Scottish Honeymoon: Days Three, Four and Five

Day Three (New Year's Day):

We awoke slightly earlier than was strictly necessary, so after a lovely hot shower we headed over the road to take in the views over Loch Linnhe and be carefully sniffed by a couple of bounding black Labradors taking their morning constitutional. After more gorgeous porridge with brown sugar, we piled into the car and drove through more extraordinary scenery; this time we headed towards Mallaig, taking a coastal route towards the edge of the mainland that gives way to ferries to the Isle of Skye etc.

By chance, we chose the more scenic, coastal drive even though it was longer. The only place open was the lovely Cnoc na Faire hotel, in which we had the most delicious bowl of Cullen Skink (smoked haddock and potato creamy chowder) followed by a fine steak and chips for me and fish and chips for Ashley. Thick cut chips while looking out over a charming bay, bathed in ice-cold sunlight and full of sparkling lakes. What could be better? We became acquainted with resident Spaniels Harris and Lewis, too, although Harris seemed to persist in trying to walk under the wheels of the car.

Onwards to Mallaig, which was mostly closed and had a port that reeked in that way ports do. A couple of wary-looking seagulls stalked us along the pier, and then we headed back to Ballachulish again just in time for tea and mince pies. We had a slightly disappointing dinner that night, service being slow and unresponsive and the food not up to the high standards of the previous nights, and we had a long and soul-searching conversation about having a better life and giving more back.

Day Four:

An early start (and more porridge... oh how I love thee, yet somehow never bother to make thee at home) and back on the road to Glasgow. Had we known that we were going to hire the car earlier than the last minute, we'd have booked a train back today. As it was, an afternoon pottering around Buchanan street, snaffling Charles Rennie Mackintosh knick-knacks for Ashley's mum and dinner at Wagamama was to round off our honeymoon. I dipped in and out of every bookshop looking for New Moon because I foolishly read Twilight and I should never start a series because I can't resist finishing them, no matter how trashy.

We finally did some of that walking we'd resisted doing in the gorgeous Highlands (too cold, too lazy) and realised 2nd January is a national holiday in Scotland when the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art (GoMA) was shut. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the day.

Day Five:

Up at the crack of arse to catch the 07:35 train only to find out a terrible disaster had happened the night before, when a light aircraft fatally crashed into the train lines. We were delayed by a mere hour and on our way, taking a slightly longer route around Staffordshire. Our complaints about the wait were silenced as soon as we found out why - how could we complain about a couple of hours out of our routine when people had lost their lives and when families were grieving?

I wrote a little for BitchBuzz and settled down into the sequel to the Tales of the Otori trilogy, which isn't trashy at all. There's a prequel to get my teeth into as well - marvellous! Then home, home, lovely home. And breaking in our slow cooker.