Cluny House Gardens

We were pretty limited with what we could do in Tummel as it had to be outdoors, only a short walk and the weather wasn't great. 

I found a house which had an impressive wild-ish garden. And best of all, it had 2 redwood trees and supposedly red squirrels, which we didn't actually expect to see. But we did!!!! I tried to get a photos but he/she was very quick and I just got a tail.

The redwood was near the start. I think Mom had a religious experience. She has always wanted to see one but never thought she would. I was so happy she got too. Both mom and dad were amazed. And it is huge!

Looking up.

The fuzzy thing int he middle is a red squirrel tail. Honest.

The walk around the garden took about 1 and 1/2 hours and was on a hillside so we took it slow. It was lovely and I would love to see it in the summer.

I tried to get some nice photos of mom and dad but they (in particular mom) was not into it. I got a few nice ones, as well as a few were mom looked like she would happily push me off the hillside. Honestly I only took a couple of minutes.

Mom is not amused

Photo war!

200 yr old fallen pine.

Cawdor Castle

On the last full day at Nairn, we went to Cawdor castle. We needed somewhere indoors as the weather was beautiful one minute and trying to flood the next. 

This is the castle which was the original home of MacBeth. But there was nothing as sinister as you would expected given that. 

Though there was a disturbing story of a toddler who was the heir to the house when her dad died so someone kidknapped her to take control. Lukily (if you call it that), this was anticipated. So the nurse bit off her little finger and brand her to make sure they could ID her. Practical but really harsh. 

Draw bridge

Serious oven

This castle had some of the most hideous bedrooms I have ever seen. And someone had created a modern kitchen and decorated it in the most eye-bleeding orange wall paper in the 1970's. I didn't take photos of that. It was just wrong! 

As with any good castle there was a dungeon. 

Apparently the castle location was chosen by a donkey when he stopped to rest here. They decided to keep the tree and built over it. Unsurprisingly it died (though apparently they were shocked back then when it did.) They kept the tree. And a few years ago they found a real dungeon (in the back of the photo, there is a 'door' on the floor which is the entrance). None of my photos turned out but it looked unpleasant. 

After coffee and cake (obviously), we went around the gardens while the weather was holding. 

There is a maze with a Minotaur in the middle. I hate mazes so stayed out. I was quite happy with the pathways around the maze which had wonderful twisted trees along them. 

Wether descending.

We did get catch in a shower but were heading back anyway. We had to pack the car for the next part of our trip. 

Wisley Glow

A few weekends before Christmas I went to Wisley for their Winter Glow, which was ok, though nothing on Kew Gardens. Here are a few photos.

One of the main reasons I wanted to go is they have the green house open and light up. Again, it was ok but they could have done so much more.

Love the shadows. 

Elf.

Elf House

They said they had elves hidden around, but they meant they had a few at the front in a display.

It was ok but not as good as the others I had been to.