Our Final day--

Our last day to tour Scotland... there was still so much country to see and so little time. There were places I would have liked to have gone back to... alittle more time in Saint Andrews... another day in Edinburgh... and then there were places we had yet to explore... the little town around the corner Elie or the Isles or what about the Border country? There just wasn't enough time, but with map in hand we headed out back toward the highlands to explore what there wasn't time for on the bus tour... We set the navigation up to take us to Pitlochory-- we had stopped for gas there and Alen had told us about Edradour Distillery-- It is the smallest legal distillery in Scotland. It came into being in 1825, and is run by 3 men on the production side-- it still uses many of the old techniques.... and smells wonderful as the casks once held sherry. We enjoyed the tour and the tasting.. and the town was delightful. Pitlochory is also home to Heather Gems-- This little companys jewelry was in all the little shops we went to whereever we were in scotland. They make jewelry that looks like stone out of heather sticks and resin. Very pretty and unique-- we stumbled upon their studio by accident. And they had free tours to see how it made. After leaving Pitlochory we headed to Dunkeld -- just over the Tay river bridge-- to see a cathedral from the 14th century-- We parked near the bridge and walked the town... coming upon the church was a sight--- the grounds right on the Tay --it couldn't have been more beautiful. The church itself was amazing-- surrounded by headstones, the roof was gone on the nave but the interior walls still held shrines and more headstones. Connected to it was the Choir which is still being used as a church today-- amazing stained glass and a marble tomb of Alexander Stewart. They were locking up as we meandered through and we were quickly ushered out to wait by the 1730 iron gate so they could unlock the gate to let us out.... As we walked through I couldn't help but wonder how it stood the test of time..

Despite the lateness of the day with guidebook in hand I convinced Mike we were only a mile away from a "quick" stop... I had seen on the Map that Beatrix Potter had a little muesum/exhibit area one town over....apparently this was where she "holiday'd" as a child and created Peter Rabbit-- WHO KNEW??? I'm not sure what I was expecting but I can tell you I was alittle let down when we got there... it was in an art gallery-- tucked in a corner was a gift shop with Beatrix Potter stuff and behind alittle picket fence was an interactive story area for children..... for a pound they could go in and draw, see some exhibit pictures of hand drawings done by Ms. Potter etc... We looked in the gift shop and I told Mike we could go...but secretly I think I needed to go into the childrens area... and Mike knew it... so he gave me the pound and went to the coffee shop to wait.... sadly Peter Rabbit or Jerimima Puddle-duck were no where to be found. Again I am not sure what I was expecting-- but I can tell you it wasn't there... I read all the plaquards and touched the books... but somehow the magic of her tales just wasn't captured in that little building.. but I'm glad we stopped... I was there.

Driving back home we ran out of time-- once 5:00 hits they close up Scotland... so we made it home in time to pack-- eat as much food as we could from the refrigerator...(story of my life--Mike overshopping) and get a good nights sleep before our lonnnnng trip home.