After our incredible wedding day and then an epic adventure yesterday, we need a more relaxed day today. We also had to return the Landrover to Inverness so after breakfast Aimi and I set off to do that.
Mike and Casey also had to head off home today. We loaded them up with a big cooked breakfast with all the trimmings and sent them on their 8 hour drive home. We did the journey in 2 parts by staying in Northumberland so I forget just how far north we have come.
Dropping the Landrover off was a 3 hour task so we left kayto with Hanny-snail and Nathaniel as it would have been really boring sitting in the car that long. It was really boring for us, but at least I could play some music on my speaker (the landy’s radio wouldnt work).
It’s a very small vehicle for someone as big as me. The seats does not slide back far enough to make it comfortable. It just needs another couple of inches and I think I could get used to driving a land rover. I love the utilitarian tractor-like qualities that make you think it’s indestructible and can drive anywhere. But I’ve been told by lots of people they are not very reliable. Maybe one day I’ll get an old one and put a Toyota engine and gearbox in it.
While we were out Hannah went for a walk up the lock to see how far she could get. It’s much too far to circumnavigate in one day but she got a good distance up and a view back down the lock apps the house. Kayto and Nathan went too but Nathan had booked on to a distillery tour at Dalwhinnie so turned back early.
While Nathan was out, Hannah and I sat up in the grand living room having a lovely cup of tea and a chat. Aimi went for a nap. The last few days have been so busy and overwhelming, today’s gonna be a much easier day. It was nice having some down time just enjoying the house as it’s so grand I feel almost guilty going out. Even though it’s not a historic building whoever commissioned it had to focus on quality as all the materials are authentic and the craftsmanship is exquisite. I really appreciate things when you know whoever made them focused on quality and not speed or cost. This is a building that is easily going to last several hundred years without breaking a sweat.
As we were sitting there having a good natter, to jet aircraft flew down the valley almost at head height. I don’t know what one of them was but the other I’m very sure was the euro fighter. They were so low to the water it was incredible seeing them so close up. I didn’t get a photo of the jets because by time I got my phone ready they had gone. Very soon after a military transport aircraft that I think is called the Hercules went past as well.
Hannah and Nathan very kindly brought us a few gifts that we opened tonight. The first was a very nice bottle of Diplomatico Rum, as that’s our preferred tipple. The next was a bottle of Glenmorangie whiskey. This had been meant to come to the top of the hill over Kingussie for a toast, but the weather (and full tummys) had prevented that plan. But no matter, we can have a dram in future every time we want to remember our Scottish wedding. And lastly they got us matching green hoodies with the date of our wedding in Roman numerals on the breast. This was very sweet, and as they have a set for their wedding too, we will have to have a pyjama hoodie party at some point.
We did take a walk around the house. It turned quite creepy when we found a creaky wooden door down some stone steps under the house. In here was a machinery room with pumps and electrical equipment, but at the back there was a gap in the wall. Hannah and I crawled through it and found an iron grate had been bent back from covering a small opening. It looked like something had bashed it’s way through trying to escape. Maybe this was why the gatehouse was built… to guard against the horrors that lay below, not the private road…
That evening we ate leftovers from the previous mails and the wedding and then carried on the tradition of being bullied by Hannah to take jelly shots.