First Corbett climbed, Ben Vrackie 29/12/16

Trying to make the most of the holidays and the mild weather, I decided to head up to Ben Vrackie, parking in the carpark up from the Moulin Hotel above Pitlochry. Dry and very mild weather to start with, peeling off layers as I went until two thirds up the steep incline above Loch a' Choire, the icy wind dictated layers being added again. Thankfully I had taken my Yaktrak grips for tackling the knee deep snow to the 841m summit. A quick couple of photos at the cairn and trig point, with an eye on the incoming fog bank I decided to head back down to the Loch for my tea and pieces, a quicker wander back down to the car still in great weather considering the time of year. A 3 hour walk in total, hard work but a great sense of achievement.

                                                                  Ben Vrackie in cloud

Loch a' Choire

Loch a' Choire

Pitlochry in the distance

Pretty deep snow

841m Summit cairn and trig point

Almost knee deep snow

Tay Valley Norton Owners Club and Norrie's sidecar club Christmas doo.

Saturday was the annual Christmas doo in the Killin Hotel. There were a few in the bar when we got there at half three, so the overindulgence began, Ewan even managing a few songs while playing his guitar. Once again a great time spent talking bikes with great friends.

Kate and Bobs bikes

Bert, Laurenne and Jakes bikes

Gino and Fiona's outfit

And so it began

Drinking punctuated by the food

Jake and his fancy Christmas hat

Gino contemplating his next drink

Saturday 03/12/16 walk around Faskally Forest, Pitlochry. Sunday 04/12/16 walk through Pitmedden Forest, Glenfoot.

Faskally Forest, also known as Faskally Woods, is a wooded area in the historic county of Perthshire, Scotland. It is among the mixed woodlands of Perthshire, and is well known for its radiant colours during the autumn.

Female Teal guddling

Male Teal guddling

Straddling the border between Perthshire and the Kingdom of Fife, Pitmedden Forest was once the playground of the royals. From Falkland Palace, the kings and queens of Scotland rode out here in pursuit of wild boar. The original forest was largely felled to provide wood during the First World War, but it was later replanted by the Forestry Commission with Scots Pine, Sitka and Norway spruce and remains a commercial plantation under their control. To encourage recreational use, a small car park has been provided, along with various waymarked routes for cyclists and walkers.

Lomond Hills also known as the Paps of Fife in the distance

Melville Monument, Deil's Cauldron, Comrie Walk 27/11/16

Sundays outing was another four and a half mile walk up to the Melville Monument via the Deil's Cauldron with a circular walk back into Comrie. After a photo stop at the Deil's Cauldron, we headed through the trees towards the monument, eventually reaching the top after a damn steep hike.

Comrie in the distance

Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (28 April 1742, Edinburgh, Scotland – 28 May 1811, Edinburgh) was a Scottish advocate and Tory politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and became, in 1806, the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom, for misappropriation of public money. Although acquitted, he never held public office again.^[1]
Dundas was a key actor in the encouragement of the Scottish Enlightenment, in the prosecution of the war against France, in opposing the abolition of slavery, and in the expansion of British influence in India, dominating the affairs of the East India Company. An accomplished machine politician and scourge of the Radicals, his deft and almost total control of Scottish politics during a long period when no monarch visited the country, led to him being pejoratively nicknamed King Harry the Ninth, the "Grand Manager of Scotland" (a play on the masonic office of Grand Master of Scotland), the "Great Tyrant" and "The Uncrowned King of Scotland".^[1]

Lesley and Sitka enjoying the view

A stop off on the way home for refreshments at Glenturret Distillery, no whisky for us unfortunately, only tea and pieces

Drummond Hill and Black Rock, Kenmore walk 26/11/16

Since the weather forecast was so good, we planned a wee walk above Kenmore for fresh air and sunshine. Driving down into Kenmore it was looked pretty fog bound, but seeing it lift over Loch Tay it was a great opportunity for some atmospheric photos. After a four and a half mile walk with a visit to Black Rock Viewpoint for more photos, we stopped at the Watermill Café in Aberfeldy, what a calm atmosphere sitting reading the travel books on the shelves while having the usual recovery pot of tea.