Finally a long night’s sleep with no specific time to get up and nowhere to go in the morning. We made shameless use of the laundry machine at Terry’s sister before driving off into the Scottish countryside. We first had a cozy walk through Banchory snacking on some fruit and veg that tasted like candy after eating colorless food since we arrived in the UK. Then we drove to Balmoral castle, and walked up to Prince Albert’s pyramid. Yes, a pyramid in Scotland! It has breathtaking views of the valley below and was well worth the half hour hike up. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria when her husband died and the inscription says: “To the Beloved Memory of Prince Albert, the Great and Good Prince Consort, Erected by his Broken-hearted Widow, VICTORIA R”. The drive continued up to Elgin, with a nervous ride through the hills when the empty gas light lit up and the nearest gas station was half an hour away (or a 4 hour walk…). We made it. Luckily. Our guest house in Elgin, The Pines, is so much bigger than expected and beautifully nostalgic, owned by a lovely couple who welcomed us warmly. The room is very good value for money, with little details like Scottish tea cakes. Looking forward to two nights here.