The Lodge Residents and Staff Walk to Scotland

In an effort to promote wellness and staying active, The Lodge at Old Trail launched a walking campaign that paired residents and staff on walking teams. The brainchild of Executive Director Judy Bowes, every team member was given a pedometer to track their daily steps. The teams created names and submitted ideas for their walking destinations.

The first destination picked… Scotland!

On April 1, 2014 – the race to Scotland was launched.  At the end of every week, walking teams tallied up their cumulative steps and submitted them.

On June  24^th, residents and staff celebrated their arrival in Scotland with food, games, music and dancing.

Lodge owner, David Hilliard, the Master of Ceremonies, himself a Scotsman, dressed in his kilt and judged “The Highland Games.” The games consisted of putt-putt golf, the caber toss – (log), the sheaf toss – (bale) and the stone put.

The Lodge’s culinary team created a traditional Scottish dinner of:

 Cock-A-Leekie Stew (Chicken stew with leeks, carrot, barley and herbs)

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Shepherd’s Pie (Lamb and beef braised in Scottish lager with tomatoes, peas, carrots and onions topped with mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown)

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Scottish Salmon Cake (Smoked salmon cake served with a roasted potato medley, whiskey glazed carrots and a chive cream and malt sauce)

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Freshly baked Shortbread Cookies dipped in Chocolate with Strawberries

Since The Lodge is equipped with its own Pub, there were drink specials as well; Whiskey Tea (Hot tea with Scottish whisky and a splash of milk) and a Rusty Nail (Drambuie and Scotch whiskey over ice with fresh lemon).

Dinner was followed by music and dancing.  The Blue Ridge Scottish Country Dancers from Ivy, Virginia entertained Lodge residents and staff with their high energy movements. Bag pipers drew the attention of some Old Trail Village neighbors as they warmed up out in front of The Lodge.
It was a great day of celebration to end our first walking adventure.

The next leg of our journey will take us down under – Look out Australia… here we come!