Thursday, May 25, 2000
Even the largest luggage can hold only so many clothes and we had gone through about everything we had stuffed into ours. The coin operated laundry at the resort’s hotel gave my wife and I a chance to refresh our costumes.
Unfortunately, the meager assistance I lent my wife with this dreaded chore did little to work off the breakfast we ate at the No. 1 Restaurant in Aviemore. Fried eggs, sausage, bacon, baked beans, and toast was more than I was accustomed to and my wife’s bacon and egg sandwich was more than she wanted as well. Our discomfort in stuffing down the last morsels was relieved by an entertaining window washer outside the restaurant who amazed us with his skill at moving a squeegee about a large window without leaving a streak.
With the laundry put away, my wife and I walked a half-mile along the road to Aviemore and stopped at the Rothiemurchus Estate and ventured into the Old School Shop. The old school building now served as a gift shop and offered a lunch fare of cheeses, meats, and pastries. The store next door advertised mountain bikes for hire and lessons in skiing, off road driving, and other adventures. The gift shop displayed an assortment of unusual items we had not seen anywhere else. Our picture postcards and a compact disk, “Celtic Connections” by a collection of Celtic artists, would serve as our memories of that day. The warmer temperatures made for a pleasant walk back to the hotel were where we stopped for early afternoon tea.
I am still astonished at the trusting nature of the Scots. Most establishments prefer to run a tab for your purchases and expect payment in full when you leave. I’m not sure how they manage to keep track of the more active patrons, but I’ll wager you won’t see that happening in the place I come from. My sister-in-law happened by our table boasting about her visit to the hairdresser in the hotel. I’ll admit her hair did look unusually nice and we persuaded my wife to have hers done. She appeared later, an example of expert hair grooming. The hotel proved to be above average in its services.
Cairngorm Reindeer Centre
Later that afternoon our curiosity got the better of us and we just had to visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre about four miles from the resort in Glenmore Forest Park. It was just past the camping and beach areas that overlooked the sailboats on the river that poured its cold temperament through the park.
We were too late for the tour of the herd but the gentleman in the shop allowed us to view two reindeer in the lots next to the stable. My first glance at the young animals made me think of a gangly moose but on closer inspection they resembled chubby white-tailed deer with plush buff colored fur and brown splotches indicating the molting season. Stout legs stood on large hooves and a head-on view looked like hands with giant fingers holding an invisible balloon above the long and slender and homely head. Reindeer are actually caribou and both male and female grow antlers. A new growth of antlers is velvety to the touch and very sensitive to the animal. The docile pair grazed contentedly while watching us watch them.
More Scottish Cuisine
That evening we drove into Aviemore for the malt whisky tasting at the Cairngorm Hotel. As our luck was running, we were late and missed it. But we did stay for the buffet that featured traditional Scottish dishes. It must have been popular since the room filled quickly. Many of restaurants we tried seemed to have been lightly staffed and service was slow. This was no exception.
I decided on the buffet after a preview but my explanation of the buffet to the others was not received warmly and they ordered from the menu. In spite of what they told me, I still think I got the best meal. The stovies, made from potatoes and onions with beef stock and meat, tasted like scalloped potatoes but had a little extra tang. The capshot, a concoction of potatoes, turnips and chives, had a delicious creamy texture and the skirlie, a dish made with oatmeal, onions, and chicken stock, was like a gourmet oatmeal. The clootie dumpling, a spiced fruit dumpling, was almost too rich for me to ignore. Cabbage and vegetables rounded out my plate except for the steak, mushroom, and ale pie that good enough to dream about. A glass of Drumguish (pronounced Drum-oo-ish) malt whisky, complemented the meal with its smooth nectar of the barley. A wonderful meal to end the day.