Scotland 2015 - Day 5 - August 20th, 2015

So---- how many of you people thought Dad's bag would be delivered today?  Yes - you are all winners.  We got a call from the warden at about 2:00 saying it had been delivered.  We checked out and headed west toward Craigellachie and the Aberlour Gardens Caravan  camping park.  It used to be part of a big estate, but its status has been reduced to a nice camping place.

It's a pretty exciting place too.  At about 6:45 other campers began to gather and cluster around the reception area.  They were very restless watching the entrance to the park. Then......at 7:00..... coming up the curve of the road came....wait for it

Yes - dinner

We were too proud to run and be first in line.  See Dad way in the back of the line.

When it is dinnertime, one should run for the fish.  Dad got up to the front and was told, "Sorry sir, we are out of fish"  First world problem!  So we ordered scampi and chips - not even a close 3rd or 4th.

Today we did six things - Banff, Gardenstown, Crovie, Trout Head, and St John's Churchyard.  

Banff was our first touch of the North Sea located at the mouth the Deveron River.  It was low tide  and the shore was littered with all sizes of agates - okay you can't see the agates.

and the river Deveron

We headed east and took the exit for Gardenstown.  You would think it would be a farm town, but no, it is a working fishing town - mostly wild Scottish salmon. It is named after a family named Garden, there it is Garden's town.

And Gardenstown on two levels - bayside and upper hillside.

See that little thin line of houses (yes, houses) on the left at the water line.  We're going there next.

Some people gave us a pamphlet on Gardenstown which had listed  a "walk to Crovie"  That had our name written all over it.

This was a very cool Back Door place for us to find.  It is a one road -no, a one pathway- town.  There used to be two rows of stone houses on ether side of the path, but a monstrous storm in 1953 destroyed the seaward houses.

Many are private homes, and the rest are holiday rentals

I think Ned Devine lives here year round

End of the path

We headed eastward to. I think it is Royal Society for Preservation of Birds.

one of many who watched us pass

up a path through an oat field

to the cliffs where a bazillion gannets live.  If you know birds (I don't) it is one of the most famous colonies of gannets anywhere

some baby gannets safe in their nests

Who knew - a bazillion gannets in one eyeful

Heading back to the caravan park, Dad saw this sign and practically initiated the airbags making the turn to

The view from the churchyard back towards Gardenstown and Crovie.

This one is for Bev who likes funny signs and for Malcolm and Haley who have a funny dog.

Tomorrow we go to a cooperage which makes oak barrels for whiskey and then we'll go to the Cairngorm National Park

No question tonight about the lost bag.