Birthday weekend
Nick took me away to the country for a birthday weekend treat. I was all prepared for a nice quiet time, and we set off to Pitlochry on Friday afternoon. The hotel, Craigatin House, was lovely and Nick had booked us the suite, complete with champagne and chocolates.
After a walk around Pitlochry we went up to the Moulin Inn, and settled down for some gins and a game of cards. Halfway through a round of Cribbage I noticed a group of people who seemed to be standing in a row looking at me. I looked up and thought to myself 'Hmm, that girl looks just like Jane. And that bloke looks like Phil. Hang on - it IS jane. and just a cotton-picking second - it IS phil. And Chris and Liv!!! and TIM!!!!!!'
Well, would you credit it? All my friends standing in a row in the middle of a pub in Pitlochry! It took ages to sink in, and then I just leapt up and started hugging everyone. It was the best birthday surprise I think I have ever had!
Everyone was booked into the same hotel and some serious subterfuge had been going on for weeks. Even down to the carefully worded comments on this blog (see previous post) Oooo the devious lot! Far too good at lying I'll tell you!
We had a rowdy evening in the pub and then went back to the hotel for champagne and more catching up. As the drinking continued, the decibel level grew and finally at 1.30am we received a bang on the ceiling from the room below. Sniggering like naughty students we went off the bed.
The next day we took a hangover busting walk up to the Black Spout. There was some confusion about what exactly the black spout was, and whether it was called black spout or black sprout, but we walked up there anyway. It turns out to be an amazing waterfall which, with all the snow we've had recently, was thundering down the ravine.
Jane and Phil at Black Spout
We then carried on to the Edradour distillery for a tour. This is the smallest distillery in Scotland and they make all the whiskey by hand in the traditional way. We had a wee dram and set off back into Pitlochry. That night we had a fantastic meal at the Fern Cottage restaurant.
distillery
nick, Chris, tim and phil
On Sunday we had breakfast with Ronnie Corbet (no, really we did) and then Jane and Phil had to set off for Sheffield. The others came back in the car with us, stopping off at the Scottish National Poultry Show. I think that was quite possibly the best £2 I have ever spent. We were in a hall full of squawking and crowing chickens of every colour, shape and size you could imagine, and many shapes and sizes you couldn't imagine unless you saw them with your own eyes. We guffawed with laughter.
Then it was home for the afternoon in Linlithgow. A walk around the Loch, lunch in the deli and then a mammoth Wii session ensued. Tea in Bar Leo and to bed.
This morning the hens had obligingly provided exactly 5 eggs, so we all had one each for brekkie before our guests headed back home. I had wondered why Nick was so interested in cleaning the house before we went away on Friday!
Anyway, I want to sincerely thank Jane and Phil, Chris and Liv and Tim for coming all that way, and making my birthday such a special and memorable occasion, and thanks to Nick for organising it all and not giving the game away even slightly! You are the best friends anyone could ever wish to have x Oooo I feel all fuzzy...
After a walk around Pitlochry we went up to the Moulin Inn, and settled down for some gins and a game of cards. Halfway through a round of Cribbage I noticed a group of people who seemed to be standing in a row looking at me. I looked up and thought to myself 'Hmm, that girl looks just like Jane. And that bloke looks like Phil. Hang on - it IS jane. and just a cotton-picking second - it IS phil. And Chris and Liv!!! and TIM!!!!!!'
Well, would you credit it? All my friends standing in a row in the middle of a pub in Pitlochry! It took ages to sink in, and then I just leapt up and started hugging everyone. It was the best birthday surprise I think I have ever had!
Everyone was booked into the same hotel and some serious subterfuge had been going on for weeks. Even down to the carefully worded comments on this blog (see previous post) Oooo the devious lot! Far too good at lying I'll tell you!
We had a rowdy evening in the pub and then went back to the hotel for champagne and more catching up. As the drinking continued, the decibel level grew and finally at 1.30am we received a bang on the ceiling from the room below. Sniggering like naughty students we went off the bed.
The next day we took a hangover busting walk up to the Black Spout. There was some confusion about what exactly the black spout was, and whether it was called black spout or black sprout, but we walked up there anyway. It turns out to be an amazing waterfall which, with all the snow we've had recently, was thundering down the ravine.
Jane and Phil at Black SpoutWe then carried on to the Edradour distillery for a tour. This is the smallest distillery in Scotland and they make all the whiskey by hand in the traditional way. We had a wee dram and set off back into Pitlochry. That night we had a fantastic meal at the Fern Cottage restaurant.
distillery
nick, Chris, tim and philOn Sunday we had breakfast with Ronnie Corbet (no, really we did) and then Jane and Phil had to set off for Sheffield. The others came back in the car with us, stopping off at the Scottish National Poultry Show. I think that was quite possibly the best £2 I have ever spent. We were in a hall full of squawking and crowing chickens of every colour, shape and size you could imagine, and many shapes and sizes you couldn't imagine unless you saw them with your own eyes. We guffawed with laughter.
Then it was home for the afternoon in Linlithgow. A walk around the Loch, lunch in the deli and then a mammoth Wii session ensued. Tea in Bar Leo and to bed.
This morning the hens had obligingly provided exactly 5 eggs, so we all had one each for brekkie before our guests headed back home. I had wondered why Nick was so interested in cleaning the house before we went away on Friday!
Anyway, I want to sincerely thank Jane and Phil, Chris and Liv and Tim for coming all that way, and making my birthday such a special and memorable occasion, and thanks to Nick for organising it all and not giving the game away even slightly! You are the best friends anyone could ever wish to have x Oooo I feel all fuzzy...
posted by Rach at 13:34
1 Comments:
It sounds like you had a truly lovely weekend. I don't know your friends - apart from Tim (who I've known since he was working with Christian at Tiny Computers) but they sound like a great bunch, and if they're anything like Tim they must all be really nice people!!!
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