Lunar Sea around GB

We have just passed day 90 and we have worked out that we have had 10 days of sunshine in that time. Mind you we did go home for 2 weeks in the middle but I don’t remember the weather being particularly nice then, either. The man on the telly yesterday said that it is because the jet stream has decided to stay south of the UK and so it’s blocking all the nice fluffy highs from coming up to warm us. Instead we are getting all these nasty cold wet lows coming in to attack from the West. I am finding the relentless grey skies and wet weather rather depressing. However the upside is we did have a rainbow yesterday!   Anyway, we are off sailing again tomorrow after a week here in Dunstaffnage marina. We had a few days of lovely sunny weather when my sister Deidre and her partner Steve were with us, but since they left the rain has returned. So I thought I would write a short bit about Munro Bagging and the people (and dogs) who I have met along the way who have done them.  ...

Well, what a fantastic time we have had in the Highlands! - I have fallen in love with Glencoe and the surrounding area.  It has a mystery, wild beauty and remoteness that I hadn't realized was possible in the UK.  The waterfalls are beautiful with cold crystal clear water cascading into still pools.  Having left the remoteness of Glencoe behind we are now in Oban - an attractive sea side town with excellent facilities including a swimming pool that we have sampled.  It is quite a 'foodie' heaven with fabulous local cheeses available in the delis and a fresh fish stall on the quay side  (Scottish langoustines!). Ferries to Mull and the islands are frequent which sadly we haven't had time to explore in part due to the Scottish weather! Below is a picture of Dunstaffnage Marina where we have spent the last couple of nights on Lunar Sea.  Its a very pretty marina with a bar and restaurant.  Julia and Josh have been excellent hosts and we are sorry to be...

I thought I must do Glencoe justice so I am picking up some bits and pieces about Glencoe for you to read at your leisure, if you are interested. Queen Victoria wrote in her diary of Glencoe; "Emerging from the village we entered the Pass of Glencoe, which at the opening is beautifully green, with trees and cottages dotted about along the verdant valley. A sharp turn in the rough, very winding and in some parts precipitous road, brings you to the finest, wildest and grandest part of the pass. Stern, rugged, precipitous mountains with the beautiful peaks and rocks piled high one above the other, two and three thousand feet high, tower and rise up to the heavens on either side, without any signs of habitation."  It has also been described as the most romantic place in Scotland. It is also filled with myths and legends and of course the terrible Glencoe Massacre of 13 February 1692. You can read about that at your leisure as there is plenty of information about it on li...

A short but interesting blog. We all experienced a "call of the wild" on our trip to Glencoe. The Glencoe valley mountains.   Water nymphs We drove along the road and parked in a suitable spot. The  sun was out, it was really hot and the scenery looked stunning. We weren't really sure where we were so Steve shot off up the mountain to do a reccy. He was gone about half an hour so we tried ringing him but no signal and we were beginning to worry that he may have fallen and broken his ankle or something!. So Josh volunteered to look for him and also disappeared up over the top of the mountain. He came down after about quarter of an hour wet up to his knees as he had fallen into a bog. Steve then appeared around the corner having found another car park which we proceeded to. So that was their "call of the wild." Steve and Deidre then decided to do a hike up the mountain to try and find the lost valley so Josh and I walked over the road and found a love...

We are taking a four day break from the boat to explore the Highlands with my sister and her other half, Steve. First stop Inverness, (where we will meet Deidre and Steve and a car!) We got to Inverness by using two buses, very inexpensive and reliable, Josh and I are very impressed with the public transport system here in Scotland. We have spent a couple of nights in a charming, very rural B&B in Kiltarnity, where we experienced true Highland hospitality. When we arrived in the afternoon our hostess, Ethna, provided a full tea for us. On the dining room table in the farmhouse, laid with a lovely old embroidered table cloth was a three tier tea stand with home made shortbread, scotch pancakes with butter and home made jam and on the bottom tier a selection of home made cakes and fruity tea bread. The breakfast in the morning was equally stupendous, with fresh laid eggs and bacon and a selection of bread and home made scones. I tried the porridge, which was different...

Dunstaffnage castle   A visit to Oban by bus proved interesting but a bit underwhelming. One thing that has occurred to me while visiting Scotland is that what is considered a big town is not, by our southern standards. Nevertheless Oban is a charming little town on the waterfront, with a ferry service to Mull and some of the other islands and a marina opposite the town situated on Kerrera island. We did spot the super yacht moored in the marina, perhaps it was there for the Highland Regatta week that starts at the end of July. The town itself is small with a few upmarket shops catering for tourists selling expensive tweeds etc and likewise restaurants selling seafood. The seafood restaurant on the quay is happy to serve you  a seafood platter for two at £100. There are various Victorian hotels which have seen better days and a sweet little museum, but otherwise nothing much to write home about. There is a very bizarre tower on the hil...

At last, what I have dreamed of for the past several months has come true. We woke up to warmth and sunshine, clear blue skies and crystal clear waters. We had breakfast on deck! I went for a morning swim in the loch!! I had shorts and a t-shirt on!!!!   Finally a lovely warm sunny day in Scotland and I can tell you, nothing can beat it. The scenery looks stunning, the bees are buzzing around the wild flowers and the water is still and clear and no wind. The owner of Linnhe marine came and had a chat and pointed out the palm trees growing by the shore and he said that, because of the Gulf Stream , this part of North West Scotland can be quite balmy and mild and hence palm trees can survive. We had thought about staying here for a few days because it is such a beautiful spot, but with this weather window we decided it made sense to head on to Oban. Also there was no electricity at the pontoons so we couldn’t “plug in”. It has made me realise how lost we are with...

   What a great name for this fearsome flight of eight locks or chambers, which took an hour and half to traverse. The first locking was 8am and the next wouldn’t be until about 1pm so we got up ready for the eight o’clock descent. The routine is that a crew member stays ashore and “walks" the boat through and this was what the lady lock keeper recommended. Josh wasn’t happy about this as he wanted us both to stay on the boat, however in the end after several requests from the lockkeepers he relented and I “walked” the boat through each lock. It was an overcast morning with a chilly wind so it was rather tedious and I got very cold, as there was a lot of standing around.  A lot of standing around in the cold.   At one point when I was walking the boat along from one chamber to the next I remarked rather flippantly to the same lady lockkeeper “It’s rather like taking the dog for a walk!” to which she replied “Yes, but a bit more stubborn”. Could s...

We came as we left, on the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston to Fort William, 12 hours or as it turned out 13. It is the atmosphere on the train that makes the journey, it is like a large house party on wheels. There is a host to greet you when you arrive dressed in either a tartan tie (gentlemen) or a tartan waistcoat (ladies.). Everyone gets chatting to other "guests" at the party. Where else would you find a crusty old Scottish gentleman in a fine tweed suit walking though the lounge car into the restaurant car carrying a musket? Josh's comment was wonderful "Are you expecting trouble on the border?" I do recommend a journey on the sleeper if you can just for the eclectic mix of characters. I could write a book about the conversations overhead and the antics in the sleeper car  and I may well do that some time. Anyway, we had a reasonable night's sleep in our cabin and arrived an hour late at Fort William, but that didn't matter to us. However some pas...