We’re All Home !

Monday 25th October 2010

It was a cold ,frosty night in Glencoe, and I awoke very early for the trip home…although not as early as the big feller, for as I was awakening in Scotland, big brother should have been landing in Manchester from Calgary, Canada…. Welcome home Sean !

I was on the road by 9 a.m., into a blistering sun, with frozen fields all around, and as you can see, there were some pretty special views on the way, looking back into Glencoe, with the moon still out !

So, there it was, by early afternoon I was through Glasgow, and back into sunny England…and managed to get to Sainsburys by 3-40 p.m. ! A few essentials, and I was on the way, landing home just before 5 p.m., phew what a journey and what a trip, Scotland in the Autumn has been brilliant !

I travelled 2,219 miles, took 1,161 pictures, and spent very little !

All that remains now…

 

is to do the washing, and…

  open the post !

 

 

 

Hope you’ve enjoyed the journey,

so until the next time !

Stay safe, and keep having fun, we will !

Red in the morning – papers warning..

Sunday 24th October 2010

I awoke this morning to a heavy frost outside, and a red sky as the dawn broke (just before 8 a.m.), it was to be another beautiful day from the looks of it, I happily lay in bed, looking out the window at the view- not quite the same as home!

I was up by early morning, reading some of yesterdays papers, breakfasting, and then out by 10 a.m. ready for a walk to Ballachulish, 2 miles or so distant for 11 a.m. Mass at St Muns Church,http://www.rcdai.org.uk/pages/Parish-List.html it was freezing cold, but my brisk pace soon had me warmed up, in fact by the time I got there I was boiling, and very hot .

As seems to be usual for Scotland, the priest was obviously recently new to the Parish, coming from I suspect India, or even Australia ! and with his good humour the 1 1/4 hours mass didn’t seem that long !- you certainly get your money’s worth here !

I then returned to Glencoe village, for chocolate cake and hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream !at Crafts and thingshttp://www.craftsandthings.co.uk/, which I’d visited many times in the past, and then collecting a Sunday newspaper and returned to Wally…. to spend the rest of the day reading them !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a day to relax, before the long journey home tomorrow !…but, should I return, especially if the weather continues like this ?

Can this be the End ?

Saturday 23rd October 2010

I awoke to clear blue skies,     and could see a gentle dusting of snow on the lower hills, what a difference from yesterday !

Perhaps I should have waited a day ?

After  a leisurely breakfast, and packing up I left Glen Nevis and headed for the Nevis Ski Gondola, where the famous ‘Witches trails’ bike routes were http://www.ridefortwilliam.co.uk/trailsdb.asp?trailId=1– I had decided on a last day of activity before starting my journey home…

I started with the gentle blue ‘Broomstick trail’ which plunged down the hill, and sadly back up again..warming me up nicely for the ‘World Champs’ red route…I was ready, and off I zoomed through the forest, up along boardwalks, and jumping over rocks, it felt a lot harder today, than previous, perhaps my legs were still feeling the effects of yesterday!

Undaunted I continued around the trail, at some quite fast speeds (downhill !), until eventually I roared back into the car park, for some much needed grub !

Having tanked up, I was ready for the next one ‘10 Under the Ben’ and as I got to the start gate ! shock, horror – it had been closed, which was a pity as I’d decided to do it…so what did I do.. I tried to catch a gondola for the ‘red downhill route’ –closed for the season ! I went back to the only other red route available, the ‘World Champs’ again, only this time I went on a higher, more tortuous route, my legs screaming at me to take a rest… and whilst taking a short break and photo stop found that I had gone grey ! 

It must be the moisture (sweat) gathering on my locks, and shining in the afternoon sun !

Again I swooped down the trail, over new and old obstacles, managing to jump many that I’d not dared before – well it was my last day!, until eventually collapsing into the car park !

Its all over now…or is it ??

I then travelled into Glencoe, where I had booked into the campsite for 2 nights, intending to visit the world famous ‘Clachaig Inn’ for beer,food and music..

I walked from the campsite, the couple of miles along the pitch dark A82 to the Clachaig, http://www.clachaig.com/p/v/whats-on/october/to find an Autumn Beer Festival in full swing, and the place was heaving..

I managed to get a seat between 2 couples, who didn’t quite know what to make of this sweating hulk who’d just landed between them – it being roasting in the pub,compared to my freezing cold journey there..

It was a good night, with a hot beef chilli and Nachos for my evening meal, washed down with a few!  pints of Beinn Dearg http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=corrections2010beer, along with a rousing Celtic group form Dundee, who finished the night with the rousing and  obligatory ‘Loch Lomond’ and ‘Flowers of Scotland’ with people standing on chairs,tables and anyone else !

I then accompanied by the starry twinkling sky, returned to the campsite, and the warmth of Wally ( I’d left the heater on),  for a good nights kip !