June 26th Ballater

 Travel day to a town a few miles away from Balmoral Castle which we will visit tomorrow. But I am getting ahead of myself. We check out, by some scones and hit the road. Not a long trip for us about 2 1/2 hours that will take us around the Craighorm mountains not over. It is a light rainy day so high up would only be fog anyway. A few photos of the towns and countryside we drove through. 

A small town called Charleston.


Green fields everywhere. 


And one more village of stone. 

All this time we have been on the Scottish Whiskey Trail. Distillery after distillery. Some famous in the USA and some not. Didn’t stop because I would have been tempted to buy it and even I can’t drink that much before we have to board a plane for Ireland on Sunday. 

But as the song goes, “Stopped into a church I passed along the way”. This one is The Old Church of Auchindoir. Built in 1810 to replace an older mid evil church, it was declared redundant in 1990 and everything taken away except the walls that remain standing. Beside it is a very well kept cemetery where soldiers of WWI and WWII have their eternal rest. 






A few more scenery photos and we arrive in our town for tonight Ballater.



Lounge of the Balmoral Hotel where we had Fish and Chips for lunch, but we are not staying there. 

Downtown Ballater

Mary Ann checking to see if the stuffed Coo cow will fit in her suitcase. 

More of Ballater. 

A little shopping, some drinks and it is time to check in to our hotel The Green Inn Restaurant and Rooms. Our room is the one with the window open a bit to give is that fresh Scottish air. And our car is the black one on the right. 

The church on the square of the town. It was locked, so no inside photos. 
Almost every town in Scotland has at least one memorial to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in WWI and WWII. This is one of Ballater’s. 

And we may be able to use their washer and dryer tonight so we go to Ireland with clean clothes  

Well the clean clothes never materialized but we are good. We will wash clothes tomorrow. All checked in with Ryian Air for Sunday. 

Tonights meal was one of the best. Pork shoulder risotto for me and lamb over turnip puree for Mary Ann. 


My Pork shoulder risotto  


Mary Ann’s lamb


Mary Ann’s Panna Cotta. 

My
Chocolate mousse 


Mary Ann at our hotel’s restaurant. 


Lovely restaurant below our rooms. Drinks taken to our room and good night. 


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