Up bright and early today. It’s a shame really because this hotel was really comfortable AND it had a lift. We could have slept in and really enjoyed the luxury, but there was a monster named Nessie waiting for us so we were up, dressed and raring to go. The weather said it was a lovely sunny 5 degrees so we made sure we had our coats on. We have been so blessed with the weather thus far but even though we knew it would warm up, Scottish mornings can be brutal, so we were prepared.

We had to walk back to our car, so we left our bags at the hotel and would drive up to get them rather than dragging them over the cobblestones. The hotel had validated our parking which brought it down from 36 pounds to 18 pounds.. Considering that you can double that in conversion from Australian dollars it was quite hefty even with the half price. Anyway, we got there and put the ticket in and the full price came up, so I phoned the hotel and they said there was nothing they could do about it. So I phoned the car park and the guy there fixed it for me. The hotel ink was faded so it didn’t register.

Anyway, we tried to find our way back to the hotel. Just 3 streets. Should be easy shouldn’t it? But so many one way streets and everything looks the same so we had to go around the block a few times to get it. As soon as i picked the bags up I knew I had left my phone charger in the room, so got the key back and ran to get it. I should have scanned the room but didn’t. Big mistake…..HUGE… More about that soon.

Back in the car, we were ready to fight our way through Edinburgh’s peak hour traffic to find our way to Loch Ness. Stopping along the way, we had breakfast at Burger King (our Hungry Jacks) Again, it was a very average but it filled our bellies for the trip. We certainly didn’t linger over it. But Nessie awaited us, so we didn’t care…

But I have decided that the GPS hates us. It takes us the wrong way everytime.. Go this way… nahhh actually go the other… nahh sucked in.. you were right first time around. We went through massive amounts of roadworks. It was also incredibly barren land. Big bald brown mountains everywhere. When we think of Scotland we think of green, which of course, lots of it is, but this is definitely a different landscape. Almost apocalyptal. Don’t get me wrong, I loved travelling through it but it was unexpected in many ways.

We finally arrived in the land of Nessie. First time I went to Loch Ness, the weather was gloomy and moody and you could feel her presence. This time, the sun was shining and I think she was somewhere basking in the sun improving her tan. The sun shining over the loch was absolutely divine. There are daffodils everywhere here. Add to that the bright yellow gorse bush growing wild everywhere. Not small clumps here and there but huge waves of yellow across the landscape.

Stopping for morning tea along the way, we were stupid enough to stop in a high tourist area. We ordered scones and a cup of tea and at least the tea was good. The scones were dry and stale but that is life. I bought a few postcards to send to the grandkids and we went on our way again. We thought we would do the lap around the loch but our GPS didn’t want to play nice. It told us to turn one way then changed it’s mind again, so we went straight ahead. We started going through some really tiny, little lanes with the most gorgeous tiny stone cottages and many kirks along the way. I got a lesson from Cecile about kirks (not churches, we were in Scotland).

At one stage the road got really narrow and I felt we were heading into unchartered and perhaps even previously undiscovered parts of Scotland that one really shouldn’t take a rental car. But suddenly the landscape looked familiar again. Yes, we’d definitely been past that little cottage. The GPS had taken us on a full loop of the part we weren’t supposed to take in the first place. Oh well. We turned where we originally thought we should and followed Loch Ness right around. I saw the wake in the water of Nessie but Cecile tried to dampen my enthusiasm by saying it was just a boat wake. Pfffftttt.. As if! I know Nessie wake when I see it. I saw her head pop up once and again Cecile said it was just a boat. Honestly, some people are born sceptics.

As we drove, we saw signs for Castle Urquart, so we stopped so I could get a few pics of it. It’s a ruined castle with Loch Ness as it’s backdrop. Everything here looks like it was staged to get the perfect image. Even the trees all look like they have been painted onto the landscape. The softness of their leaves makes it look like brush strokes. There is no harshness even though it is definitely a harsh climate. I wish I had the words to describe it’s wild beauty. No photos can do it justice.

We drove for quite a long time Loch Ness disappeared. Thats when Loch Lochy started to show itself. Again, an absolutely glorious stretch of water. Scotland really is a beautiful country. We started to travel alongside a moutain range which I think may have been the Grampians. Suddenly a large statue of 3 soldiers was looming and I knew I’d been there before with Kirsty. We had travelled this road to Oban 8 years ago and this beautiful memorial captured our hearts then. What I didn’t know back then, was that looming behind these soldiers was the famous Ben Nevis, the tallest mountains in the British Isles. Sadly a young climber had died only a few days before, trying to conquer it. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

Looking at the map, I realised we would start to head through Glencoe soon. Glencoe is the area where you can buy a square foot of ground and become a Lady or a Laird as you are a land owner. Many years ago, our now deceased friend Choppy turned 50 and we all pitched in and bought her a ladyship. She was absolutely tickled pink with her gift, so as we passed through Glencoe it felt like she was travelling with us. If only.

When you see those amazing landscapes in movies where cars are driving, dwarved by sweeping mountains, you are probably looking at Glencoe. Many movies have been filmed in this region. Harry Potter, Skyfall, Made of Honor, The Dark Knight Rises, The Queen and The WaterHorse, just to name a few. It is spectacular and you feel very small when you drive through it. Again, I expected more green but it could have been purple with pink polka dots and it wouldn’t have detracted from it’s beauty. We drove past Loch Lomond, so of course I had to sing to Cecile.. She had to ruin it by saying that ALL roads are the high roads. No sense of poetry that one lol. Heading further along there was lines of traffic as there were more roadworks happening. The low line stone fences dotted the roadside and there were heavy chunks of moss growing over the stones.

We finally got to Glasgow, our stop for the night. Oh my god, Glasgow is cold. The days have been beautiful but nights cold but this was cold on steroids. I can’t even begin to imagine how it feels in Winter when snow is around. We had booked into the Ibis Budget for the night and it wasn’t lying in it’s name. They didn’t even have tea, coffee or a kettle. You had to pay 2 pounds if you wanted a cuppa. The bed was like sleeping on a concrete slab with a lean on it and there was only one blanket on the bed. It offered no luxuries at all and was still dearer than a few of the lovely places we’d stayed. Still it was clean and near restaurants so we went to Nandos for a meal then back to the hotel where a spectacular sunset was making the drab view we had appear beautiful.

That was when I realised why I should have checked the night before’s room more carefully. I sat down to write this blog and couldn’t find my laptop. I was already in pyjamas but donned my oodie and went out to the car, facing an icy blast in the car park but no, my lap top wasn’t there. I phoned the Double Tree HIlton in Edinburgh and she said the housekeeping hadn’t put any notices up yet but they would update at 8 in the morning. It meant that instead of taking a leisurely trip home through the Lake District, we would have to return to Edinburgh, that is, if they found it.

Anyway, regardless of the missing laptop and the concrete leaning tower of Pisa bed, we slept the sleep of the exhausted, ready to face a new day tomorrow. what an adventure it’s been already.

Happy staying warm…. Livvy xxx