The Land of Happy Cows and Tipsy Angels

This morning, after yet another very big breakfast, we found our way out of Aberdeen and headed north east on A96. Trunk roads are the main connector thoroughfares. We call them highways. We have found them to be an interesting combination of divided 2 lane freeways, city streets and single lane diversions, all of which have speeds ranging between 20-60 mph. There are very few off and on ramps. Highway access is, of course, handled by the never ending rounders. Actually, those on the highway are managed easily. Those in the cities present nothing but confusion to 2 Canadians learning the system as navigator and driver. The problem, for us, lies mainly in the road signage which ranges from well marked to obscure to non-existent. To my Scottish friends reading the blog, my comments are not meant as criticisms, merely observations from a North American perspective. Lack of signage found us today driving down a street which had been converted to pedestrian only. Good concept, barriers would help. No pedestrians were injured, no driver was fined and no navigator was castigated. While driving we encountered typical construction zones with not a flag person evident. There was no need as there were excellent warning signs accompanied by a portable traffic light which handled the single lane traffic.

Our first stop was our first distillery located in Keith, about one hour from Aberdeen, in the midst of malt whiskey country known as Speyside.

Strathisla (s is silent like island) is the home of Chivas Regal and is said to be the oldest distillery in the Highlands. It produces 12 & 18 year old Chivas and a single malt. Only 10% of the whiskey is bottled as single malt so it is quire rare and we now own a bottle. The production goal for the 18 year old this year is 300,000 bottles and for the 12 year old the goal is 5.4 million cases; that would be x12 to equal bottles and the accountant told us this is a small distillery.

Having never toured a distillery before we found it most interesting. The ambience was relaxed, the setting tranquil, the guide well-informed and humorous and the group consisted only of 7 tourists. At the end we enjoyed a sampling of all three products. Single malt is top right.

We both liked the single malt best with 18 year old Chivas as our 2nd choice. One in our party sampled and one sipped.


We learned that the dregs of the fermentation process are solidified and compressed into pellets, which resemble miniature presto logs. These are fed to the local cattle, which, understandably means contented cow. We also learned that as the whiskey ages in the casks 2% a year evaporates and is considered a "gift to the angels". Given that 2 angels on our lives would have celebrated birthdays tomorrow we offer a cheer to Orin and

On the road again to an old medieval market town just 25 minutes away. Elgin happens to be the birthplace of my 3rd great grandfather, Daniel McDonald, born in this city on May 12, 1787. I have been trying for 5 years to determine where in Scotland this ancestor was born. This, for me, this was eventful. RP took this photograph at a cross dating back to 1402. Hmmm, that is decades before Columbus sailed the ocean blue. The Building on the right with the 3 archways dates to Great Grandpa Daniel's birth year.

We wandered the streets in a rain shower snapping photos of buildings from the late 1700s. To escape the rain we had a small, uninspiring lunch served by not so friendly folk at the Thunderton Hotel, a building originally a royal palace about 1725. It is said Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed here during the Jacobite uprising and before the Battle of Culloden. Nearby was what had been the marketplace during the era of Daniel 's parents, Ronald McDonald and Janet Urquhart. Perhaps I will convince my grandchildren they descend from Ronnie Mac.

There are also Mathesons in my tree and I found evidence in Elgin today.

My very patient partner was ready to move onto to our Inverness B&B so off we went to preparing for rush hour traffic in the capital of the Highlands, Inverness, a lovely, picturesque city.

Other than the pedestrian mall mishap we arrived calmly at Acorn Guest House and were greeted royally by the resident white Scottie, to whom tribute is paid in the car park.

The comfortable inn, hosted by delightful Fiona, is a short walk from the bustling city center. On her recommendation we selected a restaurant on the river called "The Kitchen" where I had the most delicious salmon I have ever tasted. RP enjoyed an equally tasty sea bass. Coincidentally we know some special people who dined last year at the sister restaurant just across the river. We chuckled because the name of that restaurant is "The Mustard Seed". On the way out the flower arrangement caught my eye. It was exquisite to see sunflowers coupled with bird of paradise - brilliant and beautiful. Tomorrow will find us on the shores of the North Sea at Royal Dornoch and visiting the seat of the Sutherland clan, Dunrobin Castle. Goodnight All!

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Location:Montague Row,Inverness,United Kingdom