Monday 21 August 2017

Inspiration for next year...




Road through Glen Coe


Loch Shiel, Harry Potter fans will recognise these trees.

Feeling really inspired right now and am looking forward to moving and the future.  Time moves forward, we have to plan and keep an eye on where we want to be.

Super inspiration from {Dave} and {Jules} and their trips to Aran Isles and Arran.  (Did you know arran means to start/commence in Scottish Gaelic, but to start in Cornish is dalla....  Just a bit on nonsense there for you). And then with {Yorkshire Pudding}, visiting an area I would live in if I were to move to Scotland.  Beautiful Kirkcudbright.  Every time I read that I think of {Victoria Wood and this part in Dinner Ladies}, (I am exactly like Bren by the way, Oh, shiny, look at bra, back to talking about a toaster, or was it Scotland!... ).  I pronounce it Kirk Kud Bright on purpose, to a guttural low roar of "for gods sake its, kur coo brie!!!!!!!".

We are now planning to take a long holiday in Scotland.  I am thinking, Borders to see some family and a bit more of the lowlands and then on to some Lochs and Munros in the Highlands.  Rounding it off with a bit more family time.  Then weave our way back down south, hopefully through {Coniston Lake} and {Lake Windermere}.  Its going to be a massive trek from Cornwall, we will do it in the car, we've missed out on too much before flying.  It will be at least 8 hours to the border and then add time for toilet breaks and looking at scenary and I think it will be more of an 11 hour trek, then on to family...

I feel like a pot of soup, bubbling with excitement.  I havent felt hopeful for a time now.  Its a really nice change.

Where would you go in Scotland?  Inspire me more.

Heres to a great week!  Cheers

(My Dad is slowly getting better, he is on a normal ward and we are looking forward to having him home.)

19 comments:

northsider said...

Thanks for featuring my blog Sol. We once visited Culloden and Inverness. Dalwhinnie Distillery is well worth a visit a long with good old Edinburgh. I am very envious. Did you move to Cornwall?

Dani said...

Ooooh, that trip sounds excellent :D

Sol said...

Hey Dave, I have been to Culloden and Inverness. I think the visitors centre at Culloden is more now. Essentially when we went it was only the field and the stones no flags or markers and not much more. I have also done Loch Ness probably 10 years ago. If I wasnt such a Southerner and felt the cold we would move there. Edinburgh is fab, there is a hotel we love called the Parliment hill hotel. Very nice, costs some money but it is on the top of Prince street so everything is on the door step. Hoping to do more in Glasgow at some point.

We are waiting for a date to move. Hopefully today we will know more about moving!!! I am sure I will cry and be shell shocked the first week we are there, with the feeling of WHAT THE HELL HAVE WE DONE? I feel like it in each house then we renovate it and all is well. At least this house the bathroom and kitchen are ok. I dont have to rip them out. Although we are thinking loft conversion with a balcony so we have a sea view. Being a bungalow the house in front blocks it so upwards it is. I feel good about the move right now. Hopefully we will love it. I have friends there, some cousins and the MIL. And it is a lot closer to my family than our present house. Which will be amazing, no more driving past Bristol to get there (I hate the M5 by Bristol, people drive like maniacs).

We have thought about buying a really small holiday home there. I saw one for £60k the other week. So cheap. But realistically we will wait until after brexit and see if houses drop in price and then we will pounce!

Hope you are well!

Hey Dani, I was just reading your blog!!! and now a comment from you!!!!!

Well I have been thinking a lot about family and what everything means, I have had a lot of thinking time when in the hospital with my dad. And we need to see more of this country and more of family. It makes sense to drive there and really see some history and with the added bonus we will see more of the Mr's family. and where my family are massive and like a party, they are a party with only 3 of them in the room! I love that about them. plus there is always a drink! lmao I am partial to a whisky (and a gin!).

Hows the weather there? Grey, dark and raining here...

Jules said...

I'm so pleased your dad is improving. It must be a huge relief for the whole family.
Your trip sounds so exciting. A road trip!
You're going to be spoilt for choice with beautiful places to visit. X

Sol said...

Hey Jules, I am super excited about it all now. We havent really been for a few years what with doing the house up and getting the dogs. This way the dogs can come with us, stay with some family and see some sights. We all win! Hope you are well.

northsider said...

Sounds like you are on a winner buying the cheap holiday home Sol. It doesn't cost much to have a look. You could always rent it out for a second income?

Sue said...

You should drive through Moffatt and on into Peebles, it's a beautiful part of the country ... and where my lovely hubby comes from, we'll be doing the journey ourselves in a couple of weeks :-)

Anonymous said...

I am very pleased with the news about your Dad; I hope he is home soon.

We have been on the Jacobite Express which also doubles as the Hogwart's Express - a super steam loco up to Fort William (I think). We spend most of our time in Argyll though, it has just about everything I could wish for up there, especially distilleries.

Sol said...

Hey Dave, yes we had thought about renting something out, but I think we would just keep it for family to use.

Hi ya Sue, yes Moffat (always visit the wollen mill outlet shop and there is a gift shop on the other side of the road that has the most amazing clocks that chains spin and throw them selves left and right and that is the movement.. stunning I always want one) itsis lovely and the old road to Edinburgh is spectacular isnt it. I am not quite sure if that actually goes right into Peebles or not... We normally go past grey mares tail. There is a story of that, that when I first went to meet his family, we drove that. But I had stupid shoes on and a cashmere coat and we went to grey mares tail. His cousins were with us and we decided to walk it. I slipped on the shingle and slide a long way. Ruined my shoes and my coat and burnt a hole in the new trousers I had. Turned up at another Aunts house and had stones and foliage in my hair. Not great. lol Mr says yes you take the road to grey mares tail and turn off over the river tweed, so we do go through Peebles... Small world eh!

Hi Toffeeapple, thanks for your kind words. The picture of Loch Shiel is from the Jacobite Train when we went on it a few years ago. I ate some lush sweets from the harry potter shop on board! Although I was glued to the windows getting lots of pictures! lol Such a potter fan!

DUTA said...

Living close to family, is always a great advantage.
Your holiday trip sounds very exciting. Scotland is an exciting land.
Many years ago I briefly visited Inverness, Loch Ness, Edinburgh, Glasgow - and was very impressed by all I saw.

Sol said...

Hey DUTA, family being near is a real blessing. Glad you enjoyed your time in Scotland. Even when the weather is bad, we enjoy it there. Less people on the roads, spectacular scenary

Janie Junebug said...

I hope you have a great trip. Glad to hear about your dad.

Love,
Janie

Sol said...

Hi there Janie,
Thanks he is getting a lot better, I thought we were going to have to plan a funeral at one point. Awful

Sounds mad planning next summer, but I need that long to make sure people are in the right places (as in are they going away on holiday, the school holidays in Scotland are slightly earlier than England by about a month). As it isnt 'Clan' year, people may have other plans for it all. Clan year is 2019, and its gonna be a big one! I am even going to get a new hostess skirt! Gonna cost a fortune, I have to take my sash and plaid bits. Exciting!

Lowcarb team member said...

Never been to Scotland, only as far as The Lake District (which is beautiful).
I thought Jules recent holiday post was amazing - the pictures stunning.

Planning holidays is fun!

All the best Jan

Sol said...

Hey Jan, Scotland is beautiful, same weather as the lake district mostly. Drizzles a lot but when it is fine it is spectacular!

Dani said...

Saw this today and IMMEDIATELY thought of you 😉

https://www.treehugger.com/public-transportation/london-scotland-travelers-move-planes-trains.html

Sol said...

Hi Dani, thanks for the link. We normally take the train in to Glasgow and Edinburgh and we did the sleeper train many times from London. You would have to go Cornwall to London and the n on to Scotland. 12 hours. and £233 each. It would be cheaper to fly, but we wont have a car to visit people or we would have to hire there. I wish it was cheaper to use the trains. Are there lots of trains in ZA?

Dani said...

Sol - Nah - train travel isn't the norm here. We have two luxury trains (the Blue Train and Rovos Rail but they are generally above the average person's pocket and are aimed at tourists.)

Inter-town trains are not safe, and not well maintained...

Sol said...

Hey Dani, thats a shame you dont have more trains there. Its a really nice way to travel if you can actually find a seat (a lot of the time you have to stand if it is a commuter train, like the tube with your head in someones armpit), even booking a seat, sometimes people sit in them and refuse to move even when the ticket man tells them. So rude. We will drive as it will mean we can stop and take in lovely views!