Scotland 2019 24: Loch Garten red squirrels

While eating lunch at the Loch Garten visitors' centre, we received notification that there were red squirrels on one of the feeders at the back of the building.  Time to drop sandwiches and pick up a camera!  None of these pictures are going to win any prizes given the cluttered background, peanut feeder and obviously man-made perch (antlers don't grow on trees, and cable ties aren't normally found in the wild).  This doesn't stop the little beasties from being utterly adorable, though, and I cherish the half hour or so I spent photographing them.

Scotland 2019 19: Deeside

I didn't know it at the time I booked our accommodation in Pitlochry, but our stay coincided exactly with the Blair Castle International Horse Trials.  Since we're fans of neither crowds nor horses, we decided to head out towards Braemar for a bit of peace.  Although the weather wasn't great, the views were still pretty spectacular - especially going past the Glenshee Ski Centre and the subsequent drop into the village of Braemar itself. 

Once in Braemar we headed west along Deeside towards the Mar Lodge Estate Nature Reserve.

The previous pictures were taken at a viewpoint overlooking a bend in the river Dee.  The road sign warned us to look out for wildlife; but, initially, the only thing we found was a desiccated (and rather dead) toad on the footpath.  After a little bit of hunting, however, I discovered one of its brethren - this time very much alive - hiding in the undergrowth.

The lookout point is clearly a place for deceased humans as well as toads, with several memorial plaques with fresh flowers on the hillside.

Next stop, the Mar Lodge Estate.