Scotland 2015 - Day 7 - August 22, 2016

Yesterdy we woke up to a fish/egg/bun truck.  Today we woke up to the infamous insect, the midge.  We'd heard about them as being able to ruin any outdoor activity but we are prepared

No it isn't an Islamic militant in a Scottish camping park - it is Dad, simply eatingbreakfast 

orange juice and ....

We tried a new thing for breakfast!!  Clotted cream scones!  Don't they sound good?  Something soft and gooey with a creamy center?

Where are the creamy gooey insides?  Save your one pound.  Jenny maybe can train us stateside.

We're in Cairngorms National Park.  It's a bit different than our national parks as there are a bunch of different entities functioning under the umbrella of a national park - like the osprey place, and a ski lift/resort, a caravan park, lodges and restaurants, reindeer park, and so on.  It is our first touristy encounter in Scotland.

Off we go to the ski area where we will ride a funicular railway up the side of Carin Gorm Mountain.

You can see our Lake Morlich left center

I liked this beautifully made water diversion/flood control bit of construction.  All made from stone

Parking at the ski lift - early morning, not full of tourists yet.

You're thinking that we're going to ride the funicular which goes a-l-m-o-s-t to the top, and then we'll disembark and make the trek up to the top of the 6th highest Munroe in Scotland.  Okay I'll enlighten you.  A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with an elevatio of over 3000 feet.  They are named after 

Sir Hugh Jackman (just kidding) Sir Hugh Monroe, 4th Baronet of wonderfulness.  Avid hikers "bag" Munroes.

Moving on - no we aren't going to "bag" Cairn Gorm because it is not ecologically permitted to do so in such an environmentally fragile area......that is, if you ride the funicular up the mountain side.  It is assumed that train riders will rush out of the train and up the mountain to the peak and simply trample all over the indigenous plants and avoid using the plainly marked and wide trail.  Now....if you walk up the mountain rather than riding the train, you CAN go on to the top.  We did see an adventuresome French couple, who had ridden the train up, jump over the wall, furtively make their way to the trail, and then casually continue up to the top.  But, I couldn't ask Dad to do that, could I?

Insted we went to the observation deck, looked around, shivered, and went back down.

This is as close as Dad has ever gotten to skiing

Our next activity was to take a hike - as the lady in reception said it was the most beautifulneesish hike ever possble to An Lochan Uaine (I am almost fluent now in Scottish Gaelic).  For those of you who are not multi lingual that is The Green Loch.

I know, I know I am a hiking trail snob.  This was a nice, four mile hike on a practically paved, level trail suitable for wheelchairs through a forest of Scottish Pines (Pinuss silvestrus...I included the scientific name for Kathryn Wilson).  The destination was indeed a green lake.

The best thing about this photo is the pne tree that somehow forgot to go grow tall and straight and is tring to look like an oak tree.

We're always looking for interesting things to photograph  Here it is - two native males in kilts! And tennis shoes.

We are still waiting to photograph a Highland Cow - - -it is very hairy.  Since we are now in the Highlands and the Upper Highlands, we're sure to see one grazing in a field soon.

Fish for dinner, probably......