We’ve just spent 10 days in
Scotland, a real Cook’s tour.
We left Wales great
excitement as I was allowed to put weight on my right foot for the first time
in 9 weeks. I now have an ugly blue shoe strapped onto my cast. I asked for
something in red leather but just got a strange look from the nurse.
We spent the first night
with Helen, Lawrence’s sister in Glasgow. After a lovely evening catching up
we set off for Stronian in the west. We drove through the hauntingly beautiful
Glencoe Pass and past Ben Nevis, which I had walked up 22 years ago – not to be
repeated this time for obvious reasons.
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| Kilcamb Lodge |
We stayed the night at
Kilcamb Lodge, a lovely country house hotel overlooking a loch. The 5 course
dinner was a real treat as was the very hearty Scottish breakfast next morning,
meant for walkers and climbers, not sedentary lame folk.
From there we headed to
Dingwall just north of Inverness. Lawrence’s friend from school, Maggie, lives
in town and we stayed with a friend of hers, Iain, who lives out of town in a
fabulous converted stables. Both Iain and Maggie were great fun looked after us
very well, and of course we ate too much great local food and drank a wee bit
too much vino.
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| What a sight!! |
I finally got to race around
in a Gopher (electric scooter for old ladies). It needed a turbo charger but
was great fun burning around the battlefields of Culloden. Perhaps if the
Jacobites had these they might have defeated the nasty English.
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| Lawrence the Jacobite re-enacts the Battle of Culloden |
We left the wonderful
hospitality of Iain and Maggie and headed north. Firstly to Dunnet Head, which
is the northern most point of mainland Britain (not John O’ Groats as lauded by
tourists). From there we could almost touch the Orkney Isles, quite a
spectacular site.
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| Dunnet Head and the NW Coast |
As I can’t walk much, it became
a driving holiday. We followed the stunning west coast of the Highlands to the
Isle of Skye with the Cuillin Hills beckoning.
I fell in love with the Cuillins
in 1990 and have wanted to go back for some time. It was so frustrating not
being able to walk in these wonderful mountains. Last time I was here I was
reported as a missing person but luckily found in one piece at the pub!
Skye really turned on some
great weather for us, with sea looking like a milky blue pond reflecting the
lovely sky. It is still a truly breathtaking place.
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| The Cuillin Hills |
Our last night was spent in
Glasgow again, this time with Andy and Susan. Another lovely meal and fun night
to end our jaunt, before heading down the M6 and back to Wales. Pete & Kath
hadn’t moved house in our absence thankfully. You know when your house guests have stayed too long - they start inviting their own guests. Jen from Sydney is coming to stay with us next weekend, we'll out number our hosts, the takeover is almost complete.
Hopefully on Wednesday I'll be getting rid of this cast and get my walking boot - watch this space...
