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Dunkeld and Loch Tay

We had an exciting and long day. Numerous photos have made their way to the flickr page.


First, I'd like to relay how the conversation about last night's dinner menu could have gone (i.e., the first two lines are correct).
   Gordon: What's a "smoked loin of cod"? Do cods really have loins?
   Waitress: No. It's a piece of cod.
   Gordon: You mean it's a codpiece?
   Waitress: Great, another joker using 15th century clothing for humor.


Our first destination today was going to be Dunkeld. But we got side-tracked by the first (rail; left) and second (road; right) bridges across the Firth of Forth. The third bridge will be built in the next few years, making three bridges with different styles (cantilever, suspension, and cable-stayed) from three different centuries (1890, 1964, and ~2016) all going across the Forth of Firth (sorry, Firth of Forth). And then sometime in the 22nd century, we might end up with a Fourth Firth of Forth bridge. Ha! And who can forget the famous 5-to-4 goal match between Forfar and East Fife in 1964 which was read out as "Forfar Five East Fife Four". Anyone?


And while we were happily taking photos of the bridges, as we like to say, the "weather turned Scottish". By "we" I of course mean Gordon and I. But I think everyone knows what we mean.


And then we got sidetracked once again. These twin unnamed wannabee-mountains are in fact the world's tallest peaks that have not had their height verified. The permanent cloud cover has thwarted all satellite imagery (yes, including radar!) and Douglas McDougall has been on the top with his tripod for the last 13 years waiting for a clear day.


This is Dunkeld. After much faffing, we actually made it to our destination.


This is Gordon in the Ell Shop in Dunkeld. Either Gordon is now seven feet tall or the ceiling is awfully low. Regardless, Gordon was heard to mutter "what the Ell happened".


And here we are eating stovies. This part of Scotland can only really grow two things - sheep and potatoes. And guess what a "Tribute stovie" is (foreground)? Yes, a layered dish of haggis (pluck of sheep in a sheep's intestine) and potato, with a carrot-turnip blend on top. Hmmm, I always wondered why Scotland is not known for its culinary delights. Gordon's stovie is called the "Cullen Skink". Why would anyone do this?


Who can forget the recent mass media hysteria announcing that Boring, Oregon (population ~8,000) decided that it would like to be paired with Dull, Scotland (population 396 sheep)?! Considering the blanket media overage, Gordon and I owed it to ourselves to actually go visit Dull. After very careful planning and micromanagement, the local town has indeed succeeded in making their town truly Dull. Admittedly, the concept of "Highland Safaris" greatly intrigued us, but apparently the woolly mammoths do not wander the highlands this time of year.


This is Loch Tay with the village of Kenmore.


Ad this is crannog on Loch Tay at Kenmore. Since the crannog museum was closed, the best we can guess is that Kenmore used the crannog for their early appliances factory.


And finally we finished up at Killin. Although exciting and funny things most undoubtedly happened here, we were far too exhausted to notice. Suffice to say, Killin was not Dull.


Oh wait, we don't have a photo of tea today yet! So here we go. Tea at a tea shop in Killin. They were even kind enough to turn my English twenty pound note into two different Scottish notes. She assures me it's legal tender throughout Britain. And there were no Englishmen to be seen on the notes (or even the Queen... does she even know what they'redoing north of the border?!).

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