Friday, September 5, 2014

Bonny Scotland

My dad was born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. It's way up north, about 9.5 hours from Cheltenham - I know that because we DROVE up there last weekend to visit the family.

The drive is worth it, especially once you get past Manchester and get to the Lake District where the scenery is beautiful.

The journey up was wet... as soon as we crossed that Scottish border it absolutely chucked it down! So we didn't really get to see any scenery until we got near Aberdeen.

We spent the weekend catching up with family and visiting various sites - Huntly Castle, Deans' Shortbread factory (the ONLY shortbread worth eating people!) and of course... the biggest gathering of bagpipers for YEARS. I know it's not to everyone's taste, but when the collective pipers marched through Huntly it was awesome.

A lovely weekend, it rained A LOT during the Red Hot Chilli Pipers set but we stuck with it, and it was fantastic to see everyone. We're going back soon!

And here are the photos...























My most fashionable look...







Just SOME of the family...
 






Crathes Castle...
 














Brothers...
 

28 family members gathered for dinner...