wired in pitlochry

Despite a hopeful try for a wifi connection at each night stop, and a short period of wardriving today while waiting to pick up the whanau from shopping (ten wifi networks found, none open), today is my first opportunity to access the internet since we arrived in Scotland. Thank goodness, I was getting deinternetium tremens. I'd done some writing though about the earlier part of our trip, which I've now uploaded. (Make that re-typed; the backpackers were happy for me to try connecting my iBook to their broadband connection, but their USB modem didn't seem Mac friendly.)

Anyway... We explored Inverness this morning, making a few tasteful souvenier purchases along the way (you know, things like 8 foot long inflatable Scottish thistles, small things like that). From there we headed down the most newsworthy A9, the road that has been making regular headlines here lately. In the heavy rain I talked about on Tuesday, a massive landslide wiped out a significant section of this road. Eventually we figured out yesterday that the affected section of road was south of Piclochry, so have known we'd be able to get this far without problems. However, our original route had us driving the affected section of road tomorrow. Well, it's now open, if you're currently willing to accept 120 minute delays. We may explore alternatives tomorrow, perchance.

So along the northern unaffected section of that road we travelled this morning, stopping in at a rather unusual theme park. It was originally set up around a theme of timber, and is set in the centre of a major forestry region. They have a steam engine-driven sawmill doing demonstrations (remarkably interesting, actually) and a walking path that goes up into the trees to enable you to see the woods from a variety of heights. And Red Squirrels. Ah, now you've got our attention.

You see, the Grey Squirrels that live in our garden in Wimbledon are in fact North American imports. And like they USA human counterparts, the Grey Squirrels are larger, more aggressive, and more use more resources than the native Reg Squirrel counterparts. Over the years since the Grey Squirrel was introduced to Great Britain, they have taken over the habitat of the smaller Red Squirrel and have pushed it out. The Red Squirrel can thus now only be seen in the far north. We walked around the entire woodlands walk area at this park, intent to see a Red Squirrel but without success. So we sat for lunch, quietly. After 20 minutes, there it was, on the trunk of a tree some distance away: clearly a Red Squirrel. It was there long enough for us all to see it, too briefly to consider photography. Then it was gone.

We walked on, satisfied to know we had at least glimpsed one of these endangered creatures, knowing that most visitors to the park were unlikely to see one if this was the patience required. And walked around the corner, to an animal feeding area. There, with easy food provided by the park, a couple of Red Squirrels quite happily helped themselves from the feeders while crowds of tourists watched on... Irony. At least we got our photo.

Later, at a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds site for the endangered Osprey, we drove down a quite wooded lane and suddenly saw, crossing in front of us, a quite fearless Red Squirrel. To see another completely wild, in this isolated spot was great. A moment later, we saw through the woods a couple of wild deer, staring intently back at us. We made a brief connection with the wild. From the road, we saw a large raptor, perhaps one of the so-rare Osprey, wheeling overhead. This is a great land.

So we arrive in Pitlochry, a cute town, and check into the local Backpackers. A concession to us all, we're staying in private rooms rather than dorms—not sure how David and Jenny, or the other dorm residents, would have handled the alternative! Surprised to find ensuites and even TVs in our double rooms. The bad weather of earlier in the week a distant memory. We eat dinner in a park under clear skies, then wander the streets eating ice cream in fading evening light.

Tomorrow, to Edinburgh!