Pitlochry New Year 2024

Pitlochry, Scotland. Monday 30-December-2024/ Friday 03-January-2025.

A celebration of big birthdays: Mary and SIL Sandra birthdays are almost exactly ten years apart, January and December respectively. Rather than exchange presents for their special birthdays they decided upon a joint experience - a luxury New Year's break in Pitlochry. Mary and I last went there for New Year 2013 with Mary’s mum, May, and had always wanted to return.

This year it was a four night dinner, B&B deal in Fisher’s Hotel right in the centre of Pitlochry. 

Monday 30-December-2024. We drove up to Pitlochry on the Monday and snagged the last space in the hotel carpark. The rooms were fine with a hint of faded grandeur - Pitlochry experienced a tourism boom following Queen Victoria’s visit in 1842 and many hotels date from that era.

Tuesday 31-December-2024. On the Tuesday morning we had time for a quick wander round the town and purchase of the obligatory fridge magnet to document our travels.

In the afternoon we went for a whisky tour and tasting at Blair Athol distillery.  On the way we were treated to a saltire in the sky. We were not sure if it was deliberate by the planes or just a happy happenstance.

Me "nosing" while Mary listens to our tour guide.

Before our New Year's Eve dinner Sandra and George very kindly provided a bottle of Krug to start off the evening’s celebrations in style.

Back down for reception drinks, we were piped into supper by this duo.

We ate and drank, some of us danced, we chatted to strangers on our table, hugged and kissed at midnight and finished the night with the obligatory Auld Lang Syne.

Wednesday 01-January-2025. Every parkrun country had the option of an event on New Year’s Day at the discretion of the local volunteer team. Fortunately Faskally Forest just 2.5 km outside of Pitlochry was planned and not cancelled by weather unlike many others around.

A lovely trail through the forest, some horrible hills, a small, lovely loch and a great bunch of volunteers. George (BIL) reported that breakfast at the hotel was finishing at 10:45 and not midday as per our itinerary. Luckily we were able to cadge a lift back into town with a couple of volunteers and get our essential post-parkrun bacon butties.

Part of the fun of Pitlochry is the New Year's Day ceilidh in the Main Street kicked off by a pipe band.

The Main Street is closed off for the whole of the afternoon so people can dance the Dashing White Sergeant, the Gay Gordon and Strip The Willow, etc. Everyone looked as if they knew what they were doing although we did see some folks doing a sort of "follow my leader".

Thursday 02-January-2025. An excursion to the nearby outlet mall, House of Bruar, and a short walk to a local attraction the Falls of Bruar. 

Robert Burns, although taken with the falls themselves, was unimpressed by the lack of vegetation. After his visit in 1787, he wrote the poem,The Humble Petition of Bruar Water to the Noble Duke of Atholl. It entreated John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl, the owner of the land, to plant some trees and bushes around the falls. [wikipedia] 

Would then my noble master please 
To grant my highest wishes, 
He'll shade my banks wi' tow'ring trees, 
And bonnie spreading bushes.
Delighted doubly then, my lord,
You'll wander on my banks,
And listen mony a grateful bird
Return you tuneful thanks.

Then it was back to the hotel for Cream Tea followed by a quiz. We didn't win but neither did we disgrace ourselves, coming in third.

Friday 03-January-2025. The original plan was to pack up and head home to recover, birthdays having been duly celebrated - possible fitting in an overnight stay end route for a new parkrun on the Saturday. In the end we decided to go and spend the night with Sandra and George in Erskine and do a local Glasgow parkrun.

Saturday 04-January-2025. As it turned out that was a wise choice. Many possible parkruns were cancelled including Sandra's and our planned locations. We spent the Friday evening watching the cancellations roll in.

In the end Greenock was almost last man standing and only half an hour's drive away so off we went. Still some treacherous black ice on the non-gritted roads so we were very grateful for the 4-wheel option on our Kia Sportage.

A bit blustery, double out-and-back along the River Clyde.

We spotted a seal basking on an outlet pipe.

We were amused by this crocheted pillar box topper of "Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey"[Line of Duty (YouTube)].

Then it was back to Sandra's for a quick coffee and finally go home to Penrith to recover!

Blair Athol Distillery Tour

Pitlochry, Scotland. Thursday 31-December-2024.

As part of our New Year break in Pitlochry we booked a tour and tasting at Blair Atholl distillery. Fortunately it was only 15 minutes walk from our hotel and so no designated driver was required. Notwithstanding, a couple of our party booked the driver’s pack option which meant you could have the tiniest sip and take the rest home in dinky little bottles.

On the walk down aeroplanes provided us with a serendipitous saltire in the sky.

One key difference between whisky and gin production is the sourcing of the raw spirit. Gin distillers in the UK buy in the alcohol from one of a few grain spirit producers and then add flavours through a supplementary distillation. Whisky producers distill the alcohol from the raw fermentation and then add flavours through maturation in casks. The time and cost of the maturation accounts for the difference in price between the two.

The first step is to make a mash from malted barley. This vat keeps it warm and stirred whilst converting the starches into sugar. Next step is extract the sugary liquid (the wort) and ferment it into a beer-like brew at approx. 9% ABV.

Various implement from the olden days when they used to sprout and malt the barley in-house, now outsourced locally:

The copper still where the alcohol is evaporated out. Apparently Scottish whisky is typically double distilled (first to 20%, then to 60% aka cask strength) whereas Irish whiskey is often triple distilled and bourbon is also double distilled.

This device is where the different fractions are triaged. There are moveable spouts to allow testing and redirection as appropriate. The first distillates (the heads) are recycled back in, the middle fraction goes forward for the next stage and the thirds distillates (the tails) are also recycled back.

After the second separate distillation the cask strength alcohol is put into a variety of different casks (sherry, Madeira, red wine, bourbon) to mature for years or decades. They lose about 2% per annum due to evaporation through the wood (aka the angels’ share) which also adds to the cost of older whiskies because of reduced yields.

The river that supplies the water comes from the hills behind and is pure because of the absence of farming and other human activities that might pollute it.

At the end of the tour we got a “nosing” as whisky tasting is called. 

Three different casks and ages to show the effects of maturation.

A small group, they limit the tours to twelve people at a time. As always preferences varied.

Each person got a glass to take home so we now have a pair of dinky little whisky glasses to add to our collection. Interesting and well worth the visit. Recommended.

Parkrun Tourism Part 08 - 2024, October to December

All over the place. January-December 2023.

So much tourism this year I have broken this post into three chapters:

• Parkrun Tourism Part 08 - 2024, January to March.
• Parkrun Tourism Part 08 - 2024, April to September.
• Parkrun Tourism Part 08 - 2024, October to December.

October to December Tourism:

• Silloth Promenade [Solfest]
• Hassenheide [German Unity Day]
• Havelkanal [German Unity Day]
• Whitehaven
• Cockermouth Greenway.
• St. Andrew [St. Andrew's Day]
• Bower Park [Bassenthwaite Lake Station]
• Troon (Mary)

Silloth Promenade 24/08/2024 31:41 [16 / 27].

Silloth Promenade parkun could only be described as 50% brutal. Mind you, what did we expect with a double out-and-back on a North West coast promenade, in the wake of Storm Lillian? However there were great views, friendly volunteers and crowd, and a lovely cafe for afterwards.

Volunteers are still smiling, only the tailwalker after Mary then time for coffee!

Mary and "Big Fella": The sculpture entitled “Big Fella” is of a man and his dog taking in the beautiful sea views at the end of the day and shielding his eyes from the sun. This fabulous “Big Fella”, sculptured by Ray Lonsdale, is a bequest to the town of Silloth from a true gentleman, Peter Richardson. Apparently Peter would say to visitors, "Will you look at that view", hence the plaque on the seat!.

And this is the view!

The advantage of out-and-back courses is that you can’t get lost and minimal marshals are need - normally just one at the turnaround traffic cone.

Hasenheide 03/10/2024 29:04 [114 / 209].

We took the opportunity of German Unity Day to visit Berlin and a do parkrun double header at Hasenheide parkrun in central Berlin and Havelkanal parkrun, Hennigsdorf on the outskirts. Full story at City Break - Berlin.

We were very grateful to all the many volunteers, turning out on a public holiday. During his briefing in English and German, the RD, tongue firmly in cheek, asked if there were any tourists here. However they were obviously expecting us as they had organised two first timers briefings in English and one in German.

There were tourists from all over UK and further afield. We talked to a visitor from Australia who we thought would win the furthest tourist but, as she predicted, there was someone from NZ! Chatted, compared events lists and plans with many other tourists.

Hasenheide had asked for help with refreshments so Mary made mini-muffins which we transported from Italy i.e. "Cakes on a Plane". All 48 were devoured and many compliments received.

Lovely course, two laps (with an extra loop on the second lap) on tree-lined paths. So much fun (apart from the loop up the hill).

No cafe in the park so it was back to the cafe nearest to our apartment for a huge brunch and great music that could have come from our own playlist!

Havelkanal 05/10/2024 28:26 [16 / 46].

The second of the Berlin double: lovely Havelkanal parkrun, Hennigsdorf on the Saturday.   

One of Mary's fastest times lately, perhaps the beer and currywurst we ate the night before was the answer! Alongside the canal which is home to beavers.

There was cake!

Beautiful and flat course, out and back along the side of the canal on a tarmac path.

Whitehaven 09/11/2024 30:22 [34 / 51].

Next was Whitehaven parkrun as part of gradually ticking off all the parkruns in Cumbria. A slightly early start but an easy run along the A66. 

Nice out and back on a cycle trail that apparently once was a railway line.

Gently sloping uphill on the way out which made for faster times on the way back and a good time overall.

Cockermouth Greenway 16/11/2024 30:14 [104 / 178].

Improving our Wilson index at Cockermouth Greenway parkrun's 2nd event. On our way we spotted an embellishment to a road sign to make a Rudolph.

The obligatory name tent photo. 

Lots of tourists including a bunch from Blackburn Road Runners who were completing all the parkruns in the North West for the second time - they thought they had completed them all the week before!

Double out and back so can get a little congested in places but a nice course along a cycle path which we assume was once a railway line. 

The Garmin was a bit confused as it registered all the way to the Rugby Club where we enjoyed the bacon sarnies provided by the local WI.

St Andrew 30/11/2024 28:37 [108 / 218].

I had planned to complete my 250th parkrun at my home parkrun of Penrith but it was cancelled due to ice. Friends had come to visit especially to celebrate this milestone and Mary had baked nearly two hundred mini-muffins so we were a little disappointed. Still our friends rallied round and helped out with the cakes!

As part of our UK Road Trip, November 2024 my 250th happened a week later: 

• at St. Andrews parkrun on St. Andrew’s Day. 
• first outing for my birthday present: Brooks parkrun edition road shoes. 
• sporting my orange 250th baseball cap, a present from parkrun friends Tim and Sue 
• very happy with my time especially with a grumbling Achille’s heel. 28:37. 
• 1st in my age category VM70-74 and there were 7 in my age category!
• I achieved an age-graded score of 63.19%. Not bad for an old man.

Mary walked round with a lady from Swindon and talked to others from Perth, Aberdeen and Buckinghamshire.

My limited edition birthday present shoes got their first outing.

It’s official: 250 parkruns. It seems like forever since the previous official milestone at 100. Well three years obviously. The next milestone at 500 will be five years away which why it is good to celebrate the unofficial interim milestones at the hundreds.

Three laps round the lovely Craigtoun Country Park with a variety of views, lots of jolly tourists and locals, many dressed appropriately in tartan.

The Dutch Village a bizarre island with ornate buildings in the middle of the boating lake, read more at canmore.org.uk.

Great cafe just at the finish for post parkrun coffee.

Bower Park 07/12/2024 30:53 [34 / 36].

Continuing our mission to do all the parkruns in Cumbria. 

We were at Bassenthwaite for a wine tasting [Festive Flavours, December 2024] and stayed at The Pheasant Inn for an extra night so only had a short journey to Bower Park in the morning.

It turned out this was an excellent choice - one of the few parkruns that was on that day! It was windy but not as bad as predicted.

Five laps round the rugby ground, a bit hard work in places on small loose gravel.

Troon 21/12/2024 30:43 [64 / 106].

Blustery day at Troon parkrun for their 300th event. The team asked us to wear milestone vests but you could not see them under all the layers we had to wear! Tourists from as far away as Melbourne, prompting the question WHY? Great welcome and briefing from Rachel ("no fun in her funnel"), lovely bunch of volunteers, friendly crowd and super cafe just across the road.

Over 100 mad / brave souls turned out, including Mary's fellow walker at the end who was a local doing only her third ever parkrun.

The powerful squall that came in just as Mary was at the most exposed turnaround point was particularly unpleasant. The horizontal windsock below gives an indication of the wind speed.

A double out and back along the promenade.

My 2024 parkrun roundup:

• 50 parkruns in total. 
• 15 volunteer credits (30 for Mary). 
• 27 different events in total. 
• 21 new events for me (23 for Mary).
• Fastest: Salento 28:22 
• Most visited: Salento 17. 
• 4 foreign countries: Italy, Germany, Austria, Scotland. 

In 2024 we have definitely moved to mostly deliberate tourism mixed in with a couple of opportunistic "since we are here" occasions. Mary already has a spreadsheet planning for 2025.