4 day Highland Itinerary

It was a bright clear morning as we crossed the Forth and journeyed north towards Perth. On the way we stopped at the small town of Kinross, an ideal diversion for visitors wanting to find out more about Loch Leven, the small loch just outside the town.

The loch regularly freezes over and becomes the centre for week long curling matches that attract people from all over Central Scotland. The island in the middle of the loch has been a legendary for prison for such notables as the Wolf of Badenoch and Mary Queen of Scots.

Rumour has it that Mary escaped from Loch Leven Castle by boat with the help of her jailer's son. Today the loch is a paradise for trout fishermen and is home to thousands of wild geese.

Further north we arrived at Perth - the real Heart of Scotland and Gateway to the Highlands. Perth was once Scotland's Capital and seems to be a favourite centre from which to explore central Scotland. Scone Palace and Branklyn Gardens are only a few minutes from Perth.

The town itself is a great place for antiques and crafts.

It has several fine Georgian Terraces and some beautiful walks along the banks of the River Tay that runs through the town. Half an hour north of Perth and we paused briefly in Pitlochry.

The main street was busy with visitors shopping in the many crafts and souvenir shops. The town's theatre hosts the annual Pitlochry Festival - several weeks of theatrical performances of all which attracts thousands of people to this idyllic setting.

A few miles past Pitlochry we made an unscheduled stop to photograph Blair Atholl Castle. It made a magnificent shot - the white castle set in its woodland setting with a backdrop of hills behind. By the time we got to Bruar we had decided to leave the comfort of the car for a while and enjoy the walk up to the Falls of Bruar.

A wonderful woodland walk it culminates in a dazzling waterfall and views over the Grampian mountains.

Back down at the House of Bruar we enjoyed a taste of real Scottish home cooking in the restaurant and I bought a sweater and a wax jacket in their excellent clothing and gift shop. On past Bruar we turned west passed the little gem of a distillery at Dalwhinnie and on down through Glen Spean along the banks of Loch Laggan. Turning south at Spean Bridge we arrived at Inverlochy Castle. We had seen many delightful Highland scenes that day . but the sight of Inverlochy Castle with the small loch in front was a truly magical experience.

To quote Queen Victoria ' I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot'.

The evening was a dream. Luxurious rooms, a magnificent central hall and dining room, wonderful food and the warm hospitality that was so characteristic of all our Connoisseurs Scotland destinations.

This was history coming 'alive'. more »