July 24th. Stonehaven

We have gone from coast to coast in 10 days.  Our b/b last night was the School House in the town of Ballater.  This was an interesting place and space.  There were granite walls and beautiful furniture that was not from Scotland.  We think India, as the owners were away on a mission.

  We decided to rent bikes and do a trail that was flat today.  The cycle shop was fabulous and I think to be able to bike made my day.  We got a map and off we went.  Down the trail a bit we first discovered  "Watership Downs".  There were so many rabbits.  There was a really bad animated movie of Watership Downs that we have a funny family story about with Fiona and the bad rabbit movie which is a story for another day. 

 Biking was great and we went roundtrip 12 miles,

 had a great lunch at The Bothy which had gluten free food back in Ballater, yeah...then shopped around and headed out for Stonehaven.  Kathy and I are taking a break and getting to our domicile early so we can relax.  

Driving Miss Tracey (Kathy's 2nd Guest Blog)

Day 10. July 24. I think this is Stonehaven, a sea coast town, and we just got to our B&B, Keith Cottage. The Schoolhouse in Ballater, last night's accommodation, was in the town the Royal Family calls "theirs", and all the shops are pristinely kept and have plaques proclaiming them "by appointment of her majesty."

 There was even "her majesty's auto mechanic shop. "

 The grocery store's cans are lined up in perfectly straight rows. The Union Jack is flying proudly as the Queen is due to arrive this weekend. Everyone is celebrating the new Princeling and newspapers in every shop show the royal carseat going into the Royal SUV for the trip home.

Well back to my job as driver for the happiest traveler ever, Miss Tracey. She has restrained herself from gasps of horror but yesterday when we got lost on a barren remote sheep track near Loch Ness, I thought my driving days might be over. It was possible that we would have to kidnap the handsome Scottish sheep farmer who helped direct us back to civilization to take over. He was not wearing a kilt though, so he was safe for another day. Eventually we made it to Ballater, and dinner in a former train station. 

Today,  another adventure... Biking on a former rail road bed for 12miles. Tracey of course was way ahead, since she got the road bike and I had the mountain bike with such fat tires that I had to bike standing up to go fast enough. She celebrated with the purchase of her first real biking jersey. This one says Highland Cycling- Ballater, so if you see her around Orono wearing it you'll have to ask her about her trip. 

We did stop at  Balmoral castle, but we were too cheap to pay to get in. 

So we kept going through the Cairngorm Mountains to the Eastern Coast of Scotland. More tea shops, fish and chips, and "luxury" ice cream to come in the next few days. Miss Tracey and her driver are still out and about, searching for sheep, handsome kilt wearing Scotsmen, old churches and Pictish stones. Not necessarily in that order.