Today, we hiked.
By the weather forecast, this looked to be the best day of the week, and as we were fresh, and came here to walk around, we set out for a hike.
We got off to a leisurely start. We had breakfast in our cottage, got ourselves packed up and headed off (after a quick trip to the Indian restaurant where we’d eaten the night before to pick up the rucksack we’d left there by accident!)
We’d been looking at a number of maps and websites with Pitlochry walks, but were most inspired by one of the maps hanging on the wall in the cottage. A blown-up version of the map from the “detailed leaflet” on this page. We knew we wanted to go to Killiecrankie, and from there, we’d figure it out.
We started out of town along the route I’d run on Sunday morning – a beautiful walk adjacent to the Golf Course. We saw some mountain peaks still snow-capped and we talked of weather. The trail continued around the golf course, but beyond the reach of the road, and finally cut into the woods. A bit of it had been expanded and re-surfaced to become a logging road, but judging by downed signs, the logging was done. We continued along into the “Pass of Killiecrankie” walking along what appeared to amount to the top of a retaining wall near the highway, finally cutting under the highway along a stream and then along a local “B” road and finally to the Visitor Centre. We decided to lunch here as there was a cafe on-site. We spent a bit of time (and a bit of money) in the Vistor Centre. Carolyn read to Sam from the myriad posters and scenes from the Battle of Killiecrankie and Sam was enchanted. She asked all kinds of clarifying questions, but I think ultimately didn’t understand why those people would do that to each other. Alas, I’m not sure I understand either.
After having re-charged there, we continued on into Killiecrankie proper and across the River Garry. From there we headed south until blocked by the Tummel river. We headed up-river then until we got to the Coronation Bridge. It was so neat to see a bridge like that just in the middle of the woods. We then continued along another B road until we could cross the Loch Faskally along the Culnie Footbridge and then back into Pitlochry.
All told, we walked about 11 miles. Sam walked most of the first 10 thanks to 3 things:
- Chocolate. (Not unlike the Mars bars that powered me through my UK cycling during my youth.)
- “Magic Boots” – we got her new hiking boots and she declared early in the hike that they were magic because she wouldn’t get tired on hikes while wearing them.
- Botticelli – we introduced Sam to this game today and she loved it. We had to do people that all three of us would know, and when Sam and I were guessing Carolyn’s people, it was often torturous. But it kept her going longer than I ever would have expected.
For the last mile, she rode in the Ergo after finally having just petered out. Carolyn and I both took several pictures, but it’s too late to do more than upload them to the gallery and hope to provide a little more detail around them before it all fades.
Don’t know that I’m going to get up at 07:00 for my run tomorrow though.