Once a year, in May, we pack up and head up to Aviemore.
My boyfriends family have done this for 16 years now and i now get to tag along. The weather sometimes is hit or miss, i’ve been told one year it was so hot that had to go to the shops and get shorts and t-shirts as no-one brought summer gear! this year it was ok, bit windy, bit rainy and a bit sunny and there was still snow on the mountains! Nothing new really in Scotland to be fair.
We headed up on the Tuesday and after a 3 hour drive made it early afternoon. We all stay in a cabin and its tiny but its nice and you don’t need much else, well maybe another bathroom! There’s 6 of us and my little niece who is 3.
We pretty much do our own thing during the day and then meet back up at night time.
On the first full day we headed to the Highland wildlife Park as you may or may not know the UK’s very first baby polar bear was born at the beginning of the year and i very much wanted to see him!
My boyfriend kept saying he probably wouldn’t be out and that we would miss him, so this did make me slightly anxious. But lo and behold he was out playing in the pool – ladies and gentlemen i give you Hamish:
Hamish and mum Victoria
The wildlife park is great for a day out but this is the 3rd time i’ve been and when you’ve done it once and seen it all it gets a bit repetitive, after taking far too many photos of Hamish we walked round the park and saw the other polar bears and then headed to see the wolves who we didnt see last time as the enclosure was closed. They are gorgeous animals.
Wolves
After this we went to Ruthven Barracks i noticed this on the wayhome last time and vowed to go and see what it was. They are the best preserved of the four barracks built in 1719 after the 1715 Jacobite rising. Set on an old castle mound, the complex comprises two large three-storey blocks occupying two sides of the enclosure, each with two rooms per floor. The barracks and enclosing walls were built with loopholes for musket firing, and bastion towers were built at opposite corners. Destroyed by Jacobites following their retreat after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Barracks ruins are maintained as a Scheduled Monument by Historic Scotland. (Thanks Wikipedia!)
We just spent the next few days driving around, going to Inverness and generally just chilling out. The highlands do offer some lovely scenery.
Carrbridge
Cairngorm Mountain
Cairngorm Mountain
Rothiemurcus
Also check out this wee cutie loving life!
I wish something made me this happy as bubbles make her!
Only 50 weeks until we’re back…. but before that Orlando in September!
The Wee Bakery 