I spent a good part of this week in Perth, doing duty vet training on Tuesday and (human) first aid training on Wednesday. I have so many photos to share that it’s going to be hard to choose. I was staying in the Salutation Hotel with my colleague Sue. It was an interesting hotel, built in 1699: all maze-like corridors, uneven floors and a breakfast room that looked like a Jane Austen era assembly rooms, with a huge arched window and vaulted ceiling. For the purposes of this blog however, perhaps its most significant feature was its lack of car-parking.

There were plenty of car parks in Perth, near the hotel, but all of them required tickets, except between the hours of six at night and eight in the morning. Having finished our duty vet training on Tuesday, Sue proposed a visit to Branklyn Gardens on the edge if the city. Mum and Dad stayed there earlier this year, so it seemed like a pleasant idea. Sue is apparently quite the gardener and she looked at the plants with great interest. For me, the foliage was the real draw. It will be even better in a few weeks when autumn sets in properly.

Lovely as it was, it closed at five, which left another hour to kill, before the car park was cost-free. Sue had noticed that there was a path from the gardens up to a folly on Kinnoull Hill that she wanted to see. The path was steep and rough though, and as I have been struggling with balance and fitness, I decided it was too much for me.

I set off to drive back to the hotel, but on the way, I saw a road sign that said Kinnoull Hill parking. I drove up the narrow lane, which took me round to the other side of the hill, where I found tracks up to the peak that were much gentler. I decided to head up the hill and see how far I got. Perhaps, if I reached the summit, I might meet Sue there, but if not, I’d still have had a nice walk.

It was very slow going, but I met two lovely dogs on the way and stopped for doggy cuddles. In Triar’s absence, that was lovely. Reaching the summit was a wonderful moment. It’s been a long time since I got to the top of any hill and the views over the Tay valley were stunning. I texted Sue to tell her where I was. I think she’d already been there, but she came back to meet me and persuaded me that, having come so far, I should walk a little further to see the tower.

The tower looks like a ruined castle, but it was actually built as a folly – ready ruined – by one of the Earls of Kinnoull, who thought it would look romantic in its rocky cliff setting. It was absolutely worth the extra walk.

The next day was the first aid course, which was very thorough. I had done defibrillator training in Norway, about five years ago, but I’d forgotten how useful they were, telling you what to do, even to the point of how fast your heart compressions should be during CPR. Here’s the lovely Lesley in a sling. For some reason, she was trying to remember the Brownie Guide spiel. It was that kind of day!

That evening, with the same car park restrictions, Sue suggested walking up Moncreiffe Hill. Again, we split up, and she found a car park with a longer, steeper climb. This time, we met at Moredun Hill Fort – or at least what is left of it. Built over 2000 years ago, excavations at the site have suggested that the hill may have had special significance as a Pictish royal centre. The only structure now above ground though, is a rough cairn that marks the top of the hill.

As Sue arrived at the top of the hill, she brought a rainbow with her, which added to the loveliness of the moment! My second hilltop in two days.

After another night’s sleep, it was time to head back south, but Sue had one last suggestion for the return journey. She had been to the Japanese Garden in Dollar and thought I would like it, so we met in Dollar for a coffee and then visited the garden. This was my first visit to a Japanese garden and I have to confess, it is stunningly beautiful. I took far too many photos! Everything was perfectly framed, as if designed for an enthusiast with a mobile phone, though the garden was designed long before those were even thought of!

We ended our visit with a scone, which was delicious. And now I want to take my parents on a trip to Dollar, so they can experience it too. Anyway, thanks to Sue, this was a very memorable trip to Perth. Thank you as well, for reading. See you next week!