blind summit

Today I reached my breaking point. One single track road too many, that took 3 times as long as Google Maps said it would. One more scenic byway I couldn't enjoy because I was worried about oncoming traffic, and a herd of stampeding sheep, and feral goats, and why the car interface to my iPhone is always so terrible.

I gave up my plan to take the only revolving car ferry in the world! in favor of a more direct route. Plus it was drizzly.

And I abandoned the fairy pools, after paying 5 POUNDS to park to an attendant wearing a beekeeper's helmet to protect her against midges.

Thanks to Timm, I'd brought bug repellant. But I packed cowboy boots for the dude ranch instead of hiking boots, and never found my hiking stick. I was not going to cross this fast rushing stream on my own today. Enough!

I need a vacation! So I headed for the mainland and found this much more manageable creek, with a bridge across it. And the sun came out.

See how happy I am to be returning to civilization? I'm a city girl. From California!

I made it through Fort William, past Glencoe, and arrived at the lodge in Kinlochleven, where I'm staying in part because I spent a memorable New Year's at Kinloch Lodge in New Zealand 8 years ago. Also because the room had a bathtub, though not a very big one.

 I thought I'd walk to dinner until the rain started again. There was a sure cure:

Scotland has exceptional seafood. How can it not? It's all coastline. No wonder 96 miles take 3 hours to drive.

And driving back, all was well with the world. Or maybe it was the cherry cake.

I'm watching a BBC show on sheep herding. Maybe I'll squeeze in a walk tomorrow, on the shores of Loch Lomond. Thanks to the rain, there are lots of impromptu waterfalls. Or maybe I'll head straight for the city....