Second day of touring with our guide Pam: part one

We set an ambitious agenda today for a castle, a scenic view, a village with lunch, then a private estate with a garden to visit. It was all possible if the weather cooperated, which it did--about 75% of the day.

We started with a visit at Blair Castle, an estate of just 145,000 acres at the southern end of the Scottish Highlands. It has belonged to the Dukes of Atholl for many centuries. This would be the furthest north we'd visit on this trip. 

The castle was lovely, and different with its white stucco surface. There was a deer park with giant elk walking the grounds and there were the antlers of hundreds of deer of bygone days used as decoration throughout the castle rooms. A bagpiper plays for 15 minutes at the top of every hour and this young man was particularly good at it.

After our tour, during which we got soggy while walking around the 9-acre walled garden with its lily ponds full of swans, coots and baby ducks, we headed to the Queen's View, which is a breathtaking vista set high above the river.

The Queen's View: