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.

4x4 off-roading in Scotland

Apologies for the delay in posting blogs on my Christmas / New Year holiday to Scotland. During my time back in Scotland, the undoubted highlight was indulging myself in some good old Scottish food and ales. Roast beef, steak pie, roast lamb, and roast turkey were just some of the treats. I eat reasonably plain (but healthy) food in Japan so it was a real pleasure to spoil myself and overindulge for a couple of weeks.

The periods before and after Christmas were reasonably quiet with only a brief drive to Skye and a few good evenings in the pubs of Inverness. As it was my dad's birthday on the 28th December, he decided he wanted to do something a little different to celebrate. His choice was a morning driving off-road at the Farr 4x4 Experience, a short drive from Inverness.

We all thoroughly enjoyed driving the aging Land Rover Discovery around the course and I think despite trying to put on confident fronts, we were all a little bit apprehensive. The course looked very challenging, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Land Rover coped with ease.

An unusual, but great morning out, followed by a tasty lunch at the Dores Inn on the banks of Loch Ness.

Scotland - An Impromptu Visit

Well, I wasn't at all sure I would manage a trip to Scotland in 2012, but fate has decided otherwise. From looking at flight prices, it seems that February is the cheapest month when flying from Japan. I managed to get a last minute British Airways flight (Boeing 777-300) for about GBP 650. Quite reasonable!

I arrived in Scotland late on the 23rd February and will be here for a total of about 10 days. So far, I have managed to meet up with my friend Neil, do a bit of shopping in Tescos supermarket, and have eaten some great Scottish food. Today (Sunday), my parents and I had a lovely Sunday lunch at the Dores Inn near Inverness. I ordered the haggis, neeps, and tatties along with some great ale from Orkney (Scapa Ale and Northern Light). Excellent food, only bettered by the location of the Dores Inn on the banks of Loch Ness. The wind was cold and brisk and the waters of Loch Ness were quite choppy. It was really surprising to see three swimmers working their way down the loch.I plan to travel to Skye on Wednesday and spend a night there, meet a few relations, and do a couple of odd jobs. On Wednesday night, I'll stay in the Skeabost Country House Hotel and have a nice bar meal along with some more ales - really looking forward to it!

More blogs and pictures to follow soon.