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!