Steve The Wandering Aussie

2023.05.11

Mind. Blown.
We are in Oban on the west coast of Scotland staying in a Georgian Mansion overlooking the city and with views out to the sailing yachts moored in the Mull of Oban. There are blue and grey sky’s and a light drizzle of scotch mist interspersed with random rays of sunshine. How does a poor kid from outback Australia get to be this lucky?
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Do you remember when your mum or sister made ‘chocolate crackles’? Rice bubbles in cocoa and set in a cupcake? Surely you do. As one leaves the Isle of Skye the hills looks like that. Lumps and bumps and hillocks upon hills. A strange shape to my eye but these formations were carved only 12-14 thousand years past. So little erosion that, apart from the brilliant white lichen, they could have been laid down yesterday.

It is a true joy to see young spring leaf growth to the trees and with fresh dandelions and bluebells- the daffodils have died off- gracing our path around this fascinating and radiant country. Damn, this place makes my heart sing.

At 9am it was 15 degrees and by eleven it was 18. Tropical by the locals standards and I admit I took off my thermal underwear for the first time since I arrived six weeks ago.

The skeletal road from Skye, with sheer cliff running up the left side and a fantastically deep Loch on the right, runs to Fort William past the shadow of Ben Nevis, the highest peak on these UK Isles. It has snow on it still.

We had lunch at Fort William at a pub we ate at on our last trip. Sort of a successful (we returned! YES!!) nostalgia thing. It was 19 degrees by now and the locals were dripping sweat. I’m thinking I’ll need non thermal socks.

Our path south and west took us through Glen Coe and Loch Lynne (I love saying that cos it’s the only time I’m allowed to say Lynne). Strangely, even I have no words to describe the majesty of these areas. The towering rock escarpments, new forests, abundant rock ruins from legendary times past and the deep, black, glassy waters of the Lochs. Small wonder this place enchants me.
No vacancy signs were everywhere. Tourist season is here and in full swing.

We stopped at a remote pub for a beer while wending through Glen Coe. This pub had become our ‘Brig O Doon’ last time as we could not find it. Without google I would not have found it this time either.
On through the Glens and past the Lochs to the city of Oban where we are now safe in our bed for the night.
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More excitement tomorrow, fans.
Feed back would be nice, too

Cheers.
Steve