Pies and Vapour-Rise

Back to Pitlochry for some much-needed downtime. We ate well, mooched around the local gear shop (where I managed to not buy a Haglofs LIM Down Vest. Yaaay for me!!!) and then ate some more. It was braw.

We took a wander up to the wee loch at the top of the hill, just up from the hotel. The ducks were still there; they looked sad. The loch was all froze and everything. We went back this morning with some toast, snaffled from our breakfast and shared it out. That seemed to make them happy. We resolved to stock up on duck food before our next visit.

It's no' easy being a duck.

Vrackie looking all snowy and rugged.

I nearly went home empty-handed but saw the light just in time and popped back into Escape Route for another wee nosey. The brightly coloured Optimus display had caught my eye yesterday so it would've been rude not to at least buy something.

Then, just to satisfy my curiosity like, I tried on a Rab VR Trail Stretch Top. I'd never worn one before and wondered about the fit. Glove-like, was the answer. The sleeves are nice and long too. And its' price reduced to not-very-much-at-all. It was all a no-brainer really.

Naturally enough, we also brought home a MacDonald's Steak Pie, so that's tea sorted.

Pitlochry Redux - Part 1

Two years. That's how long it is since we were last up this way. Oh, we'd whizzed by on the way to points further North and West but this was to be the first time we'd actually stopped in Pitlochry in an age.

We needed some downtime, a break from the daily grind of the 9 to 5'er and so a weekend away was proposed. After much searching (Scotland's pretty much shut until April) we settled on Pitlochry as a reasonable choice. It's only an hours drive away, there are hills and, just as importantly, shops if it's raining.

Some luxury was called for and so we took lodgings at the Pine Trees Hotel, a fine old Victorian pile, situated up on the hill above the toon.
The drive up was "interesting"; pitch dark, gale force winds and lashing rain. Apart from nearly ending up in the Tummel (damn those shitty road markings) and getting lost (damn those shitty directions) we got there in pretty good time.

I'm no' a big fan of hotels but this one had a nice atmosphere, relaxed and no' too up itsel'. The staff, mostly Eastern European, were smiley, polite and attentive. Our famous Heelan Hospitality is imported these days, it seems.

We'd taken some basic walking gear on the premise that we'd have a dander up Ben Vrackie if the weather was reasonable but Saturday was a mixture of sunshine, freezing wind and showers. And so to Plan B, a wander round the shops. The only ones I was interested in were the pie shop and the gear shop. Or MacDonalds Brothers and Escape Route, respectively.

Macdonald's Steak Pies are superb and buying one while I was there was always part of the plan. They're no' exactly cheap but they're worth it. And you can even order online. Sometimes, I really, really love the internet.A Macdonald's Steak Pie in all its' glory

An empty Macdonald's Steak Pie Dish in all its' glory. Photo taken on Sunday, just after tea time.

Coming next, "Killer Ducks and Gear Shops".