Scottish visit - First weekend
At the outset, readers should be aware that while we were in Scotland it rained, rained and rained again. The rain, however, did not dampen our enthusiasm and enjoyment of our visit.
My brother Drew, who is also known as Andy, was aware that we were not comfortable driving on the other side of the road; and, not being a driver himself, arranged for the three of us to take a weekend excursion tour with David Urquhart Tours to the Highlands.
Our departure was on Friday morning from East Kilbride with pick-up points in Hamilton, Bathgate and Edinburgh. The coach was almost completely filled by the time we set out for the final destination, Garve Hotel which would be our home from home and where we would not only be housed but be provided breakfast and dinner; as well as nightly entertainment from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
David Harvey was our driver and tour quide; with a great capacity to keep us informed and amused. Not only did he pass around sweeties (candies); but, on the final day of the tour, ran a little lottery (no cash involved) to see who came closest in estimating the amount of fuel used and the distance traveled.
The Saturday tour took us by rail from Garve to Kyle of Lochalsh; and what a great journey that was; the rail fare, by the way, was prepaid. Prior to our departure from Garve, our driver told us that he and the coach would be waiting for us at the other end of the rail trip. From the railway station, all the tourists wandered into the town to savor its beauty.
On the way back to the hotel for our dinner and the evening entertainment, we stopped at the beautiful village of Plockton. From there, we drove to Eilean Donan Castle and then over to enchanting Loch Carron. Good fortune did shine down on us at each stop. Although the sun did not shine, the rain did stop.
After a very nice dinner, we were entertained by Alan Roy who provided a music mixture of oldies but goodies, dance music and Scottish songs in which the group joined and danced. One of the humorous songs was “The Midges Song”. It is too bad that the lyrics escape me right now.
All in all, it was a great first day of our excursion. Oopps, no mention was made of our savoring the liquid sustenance for which Scotland is well known. Just use your imagination.
