The Birks of Aberfeldy and Castle Menzies- Scottish Highlands

 We drove to Castle Menzies but unfortunately, it was closed for a private event, whah, whah, whah.  That was disappointing.  I wanted to see this 500-plus-year-old castle because it is more of a working castle and not so posh.  I took a couple of shots of the outside of it and that was it.




It is a beautiful castle on the outside, but it was not meant to be.








We continued towards the town of Aberfeldy and stopped at the visitor center.  The lady there suggested the Birks of Aberfeldy.  I had no idea what this was and she told me it was quite a walk and it takes 1.5 -2 hours.  

We decided to eat at the Watermill Book Store first before the walk, which was quite a hopping little place set in a historic old Watermill building  I ordered the Ragu and apparently, I did not know what this dish was.  It was a lentil Ragu to top it off and it was not good, it was sweet and over-spiced.    Darren liked his scone though.  The Watermill is below.



On to the Birks of Aberfeldy.  This was perfect for a good work-out.  Wow, this was a beautiful place to hike up to.  The hike begins in the village of Aberfeldy, Scotland on the main road.  You can also drive farther up the highland hill and park your car.  The hike up is a well-maintained path.  It is a moderate walk but a great cardio workout for your lungs and legs.  We took a couple of breaks on the way up and shed some layers the steeper the incline got.




In Gaelic, the Birks means Birch Trees.













There were waterfalls throughout the walk.  You can go up one side and down the other and you must do this because the two sides of the walk are completely different.  At the top of the loop is the largest most powerful waterfall but it is difficult to get a good picture of it.












There are stunning vistas of the highlands on the one side of the loop 




And more and more waterfalls.  I highly encourage you to take in the Birks of Aberfeldy if you are in the area.  I did not know a thing about it as it is not promoted much.  It is a wonderful way to spend 2 hours in nature.

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