Our first stop was Royal Lochnagar Malt Whiskey Distillery. We took a tour and did a tasting. I am not a huge fan but it is always need to see how they make it. The Distillery is literally the next door neighbor to the Queen. The only thing separating them is a bit of land, a hill, and all of her security detail :-)
Speaking of the Queen, as we left we could see the guards opening up the gate to let her Land Rover out to go pick her up at the church up the road. There were people gathered along the bridge to try to get a peep. I wanted to jump out and join them. Rumor has it that Prince Harry has been spotted and some even say that the Royal Baby George is around. I doubt the second part. There would likely be more media around if that were the case. Either way, I snapped a quick picture of the gate and her church as we whooshed by on our coach.
This part of the country is truly beautiful and would be great for hiking, biking or even just a nice drive in a convertible. It is so peaceful. We happened to get some great weather.
On our way back we stopped at Crathes Castle for some tea & cake and a tour. The unique thing about the castle is that the family was living there up until the 60's when they had a fire. Yet still today they keep family pictures in a room so you can see what they are all up to. In 2005 they had a family wedding there in the gardens. It was an Alice in Wonderland theme, complete with costumed characters.
I'm trying to call it a night early so I can prepare for a long but productive day of meetings tomorrow. Our theme is Leadership, Management & International Development.