Tuesday 5 January 2021

If not Torridon then Torry...

Our Torridon cottage in the NW Highlands is undergoing renovation - still far from complete - and is anyway out of bounds right now due to Covid travel restrictions.

Since we can't spend time amid the peaceful mountains and lochs of the Torridon area, I suggested to Gail the other day that we go exploring its near namesake, Torry - a district of Aberdeen just a hop, skip and a jump across the river from where we live. 

Gail raised her eyebrows at the idea that Torry would be a satisfactory substitute for Torridon, but she decided to humour me anyway and off we trotted.

We approached Torry via the harbour and the golf course. So far so good. 

But on the hill overlooking the golf course, the sight of these grim apartment blocks, calling to mind Soviet style Khrushchyovka, did not bode well. And altbough to me, the local aroma of waste treatment plant blended with wholesale fish operations was actually quite appealing, Gail disagreed.

Further down the main street, the brutal 1960's buildings gave way to tenement housing, so typical of an earlier era in Scotland. Perhaps the scene would have looked more cheerful on a sunny summer day.

We reached the shops, and discovered the source of the many Tyskie and Zywiec beer cans we'd earlier seen littering the path by the harbour.

Disappointingly, Gail did not venture inside to buy me some Polish sausage, and when we found a more traditional Scottish food outlet, it was closed.

I was starting to think Gail was right to be sceptical about the attractions of Torry, but then, quite by surprise, hidden away on a back street between the shops and the harbour, we came across a couple of rows of old fishermen's cottages, all gaily painted (a most welcome splash of colour amid the all-pervasive Aberdeen grey) and we decided the expedition had been worthwhile after all.



And for those of you who love a map... our route, 4.8 miles, is marked by the yellow line.

PS This post is especially for our dear blogging friend YAM-Aunty. She knows why! 

14 comments:

  1. we are glad that you found the best shop and that it is still there... fish&chips are our anchors in stormy weather right? as long as f&ch is with us, we still have hope ;O)

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  2. That was a good walk Bertie, though not as beautiful as Torridon. Glad you found those pretty fisherman's cottages - they really brightened up the day.
    My human says she thinks that Aberdeen is known as the Granite City, because everything is so grey and so many of the buildings are built of that stone.
    Fish and chips - I've had fish, but I don't think I've ever had chips! My human tells me they are really traditional food in the UK, and sometimes you eat them from newspaper! That can't be right - personally I think she's been at the cooking sherry again!

    Love,
    Inca xx

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    1. Inca, your clever human is right about the Granite City, and sort of right about the newspaper, although serving fish and chips this way is now outlawed as unhygienic. I have to tell you that Gail was reaching for the cooking sherry when she heard about the UK's latest lockdown measures yesterday...
      Toodle pip!
      Bertie.

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  3. Hari oM
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhh, I remember being up on that hill looking down on the harbour. It was windy. I hope your naked furs were enough to keep you warm, Bertie lad, for if it's anything like here temp-ways you'd need double jumpers!!! (heheh, and even reading the title i somehow knew it was for me &*>) Hugs and wgas, YAM-aunty xxx

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  4. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Bertie dreary cold winter days make are no fun when out for nice trek.
    I love the brightly painted pops of color of the fishermen's cottages. I bet as they are docking on a foggy cold day the cottages bright colors are a welcomed sight. Well done on your 4.8 mile with Gail
    Hugs Cecilia

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  5. What a fun walk and the fisherman's cottages are so beautiful! The aroma of waste treatment plant and fish would have had my attention too, Bertie!

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  6. Thanks for taking us along on your walk, Bertie. It may look dull and grey to you but we are always interested in seeing what it's like where our far away friends live. Did you see the little rainbow behind you in that first picture? There's a real splash of color for you!

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  7. I enjoyed seeing all of this, even the 1960's and the stinky places. any place at all in another country I like to see it.. and you posing in front of ANYTHING AnyWhere is always good. good idea to pop that color on the cottages.. I am thinking if you and Beau were at the stinky place you would be looking for a good place to roll in stink...right?

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  8. Thank dogness for those colorful fisherman's cottages. That looks like a dreary walk route, but we do love our walks - so we would have been OK with that over nothing. Happily the temps rose enough today to melt the ice on the sidewalks (mostly) and so Mom ventured out with us. We all agreed it felt great to get out for a stroll.

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

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  9. We would have enjoyed that walk....all the lovely scents. Not as scenic as Torridon, but it has it's attractions and you can do it during lockdown! Love the Fishermens' Cottages.

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  10. We might have to skip that town during our travels.

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  11. Hi friend, Ojo here! You sure are a Dog about town! Too bad about the (lack of) sausage! Also we love your cover photo!

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  12. That looks like such an interesting walk...we love the colorful cottages!

    Your Friend Rosie

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