We hired a car for the next part of our journey through Scotland. We headed out of Edinburgh for Montrose. Before heading to Montrose we detoured to St Andrews, 0ne of Europe's finest towns. Standing proudly on the east coast of Scotland, the historic town of St Andrews is a jewel in the crown of Fife. Offering panoramic views out across the North Sea, it is famous for its historic university, medieval streets, gorgeous traditional buildings and, of course, its world-famous golf courses.

Driving to St Andrews
From Edinburgh: Take the A90 over the Forth Road Bridge which connects to the M90. Continue north until junction 8 and take the A91 following the signs to St Andrews. Journey time is approximately one hour.

The coastal town of Montrose sits between Dundee and Aberdeen and boasts an attractive town centre and a wide sandy beach. Montrose was a great little town to visit, with a pleasant old centre. It sits on the edge of virtually a landlocked two-mile-square lagoon of mud known as the Basin, which is a nature reserve and haven for wildfowl and wading birds.

Near the town is some fabulous seashore. The beach road, Marine Avenue, across from the town museum, heads down through sand dunes and golf links to car parks fringing the fine, wide beach overlooked by a slender white lighthouse. Further to the north are the cliffs of St. Cyrus, home in summer to a bustling colony of seabirds.

About an hour inland from Aberdeen we could visit Balmoral, the Queens Scottish estate or summer house at Ballater. From Ballater it was on to Dinnett, our accommodation for the night. We stayed at Loch Kinord.