The Birks of Aberfeldy!

We’re ‘away from it all’ but not very far away! In fact, we’re only an hour’s drive up the road from home in a wee place near Aberfeldy, but it’s very quiet and very scenic and it very much feels like we’re ‘away from it all!’

Alex’s been making the most of it by fitting in a fair few runs while Gemma and I have been making the most of it by, em, lounging around. We did, however, heave ourselves off the couch this morning to hit the hills for a lovely walk on a route that Alex discovered yesterday while he was out on one of his runs.

Aw, it was so gorgeous, and it turns out that the walk's been epitomised by Robert Burns in a song called The Birks of Aberfeldy. There’s even a wee bronze statue of Burns at the side of the path:

(Maybe if you touch the statue it makes you a better writer!)

and, further up the hill, a plaque - beside the spectacular Falls of Moness - which marks the spot where Burns supposedly sat while he was writing the song. I’m not really into Burns, but I googled 'Birks of Aberfeldy' when we got back and I actually loved these words:

Now simmer blinks on flowery braes

And o'er the chrystal streamlets plays;

Come let us spend the lightsome days

In the Birks of Aberfeldy.

   The little birdies blythely sing

While o'er their heads the hazels hing'

Or lightly flit on wanton wing

 In the Birks of Aberfeldy

The braes ascend like lofty wa's

The foamy stream deep-roaring fa's

O'er hung wi' fragrant spreading shaws

The Birks of Aberfeldy

So, there we go, a wee bit of Burns on my wee blog - with a couple of lovely photos provided by Gemma.

Tonight, I'm back to lounging in the lodge and trying to psyche myself up for the onerous task of getting stuck in to my assignment tomorrow. But, as we all know so well, the best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley....