The Birthday Blog

My 2 weeks in Scotland passed in a flash.......before I knew it, I was back on the plane returning to Japan. It was, however, an excellent time! 

Kano up a mountain

Early in my holiday, I met up with an old university friend and hiked to the top of Ben MacDui, Scotland's second highest mountain. The weather was kind and I picked up a little sunburn on my arms and legs - quite unusual for Scotland!

It had been some time since I last met Willie, but we still managed to share a good story or joke. On the way down the mountain, we sought out another old university friend, Gary Russell. Gary decided to quit his career in retail for one in the great outdoors - he is now self employed and spends his time sympathetically repairing mountain paths. Gary and his colleague really appreciated the two bottles of beer we gave them at the end of their day's work.

Uni chums - Gary and Willie

After descending the mountain with Gary and Willie, we stopped off for one drink to catch up a little more. The chilled bottle of Peroni beer has never tasted so good.

The days after the hike were pretty quiet - I walked around the shops in Inverness, had some nice home cooking (especially the breakfasts) prepared by my parents, went out a couple of times for lunch, and enjoyed the afternoon and evening sun in the back garden. What more could you want from a holiday?

The primary motivation for visiting Scotland this summer was to celebrate my birthday........my 40th birthday.....yes, 40th! Rather than sitting morosely in a Tokyo bar wondering what my family and friends would be doing on that day, I decided I had to make it back home. The added bonus is that Neil and I share the same birthday, so we regularly manage to make it an enjoyable event.

Birthday ales - Neil, Len, and Kane

This year, we had lunch at the Dores Inn next to Loch Ness. Neil's partner Jenn joined us, along with my mother, and the Whatleys - Len, Rhoda and the quick witted wee Orla. Oh, and I had better not forget their gorgeous little dog, Ruby. Orla was not happy when I suggested that perhaps Ruby could accompany me back to Japan.

A very pleasant and chilled out day with old mates - I haven't felt so at ease for a long time. 

The remaining highlight of my holiday was a short trip to Skye. Len kindly invited me to stay overnight at his mother's house in Bernisdale. The plan was to have dinner at the nearby Edinbane Inn, have a few pints, and enjoy the live music. A very sociable evening indeed!

Neil, true to form, made himself available for ales in The Castle Tavern in the evenings before I was due to return back to Japan. Thanks to all those I met over the duration of my birthday and visit to Scotland - it was a great homecoming.