Cheese, books and ruins

A perfect blue sky this morning, but the forecast said 'Rain by 1.30' and it was right! We dropped Daughters One & Two off near Kingussie to walk part of the new extension of the Speyside Way and Mrs M and I walked up to Ruthven Barracks, the ruins of which sit on a mound outside the town. The first structure to be built on the mound was a castle, in 1229, but the current building was erected in 1719 after the 1715 Jacobite Rising. During the retreat by the defeated Jacobites from Culloden in 1745 the Barracks was attacked and burnt down, and has been maintained as a ruin ever since. I had time to take some pictures before the sky clouded over, as it remained for the rest of the day.

We spent some time in Kingussie where there is a wonderful secondhand bookshop, next to a wonderful cheese shop! Needless to say I made one or two purchases before we went on to pick the girls up at Insh where we had a picnic lunch in a church car park at Kincraig - in the car unfortunately.

A few stops on the way back and a brief look at the ruins of Castle Roy, near to Nethy Bridge. The castle was built in the 12th century and the stabilisation of the ruin began only in 1994. It was opened to the public just two  months ago, though it's more or less four walls with a few side rooms. Quite a dramatic site, overlooking the local church.

Quote of the Day:

Sometimes a cloud moves over the valley casting its shadow, almost like the thoughts of a god. Brian Kennan and John McCarthy - 'Between Extremes'.