Slight diversion while I try to get my head round the baby suggestions yesterday-a lot of them were very good, many of the products I can't get here but am looking at alternates, and although I can't find Boppys here, I bought myself a poseur Boppy wanna-be today, mostly because my hips are screaming in agony during the night as the weight of my stomach throws everything out of whack.

So, like...how about a Scotland recap?

'Cause I'm sure you're sick of clicking here and finding how stressed out I am. My stress might be osmotic, so soon you'll be stressed, as instead of moving over water my stress moves over pixels. It could happen.

Getting to Scotland from here is reasonably simple and incredibly cheap if you plan it in advance. Both Angus and I are huge, huge fans of the sleeper train from ScotRail, and if you check their page they have a little tiny link to something called Bargain Berths. If you play around with the dates, you can book an overnight sleeper train on the Bargain Berth for £19. Ordinarily, it costs you a few hundred pounds. Totally worth it to go through their exasperating website. The sleeper train is dead easy-get on the train in central London late at night, get off the train first thing in the morning in central Edinburgh/Glasgow/Aberdeen/Inverness wherever the hell you're going in Scotland. I took us to Fort William, as it's close to Oban, where the power station (and point of Angus' birthday present was.) From there, we would take various ferries about the Hebrides and the Isle of Skye.

You also sleep like a baby on the sleeper train. You rock gently with the movements of the train, I absolutely love it. Besides, there's something about waking up to the views of the Highlands on the train.

And even more spectacular was this, which we saw this from our seats on the train while downing our breakfast:

When we got off the train at Fort William, we picked up the hire car and drove to Oban, then out and about Loch Awe to Cruachan Power Station. We had a tour of the station by the most Scottish Scotsman I've ever met. I do ok with the Scotch accent, but I struggled with this guy, even wondering for a while why the tour guide kept talking about Lahore. What does a large city in Pakistan have to do with this power station? I wondered, as they bussed us into the mountain. I then cottoned to that "Lahore" was close to his pronounciation of "Loch Awe".

My Gaelic sucks.

We stayed overnight in a completely unremarkable B&B, remarkable only for The Most Uncomfortable Bed in The History of Medieval Beds. We had springs coming out of the bed, seriously. It was the one and only time either of us could think of a crappy hotel we'd ever stayed in Scotland in, and it will be the last.

We took the ferry then to the Isle of Mull, one of the Inner Hebrides.

On the way we passed one of my summer homes.

I wish, anyway.

The ferry was crowded and I was feeling a bit....naughty. I'm one of those pregnant women with a slightly insatiable horniness going on, so I decided to splurge on something that women do and men usually love.

I slid off my knickers in the ladies room and then quietly handed them to Angus when I rejoined him on the upper deck of the crowded ferry.

No lads, riddle me this-what's the correct thing you should reply when your randy lady slides her knickers into your coat pocket? Is it:

A) God you are the hottest thing on two legs.
B) You look after your own knickers, I don't want them.
C) Oh look - there's a Larus canus! Hang on!

There's a correct answer here, and it would be A. Not B. Which is what I got. But the boy did redeem himself by being very on and paying lots of attention to me in the car.

We drove around Mull, including the main village of Tobermory, which is a very cute, charming village known apparently because there's some kids show character here named Tobermory.

We spent the day on Mull, which was an amazing and beautiful place. We toured the Mull Highland Museum, which was very angry about the Clearances (as they should be, it was a dark time). But they kept saying the Highlanders would be back to claim the land someday, to which I thought: What Highlanders? The Clearances took place centuries ago, and continued for generations. Who is there to find to come back? There is evidence of the Clearances everywhere.

It was hotter than hell and we slept with the window open, which we later learned was a mistake.

The next morning it was warm but spookily misty.

And Mull was just as beautiful as you imagine Scotland will be.

All parts, even the sheep's ass.

We left Mull via ferry.

We drove along Glenfinnan forest. We got stopped by traffic wardens, who were diverting traffic around a film crew filming in Glenfinnan forest. We didn't know it at the time, but apparently it was production on the next Harry Potter film.

So close, and yet so far.

We took a ferry to the Isle of Skye, where we drove to the north of the island and stayed in an old baronial home. The innkeeper there told us that next weekend the hotel was booked with a number of "Hollywood types". Our second run in with the movies, we were intrigued and asked more.

"Oh I can't tell you who's staying here," the proprietress said demurely. But she did tell us the name of the film.

We drove to Portree, where over lunch I got out my Blackberry and googled the film.

"OH MY GOD!" I shrieked. I can be so American. "Do you know who is in that film?" I asked Angus.

He looked blank.

He really only know Jack Nicholson, every other Hollywood name seems to pass him by.

"It's McDreamy! McDREAMY! He's on this island! He's going to be in that hotel!"

Angus continued to look non-plussed.

"I liked him from Can't Buy Me Love! Who can say that? I had true fan love, and even tolerated his crap film!"

Most of Portree was roped off for more filming, which is of his new film Made of Honor.

We never saw McDreamy.

That's ok.

I'll still have Can't Buy Me Love.

We spent the day in Skye, then headed back to the mainland.

On our last day we saw that famous viaduct, which I have fond memories of.

It was a wonderful trip. I am so glad we went, it was relaxing, warm, wonderful, and we felt like a couple, which we both needed.

Someday, maybe I'll get to live in Scotland.

I think that'd be a little slice of heaven.

-H.

Posted by: Everydaystranger at 02:48 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
Post contains 1171 words, total size 10 kb.

1 Glad you enjoyed; sounds like a good trip. Scotland--particularly Skye--is one of my favorite places.

Posted by: Marian at July 03, 2007 04:21 PM (7ZiKm)

2 How beautiful! And I want that sheep for my very own. I will love it and pet it and then shear it. I could make some crazy great baby blankets out of that...

Posted by: Teresa at July 03, 2007 04:22 PM (HEmVx)

3 I have such great memories of Skye. Next time you go, I highly recommend the dinner at the Rosemont Hotel. It wasn't particularly expensive and it was probably the best meal I ate there. I spent so much money in that town. Good lord. I can't believe I'll be seeing all those green hills in less than five days!

Posted by: amy t. at July 03, 2007 04:28 PM (3dOTd)

4 You are looking beautiful, as always. And so is Scotland. I'll indulge in a little bit of jealousy, and then get over it.

Posted by: Jen(aside) at July 03, 2007 04:51 PM (u973k)

5 Great pictures, and you look absolutely wonderful!! Well, how about a reverse osmosis of happines? Hey if stress can travel via microwaves and pixels, then happiness must travel faster.... it's lighter you know :-)

Posted by: Angela at July 03, 2007 05:59 PM (DGWM7)

6 Didn't Mcdreamy play opposite of Reese Witherspoon in "Sweet Home Alabama"? I love that movie. One of my favorite scenes... the proposal in Tiffany's. I know. Shallow, but still a girl can dream can't she?

Posted by: Angela at July 03, 2007 06:03 PM (DGWM7)

7 I love your summer home...LOL. The photos and scenery are spectacular and the scenery beyond the sheep is magnificent!

Posted by: kenju at July 03, 2007 07:21 PM (DBvE5)

8 Absolutely amazing photos. Thanks for sharing them! The picture of you is beautiful, by the way - the way the light falls, your expression - very nice.

Posted by: Hannah at July 03, 2007 07:48 PM (lUH62)

9 Angela-he was in that film. And I loved the film, even though I don't like Reese Witherspoon (it's her chin man, I can't get past it) and I think she chose the wrong man in the flick. This is why I'm not a scriptwriter.

Posted by: Helen at July 03, 2007 09:08 PM (uG7tJ)

10 Bah, EVERYONE likes Can't Buy Me Love! If you liked Patrick Dempsey in Loverboy, THEN I'll buy that you're a fan.

Posted by: Lindsay at July 03, 2007 09:25 PM (mHNC3)

11 I can't get past Reese's chin either Helen. It bothers me further that my nickname is Reese-now I always picture her chin when my dad calls me that.

Posted by: Teresa at July 03, 2007 10:04 PM (QbSYX)

12 The kid's show with the coloured houses is Balamory. You'll be singing the tune before you know it (we grew out of it some years ago, I don't even know if it's still showing) Lovely place but the midges are out to kill in the summer (which is why we go early or late in the year)

Posted by: Caroline M at July 04, 2007 07:09 AM (x3QDi)

13 looks like you had a lovely time. That's a gorgeous pic of you. Another 'Can't Buy Me Love' filmfan here... sigh....

Posted by: Elisa at July 04, 2007 09:37 AM (AlPvn)

14 McDreamy is dreamy no matter what crap movie he's in. He was also in an episode of Will and Grace. *sigh* Aham...anyway, lovely, lovely you and Scotland.

Posted by: Donna at July 04, 2007 07:00 PM (lQSbL)

15 Patrick Dempsey will never top Loverboy.

Posted by: paula at July 05, 2007 12:00 PM (FlZPw)

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