When I Last Left You...

...we had picked up The Bubble and were on our way out of Glasgow. In spite of the fact that I had studied the atlas and knew generally where we were headed, my navigation skills failed when we got to Perth. I was having problems reading signs and locating where we were on the map and, consequently, I directed us in the wrong direction. But..I quickly recovered and found an alternate route to where we wanted to go. In the process we stumbled upon the Wal-Mart (which goes by a different name) that Aimee remembered being in Perth. So we figured the detour was meant to be...vbg. We stopped at Wal-Mart because I wanted to buy a curling iron (or tongs as they are called in Scotland). I have such baby fine hair and I need all the chemicals and help I can get to give the impression that there is a HINT of body in my hair. I could have brought my own curling iron but I would have needed a converter, so I decided it was just as easy to buy a cheap iron in Scotland. Now, where would you look for a curling iron? My initial thought was health and beauty aids. By the hair products? Hmmmm....there it is! By the clothes irons!! And I had the choice of ...oh, three! We also picked up some snacks and Aimee found Coke Orange....yes, it looked like an orange Coke bottle. She decided she needed to try it and said it was horrible -- like Hi C or any other orange soda mixed with Coke. We got back on the road and saw signs for Scone Palace (pronouced SKOON). It wasn't on our list of places to visit but we decided since we had time we would stop. I'm SO glad we did. We pulled up and parked in the car park (or parking lot as affectionately known in the US) and went to get tickets. While Aimee was waiting in line for the tickets I was taking in the beautiful location and the "Highland Coos". They are such magnificent animals. There were also peacocks wandering around, including white peacocks which I undestand Scone is known for.

We then walked up the long drive to the Palace itself. A little bit of history...1500 years ago it was the capital of the Pictish kingdom and the center of the ancient Celtic church. It has been the seat of parliaments and the crowning place of kings. It has housed the Stone of Destiny upon which all British kings/queens sit when crowned. The Stone was last used at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Scone Palance was immortalized in Shakepeare's Macbeth. It is still the home of the Earls of Mansfield. The interior is incredible and the imagination runs wild thinking about what it must have been like to live in such a place.

After visiting the Palace, we decided to walk the grounds. They are so beautifully maintained with gardens and extremely lush lawns where peacocks wandered freely. We saw Moot Hill which was the Ancient Crowning Place of the Kings of Scots. It is immediately in front of the Palace near a Gothic Chapel, which is still used for special occasions. We wandered through an ancient cemetery and Aimee, of course, had to climb on the walls of the cemetery. We then set out to explore the Wild Garden and Pinetum. Absolutely incredible!! There were beautiful gardens set in clearing of trees. Aimee decided it was where she was going to hold her wedding reception! Of course, she had to attempt to climb one of the huge trees. I can't take her anywhere! (In the past I've had to peel her off one of the smokestacks on the Queen Mary.) She tried to get onto the huge branch but it was too high (or she was too short!) She took a run at it and attempted to jump but only managed to knock herself to the ground when her chest hit the branch.

The trees planted in the Pinetum where breathtaking. It originated with the planting of coniferous trees in 1848 and further trees have been added over the years. I have never in my life seen trees as tall as these. Aimee is a mere speck among the trees and you can't even begin to see the tops. I also do not have the words to decribe what it felt like to be in the Pinetum. The floor was covered with pine needles and it was soft to walk on and absolutely silent. The peacefulness of the spot was overwhelming. It truly made me feel small in the presence of God. Being in such a place was very moving to me.

After leaving the Pinetum we took on the Murray Star Maze. I'd always wanted to get lost in a maze and this one was tough! We kept wandering and wandering and could hear the fountain in the middle, but couldn't find our way to it. We finally made our want out of it and went up on the bridge over the maze at the entrance and figured out the proper route....all along the far edge of the maze. Finally we made it to the center!

After spending several hours at Skone Palance and wandering the grounds, we again hopped in The Bubble and continued our trip to Pitlochry. We stayed in a very cute bed and breakfast where our hostess was very accommodating and friendly. After checking in we walked into the town center where I had my first dinner of fish and chips...YUMMMMMMM!! Then it was back to the BnB for a shower and a good night sleep.