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Nina's Blog - Tuesday 21st July 2026

Tuesday 21st July 2026, 08:33

It will soon be time to leave Kingussie and head for Perth. But I shall delay a little longer so that I can visit the charity shop which opens at 10:00. It just seems wrong to stay somewhere for several days and not do that.

Now for something completely different.

Over the last few years it seems that I have inadvertently developed a sort of Pavlovian response to getting up: an almost unstoppable physical urge to urinate. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with how long I sleep or what time I get up. And normally this is not a problem but just now I'm in a room that shares the bathroom with two other rooms. Actually it's not a bathroom but rather a shower room with washbasin and toilet in the same room. And as I'm sure you have guessed it was occupied and remained occupied until I felt I really couldn't wait. So I fished a half litre water bottle out of the bin and used that.

Now the reason I bothered relating this: I was rather surprised to find that I almost filled the bottle. I've never devoted much thought to the subject and it's a very long time, probably nearly fifty years, since I've needed to do that, so I had no idea how much it could be.
ninalanyon
70-79, T
10 replies 44 views 1 day ago1 d
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ninalanyon · 70-79, T
Tuesday 21st July 2026, 15:33

Just checked in to the Railway Inn. I was a bit disconcerted to see it referred to as Railway Rooms on my sat-nav thinking it might be another place like the Columba House in Kingussie, all remotely managed. But I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived to be greeted by a very cheerful woman whose first words to me after asking if I had a reservation were compliments on my outfit and to ask if I'd like a cup of tea!

My room is about the same size as the one in Kingussie and actually slightly more spartanly furnished, no chair and no table but it does have a wardrobe but it's just as clean (very) and has a window that opens wider.


Also this place has a kitchen for the use of the residents and a semi-resident cat called Rufus. And the woman who checked me in apparently lives here so it's by no means an unattended place. She is a bit intense though and seems to be living in the next room and there is not a lot o sound proofing so I can hear her arguing on the phone with someone. At least I presume its a phone conversation because I can't hear the other party.
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · 1 day ago1 d · Edited: 1 day ago
ninalanyon · 70-79, T
Tuesday 21st July 2026, 11:57

Decided to stop at Pitlochry for coffee and a stroll about.

In Hettie's Tearoom. No WiFi.

Waiting for a mocha and their signature three layer sponge. Sponge arrived but still waiting for the mocha.

Yes, the sponge arrived impaled by the fork! On the plus side it is a dessert fork. The sponge is pleasant, but not particularly distinguished.


The main street of Pitlochry is very busy with tourists.

There is a gorgeous East Asian woman at the next table wearing a short sleeveless white dress. She has a perfect tan complemented with gold jewellery and matching sunglasses,hardly any makeup, just lipstick and a little eyeshadow, long bright red nails, really good legs.

And a pair of trainers the size of small canoes.

Why do people do this? After having gone to what must have been a fair expense and effort why spoil the look with ugly footwear? She has an YSL evening shoulder bag, YSL also sell sandals and although the current range do seem rather ugly they would still be an improvement over trainers.
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22Michelle · 70-79, T
@ninalanyon Pitlochry is nice, but always seems busy with tourists.
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · 12 hrs ago12 h
SageWanderer · 70-79, M
I have to admit to the same morning pattern myself, especially since this weather has me drinking more for hydration.
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ninalanyon · 70-79, T
Tuesday 21st July 2026, 20:44

I went for a walk to the nearest Co-op to buy something to eat. On the way back I heard bagpipes. I wasn't sure at first if it was a recording but it soon became clear that it was live. It turned out that the piper was playing the pipes in their front garden.
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ninalanyon · 70-79, T
Tuesday 21st July 2026, 16:11

Some pictures of Pitlochry.

Glasgow has Scottie dogs, Pitlochry has bears



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ninalanyon · 70-79, T
Tuesday 21st July 2026, 16:11

A postman's wages were 16 shillings a week which this poster translates to 77p. But there were 20 shillings in a pound sterling, so 16 shillings is four fifths of a pound which surely makes it 80p as there are currently 100 pennies in a pound. Or am I missing something embarrassingly obvious?
And of course this completely ignore inflation over the last 130 years. According to the Bank of England it would be worth 91 GBP now which sounds like not much so perhaps life has improved over the last century.
See https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator

This site: https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=Postman/Salary says that the median salary of a UK postman now is about 24 kGBP. If we just divide that by 52 we get 461 GBP/week.

For comparison this page https://vibrasjoner.com/hvor-mye-tjener-en-postmann/ says that the mean salary for a postman in Norway before any overtime or antisocial hours payments is about 490 kNOK, that's about 38 kGBP, 730 GBP/week.
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · 1 day ago1 d · Edited: 1 day ago
ninalanyon · 70-79, T
Wednesday 22nd July 2026

Forgot to post yesterday's outfit:
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · 15 hrs ago15 h
ninalanyon · 70-79, T
Tuesday 21st July 2026, 16:11

Some pictures of Pitlochry.

I thought this church made a good picture as I was walking down West Brae, where I parked, to the main street


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22Michelle · 70-79, T
You seem rather pissed off!
+ 1 · Reply · Translate · 1 day ago1 d
 
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