or crawl to the pub —

Starting off with good intentions – taking the short cut over the Braco Moors had me feeling sorry for the cattle on the hillside – shut out as they were from my favourite shed —

With the weather closing in and snow falling on the hills around Comrie and conditions barely above freezing – I had enough to do to keep Helen and I on the road in the Yeti —

The worsening weather pushed us all the way down the road to Dunblane Cathedral —

where I took the obligatory photo —

or two —

but it was the pub across the road that had my attention – the Tappit Hen —

Scene of many a pleasant evening with local friends back in the day when it was called the Chimes – the bright lights in the windows were inviting Helen and I inside.

The pub was busy and it’s been a long time since I heard such happy undiluted chatter – made me realise just how much I have missed it after a 42 month’s sojourn on a quiet island followed immediately by the lock down which Helen and seem to have carried on for a second and third year as far as our social life is concerned.

Non alcohol beer appears to have improved since I last found it necessary to drink it and after a pleasant hour or so we got back on the road.

Clear roads this time but we could see new – fresh snow on the hills beyond Crieff as we drove into Blackford.

Yes Blackford – I remember it well from the time I reluctantly lived and worked on my first job at a nearby farm after leaving school. It is still the cold place it was then and it wasn’t long before we found our way to the wee pub in the back street where I generated my first proper hangover at the age of 17.

There will be no repeat of the sore head from today’s visit – again I have another Heineken non alcoholic beer to thank for that. It was a day for chat tho’ as the elderly landlord left the bar and joined Helen and I for what turned out to be a surprising set of coincidences for all three of us.

Turns out our new friend had long experience of Dubai and Abu Dhabi while I have worked in both and Helen lived in Bahrain for a spell.

Yup – the camels and 4×4’s were rolling over the dunes in Blackford this afternoon and all too soon it was time to head on home over the rolling white slopes from Gleneagles north to Crieff and home —