Hang on, you might well ask. Why are you tonight in the Lake District, and last night you were out on the Outer Hebridean island of Vatersay. Well, we think Margery may be a little put out that we've left her at home and gone away in Muddy Marge. Late yesterday afternoon her vehicle alarm set off for around twenty minutes. Because of the intermittent mobile signal out on the islands, we didn't see the message from our next door neighbour to tell us until around nine in the evening. Long story short, we are in possession of the vehicle keys, a spare set wasn't accessible for Angela's son to take a look. At this moment in time she hasn't thrown another wobbly, but we couldn't risk it happening again. Our neighbours were probably not best pleased. So late last night we managed to book ourselves on the early morning sailing from Barra back to Oban. And early it certainly was.
We were up at four-thirty, away by five-thirty with only the sheep to see us off.
As we drove along the narrow roads we felt sad our Scottish adventure had been curtailed. Last check in for the ferry was five to six, we couldn't be late. So as the sun rose over Castlebay, the vessel slipped its berth and we began the start of what would be a very long day.
Fortunately, despite spending six hours on board the trip across was calm, unlike our journey over. The wind of the last few days had abated, the sky once again postcard blue.
On the approach to Oban we were informed there would be a lifeboat practice, which we watched, glad it wasn't a real evacuation. Marge second vehicle off the ferry at Oban headed south with a purpose. The road wound through the mountains, pine trees carpeted their slopes with a pallet of greens, and then the waters of Loch Lomond, sparkling and dancing in the sunlight. We stopped for lunch at The Green Welly Stop at Tyndrum where we bought hot scotch pies, John's dad would have loved them as they were his favourites. We needed comfort food in abundance.
Our original plan was to stop overnight at the Corner Campsite near to Dumfries, but on reflection John thought it best not to divert and carry on down to the Lake District.
We made sure we stopped regularly, it being many hours since we got up after only a few hours sleep.
Eventually we arrived at Kendal around seven. It was now fourteen hours since we'd set off.
So here we are at Kendal Cricket club, a favourite stopover of ours. A chinese take away purchased we reflected on the last twenty four hours. This is the third time now something has happened whilst we've been away and we've had to return early. Let's hope it will be the last. Hopefully Margery's problem will be just a low battery and can be easily rectified, so we can pack up and set off again in a few days. As inconvenient as this all is, it is what it is. That's life for you!
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