Road Trip Through Dee Valley

Friday night when I got home for the PostBox Jane was waiting up. She and I sat in the kitchen discussing my route to Aberdeen. It was suppose to rain so maybe the Highland Games in St Andrews wouldn’t be so much fun. She suggested I go to Balaster an see Balmoral Castle. A man names Bob, I met on my first night in Edinburgh, had also suggested that as a day trip from Aberdeen so I decide to make my entry there. Saturday morning Jane and John stood in the doorway of their B&B, waved goodbye and wished me well on my journey. Without a hitch I maneuvered my way to the A93 and up into the heart of Scotland and Cairngorms National Park following the River Dee. As I climbed up into the Dee Valley, the temperature dropped, and the terrain changing.

As the climb continued I noticed tall stakes along the road that I’ve seen in Tahoe and realized they must get snow up here. Then I came across this ski resort at the top of the hill.

The terrain was similar to coastal dunes and seagulls were flying about but this was a higher elevation and 60 miles from the coast. When I got out of the car and stepped on the grass it was spongy and thick.

The first proper town I stopped at was Braemar. It’s a small village along the Dee River.