The fields of barley and the rolled hay here are beautiful and surround our guest house. I keep singing Sting's "Fields of Gold". We walked by this beautiful field pictured above on our way to the Cordhu Distillery this morning. Our tour guide was good. She told some of the same folk stories as the guide at Dalwhinnie, but was much clearer about the distilling process. I learned that it is not whiskey until it has been in the barrel for 3 years. Prior to that it is simply spirits. Both guides said that a bit of water releases the favors of the whiskey. We've been testing that theory nightly.
We also walked down the hill from the tiny village to the Knockando Woolmill, has been manufacturing continuously since 1784. I was hoping to see the weaving and dying, but there were no tours today. There were dozens of pheasants scurrying around the mill. It's hunting season for them.
In the afternoon we drove west to see the Loch Ness. The drive took us through Inverness, which was not remarkable other than the fact that we are listening to MacBeth, a Novel while we drive. Here, also are miles of fields with hundreds of hay roles scattered about. It is very surreal. The Loch is a beautiful sparkling blue set among blue green mountains. We chose the Urqhuart Castle from which to view it. Though extensively ruined, it is still a splendid sight set high up on a headland. It was in its day one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland. It is also near this castle that the majority of Nessie sightings occur.
For dinner we returned to the Highlander Pub for steak and ale pie. It's a great little neighborhood pub with friendly and jolly Scots. More photos at Flickr.
