On sunday we went over to Glamis Castle in Angus. It really is a picture perfect castle, and almost looks like what Disney must have styled their castle on, but for real. Home to the Earls of Strathmore for years and years, the castle has plenty horrible history to it, including more ghosts than you could shake a TV documentary crew at. There are plenty royal family links too. The Queen mother was born there, and Victoria (The Queen, not Beckham) never said no to the odd bank holiday weekend up in Angus. Local rumour suggests that even the English Bard, Shakespeare visited Glamis, from where he drew his inspiration for Macbeth.

Our group grew to 10 people for a picnic - it was P's birthday. We had a lovely leisurely afternoon in the grounds, some of us took the castle tour, others lay on the grass and caught some sun. It is nice to be able to come to a place like this and just enjoy a day there, rather than running round the tour and heading off to the next spot in your Rough Guide to Scotland before tea.

Glamis Castle website

Posted by bigcrags @ 11:58 AM 0 comments

You might think that Scotland is a relatively benign place to have a picnic. The weather should be kind of European, there are no bears roaming about looking to steal your picnic hamper and the insects are mostly tame.
Er, yes and no.

Picnics in Scotland require considerable preparation.

1. Protect against wind. Not the kind that comes from lentil soup and cabbage, but the howling gale that emerges from nowhere and turns your entire picnic set into a powerkite held down by you.
2. Keep your bum dry. The ground never dries out enough for a picnic, especially in good picnic sites. Plastic backed picnic blankets and cheap camping chairs are the order of the day for dry nether regions.
3. Using a public picnic table? Cover it. Get a table cloth over it, you have no idea what the local youth get up to on this table in the twilight hours. Oh, and ensure you secure the tablecloth with heavy rocks or clamps or something. The wind will try do do the magic tablecloth trick. Unsuccessfully.
4. Keep anything lightweight inside the picnic bag or box - see 1.
5. Dress warm, even in July. We might be attached to europe, but we're on the same lattitude as the south of hudson bay and moscow. it can get chilly here.
6. Protect against midges. These almost invisible biting insects will make your life hell - use midge repellent, midge head nets, etc. If they do appear, go somewhere windy and follow instructions about wind protection.
7. Sunscreen - yes, it's freezing, howling but it's still summer, and you just got home with a beetroot red face, and possibly a sunburnt bald patch. Wear sunscreen

And above all, enjoy yourself...

Posted by bigcrags @ 10:58 AM 0 comments

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