Ahhhhhrgyll

So to Saturday and we cross country westwards via Lochearnhead, Crianlarich, Tyndrum and Taynuilt to 20 miles south of Oban to a cottage called East Kames.


On arrival I am eaten alive by the dreaded midgies and hastily beat a retreat to Oban once the bags were unpacked. Our co-tenants weren't due to arrive till later, so we poked about in Oban for a while. Meanwhile weather improves and, on return to cottage, the midges have obviously overdosed on human blood (mainly mine) and are off annoying sheep in field next to cottage (or as others suggested flown off to get their mates given that my blood seems to be a particular delicacy for the Culicoides Impunctatus.) I am glad to say they did not return till the last night of our stay.

p.s. Best skin applied repellant for midges is Skin so Soft by Avon ..... and this is not a wind up believe me. Click here for other devotees, and if you think it sounds a little ....well girly ..... then I can tell you the hard men of the SAS swear (profusely no doubt) by it.

10 of us stayed at the cottage (and 2 dugs) and its location was idyllic, as can be seen from the view above from the garden.

We visited a number of local sights, go karted, some went horseriding, ate well and kept ourselves well hydrated. The weather was average at the start of the week, but by the end of the week it was truly gorgeous. I only put my rain jacket on once and never needed a jumper.

We made an excursion to Mull and Iona on the Thursday and I will save a blog for that alone...the highlight of the holiday for me and all the other adults.

On the Friday we celebrated Mary's birthday and Peter and Mary's wedding anniversary (Paul didn't make the trip - sic). Mary, Peter, Elaine and I had our best lunch of the holidays at the pink, but otherwise unprepossessing Anchor Inn in Tarbert, Loch Fyne. The food was advertised as award winning and it certainly lived up to the reputation. I suspect an evening meal there would be a winner. The weather by then was scorching, so it was a leisurely 90 minutes in the sun outside, on the only 4 chairs they had, for us. Later there was a surprise party for the two of them and a send off for us all on our last night.

On the trip back we stopped of at the wonderful Ballachullish Hotel for lunch and sat outside stunned by the views and the sunshine. We then set off for Fort William to do some shopping, but the sun had got to she who must be obeyed and she realised she had left her little backpack at the hotel, so back we went. I made the decision that given the weather and the passage of time, that once reunited with the bag, we should travel back via Glencoe. One of my better decisions as it was glorious and boiling hot as we made a comfort stop at Tyndrum, enjoyed an ice cream and lay out in the sun again. It is at times like this that you are truly in awe of Scotland's landscape and glad you couldn't thole a trip abroad.

Junior was less impressed and just wanted to get home to civilisation (i.e. Sky TV, Internet, Subway sannies and his m8s) and told us repeatedly, so off we hurtled to the flatlands of Aberdeenshire!

Now...... Mull and Iona.