Welcome Back

It has been over a month since my last post and it is probably the right time to restart the Blogging and to continue with the social and other commentary. We have just been away for a long week in Scotland. The driving was less than that which we completed on our grand tour of Europe two years back, but it was still long enough to provide some solitude and to remind us just how big the United Kingdom is. I have always thought of Scotland as a beautiful country full of lovely people. But until now my experiences have mainly been limited to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and the countryside in between. We have had lovely holidays in all three locations. Glasgow drew us as it is the home of a good friend of mine; Jim Mann. Edinburgh because of its culture and architecture, while Aberdeen was an accident. A fortunate accident, but an accident nevertheless. It was a while back and we were booked in for a weeks holiday at a caravan park on the coast near to Glasgow. We pre-paid and arrived to find that the park matched the marketing imagery. The problem was that if you turned around, then instead of the lovely scenery you were met by what looked like a power station. We probably could have managed that disappointment, but the roaming dogs and the copious amount of dog litter along with the barbed wire fencing was enough to put us off. We left the caravan park and stayed in a hotel at Glasgow Airport. Jim stepped in and we stayed for several days at his sons house on the east coast of Scotland near to Aberdeen. Followed by quite a few hotels across Scotland and a family holiday that is remembered by all as 'the best holiday ever'. Pauline and the girls referred to that trip as 'living like rock stars'. The next time that we ventured north of the English border we headed for Aviemore and toured amongst other places; Lock Ness and Inverness. I didn't spot the monster, but I did gain a good liking for the Haggis. A liking that is shared by my wife Pauline. And one that was probably enhanced by the standard of the food some three years back that we enjoyed while staying at Crubenbeg House near Newtonmore. That was a good holiday and the most recent one was also good. Therefore the next sequence of posts might just help those of you that intend to venture north of the Welsh and then the English border.