We woke at 7:00: we had to be packed and checked out by 10:00 and I don’t like to worry about time. After showering and packing we decided to go out and get coffee and a small bite to eat.
We walked a very short way to The Milk Bar, ordered our coffees and croissants, and had a relaxing time there.
Even so, after returning to our room we had forty minutes to spare. Dan knows me well, though: I get nervous about time!
When we took our bags downstairs Dan attempted to set up an Uber pick up. The app just sat there saying it was locating a driver. I figured I could try while he looked up taxis, so I set about trying to get an Uber as well. It did the same thing it did for him. (And I can’t even recall seeing one Uber here so perhaps it’s just wishful thinking on Uber’s part, suggesting they are in Inverness.) Meanwhile Dan tried to call a taxi but couldn’t get a phone call to go through, so he finally did what we probably should have done in the first place: he contacted our invisible lodging hosts. The woman answered and she was happy to get a taxi set up for us. Fifteen minutes later our driver, Greg (from Poland) joyfully greeted us and gave us a rather exciting ride to Enterprise, all the while talking about our crazy president and the crazy things in Poland as well. He also offered to help us move to Scotland. Heh. He was quite entertaining.
And then we got the car. Time for Dan to learn how to drive on the left side of the road!
Both of us were tense, of course. For me it was that I felt he was too close to my side of the road and there was no shoulder. In addition when there were cars parked on the road I kept feeling as if he would hit them! For him it was worrying about the oncoming traffic and my side. But he did amazingly well. He only turned into the wrong lane once when making a right turn. In my typical, non-confrontational way, I said, “Do you really mean to be in this lane?” Or something like that, anyway. He of course didn’t mean to do that at all, and he also suggested I go ahead and say “Wrong lane!”
In any case, he did a great job.
We went past Loch Ness, which brought back great memories of our Great Glen Way walk. We also passed through Drumnadrochit and saw the Fiddler’s restaurant that we enjoyed so much.
Lunch was nothing special, but we did stop to eat. And I finally remembered to get a photo of the car we have.
We saw very small lambs (or as I first called them, “baby sheep”) a number of times … so darn cute and I hope to get some good photos while we are here.
We eventually reached Eilean Donan Castle. We decided to pay the fee and go look at it. I took iPhone photos where I could, but they didn’t allow it in the upstairs, where the family actually lived in the summers after it was restored in 1932.
From there we continued on our way to our next spot to lodge and from which we will tour. As I mentioned to Dan, we are really hitting different sorts of spots on this trip: so far a big city (London), a smaller one (Inverness) and now … an island.
Hello, Isle of Skye!
When I was finding lodging for this trip I read that Portree was the place to stay. Nothing there was affordable. Then perhaps Broadford. Nope. So I located a place that was outside of Dunvegan near Edinbane, with a drive of 2 miles down a one lane, sort of rough but not too bad road. SO many lambs on this road!
We are lodging at the Redwood House, in a somewhat large room. I think it will be just right. One day we can tour going north and the other south. We are hoping the weather will be somewhat cooperative, but it is Scotland, so who knows?
We got to our room at about 5:30 and dinner here was scheduled for 7:00, so Dan spent time typing (I suspect doing his journal) and I began this blog. We both enjoyed some Walker’s shortbread and I made a cup of tea with milk. (Yes, Carolyn … tea! It’s the UK, after all. 😊)
We walked to dinner and found a nearly empty dining room. The entire time we were there I think maybe there were five tables occupied besides ours. I suspect this place is rather new, and of course being a distance away from things a lot of people won’t drive out for dinner. I do hope it survives. I had sea bass and Dan had chicken and they were both very tasty. Oh, and to start with we had calamari which very well might be the best I’ve ever had.
We walked out on to the lawn and the lambs and parents were still out so I attempted to get some photos. The lambs were quite skittish, though.
Then back to our room. I took a few photos of the place as we went back.
Dan checked the maps as I finished this blog entry. It’s now 9:35 PM and it’s rather light outside still. Dan is considering getting up at some horrendously early hour to do photography. He seems to think I’ll want to skip it. He might be right.
After breakfast tomorrow (he plans on getting back for that IF he really goes out) we head north to see what we can see.
All for now!
It’s hardly worth reporting but:
6563 steps, 2.7 miles, 4 flights climbed (I suspect that while we have a car we won’t be getting as much exercise.)