A Highland Holiday 1 of 2

Well that was an interesting holiday during Storms Ciara and Dennis!  After a very long and exhausting journey by coach we arrived at The Highland Hotel in Fort William, Scotland.

At breakfast the following morning it was announced that due to the inclement weather it was too risky on the roads to venture out so a whole day stretched out before us with the wind raging and the rain lashing at the windows.   

A notice was soon displayed to tell residents of a Tai Chi session in the Function Room which I was drawn to.  Having done a little before I'm always ready to learn more.  Our instructor was Shaun Folds, trained by Master Faye Yip based in Telford, Shropshire.  Shaun holds classes in Hull if you live near do look him up or visit www.deyin.taiji.com for further information.

I was so chilled and relaxed afterwards, a great unwinder from the stress of travelling all the previous day, that I found myself at the hotel reception offering to put on a Writing Workshop in the afternoon for anyone interested.  A small group attended between 4-5 pm and I really enjoyed leading them in four writing exercises using pictures from a magazine as writing prompts.  I started with a simple one minute sentence exercise, then a 3 minutes and then a 10 minute write.  Finally we started a story with (appropriately) 'One stormy day.....'  At each stage we shared our scribbles, had some laughter and at the end I was clapped and thanked.  Such a lovely time.  

On Monday 10th February we had a short excursion to Ben Nevis Distillery - well you just have to consume some whiskey whilst in Scotland.  The tour was interesting and the cafe was a blessing as it was so cold outside - not all the tour was inside.  

I now have my very own 'tot' glass so joining the ranks of whisky drinkers!  We visited the distillery on a day when the Scottish news reported about four young lads had been rescued from Ben Nevis by helicopter the previous day (Storm Ciara at its worst).  They were not equipped to be climbing a mountain and were wearing trainers!  Really???  Did not one of them think to turn back and save the rescue costs?  Soooooo dangerous.

The coach dropped us off in Fort William town and we braved the elements to see the shops, cafes etc.  And on the evening the entertainment of Bingo followed by a singer/musician was enjoyed by many.

Tuesday was Inverness day stopping at Fort Augustus and then Loch Ness - no I didn't spot Nessie. Our driver, Sandra Deak, who was from Hungary but lived in UK for 8 years, was very informative of what to see along the route and also made sure we were all returned to our coach seats before setting off.  Inverness is a lovely town with a good mixture of old and new buildings.  

Victorian Market

Town House, High Street

Leakey's Bookshop, Church Street

Leakey's Bookshop was magnificent inside.  There was a welcome roaring log burner and an overwhelming amount of second hand books.  It was opened in 1979 in an old Gaelic Church dated 1793.  What a lovely way to give an old church new life.

On Wednesday we had a very scenic route to Mallaig, stopping briefly at Glenfinnan (Harry Potter museum for those interested).  The beaches just before Mallaig were stunningly beautiful and I couldn't resist a walk along the beach in my boots and water/wind proof coat.

Blue sky and sunshine for just a few minutes here and there.  Anyone who is thinking of doing the train journey around the west coast of Scotland to Mallaig would have fantastic views and its journey end is a quaint harbour town with lots of coffee and gift shops.

Continued ……….