Islay cow
K and I recently travelled to the UK for around four weeks. We decided to spend the biggest chunk of time in Scotland. In part we were inspired by Iain Banks. We didn't feel the need to obsessively search for the 'perfect dram', but we do like a dram all right and the idea of driving around Scotland sounded like great fun. My love for Scottish folk music was also a factor, and I had a Scottish great-grandfather so there was that connection to explore too.
Glasgow
After a couple of nights in London we took the train to Glasgow, and spent a lot of the afternoon and evening walking around trying to stay awake. We also had a great vegan meal at the Hug and Pint and then also struggled to stay awake for most of a gig downstairs there. Don't know if I've just forgotten, but I don't remember struggling with arrival jet lag like that on previous trips. However, with a nine-hour time difference (on top of a 25 hr journey with not enough sleep), it's hardly surprising.
Glasgow, Gallery of Modern Art
The next morning we collected our rental car and headed first west and then south, for the island of Islay. I was a little bit nervous that on my first day of driving I would still be falling asleep at the wrong time of day, but we seemed finally, after two days and a night in the UK, to be operating in the right time zone. We had a ferry to catch but also wanted to see as much as we could on the way, so we had a few short stops...
At Tarbet, for a squizz at Loch Lomond. First of many beautiful lochs.
Inverary, which a big group of motorcyclists were also breaking their journey.
Still Inverary
A really large window
Finally we reached the ferry terminal at Kennacraig, secured a spot in the queue of cars and trucks, and watched the ferry approach. I was a bit apprehensive about driving into that gaping maw, especially manoeuvring an unfamiliar vehicle. To be honest I was also a bit apprehensive about the journey itself, not being so big on boats and the open sea. It turned out to be no big deal on either count. It was a very smooth crossing, and the sun came out during the two hour trip.
The neighbouring isle of Jura, seen from the ferry.
It was a gorgeous evening and so nice to have light later at night, having come from the short days of winter at home. So even though we arrived on Islay in the late afternoon, after we checked in to our accomodation in Ballygrant we went out to have a look at nearby Finlaggan.
Crossing to Eilean Mòr
The visitor centre was closed but we were able to walk the bridge out to the main island, where the only other occupants were the midges.
Eilean na Comhairle (council isle)
It was a fascinating place to explore, and with the perfect weather, a beautiful introduction to Islay.
