The Writers' Circle

My twin sister Judith and her husband Graham invited us to share a holiday with them in the Trossachs National Park Scotland. 
Marjorie and I had never been to the Trossachs before so we were looking forward to our holiday.

It was an amazing experience and one wonders why we Brits are so keen to take holidays abroad, when on our own shores we have the most wonderful scenery this world has to offer. 

We arrived at our destination with mouths and eyes wide open as we confronted our lodgings. Well really our place of residence for the next seven days. What wonderful sight, looking like a French château. This very impressive building with three large turrets was called Tighmor.

   An obvious attraction to coach trip visitors, as they pulled up on the opposite side of lock Achray to take photo's of the building. It was set in front of 'Ben An' not quite a mountain, yet a formidable climb.

 Looking away from Tighmor the scenery was breathtaking. As you looked onto Lock Achray, with a background of rolling hills locking into each other. It was a setting that took your breath away, and one that constantly revealed new and wonderful variations of colour.

 In the early morning, the lazy drifting clouds covering the hills. Draping the tree tops and hills with a blanket of haze in an eerie mysterious way. 
As the sun rose and shone through the different depths of the clouds, creating bands of light and colours to counteract the greys and whites of the clouds. 
As the sun quickly burned the clouds away and lit up the trees giving a vibrant change of colours of green.
 One could be in awe by just this alone. There was much more in this area of Scotland that is full of nature's most natural resources.

  
An area made famous by novelist Sir Walter Scott and on Lock Katrina only three miles from Tighmor.  We spent a day cruising Lock Katrina, on a Victorian steam boat named after this famous man. Who like I, was in awe at the beauty of this part of Scotland. Wrote many wonderful words, bringing fame and interest to the area.

 If like my Sister Judith and Graham and I, you enjoy the game of golf, then Scotland is the place to be. We played two courses, but there are many in this part of the Trossachs. The two we played were very different settings and course lay outs, were challenging in their own ways. 

Callander a small town only a few miles from Tighmor, the course set on the edge of town with a mixture of hills and an array of views, the course had lush fairways, greens fast and tricky, a testing course for the likes of my golf.

 We then played at St Fillians by the side of Lock Earn very flat but on every tee you had wonderful scenery, looking at the various ranges of the Grampian Mountains a very beautiful area, on both courses the people were friendly and made us feel very welcome. 

The nearest pub called the Brye Inn had their own bus service from our residence, each night, you could book a seat at the reception, it picked you up and brought you home for free, the food was of high standard and very reasonably priced, with good traditional beers, 'I tried them all'. 

They also had a brilliant idea, on each table was a game, snakes and ladders, trivial pursuit. Draughts, it was amazing how quickly time past as you played the game put at your table, and it was just as amazing how many played the games. We used this excellent service on three nights. 

Just down the road was a little village called the Brig of Turk. Leading off the village was a number of short and long walks into woods and hill climbs?
 A village crafts fair was advertised, we decided to patronize the local community. Judith and Marjorie went into the village hall to browse at the craft fair. 

Graham and I took one of the walks through little Drum Wood; it was so serene with bluebells carpeting the pathways, and a quietness that was broken only by the occasional bird chirping. Whilst we could have stopped all day just admiring wonders of nature we got back to the village hall.  

Marjorie and Judith had an equally great time buying potter, hand painted and fired by two local retired ladies, who had taken up the hobby in there retirement. They were so good, both Marjorie and Judith bought a number of their items. 

The time flew by with so many places to visit, and many different interesting sights to see. Those who we met at the pub, or in our residence, spoke of their days, and what they had been up to. Climbs and walks just on your door step, Towns and villages that had quaint shops, undisturbed by today's hectic pace.
 
Seven days is just scratching the surface of this wonderful part of our Island, and we will certainly be visiting the Trossachs again.