I decided the best way to get to Fintry was to get a train from Nottingham to Stirling and then a taxi from there to Fintry.
The train journey went well and plenty of cans of Guinness Original drunk on the way to Edinburgh on a mid December Friday afternoon,there was no time for a drink in Edinburgh as we had to find the platform for the train to Stirling,this was hard because the platforms at Edinburgh Waverley station seem to be all over the shop,i decided to ask for help as time was short and the nice station chap directed us to the platform for the train to Stirling.
It was pitch black on our early evening train ride to Stirling and i was on my last can of Guinness.
We arrived into Stirling on time and with our cases it was a dash to get into a few pubs before ordering a taxi to Fintry.
Stirling
Barnton Bar
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
The first pub or bar we came across so we were straight in for a drink,whatever it was,it was keg Belhaven Best which was fizzy but we downed a quick pint and a half.
The pub was fairly large and had a large single room with loads of tables and chairs.
We did a short walk uphill and passed No 2 Baker Street a decent looking corner pub and uphill to the next pub.
Claymores
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| photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A very basic pub set in a row of shops.
It was even more basic inside and full with drunken Scottish blokes who seemed to be picking on a bloke for no reason,but we had a drink here,though my wife did not like it at all,the Belhaven Best was at its worst here.
A short walk back downhill and we were in our next pub.
N0 2 Baker Street
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A decent sized pub and quite smart inside,also packed on our Friday night visit,there were real ales on here,so we were pleased,we had a very nice drink of Inveralmond Ossian which went down a treat,it was standing room only so we stood near the entrance with our cases.
We had to go back to the train station to get a taxi to Fintry and was sad to leave Stirling as there may have been lots more pubs there to do.
The taxi ride took over half an hour and most of it was in complete darkness.
We finally arrived at Fintry castle and into reception to ask where our log cabin was a young person told us go past the trees and up the path,so we trooped off with our cases past thousands of trees and along a road,we passed a lake and then thought we might have gone the wrong way,it was pitch black but we noticed some lights in the distance.
I was by now swearing a lot and my wife laughing at me for doing so,we got to the lorry with the lights on and asked where the cabin was,he had no idea as he was from another country.
By now i was well pissed off trooping cases along a pitch black road with no pavements,the wife now thought it even more funny,i said we will walk back to the castle and will give the young lad a piece of my mind,we were walking back and we then saw some headlights coming towards us at speed,fed up again i said now we have got a *ing car bombing towards us,so we had to go to the side of the road to get out of the way of it,it skidded to a halt just past us and a man got out,i thought what is going on now,he approached us and said he was the owner of the castle and lodges and said sorry for not being taken to our cabin,he gave us a lift back to it and we were so pleased to get in the cabin and get ready for a walk down to the Castle Bar.
Castle Bar
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
Saturday morning up and feeling well,i opened the curtains and said to my wife who was still in bed,there's a mountain outside,she thought i was bull shitting her,but then looked for herself and said wow a mountain outside,it may have been a big hill,but it was a mountain to us.
We all met up in the Castle Bar which is housed on the left side of Fintry castle,a small and cosy bar that seemed very pubby,it was carpeted and had comfy bench seating and small stools,we had plenty to drink before the wedding and my wife was knocking back the shorts along with the Harvistoune Bitter and Twisted that i was drinking.
The wedding went well and we all retired to the Castle Bar for more drinks,a massive session started and we got talking to a nice couple who were older than us and lived in Derby,it was a shame to leave and walk back up to the lodge to get ready for the night time shindig which was in a larger room to the rear of the castle.
The Lodge
We arrived at the night time room with plenty of time and i soon found out there was no real ale in this room,no problem for me as i would do a short walk to the Castle Bar for drinks of Harvistoune Bitter and Twisted.
The procedings started and i was dissapointed that there was no disco,as me and the wife love dancing.
There was a live group who were doing a traditional Scottish Caley,or something similar to that,i declined the first dance with my wife as i had a mardy on,when i saw her dancing with her mam i thought i want some of this,the band had fiddles and all other sorts of instruments and was doing barn dances and the like,all dances involved moving along to dance with another woman,it was great and i took a break to get drinks and the like.
It was a great night and the Nottingham lot outnumbered the Scottish side of the wedding.
Too many drinks were drunk and we were well dissapointed when it all came to an end,i ended up putting my wifes jacket on,so everybody laughed seeing me wearing a jacket with sleeves halfway up my arms.
It was a stagger back to the cabin and i fell into a dry ditch,my wife thought this was really funny and i did.
Sunday morning and we both felt very rough,we got a decent breakfast down us and it was the long journey back to Nottingham,another taxi ride to Stirling and i had time to take photos of the pubs we did on the Friday,but no chance of a drink it was too early,the train journey from Stirling to Edinburgh was nice enough and the train ride from Edinburgh to York was really nice as we had good views of the North Sea.
By the time we arrived in York we were well ready for a few drinks,so straight into the station bar.
Coopers
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| Photo taken by Alan Winfield |
A typical station bar,but needs must,a few quick drinks while waiting for a train to Derby and then onto Nottingham.
The Davenports bitter was decent enough and kept us going until in Nottingham where we had our last few drinks in Fellows,Morton & Clayton.
This was a great weekend out and a great wedding,the night time due was great and chatting in the Castle Bar was really nice.
To sum up a great weekend drinking,we got lost i fell into a ditch and wore my wifes jacket,what more could you ask for from a weekend out.
