Day 61: Pitlochry - Culloden Moor

This thing with Papi Edu's cold feels like that typical annoying guest who overstays their welcome. So, in the morning, as we've been doing lately, we take it very easy. Me, the bed, and laziness form a kind of love triangle. But around midday, since we're not exactly deep-rooted, we set off. Well, first a coffee for Edu, a little walk around the campervan for me, and then, yes: into the car.

The route started with those little roads that wind more than a dog before lying down. We headed west, crossing cool landscapes, forests and Scottish fields that looked like they were straight out of a damp fairytale. After about half an hour like that, we arrived at Tummel Bridge, a tiny little village with a name that, surprise, does honour to its bridge. The stone bridge crosses the River Tummel with all the dignity of the 18th century. Yes, because it's from that era, and it was part of the network of military roads that the English built to control the Highlands after the Jacobite rebellions. Basically, it has history under every stone slab. But we just crossed it in "photo and keep going" mode.

We went back to the curves, which were almost greeting us by name, and finally connected with the A9, the motorway that goes up to Inverness. Oh, what a pleasure to be able to drive in a straight line for more than 50 metres! But of course, we had to think about the important thing: where to sleep. And that, in this area, is not an easy task. There are few quiet spots on Park4Night, and many come with overnight parking restrictions. One that looked perfect, in the middle of the forest, turned out to be paid: ten pounds to spend the night in a simple forest car park. And why that one and not the one next door? Scottish mysteries...

After going around for a bit and almost falling asleep with the engine running, we found a more decent place: a tiny rural car park, next to a national cycle route. There's room for three or four cars, and we were the first to arrive. Then a motorhome appeared, the kind that looks like a transatlantic with wheels, but even so, the place is still quiet. On one side we have forest, on the other a road where a car passes every time a unicorn sneezes.

Before getting into bed (which lately is the star destination of the day), we took a short walk through the forest. Nothing epic, just stretching our legs and smelling three or four hundred bushes. Then back to the campervan, a light dinner, and to sleep, because tomorrow there will surely be more curves, more surprises and, hopefully, fewer sniffles.