Whisky landscape

The whisky famous River Spey at Newtonmore. This is well upstream from the clutch of world famous Speyside distilleries. The sole distillery upstream of here is Dalwhinnie, Scotland’s highest distillery but it is not on the Spey rather it is on the River Trium, a tributary of the Spey that joins the mother river just to the south of Newtonmore.

Dalwhinnie Distillery (above and below) is one of Diageo’s classic malts. This gentle spirit belies the wild landscape that surrounds the distillery.

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Looking down on Dalwhinnie from above Loch Ericht (see photo below)
The white building in the distance is the distillery

The Cairngorms viewed from Aviemore

Further downstream between Aviemore and Granton-on-Spey with the Cairngorm mountains in the background. The majority of the distilleries are closer to the sea…… dram deferred!

March lunch at Newtonmore's Letterbox Restaurant

 Letterbox Restaurant, Main Street, Newtonmore 

View from restaurant onto Main Street, Newtonmore

 Netta – my special guest

We profited from the restarting of weekday meals at the Letterbox – an early sign of spring – by enjoying lunch there today, which was made even better with the 20% lunchtime discount during March.

During the winter the Letterbox is just open for dinner at the weekends but now we are in March the restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner. Unlike many restaurants all the food is freshly prepared on the premises, so no question of heating up pre-prepared dishes. 

CRM and I both took a glass of very agreeable 2015 South African Sauvignon Blanc. 

The Letterbox is definitely recommended for either lunch (cash only) or dinner (cards accepted).  

   

 Tagliatelle with mushroom, pesto and cream sauce

 Tagliatelle with salmon and Parma ham

Haggis in filo pastry and vegetables

Desserts: 

 The chef going through the dessert menu with Netta

 Apple and plum pie

 Choux bun with cream, strawberries and chocolate sauce

Newtonmore – some views

 Looking towards Creag Dubh

After several weeks of snow and ice in Newtonmore we have been blessed with several gloriously sunny days this week. A quartet of photos taken in the sunshine. 

 The River Spey

 A maple leaf 

Sunset over Creag Dubh

Newtonmore – convalescence amid the mountains

View from Newtonmore's golf course 

looking towards snow capped Creag Dhubh

Sheep happy now they can munch the grass 

now the snow has finally gone 

There are compensations to convalescing in Newtonmore in the Cairngorm Mountains and today's magical weather is one of them. A day of almost continuous blue sky and some warmth in the sun even though the temperature probably never rose above 6˚C. Good to see the end of the snow and ice at low level, at least for a while, but still having the snow capped mountains. 

In comparison to London I'm much more aware of nature up here along with a real sense of the lengthening days – today light until nearly 6pm.. All the more welcoming since in mid-winter the hours of daylight are so limited – dark until nearly 9am with dusk around 3.30 pm.   

I am now around seven weeks into my recovery with about another five weeks before the brace comes off. Good progress with my left leg means that I can get out and enjoy walking along the quiet roads of Newtonmore. 

During today's walk I headed down to the Grill, at the southern end of the village, to have a look at Scotland's mobile cinema – The Screen Machine (twitter: @screen_machine). This large lorry opens out into a cinema with screen and seats.        

 

Newtonmore welcomes in 2018 – faces in the crowd

Crowd at the golf course waiting for the start of 2018

Lighting torches 

Selfie with a torch

Three young women
with the singer on the stage in background

Looking after the stall serving Stag's Breath and shortbread 

A blow up Nessie or ready for an early dip?

Couple with a beer bottle 
(above and below) 

Man with a woolen hat

Mother and two piping sons

Torch-lit group

Newtonmore and the sprinting piper brings in 2018

 Fireworks to see in 2018 
by the Newtonmore Golf Club

Photos from Newtonmore's famous torchlight procession and ceremony to see in 2018 and bid farewell to 2017. Later posting with photos of people in the crowd. 

 All quiet in Newtonmore in 

the minutes before the procession

 Crowd gathering @The Glen, Newtonmore

Blond piper tuning up 

He's off: Piper sprints away from the Glen

The sprinting blond piper opens up a big gap as he flies 

away from the the Glen Hotel

– clearly a disciple of Usain Bolt
 (above and below) 

 Revellers beginning to catch the flying piper 

Piper leading the southbound group 

starting from the Balavil Hotel

Pipers leading the two groups meet 

up a the community centre

On the stage: Big Laurie and the singer 

The two pipers and Big Lawrie