After my near miss I settled nicely on my train to Edinburgh Waverley where I then connected to a train for Birnam and Dunkeld in the Perthshire region. I came here to listen to some traditional music at a pub known as The Taybank. They hold trad music sessions every Thursday. Plus I wanted to see a small Scottish town and this one fit the bill nicely. I lucked out too as during my full day there it was sunny and a bright 21C. Now my face is red – who knew I’d get so much sun in Scotland?! I had booked my stay at Jessie Mac’s Luxury Hostel. The price was good and the location superb. Only 5 minutes from the train station and a pretty 10 minute walk from Dunkeld. I was met by Dot just outside the hostel as I was arriving late. Located in a beautiful old building it was more like a lovely B & B than a hostel. My 4 bed female dorm was clean & cosy. It also had an ensuite which is always a nice touch. Complimentary tea & coffee in-room, clean linens and towel, large lockers, extra blankets, plugs and lights for each bunk – it really had everything. Oh and free WiFi, a large full service self-catering kitchen and a nice lounge area. It was also quite secure. I had pre-purchased a hot breakfast at time of booking (online). I had a choice of full Scottish Breakfast or Vegetarian Breakfast plus all that came with the Continental Breakfast. It was a bit expensive in my opinion but the food was good. The next day I opted for the Continental Breakfast.
Dunkeld and Birnam are both cute little towns. It was perfect for me to start here and adjust to jet lag. I was happy to discover the Beatrix Potter Gardens across the street from my hostel. I learned a bit about her family’s summer visits to the area. There was also statues of Mr Fox, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, Benjamin Bunny and of course, Peter Rabbit.
A short jaunt away, over the bridge is Dunkeld. A cute town that has a number of walking, hiking and cycling trails. There is also a place for off-road rentals. Fly fishing on the River Tay is popular and there are many places to rent equipment. The Aboretum in Dunkeld is perfect for a lovely walk. The area has been referred to as a “Tree Zoo”. Native and transplanted trees can be found here. I love trees so it was a perfect walk for me after perusing the grounds around the old church. And yes, I did hug a few trees. The town itself has some historical aspects. One in particular has a tie to Canada. The second Prime Minister of Canada, Alexander Mackenzie lived in Dunkeld. I learned that on a small placard stating what many of the buildings in town were.
That evening, after a two hour nap (ugh, jet lag) I headed to the Taybank Pub. Not a big place but certainly great for music. I grabbed a pint and chatted with an older woman who filled me in on these “trad music” sessions. Most of the musicians this evening were in town for a fiddle workshop. Part of the program is performing at the Taybank. There was a good number of musicians, over a dozen. They did take up most of this small pub but it was certainly worth hearing them. One of the musicians was a woman I met earlierthat day at my hostel. She had come all the way from Washington, DC in the US for this workshop.
The next morning, after a bit of difficulty trying to get train info for Inverness I lucked out. A woman I briefly spoke to at the pub was staying in my hostel. Ends up she was driving up to John O’Groats to catch a ferry to Orkney. She offered me a lift and I paid her for the gas. I made a new friend and has a nice drive up through the start of the Scottish Highlands. I love travel!!
All photos taken and owned by Eeva Valiharju / Wanders The World
Wanders The World 