This is our second trip to the Cairngorms National Park, and to the Ballinluig house, Explained in list form.
Step one: Fit everyone in the car. This is easier said than done with 5 people, 5 bags, and a dog all in one small rental car. It was uncomfortable but we managed to do it. As you can see from the pictures below, the dog went in the trunk. She was not happy about that.


Step 2: Get breakfast at a local cafe on the way into town. We went to the same cafe on our last trip, so we knew what to expect. Coffee and baked goods.
Link to cafe website —> https://www.macleansbakery.com/

Step 3: Get settled into the house. We put our things away and looked around, remembering how much we liked the place, and all its cool features.



Step 4: Easter egg hunt. There was no good reason to have an Easter egg hunt, Easter wasn’t for a few days, but for some reason we decided we wanted to have one.

Step 5: Take a hike. We went on the same hike on our last trip, so it was familiar. This time however, we saw ponies and a donkey. Meg became friends with them.



Step 6: Go back to the house and relax. Lie in the sun, maybe drink a beer if you are over 21.


Step 7: Discover a screaming pea in your food. You don’t see that every day either.

Step 8: Father-Daughter hike to the top of the hill across the road, shown in previous pictures.

Step 9: Take a walk around a lake. Build a rock tower. Look at ruins.


Step 10: Enjoy the sunset view, and of course the wood stove.


Thanks for reading and bye!
That view behind Meg: isn’t that view in the “home page” of the blog? Did she not bark at the pony?
Jesse, I always enjoy your posts. They’re down to earth and concrete. You’re right, some of the scenes and activities you described, one doesn’t see every day. There’s something nice and familiar about returning to a comfortable vacation spot. And, you can hunt Easter eggs at any time!
Wonderful narrative of your second visit to the Highlands. Your observation skills and photographs are excellent, Jess. I hope you are somehow saving the stories you wrote for the blog. Good material for school essays.