to Loch Ness, then we began to get some spots of rain and were also held up at two  too. locks. The roads go over the locks and when there are boats waiting the traffic is stopped and the lock gates are opened to let the boats pass. I think this is done at certain times of the day but am not entirely sure.These hold  ups can be quite long,

I arrived at my B&B (Drynachan) at about 3.30 pm and was welcomed by mine hostess!! It is very friendly and mine host has already suggested a day out for me tomorrow. So it looks like a drive out to the west coast the Applecross Penisula for lunch and a drive back on steep hairpin roads, called the Scenic Route!! I met the two bulldogs, very friendly but have yet to meet the cat! I wrote some of the blog and then went out to dinner at the Invergarry Hotel, very nice too! I took a picture of a road sign as all the signs in Scotland have the Gaelic before the English!! I finished the blog back at the B&B so am totally up-to-date, very unusual for me!

Wednesday July 24

I travelled north from the B&B towards Inverness and the road was very busy with tankers, trucks, logging trucks, mobile homes as well as cars! Then of course there was the inevitable lock opening to allow boats through. Unless you have to travel on this road it would be better not to! Trees are now a cash crop and there are logging trucks on many roads, just hope they realize just how much they tear the roads up!

 

Once I got onto the lesser roads heading towards the coast, it was generally much quieter althoughat one pint I thought a police care was going to hit me head on! I came round a bend to see a police car coming towards me on my side of the road with lights flashing and siren going so I immediately stopped and pulled to the left. Unfortunately, the two vehicles the car was overtaking only slowed marginally so I sat and prayed – hard!!! It was a very narrow squeeze but he made it, well this blog would not be written if he hadn’t!!!

Later, there was a long hold up for some tree cutting, not sure why these jobs get left until the height of the season, same everywhere! I was now on mostly single track roads with lots of passing places although narrow, hilly and very windy! Some travellers ignored the passing places and assumed they had right of way! No giving way to those going uphill either, funny I must come from an alien school, of thought! Travelled through some beautiful countryside and then came upon another loch and there were some stunning views. There were lots of small villages nestled beside the lochs.

The drive round following the scenic route to Applecross was magnificent. Visibility was excellent so I could see the Isle of Skye across the water behind the Islands of Rona and Raasay. Applecross is a very pretty village and is VERY busy, a well-known tourist spot to be sure! 

I had a lovely late lunch at Applecross Inn, fresh haddock caught this morning, or so they say and reckon it was true. It was a truly wonderful setting for lunch. The view was stunning and i certainly enjoyed eating lunch outside, it was very pleasant and in the low 20 degrees celsius. I also saw the first two cats I have seen since I arrived in Scotland.


It was a lovely day for the kayakers as well!! This picture specially for some New Zealand friends!

I have driven One hundred and twenty miles so far, only eighty five to get back to base on the round trip. The road ahead is very steep, narrow and windy, or so I have been told!

It was a steep climb out of Applecross so it was not long before there were some lovely views looking back towards Skye. The road back can be seen winding its way along!

Soon, I could see the beautiful views ahead and to the side of me as well as the road I was to travel on! There were several 180 degree bends along the descent which was very steep!

The road was extremely narrow in places and I could see why at the turn off to this route it had advised that the road was not suitable for motor homes - yet guess what three of them tried it!! So pleased I did not meet any of them.

The western highlands are stunning and I was so lovely to see them on such a gorgeous day.

To complete my day, I took a quick visit to a famous Scottish Castle, Eiean Donan on Loch Donan. It is extremely well preserved having been rebuilt in 1932. it was built in the thirteenth century and virtually destroyed after a bombardment in 1719. It hs featured in many films as well as "The Highlander"TV series.

Then it was back to base, tired but happy, after over two hundred miles of travel today. This was on top of just under two hundred yesterday. This may not sound very much but when ALL the travel was on either a single lane each way or a single track with passing places, it was a lot. Tomorrow I head for Menstrie near Stirling to visit with another friend.



Thursday July 25
A couple of things that I omitted to mention. The couple who were at the B&B on Wednesday morning were interesting, he was form London and she was from Pennsylvania. Guess what, they met in an on-line chat room!! Well, of course I was not phased by this whatsoever and told them a little about my on-line world! She is a teacher (ages 12-15) and is of course on summer break and they are travelling round Scotland together. She also popped over to London for Thanksgiving week last November!!!

Mine host at the B&B informed me that the scenic route I took out of Applecross is one of the top ten roads to travel in the world, according to National Geographic, so it was well worth the visit!

So, I left my B&B in Invergarry just after 9.30 am and made my way south to Spean Bridge and one of the valleys through the mountains. It so happens that this is "Monarch of the Glen" territory for those of you who remember the TV series. I managed to get a lopsided photo of the gatehouse that was used, I was in a rush! The castle could be seen peeping out from the trees high up and it was not worth a photo. The whole area is so beautiful with high hills surrounding the loch. 

I then connected with the A9 for the trip down to Menstrie. The road had some dual carriageways on it so this helped the journey go a bit quicker. However, we also passed through some areas of very heavy rain. I stopped at a place called Dunkeld for a break and found a cafe with a really good Latte!! Checked out the final run into Menstrie on Google maps and arrived there about 2.15 pm.
 
I had a good catch up and then found a "cat" on the bed in my room. My friend wanted me to feel at home! Menstrie is only a small village right up against some hills and not far from the William Wallace Monument for those who know the area. We went for a walk to the local library before tea and and the two grand girls arrived for a two night stopover so it should be a good two days.

Friday July 27
After a lazy start, Rosemary and I headed off to Linlithgow, which has a ruined Palace/Castle and it is in fact where Mary, Queen of Scots was born.

All of the Kings and Queens of England from Mary Queen of Scots up until our present Queen have a plaque on the with their dates of birth and death. St Martin's Church stands beside the palace and used to be connected to it directly, it has a very unusual steeple. Inside there is a wooden pulpit with carvings of Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Margaret, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II one on each corner.

We wandered round the outside of the palace and looked down on the loch below. A walkway has been put in right round the loch and it would make a lovely day out to walk it. We had passed through some very heavy thundery rain on the way and even saw a flash of lightening but the weather remained beautifully fine and sunny while we were in Linlithgow.

We then headed back towards a place called Doune, near which is a small place, Argaty, where we visited a farm that is part of the scheme to introduce Red Kites back into Scotland. The farm is part of the Trossachs Birds of Prey Trail.In the Info centre they have a view from a camera on a nest which hatched two chick on May 30 this year.These are now nearly full grown just needing some more growth in their wing feathers.

We wandered up to the hide and a Kite flew overhead along the way as if it knew lunch time would soon be here. Kites disappeared from Scotland in 1880, due to intervention by man!! It was not until 1989 that they were re-introduced with Kites from Europe being brought in. There are now over 3,000 Kites so progress is being made. 


The guy talking to us out some food down on either side of the hide but said it is sometimes a while before they come down to feed. He fed out some scraps of venison and is a top up of their food, not all their food. They eat insects and small rodents, up to the size of a rabbit.They do not have strong beaks or talons to cope with bigger prey. 

The Kites form quite large social groups so there were quite a few in the area. We waited for over half an hour and then there was action at the back of the hide before the food at the front was taken.

It was fascinating watching them swoop down and there were crows also on the ground but these did not really bother to move! We were really treated when one of the Kites stayed on the ground to feed!!


There are other birds such as Buzzards that are also present in the area .

The kites that humans make and fly were named after these birds!

All the time we were at Argaty the weather remained fine although there were some dark clouds overhead.

We drove back towards Menstrie, through some more heavy rain and passed the maternity home where her son was born. 

Rosemary then drove through the grounds of Stirling University. It is a very beautiful setting and there a are many things that the locals can get involved in. There is also a small loch with ducks and swans and an area that people can kayak on. 

On the final leg we passed a local castle that is hidden in some trees. All in all a wonderful day out made very special by seeing the Red Kites. Tomorrow we go to Blair Drummond again and are taking the two girls (grand children) with us.

Tonight Rosemary Skyped her daughter and her children in Napier, she is how I met Rosemary and it was very strange to be talking to her on Skype from her home!!

Saturday July 27
Today Rosemary, myself and her two grand children went to Blair Drummond Safari Park. This was a return visit for me as I went there two years ago. At that time I flew a Sea Eagle, called Snatch, and was keen to see if she was still at the park. There was also a European Eagle Owl youngster that was free in the office and I was keen to see that grown up. On arriving at the park, we drove through the Animal enclosures available for cars.We saw a variety of animals including Impala, Lions and White Rhinos.

After the drive through, we managed to park the car reasonably close to the attractions and under trees. Shade was important as it was a warm day with plenty of sunshine and some cloud. Our first stop was the Birds of Prey centre and I discovered that Snatch was still there and would fly in the show at 2.15 pm. The European Eagle Owl had not worked out and had been moved on much to my disappointment. We wandered round the enclosures and saw a variety of birds. The Golden Eagle was busy showing off his wings!! 


We then wandered back to the main area and round some of the animals. First, the Sea Lions who were swimming round the pool but certainly seemed to respond to human attention by leaving the pool and basking in the sun! They are natural performers it seems.

Then onto the Meerkats. I have seen Meerkats many times before but this community was much more interesting. There was a mother and father as well as the different aged offspring they have had. There was a real baby and many different sizes. At feeding time, a large group of them stood up to see what was coming to them!! It was apple cut up into small pieces and the Meerkats scurried around finding pieces they liked and using their paws to get the pieces just right! 


The Meerkats need to have their sentries just as in the desert as one or two young have been lost to birds in the past. it was interesting to watch the way they changed sentries quite regularly.

Meerkats will take it in turns to baby sit the younger ones but  we manage to catch the wee baby having a suckle off,presumably, mum! It seemed to disappear totally into its mother's embrace.

We then wandered past the Penguins and for a while there was one lone penguin who did not appear to know what to do. Then a second appeared and after watching it look at the water for some, it finally took the plunge.

The Otters had just been fed and were obviously enjoying their meal, eating with gusto! Rebel, the ring tailed Lemur, was busy watching the Otters eating and then went on his way. He was allowed to roam free!! The Marmosets are quite cute and they are also free to roam if they wish to.


We went back to the car and found a free table to have our picnic lunch. Again we were lucky to be in the shade.

Then it was back to the Birds of Prey for the show and it is in a very pleasant setting. First up was Nemo the Barn Owl. After a few fly buys, Nemo started flying off into the trees and the trainer was at pains to tell us that she was in a bad mood today. 

To be quite honest she was just plain naughty! She would sit around in the trees and eventually fly down just to swing back into the trees again. I think she was teasing him,she would fly in as if she was going to land on his arm and then swoop off again. On one of her passes she actually took time out to kill a mouse! Owls have poor eyesight but very acute hearing and hunt by their ears.

The The Peregrine Falcon was next up and they have the keenest eyesight of all the birds of prey, they can spot a rabbit at six miles! The trained used food on the end of a piece of string as a lure and the falcon made several passes before he was allowed to catch it. when the trainer picked him up he was most unhappy about not being able to get at his food. once the string was removed he was fine!


Next up was Snatch, my favourite! She was released from the far side of the loch and flew over accompanied by a seagull!! She is quite magnificent and her tail feathers, which were not fully grown when I saw her last, are now fully grown and quite stunning. She was not flown for long as Nemo had taken up a lot of time so that was a bit disappointing.


From there, we went our separate ways and I found the Tiger walk. All the walkways are wooden and constructed above the height of the fence so we can get good views of the different animals. At last the tiger has a friend!!.

Earlier in the day the Brown Bear was in hiding but this time he was swimming in his pool!!

The lions however had not moved from where they had been when we drove through their area!!

From the Lion Walk we could also see the Giraffe and Zebra.

i met up with the others as I was coming down from the walk and I made my way to the car while the girls tried for some of the amusements for children. The park was still crowded with lots of young kids,many of whom were hot, tired and cranky by this time of the day! It was but a short journey back to base and another wonderful day ended. I can only reflect on how kind the weather gods have been thus far!!

Sunday July 28
Well, I spoke too soon, today dawned very wet!! The skies were overcast and suggested more rain to come!! After a lazy brunch we headed off to the Sea World by the Forth railway bridge as it was an indoor activity. We spent some time there taking photos of the sharks and other fish swimming around us. We watched the fish feeding and then onto the Seal feeding. This was a tad disappointing as the area was not large enough for the people there and the seals did not do very much at all.. Even though it was not a "show" as such, I do know that seals are naturals at many things and was thus surprised. We did not stay as long as we might of as it is school holidays and there were huge numbers of families there.

We drove on to see a place called BurntIsland and on the way there stopped at a lookout and took some great photos across the water to Edinburgh. We could see Arthur's Seat and the Castle quite clearly, as it had stopped raining by now.

Back home and disaster, I accidentally deleted my photos from today due to the sensitivity of the laptop's touchpad. There may be a way of restoring the files but who knows!! So had to grin and bear it as we went out for a late supper in Stirling. It was a lovely evening and the skies were clearing as we drove back to base.

LATE BREAKING NEWS... I have managed to recover the photos with a free program, yay!!!