Where are the Kelpies?

I managed to leave home at 0700 for the long drive north.

I was in Falkirk before 1000 and went in search of the Kelpies. The satnav followed the postcode for the Helix into the centre of a housing estate. I discovered that once you are driving around inside Falkirk there are no signs to the Kelpies. Perhaps the mythical beasts were truly mythical, I mused.

The first resident I approached furrowed his brows and was troubled by my question. He was not to be defeated and after many sighs, he gave me directions. I was then deeper into another estate.

I tried again. The second resident knew that she could not tell left from right, but had a very good go at explaining. "Ye cannae gang wrang", she said. We all know that those are fatal words.  No sign of the beasts.

I took the car back onto the A9 and there was a big sign..........

It was grey and very cold, but worth the striving and the time wasted.  I also had a tour of Falkirk; it looks like a depressed town with many empty shops and a very run down appearance. Apologies to residents, but it reminds me of a number of north east towns too.

Further north, the sun shone and I gradually covered the miles. The traffic on th A9 was predictably slow, but the views were good. There was a hold up while 3 wind turbine blades passed by. I was sorry for the drivers in the queue of cars tailing them.

I'm now in Auchertyre, staying in a farmhouse B & B. I ate at the Plockton Inn. My sense of deja vu tells me that I may have been there before, but I can't be sure.

Tomorrow I will cross to Skye.