Highland Games

Day 8: Oban to Glencoe
Km driven: I forgot to note it this morning, so it will be from Edinburgh: 322

Our day began quietly with a bit of shopping. The lady at the counter called me "darling", but I was hoping to get "sweetheart" like the previous customer.

We drove to Tanhuilt for the Highland Games, where though the sky was overcast and heavy rains were forecast, we avoided the worst.

We got Scotland at its best: cute children in kilt dancing Scottish reels, a bagpipe band, several races and cabber tossing.

On the arrival to Glencoe, we went the wrong way and couldn't find the Youth Hostel... so we stopped by a police car while its driver was getting back in it and asked the nice officer our way... we ended up following him on narrow roads to our destination. *sigh* Such a handsome man, too!

As usual, we met French tourists in the Youth Hostel. It seems to be in a region renowned for its trekking, as many guests were here for walking.

For those of you who read Dick Francis, you will recognise Glencoe and its massacre as the inspiration for an Alexander painting in To the Hilt. I walked down to the memorial and enjoyed the view of clouds trapped by the mountaintops.

Driving up the road, we were taken by the mystical atmosphere of the forest. Merlin and Arthur could have ridden past and wouldn't have been out of place.

At nightfall, the only sound is of water cascading on mossy stones. What seems to be hundred of tiny rivers flow downhill to join the river at the bottom, all tinkling gaily... and fostering the development of midges.

It was also time to write a few postcards, and we reached a total of 33 between us. Not bad.