Trip to Scotland 1983: Four and half months in the Highlands and Islands

[DCampbell16B]

10p shower hot water
£1 bus
£2.60 hostel
£1.58 map
£1.80 food
80p fish and chips

Went to church. Was told it was Perth Holiday Fortnight so only 40-50 in church. Was invited to a meal with the pastor and wife. Cold turkey, boiled and fried potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and cheese sauce, blackberry cake with whipped cream [feast for me!]

[More bouncy bus notes]

Left Perth 2:30 cool, cloudy, threatening but no rain. To Cupar yesterday [not sure what I meant?] 3-4 ruined castles/keeps on small back roads.
Main route, no stops to Pitlochry
Mr Thomas of the Perth church usually wears a kilt to church, speaks Gaelic. Saw 2 men on the way out of town wearing kilts.
Heading over the Highland line for good. Unlike going to Comrie you can really see entering the hills. This is near the road to Grandtully.
Pitlochry reminds me of Waterville [VT]. Same Alpine. Little traffic, quiet except for wind, busses and birds.

Tomorrow cash traveller's checks, post a card and printed matter [I shipped home printed flyers and a couple small books in two packages. Only one made it. I know better how to pack things now.], freight the suitcase ahead [to Crianlarich].

Went window shopping. Need matches!
Bedroom and dining room look over Pitlochry and Creag an Fhithich.
You'd better check food, last town in [is?] Kinnloch Rannoch til Loch Tay? Killin? and you may not get food after!!!

Food, now have some spam, 2 boxes vitawheat, shortcake, need some small cans of food, matches.
Meths [methylation spirits] white spirt, down main street by tourist[?] shop and flower shop.

[My plan was to hike across Rannoch Moor to Glen Coe. Hence the following entry]
Well, if you get out on the moor and starve, you've no one to blame but yourself. Watched cluds whip over Creag an Fhithich and across Pitlochry. I'm here. I still can't believe I intend to do this. The immensity of the area has finally hit me. Also it's desolateness.

Card to McDuffie [my graduate professor]

I can lay in bed (top bunk) and look out picture window and see from the Linn of Tummel, the north slope of Creag an Fhithich to Carn Beag.

[I had cans to open and forgot a can opener] The hostel warden gave me a Swiss Army Knife from lost and found to use for a can opener. [I still have this].
Caisteal Dubh before breakfast?