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Castle Fraser started for 3 of us on the Tuesday, with a journey from the sunny delights of the Surrey countryside in a dawn voyage to the not so sunny Scottish hills. Interrupting the 12 hour drive with a brief stop in Coventry for supplies and a job interview, successfully passed. We continued our journey; of places we would rather not be, with a second stop at Newcastle to witness the 90 tall ships preparing for a race to somewhere exotic, Gateshead perhaps? This experience leaving us with the distinct impression we will never again visit Newcastle except under duress. We then resumed our invasion of the north, with the sleeping Owen and comatose “Baby Faced Giant” always at the ready to give directions we made good time and arrived in the fantastic city of Edinburgh on the Tuesday evening.

Two sociable nights at a hostel just below the castle saw our intrepid explorers some good times. These included attempting to blag our way into the Castle and nearly going back in kit to masquerade as ghosts. Clearly the soldiers on duty were very well briefed and expected such a ruse. Feeling hungry on the Wednesday after a morning exploring the city we decided to stop for a light lunch with an all you can eat Chinese buffet. For £6 a head how can you go wrong? Returning to the hostel “6 meal Andy” declared he may have had too much to eat and went straight to bed, where he

remained till the late hours of the evening. Undeterred our dynamic duo began the climb of Arthur’s Seat, a superb view, the city spires peeping through the drizzle and mist. Comedy moments included getting Owens div leg down vertical drops and informing camp looking Italian men that it really wasn’t a very steep climb at all. Heh heh. Requiring some dinner Owen and myself purchased some fine Scottish cheeses and began enjoying the local brews before returning to wake the BFG and play some cards with the local female residents…

The following morning the journey continued with a short drive to Aberdeen, only to discover that the city, the sea and even the sky were the same dull grey. After a trip to the beach (yes there is one in Aberdeen and we paddled!) and another all you can eat meal we had had enough so on to the campsite and Castle Fraser!!! On discovering we are the only Tilliers to have ventured so far so soon, we declared a site suitable for camp and introduced ourselves to the rest of the site with a brief game of Frisbee with some American re-enactors, fresh from that popular Royalist recruiting ground, Florida. We said we hoped they enjoyed their stay fighting for either the King or the Government.

Friday morning, feeling in an energetic mood Owen and myself decided to do a little hill climbing. Picking the largest hill on our AA road map and driving towards it we were in luck to discover a visitors centre, and a pair of clean toilets, which were the ascent was long and slow, with a cloud-covered summit always just a little further. We had a brief stop for some more fine cheese and crackers and a look at the view before we entered the clouds. Quite excitingly, at the top was a Pictish hill fort and of course the driving wind and rain. Once thoroughly soaked and without finding shelter we decided to return…. to the toilet before back to the campsite. It

was over that evening that we were joined by the rest of our brave Tilliers and a crazy woman who couldn’t stop falling over and adopted our campsite and us as suitable candidates for her relentless drawl of conversation, which never required a reply.

Saturday began with the usual drill with an unusual batch of Hopton’s pike, but everyone seemed to pick it up quickly. For the battle we were joined by a musket block from Germany, who made up for their perhaps dubious musket safety with enthusiasm, good alcoholic drinks in handy shot sized bottles and brightly coloured trousers. In typical battle routine we marched on only to find we outnumbered

the Covenanters by an extra pike block.

After a lot of hurry up and wait and much hilarity at the ‘Norman Wisdom’ esque activities of a member of Royalist staff (3 falls anyone?) a tag team effort between a combined Tilliers and Rawdons block and separate Hawkins of Hoptons made easy work of a smaller but ultimately the much more worthy Manchester’s pike. The final move of the battle saw our block form into a single rank, pikes halved. A steady walk down the hill turning into a steady jog, followed by an all out charge as we swept away those who stood below us.

The Saturday night saw a spectacle not to have been missed, deep in the jungle of the Hanoy Delta, a group of soldiers, out on patrol and cut off from their unit, desperately in need of some more German refreshments

stumbled upon a fancy dress party. Tillier’s aren’t in the jungle…. They are the jungle!! Going in a team costume of several meters of camo netting we passed the dress code and joined in the festivities. Highlights of the evening being Gillie in her Ghillie Suit and Guy standing at one side of the beer tent with a full pint of beer only to be swept up in the whirling dervish that was the Kayleigh dancing and in a sec be standing at the other end of the beer tent in the same pose, soaked from head to toe, clutching an empty beer glass, and of course who could forget the giggling idiot that Andy had become, 2 hours of uncontrollable giggling.

Sunday was another good fight, although the 2 Hopton’s blocks of Saturday were now 1 block on the Scottish side. The battle consisted of a series of somewhat silly pushes interspersed with some thoroughly tiring Cornish. The evening began with a good meal at a local pub, in which Owen made a failed pass at the waitress and our very own silver fox had women throwing themselves at him. Watch, listen and learn from the master. Another good nights drinking followed but with the sombre thought of it being the last night.

After a late breakfast our Tillier’s Wrecking Crew left the windy hilltop of Castle Fraser and made good progress for the nearest whiskey distillery. Which happened to be Blabs’ favourite.

A few soft drinks for the drivers and a tour finished the Scottish experience in style.

Ed & Owen