Chronicle for 9 May 2012

We had breakfast this morning whilst watching the red squirrels in the garden. There are a number of squirrel boxes set up in the trees and the squirrels were doing the circuit via the circulatory route involving sprinting up the trees, scampering amongst the branches, leaping across the voids and just managing to hang on before descending down to recommence their feasting at the next box of nuts.

Our first destination today was the Highland Wildlife Park which is associated with the Edinburgh Zoo, however the wildlife park is one of these drive through affairs and it covers a fairly large acreage. It has areas devoted to a number of animals such as a small herd of Bison, a group of Przewalski's Horses, Elk, Musk Ox, Reindeer, to name just a few. Then we progressed through the walking part of the park which included animals such as the Amur Tiger (the two females are currently courting favours with the newly imported male), Artic Fox, Scottish Wildcat, European Wolves, etc. They specialise here in endangered cold climate animals which considering where we are makes sense. However it does seem a little odd to see a couple of Polar Bears lolling around in a grass paddock.

During our second circuit in the car the Bison decided to stand in the middle of the road and refused to budge. There isn't a lot you can do when several tonnes of grumpy muscle decides to block your path, except just wait for them to move aside in their own good time.

We spent quite a bit more time at the park than we had anticipated but it was well worth the visit, with many of the animals displaying their springtime young.

After doing a bit of a scenic route through the back ways and byways we made our way to the Dalwhinnie Distillery and had a brief tasting. As with everyone that we have encountered up here, the staff were more than helpful, and we walked away with not a bottle of Dalwhinnie but another recommendation, and a sampling passport each for many of the other distilleries in the region.

Back on the road we took the long road home having a picnic dinner by the Loch looking across the water to the snow capped munroes. It was snowing earlier today with the snow sitting at about 700m (we have been told). Half way though our dinner, the lovely evening turned into Scotch Mist and the tops of the mountains disappeared from sight. We took the opportunity to drive up the mountain road to the base of the funicular that takes you further up the mountain. It was closed for the day but we were able to look down on where we had just been enjoying our dinner. The end of another great day in the highlands.