As with many families the offspring takes it in turns to spend Christmas or New Year with one or the other's parents. This year it was our turn to spend Hogmanay with Mary's mum.
We decided to treat her, and ourselves, to a proper break with all catering and entertainment laid on. The Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry had an excellent package of meals, events and music laid on to keep May and us occupied.
We arrived on the Sunday to a glass of rose champagne and dinner.
In the evening after a tasty supper we were entertained to some New Orleans style trad jazz. A promising start to the stay.
The next day trip to to Blair Castle. Its origins are old but much of it is more of a monument to Georgian ostentation and Victorian industry. They extended and expanded the original castle and put back the mediaeval battlements.
An entrance hall to impress the visitors
Georgian elegance throughout.
Some serious stucco work.
Lunch after the tour was in a echoing hall where we got chatting to a family who are making a repeat visit to the Atholl Palace Hotel. It seems there were a number of regulars who come to Pitlochry for New Year's Eve - some every year. Seems we have chosen well.
Then it was back to the hotel for supper followed by a practice session of Ceilidh dancing. That is like Scottish country dancing with many of the same dance but less formal. It was preparation for the following night but I wimped and sat it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment