Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Friday 29 July 2011

Scotland: a trio or so of spirited photos + other views on the A9

Dalwhinnie Distillery, one of Diego's classic malts and one of Scotland's highest


Dalwhinnie Distillery behind bars


After a foul arrival in Edinburgh yesterday – 13.5˚C, miserable and wet, we drove up to Inverness today. Dull in Edinburgh this morning, the weather improved dramatically after Perth. It has been a lovely afternoon in Inverness.  

Bulk Chivas Regal: between Dalwhinnie and Newtonmore



 
Just north of Perth – typical Perthshire countryside: verdant green, rolling forested hills 


As you start climbing up towards the Pass of Drumochter, which is the highest point on the A9, the verdant Perthside countryside gradullay gives way to a more stark, wilder landscape with few trees and even fewer signs of habitation, espcially close to the top of the Pass.   

Looking across to Loch Garry near the top of Drumochter
Empty landscape and tracks at the top of Drumochter

Between Drumochter and Dalwhinnie with Cairngorms in distance





6 comments:

Jean said...

It's such a long time since I've been to Scotland - lovely photos. I'm somehow surprised there isn't snow on the hills, though !!

Jim's Loire said...

Thanks Jean – was just snapping as we drove up.

Luc Charlier said...

Rah, one of the loveliest places in the whole wide world (www !). But “Go West , Old Man!”.
It’s the Hebrides we want, or at least Campbeltown. We want peat, we want peat. Enough of this NO-regal stuff.
Still (pot-still of course), with that kind o’ weather, we understand poor Mary, the sadest of all queens, having to leave France where she had been so happy – in spite of the Medicis woman – to discover “her” own country with the rogue Lords, Elisabeth‘s treachery next door and ... no Ronsard or du Bellay to sing her praise:
“En vostre esprit le ciel s’est surmonté
Nature et art ont en vostre beauté
Mis tout le beau dont la beauté s’assemble ... »
Which means so much as:
“Jim, thy shirts are ever so beautiful
That none in the world, be it white, black or colourful
Could reach half their magnificence ...”

Relevant? (How much on a scale of one to ten?).

Jim's Loire said...

Luc. Wot a savant!

Next week we are indeed off to the Hebrides – my first time so I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully the weather will be good. Sailing from Oban to Barra. Then making our way up to Stornaway and thence across The Midge to Ullapool.

Jim's Loire said...

Corrected comment:

Luc. Wot a savant!

Next week we are indeed off to the Hebrides – my first time so I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully the weather will be good. Sailing from Oban to Barra. Then making our way up to Stornoway and thence across The Midge to Ullapool.

Jim's Loire said...

Jean – found you some snow on Ben Nevis.