Saturday was a 5-castle day. As an adventure, I highly recommend it! Driving an unfamiliar manual transmission rental car on unfamiliar roads, with controls on the opposite side, lanes on opposite side, and through the pouring rain, I didn't do too badly, if I do say so myself. I would take castle searching on one-track roads over driving in Aberdeen, Dundee, or Edinburgh any time. Inverness is a piece of cake compared to the others. I must have circled my guest house in Dundee half a dozen times before I had to locate a phone to call. I was only 5 blocks away, and had driven past it at least twice. I was relieved to finally call it a day.

The castles outside Aberdeen in order of my route were Fraser Castle, Craigievar, Crathes, Drum,and finally Dunnottar ruin on the North Sea. I think it was my favorite, even though it was too late in the day to hike out to the cliff. I arrived too early for the tour of Fraser, but through the windows, it looked very well-furnished. Craigievar was the model for Disneyland's castle with its tall spires. It has been recently re-harled with native lime and local pink granite exterior stucco, when concrete stucco caused the castle to retain moisture and deteriorate. Crathes had great guides with interesting stories. The medieval tower of Drum Castle was under renovation, but should open in 2014, the 700th anniversary of its construction. The tower houses the library--would be worth returning to see that!

The countryside north and west of Aberdeen reminds me of Central Idaho. There are rolling hills of grazing land, fields of grain and hay, interspersed with sections of forests. Everything is luscious green, except for the bright yellow fields of canola.