Scotland, raw, incredibly beautiful and timeless

Poshmum blown away by the delicious Indian food at Rishi’s Indian Aroma in Dundee. Food at the Taypark House Hotel is highly recommended too. Delicious roasted cod alone made our journey here worthwhile!

Broughty Castle near Dundee, originally built 1490.
George Orwell bar on Perth Road Dundee. Poshmum wholeheartedly recommends. Come to Dundee for exquisite autumn colours
Camperdown House, Dundee, built in 1828 and currently undergoing restoration. Set in the immense Camperdown Park complete with its own wildlife centre
Not a bad view from our room at The Taypark House Hotel Dundee!

Verdant Jute Mill Dundee. Vital to Dundee’s heritage and a crucial reason as to how women’s prominence led it to become known as the She town of Scotland. See it now https://www.verdantworks.co.uk/

Eat your heart out @WilliamSitwell – had such a great dining experience at Milas Turkish kitchen in Dundee – see their Facebook page https://m.facebook.com/MilasRestaurantDundee. Think charcoal fish and meats with vegetarian options. Totally warmed the heart on a crisp November evening

OOR WULLIE in disguise CAREFULLY CRAFTED BY ANDREW MACVICAR – see it at the McManus museum Dundee

Saw the restored Discovery ship and the splendid museum. Poor Captain Scott was so close to safety when he and his remaining 2 companions perished.

Discovery ship built in Dundee and launched 1901

Enjoyed a lovely afternoon before warming our hallowed souls with a delicious Indian meal at http://www.jahangirdundee.com/ we admired the amazing nan bread and waiter agreed informing us they’re modelled on elephant’s ears. They truly are!

Elephant ear nan bread, Jahangird tandoori Dundee

Back in Scotland for Halloween 2021. This time on the train including free wine and sandwiches in 1st class at little more than price of a standard ticket. Staying at https://www.tayparkhouse.co.uk/ quirky country house joint – a little out of the centre. Blinking lovely dinner last night a beef and ale peh as opposed to pie complete with a chunk of bone marrow. Escaping the bad weather in Dundee’s own V&A museum https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee – cool galleries and exhibits including Night Fever to celebrate the disco scene.

PILLARS BAR DUNDEE

Well, these unprecedented times put paid to our planned USA roadtrip, but coming to Scotland, although different in these circumstances has at least been possible, maybe poshmumsjourneys can start a little sooner – without the usual travel lag or indeed getting over cheap in-flight wine alongside the dehydration. Follow our Scottish alternative road roam………..

centre

Rambling at Rumbling Bridge, Kinross, quite something! This is 3.5 Scottish miles, not as short as stated but fairly doable. Beautiful views throughout.

Have you heard of The Kelpies, monstrous metallic equine structures, the largest of their type in the world. Set amidst a space for nature lovers, think canal life, a lagoon and wetlands, see how many beautiful marsh bird species you can spot!

Beautiful Kelpies, near Falkirk, Scotland
River Teith near Alloa, look out for the confluence with the river Forth nearby. This pleasant walk starts from the railway station at Bridge of Allan, roughly 4.5 miles.

The scenery here is so breathtaking, one can almost taste delicious fresh water fish as we gaze into rushing currents….and happily no masks required as we greedily indulge ourselves in moments of rare tranquil normality! The local ales are quite something too, Devon Ales does a decent range, I loved the 90 shillings, but said driver relished a 70 shillings shandy…….

Devon Ales can turn its hand at shandy too!
And more art sculptures, this time in Crieff, noting the town’s historic association with gorgeous Highland cattle, stunning aren’t they? Crieff is a great base for exploring The Trossachs, prepare to be bowled over by the views.

A few nice places to stay in Scotland:

Dakota Hotel Edinburgh https://www.dakotahotels.co.uk/edinburgh/ think dark glass and chic decor, with a smart grill restaurant. Well located for Edinburgh and surrounding area. Look out for the deals which include breakfast and a dinner allowance.

Rumbling Bridge Loft, Kinross. https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/34914046?source_impression_id=p3_1600362592_RgPeD7oTEYCXr0e6 cool, clean and comfortable loft apartment, extremely well-equipped and a thoughtful and very generous breakfast hamper is provided. Do the Rumbling Bridge Gorge walk nearby, bring your boots as it can be muddy. Well worth the effort! Dining at the Inn at Muckhart is your nearest option if you don’t plan to cook, the steak pie (with sausage of course!) Is recommended, alongside Devon Brewery ale.

Blackaddie Country House, South West Scotland in Sanquhar. See https://www.blackaddiehotel.co.uk/ this hidden country house hotel has recently changed hands but is still well situated for visits to Dumfries and surrounding areas, or fishing on the river Nith.

Merlindale bed and breakfast Crieff see https://www.merlindale.co.uk/ prepare to be blown away by such outstanding hospitality, and a huge clawfoot bath extremely welcome after walks in the Crieff area. Very good value too. Breakfast is exceptional and there are several decent options nearby for dinner within walking distance.

Never tire of fantastic scenery, helps to kind of belie these challenging times somewhat. Whatever remains after all this there will always be nature. Here are a couple of images from the Trossachs national park:

Stunning isn’t it!
Breathtaking…..

Our knowledgeable and helpful host at the https://www.merlindale.co.uk/ suggested the scenic drive below, we were so glad he did, enabling us to snatch the above scenes en route:

Lochside drive from Crieff…..

Moving on to the Ayrshire coast, we visit Seamill, a tiny village close to Largs, known as the Craft Town because of the individual craft studios. The beach is beautiful, unspoilt and tranquil.

Seamill
Quirky artwork commissioned by the current Earl at Kelburn Castle, Scotland

Largs is quite something and is extremely busy on sunny autumn days. It’s still possible though to find a secluded spot away from the main bay.

Forbidding skyline, Largs greets autumn

Sadly, as lockdown was eased in June 2020, the British weather seemed to become a perpetual wet season. We have been so fortunate then to make our visit to Scotland in mid September, when the amazing scenery and beautiful sunshine belied the world’s ongoing international Covid 19 crisis. 2020 teaches us to appreciate what we have whilst we can, and to remain strong and positive as we continue to face new challenges.

Ray of light amidst the clouds and challenges of 2020

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