My walk from the flat back to the Colonsay Airfield started before the sun rose. I had booked the 09:00 flight and didn’t want to be late. After all, the plane only comes and goes to and from the island twice a day. Also, I wanted to plan extra walk time because of the heavy pack on my back. Nothing burns calories like 4.2 miles with a heavy pack!
The walk was beautiful! I’ve come to the realization that many of the sheep on this island are pretty much free range sheep- if that’s a thing. Some are in fences but there were so many that just walking down the road or in their owner’s front yard. It was kind of cool to see this.
There were six passengers on the first leg but only two of us on the second leg, myself and a lady named Flora. Every three weeks, Flora takes a train from Inverness, her home, to Oban. From there she takes a ferry down to Colonsay where her aging parents live. Both parents’ are in their ‘90s now and need constant care.
Flora stays with them for three weeks and then goes back home for three weeks. Durning her three weeks at home, her sister, who also lives near Inverness, takes her place and stays with their parents for the next three weeks. She says that often, she sees her sister boarding the ferry in Oban, that Flora just left.
I told her that must be difficult- she said it is, but both of her parents’ grew up on Colonsay and this is where they want to be. She says she is very grateful that both Flora and her sister have loving husbands who understand this need and support them in their constant travels back and forth to Colonsay.
Flora and I shared a cab back to Oban because neither of us fancied waiting very long for the bus to get there. When we got there, we said our goodbyes and then went our separate ways. She had business to do and I wanted to go drop off my heavy pack at the hostel.
14:07
Lunch was a really great chippy just down the street. It is incredible how good a fresh fish n’ chips is! Even though it’s fried, it’s part of experiencing Scotland. I’ve only found a couple places in the states that do it right. They throw the fries in the bottom of the box, then put the fried fish on top. That’s it. Drizzle the top of the fish with vinegar and salt… done! EAT!
18:59
Tonight I went to see The Finest Hour. Good flick but very, very predictable… I am grateful that Disney didn’t put a whole lot of crap in it. It’s one of those films that you can take the whole family to and you won’t be embarrassed.
Just met one of my roommates. His name is Michael and he is from Switzerland, here looking at a University, deciding if he wants to move to Oban and attend. He plans on going into the field of marine sciences. I wonder what jobs that will yield… working in an aquarium? Or commanding a ferry? Hopefully, he wants to talk a bit later and explain it to me. I find it interesting.
I tried to sleep in this morning. When my body was fully awake, I read a bit in bed. Nope, not being lazy. As much as I want to go wander, I need to make sure I’m wandering in the right direction. My wanderings need to involve food, and I don’t want to take off in the wrong direction. I’ve learned to not rely on Google maps as much as I once had.
Buyer beware: This is a nice little apartment on the third floor (or the second floor if you’re from the UK) which is very clean. The kicker: I have no internet access (!). Also, there is no shower, not that I mind taking a bath. I thought it may be great and relaxing to soak in the tub for a few minutes. The hot water happened to run out before the the tub was even a quarter of the way full. So I did a puddle bath if that’s a thing. That’s where you sit in a puddle naked and slosh the water up on yourself. I may be inventing a new term now.
I’m crossing my fingers that the office here opens at 08:00 and not 09:00 so they can point me in the right direction. I need to pick up some food. Even though I did have hot chocolate and herbal tea for dinner last night, I need something that is going to stick with me a little better. I can’t wait to get out and take some pictures. I’ll head down there in a few minutes, as soon as my breakfast has been sipped.
12:00
I walked downstairs to find out about the internet situation. The lady told me that there is a connection but it’s very week in the flats. I guess it doesn’t help that I’m up on the third floor either. I ran back up to grab my laptop. She let me sit at a table in the office so that I could check my email, etc. Next, I set out to find the local shop to get some food. By this point, I was feeling pretty week. Herbal tea doesn’t really provide the needed nutrients energy. I took a few pictures on the walk to prove that Colonsay does indeed have vegetation.
A sheep-selfie or “sheepie” for short.
I wasn’t on the road very long when a nice man pulled up behind me and offered me a ride. He happened to be going to the general store as well. He had to be 85 years old! His name is Walter. I asked him if he was originally from the island and he told that he wasn’t, but so far, he’s been here for 58 years! He used to be a cattle farmer but when his wife passed away 6 years ago, he decided to simplify his life and he got rid off all the cattle. Now it’s just him and his dog. He has two grown kids who come to visit him from time to time.
I spent about 15 pounds at the store. Things are much more expensive here- even for Scotland. I guess you can get away with that when you’re the only store on the entire island! I just ate a couple sandwiches and I think I’m going to nap for a bit.
This is downtown Colonsay. Not really a thriving metropolis.
As you can see, today’s chocolate offering is a bit larger. This is because I have been hiking around so far with so much weight on my back. I deserve this!
Part of me hates to waste the little time I have on Colonsay because it’s so short. On yesterday’s walk I did get a bit of a blister on the back of my foot. Think I’ll have a quick nap. Hopefully this food will give me some energy and I’ll be able to go hike around. Walter told me I should hike to… somewhere north of here. To be honest, I couldn’t really understand most of the words he said with is deep accent. I’ll go for a walk and see what I can see.
16:40
I took my nap and I know I was out for at least an hour- maybe and hour-and-a-half. When I awoke, it seems that the power was out. It didn’t matter which switch I would try to turn on, there was no reaction. On my way to go for a walk, I mentioned this to the managers and they told me that they had to limit the power because some people would leave their heaters on all day, with the window open and this would end up costing them so much money.
I get that, but what about those of us who left the heater on on purpose because the apartment is so cold upon arrival that I can see my own breath? So one of the guys had to come up to reset the electricity and now I get to go downstairs and pay them some more money. What would make this work would be if I could see the actual use and know when it was going to run out or expire. So then I could decide for myself if I wanted to leave the heater on, pay the extra money, and not freeze to death in the night.
My walk was only about a half an hour and I was on Kiloran Beach. Beautiful! And beautiful cows too! I stayed on the beach for about 20 minutes and then the rain was starting again. I could tell it was going to pour down, so I started back to the flat.
Today is a rainy day in Oban. I’m pretty sure Oban knows I’m leaving today so it’s weeping. It’s just a theory and I’m no meteorologist, but God is definitely sad about this. I just walked down to Abbie’s Cafe for one more breakfast. This time it was pancakes, bacon and I had the throw on two fried eggs. It was delicious, as I knew it would be.
Last night I had a conversation for a few minutes with my hostel mate. I found out his name is Peter. Peter is in Oban tonight to for a multi-denominational choir that he is asked to sing in each year. I told him I wish I was still in town tonight but sadly I’ll be off at my next destination. That is something I would really love to witness!
He is a very kind man who lives on the Isle of Harris. We chatted about singing and choirs we’ve been a part of. Also about places we have traveled to and places we’d like to see. He told me he envies my coming to a land of my forefathers and wishes that he had a similar drive. He’s in his 60s and tells me that he hasn’t done much of seeking out his family or his people. While I was out, he left a message on my bag:
10:54
Since I’m leaving today, the hostel receptionist wanted me to be all checked out by 10:30. I packed all my stuff this morning and came upstairs. They told me I could leave my bags while I ventured out. This is great, since I don’t have to actually leave Oban for another hour to travel to my next destination.
I walked back down to the Oban Chocolate Company one more time for another cup of hot chocolate. This time, the mix was “Ghana” which is about 40% cocoa. I liked the last of this much more than “Cuba”, which was 70% cocoa. Thank goodness I’m doing tons of walking! My constant chocolate intake isn’t the most healthy choice I’ve ever made.
17:20 | Colonsay Flat
My taxi dropped me off at the Oban Airport about two hours before I actually had to be there. The receptionist asked me to put my bag on a large scale and informed me that it was far over the recommended weight. She told me that the only reason she was going to let me take it was because I was the only passenger on the first leg to Islay. This made me feel special as if I had a private pilot or something.
For the next hour-and-a-half, I walked around the airport and took a few pictures. At this point, I was getting extremely excited. The trick is to not let them see your excitement. Try to send out a vibe that reads, “I charter tiny planes and hop over to small British Islands all the time”.
The plane was a cute 10-seater and my pilot was a gal named Julie. She was incredibly nice and told me about living in the states for 6 years where she got her pilot’s license. She remembers flying all around Utah and Arizona. Her favorite airport happens to be St. George, Utah- and she loved to fly over Bryce Canyon.
On the way up, I shot some video and made this little thing. Feel free to take a look… I don’t claim to be a great producer, but this was a fun little montage of flying down the coast of Scotland. Make sure your volume is up, after the first shot of the airport in Oban, then the music starts. Music credit goes to Mary Chapin Carpenter. Enjoy the coastline!
We finally land on Colonsay. I’m laughing to myself because the Colonsay Airport is more like a tool shed, next to a runway. It is pretty spectacular! As I was stepping away, Linda asked me if I knew where I was staying. I told her I did and preceded to make my way down the dirt and rock road that lead from the tool shed.
As I make my way down this dirt road I can’t stop laughing at this situation I’m in. I’m carrying an overstuffed backpack on my back, walking down a road. Mind you, when I asked for directions to the place I’m staying, here’s the reply I receive: Walk away from the airport. Turn left when you get to the road. The key will be in the door.
I’m walking and walking and walking. Picture the moon, but with grass. This is how I would describe Colonsay. This pack on my back makes it seem like I have walked so much further than the 2.5 miles, as it was explained to me. I start to second-guess myself and think that I may have passed the place without realizing it. I decide to take my phone out of airplane mode to see if mobile phone towers have made it to this island yet. I get two bars! Life is good. I pull up google maps and sure enough, it tells me that I’ve gone too far and needed to head back in the direction I’ve just come from.
No big deal until it starts to hail. I’m on a strange island and I’m lost and I’m wandering in a hail storm! Now I have an ice-cream headache. The thick clouds overhead are making it seem a lot darker than it is. I’m starting to worry that soon it will be so dark that I won’t be able to see the road. There are no street lights in this land. I am getting nervous and so I say a few prayers.
I decide to go back and knock on someone’s door of the nearest house. An elderly gentleman opens up and sees me dripping wet, and smiles. I ask him if he knows where The Colonsay House is and he tells me that it’s about 2 miles further up the road. So now I know that I didn’t overshoot my housing and that Google maps is a liar.
I continue my trek. Soon a car pulls up behind me. At first, I think the person is trying to get around me so I move to the side of the road. I’m standing now on a damp grassy bank because they apparently didn’t want to spend the extra money and add shoulders to the road. The car stops next to me and the window is rolled down. Another elderly gentleman asks me if I’m lost. I just ask him if I’m headed in the right direction to The Colonsay House and he tells me that I am, indeed. He then asks me if I’d like a ride. I could kiss him.
I toss my pack in the back seat of his little car and sit down in the front passenger seat next to him. Just then, the next round of hail is starting. I feel very blessed that he happened to pull by when he did. About 2 miles further down the road, I found the place I was in search of. All of a sudden, Colonsay is looking more like the mainland. There are trees and houses and signs of life. It’s very beautiful here! I find the apartment called “Drumclach” and sure enough, the key is in the door. I walk in, drop my big ole pack and run to the restroom. I have to pee like a racehorse.
After “settling in” I see a sign saying that the local general store closes in about half an hour so I head down to the reception office and ask if the man can point me in the right way. He tells me that they close early this time of year and I’d have to walk back in the direction I came from. No problem… I ask him where the restaurant is and he tells me that it’s the off-season so the restaurant doesn’t open up again until the spring.
Tonight I’ll be having water for dinner. I feel bad for those who are less fortunate, like myself for instance. Tomorrow I’ll have to hunt for some food somewhere. Surely these Colonsay residents eat food. For now, I’ll just be grateful that I’ve been eating so much chocolate… I can probably afford to miss a meal or two.
I was bad this morning and stayed in my room until about 09:00. It was quite nice, as I had no roommates last night. Definitely an advantage to traveling in the off-season. My cough seems to have gone away during the day, but sadly, is persistent at night when I’m laying on my back. Hopefully, it’s on it’s way out. I have been drinking lots of vitamin C and sipping my herbal teas, especially when it’s cold out.
Today hasn’t been too cold, however. I decided to walk down to the water and look for a place to find some breakfast. The walk was absolutely brilliant! I love Oban!
There are two things that I really love about this picture. First, the solitary house sitting on the small island. It’s secluded, but still close enough to the mainland. Such bautiful surroundings! The second thing- see the snow-capped mountain in the background? That is the Isle of Mull. This is one of the places where my ancestors are from!
At first, my attempt to find breakfast failed. By this time, it was after 10:00 and so many places weren’t offering breakfast anymore. The early bird gets the worm and the late bird doesn’t get squat. Then I remembered that Abbie’s Cafe, the place I had breakfast yesterday, serves breakfast all day! Score!
On my way over, I saw a place to get a haircut called Spruce. I thought it was time to go freshen up the head. The lady cutting my hair told me about her 3 sons and how one has moved out of the house to get a flat of his own. She gets to see him every 3 weeks when he needs another haircut. She did a great job cutting my hair!
After my cut, she asked me if I wanted to try some beard oil. I got excited because I really did- I’ve wanted to try it for some time, but the places that carry it in the states are few and far between. A few weeks back I was working a flight with a bunch of Paul Mitchell students- one of the directors, who happened to have great looking facial hair, told me that beard oil is still pretty new so most guys were having to buy theirs off the internet. I think that more and more places will start to carry it. This oil smells great!
Breakfast was great! I thought I’d go non-traditional Scottish and have some pancakes and bacon. The syrup was simply amazing! I don’t know what it had in it… definitely maple, with something else added to it. Probably some scary, delicious drug.
12:35
After eating, I walked back down to the waterfront and went into the Oban Chocolate Factory. TODAY’S CHOCOLATE OFFERING: I ordered some Cuban hot chocolate, which was 70% chocolate, so it tasted somewhat bitter, but I really enjoyed it! It’s so exciting to me when someone decorates my hot chocolate. I know that coffee drinkers are used to this, but since I don’t drink coffee, it’s a rare thing. Still, this is the most beautiful hot chocolate I’ve ever sipped. I almost wanted to cry (not really, but you get the point).
I was so tempted to go take a look at the Oban to Mull ferry schedule, but sadly this will have to wait. I’m meeting the missionaries at 18:00 tonight and taking them to have some dinner. I’d hate to miss the opportunity to meet and chat with them. A lifetime ago, I was doing the same thing- out and about for 2 years, serving others. It doesn’t matter what YOU choose to believe, religiously or otherwise. The fact is this: To give up your “real life” for two years and get lost in serving others, is highly commendable!
20:37
I just got back from dinner with the missionaries. We had a great visit! They told me a lot about what serving in this area is like. The Oban area is pretty much the western third of Scotland so they have a lot of ground to cover. They told me that the mission president wants them to focus on staying in Oban for now. Elder Crockett (left) is from Roy, Utah and Elder Atkinson is from Malad, Idaho. Both seem like great missionaries!
Happy Mother’s Day (if you’re a mother and you live in the United Kingdom)! For some reason, they don’t celebrate it when we do in the United States. That’s ok- as long as they’re taking a day to honor their mum! I decided that I wanted to try to attend church while I’m here. I’d been working so much in preparation for this getaway back home that I hadn’t the time to attend my local congregation for the past few weeks.
I checked on the internet a few days ago for the church location. Since addresses look very different than they do in America, I thought I’d never find it. I sent an email to someone from my home congregation but never heard back from him. Oh well- I’ll have to figure it out by myself. I jotted down the walking directions from the train station that was closest to the church building. My problem: When I checked ScotRail, I noticed there weren’t any trains going in that direction since it is a Sunday schedule. No worries, I’ll take a taxi. After all, it was only about 6 miles or so.
The cab driver took a look at the address and scratched his head. He said he knew the village, at least. I told him he could drop me off at the Connell Ferry train station, and I could make my way from there. Six miles or so later, he dropped me at the station, and the building was only about a 10-minute walk from there. When I got to the place Google Maps told me to go to, there was just a house. I wondered if I had the right directions, and then I noticed a sign in the window. I was in the right place.
Oban is a tiny branch of the church. I was greeted by Elder and Sister Young, who is currently serving a full-time mission and is from Salt Lake City, Utah (of course, they are). They welcomed me into their home. Soon another brother introduced himself as well. Brother Falk asked me where I was from. I told him I grew up in Southeastern Arizona but now lived in rural Utah. He asked me which town in Arizona. I told him,” Thatcher.” He looked puzzled and asked me how big Thatcher was. I told him that it was around 4000 people, at least when I grew up there. He said he had a mission companion from there.
I asked, “Is it Jr. Hoopes?” He started laughing and confirmed that it was. I get a big grin on my face! He asks how I knew Jr. I shared one of my childhood memories was when Jr. Hoopes got a mission call to Scotland. I was jealous, and I wanted to go to Scotland so bad (this was when I was about 14 years old)! Another great memory of mine was two years later when Jr. got back from Scotland and spoke in church, telling us all about his experience. Let me tell you- my love of Scotland started many, many years before I ever traveled here!
It was time to start the meeting, and there was a total of about 12 or 13 people. I guess this is an average/good turnout for this congregation. A few weeks ago, they told me that most of the members weren’t able to attend, so only one person showed up that day. Toward the start, they asked me to stand up and introduce myself. I told them my name, including my surname, and that this is one of my ancestors’ areas. They all were very kind and seemed to be grateful that I’d come to church.
I sit down, and a little girl named Maria taps me on the shoulder. I turn around, and she asks me- “You’re a ‘[my surname]’?” I nod. She then points to a girl who is sitting across the room and whispers, “She’s a ‘[my surname],’ too!”. After the meeting, I approached the girl, and sure enough. She is a ‘[my surname]’! She is from Falkirk, which is between Glasgow and Edinburgh. I’m not sure if there’s a connection or not. My surname is common in Scotland, like ‘Smith’ or ‘Johnson’ in the U.S.- there are a million or so of them. Still, it was very cool to meet Natalia, who could a descendant of my ancestors, but then again, I guess we all are kin if you go back far enough.
Sister Young had cooked some potatoes for an after-meeting dinner and prepared an excellent meal for everyone. This something that they do as a congregational family once each month. I guess this is possible when you don’t have hundreds of mouths to feed. It was great to sit back and chat with these great brothers and sisters!
I also met two more full-time missionaries there. These were the younger version… 18 or 19 years old (even though one of them looked to be about 13). Elder Crockett is from Roy, Utah and Elder Atkinson is from Malad, Idaho. Both of them looked like they were happy and healthy and glad to be serving. I asked them if they would let me take them out to dinner tomorrow night. They said they were free, so I’m excited to meet them for some good eating. The good Lord knows I can always find delicious food!
I spoke with my parents tonight, and my mom has asked me to get the missionaries’ home phone numbers so she could call their mothers’ and report that their boys are doing well. I guess it’s a mother thing, but I’ll see if I can collect their digits tomorrow night.
Since the third leg of my journey begins today, I have been walking around this morning, taking pictures in the hostel. This hostel is very quirky, and there are so many tiny details that I love about it! I was going to turn on some lights to get better pictures but realized that this is how I want to remember this place- the lack of light adds to the quirkiness. I don’t claim to know what I’m talking about, but all I know is this is what I’m feeling this early morning.
Crianlarich, Scotland | 13:36
Here I sit, at the Crianlarich station, waiting for my connecting train to take me to Oban. The small waiting room is cold, and I almost didn’t want to write this update because my laptop is cold like ice. I just had a great ride from Fort William, and it so happened that two of my hostel mates, Anton and Lukas were on the same train. We had a good chat, took some pictures together, and Lukas and I even drank IRN-BRU together. I think that makes us bonded friends, or I just made that fact up.
From where I sit, Crianlarich appears to be a tiny town. I need to remember to look it up later and find out precisely what makes it tick. It reminds me of Virden, New Mexico, in size, but it is green and not brown. It looks very peaceful. My next train is supposed to leave here in about half an hour.
The waiting room here is so tiny, and even though there’s a heater on the wall, it doesn’t seem to work. There’s a button on the wall that reads PUSH TO OPERATE HEATER. I push, but nothing happens. I suppose I should be grateful to be out of the moving wind for the moment, at least.
14:20 | Crianlarich > Oban
I’m only a few days into this trip and I’m already loving all the nice people I’ve been meeting. This is one of my favorite reasons to stay in hostels. All of a sudden, I’m no longer traveling alone but am part of a group of travelers from different parts of the world. Yes, there will be the snorers who keep me up, but I think the benefits greatly outweigh the downside.
Oban, Scotland | 15:41
So far, my only exposure to the city of Oban is walking from the train station to the hostel. I didn’t even know what this place was like- the only reason I chose to come here is that they had hostels listed on the internet and the fact that ScotRail would take me there. I already know that I’ll be back for more visits to this fantastic place! Such a great spot, right on the water! I could live here!
18:47
This hostel is another great one! This used to be a church, but they converted it to this good-sized hostel. I need to see if there’s a story there. Perhaps I’ll ask the reception desk tomorrow what the deal is.
For dinner, I walked down the street and found a restaurant called Cuan Mor. This is Gaelic for “Big Ocean.” The food was very great, and the restaurant sits right across the street from the water. I had some seafood chowder and a steak pie.
When I walked out of the restaurant, the sun was beginning to set- it was cold! The wind was coming across the water, and it felt like I was in the arctic. On my walk back to the hostel, it started to hail! I had to duck and cover under a few store awnings on my way. It looks like I have two German roommates tonight. They seem nice- I’m sure you’ll get a full report tomorrow.
Good morning from Scotland! Last night didn’t go very well at all. There was this mad combination of having had that three-hour nap and being jet-lagged still, developing a cough, a snoring roommate, and having far too much on my brain. The result was that I wasn’t able to fall asleep until about 04:00. The only good news is that as I sit here typing this, my cough has seemed to die down, at least for now. I just drank another cup of Emergen-C and got ready to heat up some water for my ginger lemon tea. Or maybe it’s lemon ginger tea.
08:16
I’m wondering what the weather is going to be like today. My weather app on my iPhone is obviously lying to me. It tells me that it’s a sunny day in Fort William. It’s obviously not. My AccuWeather app tells me that it’s overcast and that the rain will start in approximately 18 minutes. And then I have a gal sitting near me on the next couch over telling me that according to blah blah blah, it’s supposed to be sunny soon.
If it ends up cold/windy/rainy today, then I should probably stay put. I was going to hike some trail, and with this cough thingy that I have going on, I don’t think that’s very wise. I think I’ll venture down to the town and find some breakfast and decide from there. It may be a day of hostel chilling.
09:47
One of the hostel mates, a guy named Andrew, from Aberdeen, Scotland, told me that the best place to get breakfast around here was at the train station. It was good but about as good as any full Scottish breakfast I’ve had thus far. However, this one was totally different because it came with half of a tomato and some kind of pancake-ish thingy.
12:59
It seemed like the weather was going to agree with that gal. The morning clouds had parted, and the sun came out. It was beautiful! Even though it was only 42° outside and very windy, I decided to hike a trail called The Cow Hill Circuit. This is a trail that was made initially by grazing cows on the hillside. It felt so good to breathe the fresh mountain air!
After walking for about an hour, it started to sprinkle. Looks like the Accuweather app was right, and the dumb girl who told me it wasn’t going to rain today was wrong. She went hiking, so I imagine she’s going to get soaked. On the way back, I stopped to take a look at the small graveyard around St Andrews Church in town. I wanted to see if I recognized any of the surnames from the names I’ve found as part of my Scottish genealogy. I didn’t recognize any, sadly.
I just sat down to a lovely tea. I’m so “U.K.” now! There’s coal in the fire (yes, they’re burning coal in the house), and I’m going to read.
19:25
Dinner tonight was at a freaking fantastic lochside restaurant called Crannoc Seafood Restaurant. The restaurant is on a dock, so you’re literally over the water. When I saw the place, I was worried that I wouldn’t get in without a reservation. The greeter told me it wouldn’t be a problem, and they took me to probably the best table in the room. I had a great view of the setting sun and the water!
I just got back to the hostel and am getting ready to indulge in my nightly chocolate ritual. The chocolate of the day is a Galaxy Ripple. I’m pretty sure I’ve had at least one of these in years passed, but I am looking forward to it.
Some of the Germans invited me out to have drinks. As much as I would love to go sip on water while they get drunk, I think I’ll have to pass for tonight. I’m already yawning and coughing up a lung-just like I did last night, so I look forward to a great night’s sleep tonight. That is if the snorer has gone.
Scotland 5: Day 303.03.16 | 08:05 | Fort William HostelI seemed to have developed a little bit of a cough throughout the night. Since I’m in a hostel, staying in a shared room, this could be the human equivalent to kennel cough. It was a bit drafty and rainy when I walked to town last night. Let’s hope that they have an pharmacy in town where I can buy whatever the Scottish version of Emergen-C is. So far today looks like it’s going to be a sunny day! I’ll have to take advantage of this fact!11:31I left the hostel this morning and found a rather large grocery store called Morrisons and picked up some things. It turns out that the Scottish version of Emergen-C is… Emergen-C. Who knew that this was a global phenomenon?! The stuff seems to work for me back in the states, so I think I’ll take it for the rest of the trip since it is early March and all. I was able to pick up some lemon and ginger tea bags.Let’s discuss a small part of my belief system: I believe in herbal teas- it must be herbal though. No black, green, white or red tea (which all come from the same tea leaf, or this is what I’ve been told) but just the kind that comes from all natural herbs. Many people in Scotland refer to these as herbal infusions, because there is really no tea leaf involved. I know that for something to be considered “organic” in the United Kingdom, it must me a far higher standard than the organic products back in the states. I can’t think of a better place to buy herbal tea than in a country that is filled with tea snobs!
I walked down high street, which is the main street in town, looking for some breakfast. On my way, I noticed a familiar Scottish jewelry store called Traditions Of Scotland. This is the store where I’d bought a ring from, back in 2011- only in Edinburgh. I remember this was on The Royal Mile. In 2014, while visiting Sydney, Australia, I accidentally gave it to a homeless man. He wanted change and so I pulled out a whole pocket-full and handed it to him. When I’d walked a few blocks away, I rememberd that I’d put my ring from Edinburgh in that pocket. I went back to find the man, but he was long gone. I hope he’s enjoying his ring.
So I walk in to Traditions Of Scotland, and am greeted by a very friendly shop owner named Hugh, and his new worker Joyce, who has been employed there for about a week (shout-out to Hugh and Joyce). When I took a look at their men’s rings, I saw the one I’d lost (well, not the exact one. That one is being worn by a homeless man in Australia now). As luck would have it, it was the same price that it had been 5 years ago (don’t ask me why I remember this fact)! I found the size that fit my finger and voila!
11:56
Breakfast was another traditional Scottish, but they didn’t have black pudding on the menu, so I didn’t have to turn up my nose at it. This time the restaurant is called The Hot Roast Company. It was so much better than my breakfast experience in Glasgow yesterday morning. In contrast, yesterday’s tasted like it may have been reheated in a microwave.
After breakfast, I walked around the town and then along Loch Linnhe for a few minutes. Such a scenic area! Now I’m feeling the need for a bit of a cat nap. Sleep last night wasn’t the best, with my coughing and one of my hostel mates snoring a bit. On my walk, I remembered that I should probably purchase a scarf somewhere. I went into one of the shops and unfortunately, they didn’t have at of my surname tartans in stock, but the saleswoman looked in a book about Scottish clans and she told me that ‘Buchanan’, ‘Forbes’, and my ancestors are all adjoined clans. I had to purchase both because I really didn’t want to offend any fellow clansmen.
18:53
After a walk, I ended up back at the hostel and decided it was time to take a nap. I laid down and slept for about 3 hours! That is horrible! Not sure how are if this will affect my sleep later tonight. Hopefully I’m still tired enough.
Dinner was at a restaurant called Cafe’ Mango. Since I woke up from the nap, I have been craving some good curry. I ordered the lamb tiki. Dessert was this awesome little dish called Gulab Jaman. It tasted like bread and when I cut into it with my fork, it was moist with what tasted like honey. They fry it and put cream on top. It was brilliant!
It’s cold tonight, but not as cold as it was last night. I walked around the town for a few more minutes and then headed back to the grocery store to find chocolate. I have decided that I need a daily chocolate. The goal is to simply find some kind of chocolate that I’ve never seen in the states. There’s oh so many to choose from here! Tonight’s offering is Milk Chocolate Ovals. I wonder if their marketing department had trouble coming up with his name.
Fun fact: Did you know that Irish Spring soap reminds me of Scotland? It has nothing to do with the name of the soap or the Scottish/Irish thing. It’s because when I come to Scotland, I travel with soap in a soap holder, and for some reason this is the brand of soap I’ve always grabbed at the store to travel with. At home I use different kinds of body wash and none of the work hotels I stay in have Irish Spring. So that blessed smell reminds me of trips to Scotland. And now you know. And knowing is half the battle (G.I. Joe)!
On my way to Glasgow Central Station, I stopped to have a “traditional” Scottish breakfast. This includes over-easy eggs, bacon (think Canadian-style bacon, not American style), sausages, hash browns, toast, and baked beans. I wasn’t in the mood for the nasty black pudding. Though I have tried it on at least two different occasions, I wasn’t feeling it. Click here for wiki’s explanation of black pudding. Are you daring enough to try it?
When I got to Central Station (map), I printed out my ticket at the kiosk and was trying to find the right platform for my train. I was there about 2 ½ hours earlier than I needed to be. One of the employees told me that I had an open ticket so I could just get on any other train that was headed in the right direction. Even though I managed to end up at Dalmuir hours before I’d planned, where I’m transferring to a different train, it doesn’t look like there’s a sooner train from Dalmuir to Fort William, which is my final. Looks like I’m going to hang out here for just over an hour. Too bad I don’t see a vending machine.
11:45
I need to remember to buy another scarf when I see a store. It’s a windy day so far and the sun has been hiding behind the clouds. It’s not raining, but it looks like it may start soon. I’m thankful that the Dalmuir station has some a lobby to keep me out of the wind.
15:05 | Train from Dalmuir to Fort William
This countryside is so beautiful! I have been staring out the window of this train and my only regret is that I didn’t take the train to Fort William (map) before this trip. I have been doing little 10 second videos out the window occasionally and I can’t wait to put them together and put in some music. I’ve written down some of the town names so I can do some research if they’re places I can come stay on future visits.
As I’m looking at the houses by the train, I’m wondering what would make these people move out here. I do understand the draw of country living, but I’m sure there’s little to no industry out here. Maybe they’re sheep farmers who supply meant and wool to Glasgow. Maybe the houses have been in their family for generations. This isn’t too far off from some of the places where my ancestors came from. Now I’m wondering what they did for a living as well.
17:26 | Fort William Hostel
When I decided to come to Fort William, I didn’t pay attention to the fine details of the trip- didn’t realize that it would take over 4 hours for the train to get here. I do have to say, however. That train ride was so beautiful and so worth it!
This hostel is the coolest old house, high on a hill that overlooks the valley. Fort William seems to be a great town! There’s two kinds of towns- towns I’d like to live in, and towns I’d rather not live in. So far, I’m getting the first vibe. Will walk into the downtown area in a few minutes to explore a bit and find some dinner.
When I said “Hi” to my hostelmates and introduced myself, I met 4 people from Germany, a girl from Croatia, a boy from Zimbabwe, and a girl from Logan, Utah (not even joking!)! It’s a small world, after all.
For tonight’s dinner, I walked into town and found a pub/restaurant. I ordered some lasagna and cheesy garlic bread. It really wasn’t that good. I mean, it was ok- but I’m pretty sure I could do better… if I ever tried to make lasagna, that is. I should try that when I get back.
I was going to walk around town and take some night pictures, but when I left the pub, the rain had started. I forgot to bring my umbrella, so by the time I got back up the hill to the hostel, I was pretty much soaked!
Glasgow is every bit as beautiful as I remember! The brown buildings bring back so many fond memories! As I made my way from the airport shuttle to the hostel, I had to stop during my walk and take a few pictures. Today it’s overcast, which is quite common in Scotland, especially at this time of year. The streets are wet from a morning rain, but thank goodness it has let up just long enough for me to get to the hostel.
The lady at the reception desk of the Euro Hostel told me that I couldn’t check in until after 15:00 and so I stowed my backpack in their luggage room and felt it was time to go find a chippy (fish and chip shop) and a can of IRN BRU. This is a soft drink that is made here in Scotland. It tastes kind of like red creme soda, but it’s orange in color. I’m not sure if it’s available in the states. I’ve convinced myself that Fish n’ Chips taste better when consumed in the U.K., especially with IRN BRU! I suspect I’m going to destroy my sexy Herbalife body by the end of this trip.
12:23
I feel like I really need to take a nap. I didn’t get any sleep on either of my flights. I should probably make myself stay up until later tonight so I can adjust to the new time zone faster. At the moment, I’m hurting a bit too much. Life will be better when they finally give me the key to my room.
17:05
I laid in bed trying to sleep for just almost 3 hours. Have you ever been so tired that you can’t fall asleep? I think that’s what I was experiencing. In a way, however, I’m glad I couldn’t fall asleep because if I can just push through until tonight, this is going to help my adjustment to this new time zone. I decided to change my clothes and head out to find a new electrical plug adapter. The one that I brought from Utah is a piece of crap and isn’t working properly. I walked down to the Apple Store, only to discover that it was closed. I stepped for renovations.
Soon the weather had turned and it was pouring down the rain. I decided I’d walk back to the hostel to grab my umbrella. As luck would have it, the front desk had a few universal adapters for sale. I paid the £5 and made my way back up to my room on the third floor. The new adapter seems to be working just fine!
22:05
Technology still fascinates me! Earlier this evening, I was able to FaceTime with my sister Melanie, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Remember how George Jetson used to chat with Mr. Spacely on the screen? We’re living in the future, people!
I found dinner at the Handmade Burger Co. I loved the look of the restaurant so while I waited for my food to arrive, I was walking around taking a few pictures of the place. One of the workers told me, “Pictures are not allowed here.” I didn’t like that- and you know how I can be a brat? I may or may not have told a little white lie. I may or may have told him that I was a food and travel blogger who came to Glasgow from America-technically that’s not a lie, I do travel and I do blog about it, and I do put food pics on this blog– who works – ok, here comes the lie– for The Travel Channel.
After dinner, when I got up to leave, he apologized and I said it wasn’t a big deal. I told him that I wasn’t offended by his no-pictures request and that the burger was delicious. He told me it was ok if I took a few pictures and I told him, “I already did.” I smiled and walked out. So here’s the controversial pictures that I took. Please tell me if I crossed any lines.
After leaving the restaurant, I took a longer walk back to the hostel so that I could take a few pictures of some of the buildings at night. The night air was very chilly, but at least the rain had stopped. I love Glasgow!
My walk from the flat back to the Colonsay Airfield started before the sun rose. I had booked the 09:00 flight and didn’t want to be late. After all, the plane only comes and goes to and from the island twice a day. Also, I wanted to plan extra walk time because of the heavy pack on my back. Nothing burns calories like 4.2 miles with a heavy pack!
DavTravels 