Just back from a few days in Perthshire, we stayed at Auchteralyth Steadings which are highly recommended,  Anne Fedele, the owner, has done everything to furnish the cottages to five star level, it’s all very dog friendly and you will be checked out by Kashka the Rhodesian Ridgeback dog.  There are hens and horses too, plus glorious views over Strathmore, especially if you are there for sunrise or sunset,

The area around Alyth has some spectacular scenery and the birdlife is plentiful.  There are also many wee tearooms with excellent scones and jam; yes, a lifetime’s quest continues.  A  new contender for top scone would be The Dirliebane tea room in Alyth town square.

But back to ornithology; we called in at the RSPB reserve on Loch of Kinnordy, where we sat in the East hide.  Rumours of osprey sightings abounded, we didn’t actually see one but we did talk to a chap with a phenomenally well endowed camera; he showed us a picture which he had just taken of “some big burd” which of course was an osprey, so well done to him.  We then got very excited every time we saw anything which wasn’t a crow.