Xmas Eve update

We all went to Crathes Castle on Sunday, but I headed the Lesinas down towards the Adventure Area, whilst Jo, Kelly, Chris and Miller went in the opposite direction towards the castle - although it wasn't long before they all headed back to Banchory, but the Lesinas and I carried on with Plan A:

From there it was off to Duthie Park and the slides, followed by the Winter Gardens:

Next was the Beach, where we met up with Gary. First of all, the dodgems:

followed by Air Soccer:

Cade posed in the "electric" chair - unfortunately broken down today:

Laser Tag was very popular - and they had 2 rounds of it as well - but whose score card was this, and who was a mere Space Cadet?:

Yesterday (Monday) was my turn to take the other half of the family out for the day. We drove up Deeside, ever nearing the snow line. Crathie Kirk and Balmoral Castle were out of bounds but the nearby Royal Lochnagar Distillery was open, so we went in there and got treated very well by the Distillery Manager, Stuart Adamson, who I'd known from years before when he was mine host at the Learney Arms Hotel. Here's Chris inside:

By now, there was a proper snowstorm outside and so we aborted our plan to have lunch in Ballater and instead headed for the lower ground of Aboyne and the Boat Inn. Chris must have been a good boy and eaten up all his lunch because they ran the model railway round the lounge:

Today we have the annual birthday football match in Banchory - not that I'm playing, but I still organise it and there's a little session in the pub afterwards.