Introduction

The year is 2006. The demm42 clan are back in Scotland for their annual holiday. The destination this time, Kintore. Approximately 10 miles from Aberdeen inland on the A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road.

The Journey Up

This is probably one of the longest journeys weve undertaken. Mold-Kintore. Around a 7-8 hour drive excluding stops.

Weve managed to avoid car journeys like this for a few years now because weve been flying. However, as the costs of bills rise, and the lack of a summer bonus from work this year due to sales figures, weve had to take the tiring option. However, with the security alerts at the airports it was probably a wise decision.

This said, Ryanair are planning to start flights from Liverpool to Inverness from October 2006, making the last wilderness of the highlands accessible to more people (including the demm42 clan).

Our first stop on the journey was Westmorland service area. Its a while since I stopped at Westmorland services, and its certainly changed. It now has a farm shop and the general décor of the building with wooden panelling makes it feel like a home from home. The only down point it the car parking, which seems to struggle with the influx of holiday makers on a summer Saturday.

Now at this point, your may be wondering why we stopped at a service station when theres a perfectly good website (www.nearthemotorway.co.uk. A website that never gets mentions on this website. Ahem!) that lists places to stop off on a journey of this magnitude. Well, convenience (literally) is the answer. We only wanted a toilet stop.

Our next stop was the Falkirk Wheel. Built as part of the millenium and opened in May 2002 by the Queen, this wheel (basically a boat lift) allows canal users to navigate from the Forth & Clyde Canal up to the Union Canal. Its a ideal place for your man who likes gadgets (or boys toys) to be fascinated by how it works. Obviously for the females among you, the well stocked gift shop is the place to spend your fellas money (well you wouldnt want to spend your own money would you!!  Much more fun spending your blokes). Anyway, the thing that caught my eye in the gift shop was the raspberry wine. I couldnt resist it (and very nice it is too!!).

The Falkirk Wheel is also a lovely place to stop off for lunch. As it's only five minutes off the M876 motorway this made it an ideal place for a bite to eat.

Our next stop was at the Baxters experience at Blackford (the first of two Baxters tourist centres we were to visit on this holiday). Around halfway between Stirling and Perth on the A9, this is the ideal place to visit if you want any soup (or other foods). To be honest, it sells a lot more than just soups. Whiskys, gifts, clothes can all be found here. It also has the Tullibardine Distillery next door just to finish it off.

The final stretch of the journey up to Kintore skirts along the edges of Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen and took around 2-3 hours to drive. And were we glad to get there? You bet. I dont know what it is, but I seem to ache and tire easily on long journeys now. Actually, Im probably getting old.

Well join me for part 2 of the tour where Ill take a tour along the A96 from Aberdeen to Fochabers.

 
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