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Day 8: June 8, 2024
Once again we set off at 0800hrs bound for Stirling Castle and the Highlands! We made an impromptu stop at The Kelpies, a 100 foot high art installation dedicated to horses during the Industrial Revolution and also mythical water spirits said to reside in Scottish lochs! We also stopped at Bannockburn just before Stirling at the site of the Battle of Bannockburn which took place in June 1314, when Robert the Bruce defeated the numerically superior English army. Then it was onto Stirling Castle, said to defend the gateway between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, and the castle in which Mary, Queen of Scots grew up in. After the visit, the coach headed through lush green rolling countryside to Pitlochry via Perth. Pitlochry rose to fame after Queen Victoria & Prince Albert visited the Highlands, and people started visiting when the railway line reached Pitlochry a decade later. Then it was on into the Cairngorms National Park, through Aviemore and onto beautiful Loch Morlich. Nestled in amongst tall mountain peaks, the beautiful Loch has its own natural sandy beach. The last leg of the journey saw the group travel further through impressive scenery on to Tomintoul, the highest village in the Cairngorms. After checking in a number of the group enjoyed a whisky tasting nearby before enjoying dinner at the hotel!