To Thurso by train

Getting ourselves off the Mull of Kintyre  is a bit of scramble, even though we've packed the night before. Having one hand splinted slows me down, and Peter spends a lot of time looking for his razor, which had slid off the shelf where he'd put it when we were rolling in Loch Ness. We also have to fill in incident reports for our respective accidents. We get our luggage off the boat not too long after the 8:30 deadline, then repair to Caley Cruisers lounge and Briefing Room to fill in the forms and in theory to have a coffee, but the machine there defeats us. We return the forms to the Office and they call us a cab to go to Inverness station.

It's another great train trip to Thurso. We board in plenty of time to secure seats on the right hand side of the train - this is another line that hugs the coast for most of the way. The scenery is so varied; lush green sheep-dotted meadows and yellow fields of recently harvested crops in the valleys and along the edges of the Firths, trees lining the tracks so closely that they brush the sides of the train, steep hillsides bare of trees, churches, castles, a huge cruise ship, beaches, both shingle and sand. It will be a pleasure to do it again tomorrow.

All the photos taken through the train windows, hence the slight reflections. 

Woodland

Fields

Sandy beach

Shingle beach

We pass through many small stations with names like Scotscalder, Brora, Gorgesmas, Dunrobin Castle. They all look like the station from my brothers' Hornby train set, except that most are stone. We stop at about half of them, the rest are request stops, mostly un-requested.

Dinky station with trompe l'oeil

On arrival in Thurso we trundle our suitcases to the Manor House Hotel and check in. Google has helped Peter to ascertain that there is a laundrette in in easy walking distance, so that's our next stop. While our washing is on we eat a sandwich lunch in a cafe, and we find our way to the sea while waiting for the dryer. In the distance we think we can see Hoy, the southwestern end of the Orkney Islands, which COVID stopped us from visiting on our last overseas trip in 2020.

Ancient ruined church in Thurso

Ruined castle in Thurso

Washing is returned to our room, we have a break, then do more exploring of Thurso until its time for an excellent dinner back at the hotel. Now ready to call it a day.

Looking downriver to the sea

Looking upriver

Caledonian Canal Day 7: Last day, Loch Ness again, back to the marina, patched up by NHS

 The boat is rocking gently when we wake, even in a very sheltered harbour, so our dreams of seeing Loch Ness calm will not eventuate. As we leave Urquhart Bay we are at right angles to the already sizeable waves, and we roll a lot until we can turn toward the end of the loch. Even with wind and waves behind us steering is challenging when a larger wave picks up the boat and we surf down again. I steer through the entrance channel at the end of the loch without incident, once in the canal and through tiny Loch Dochfour it's easy. We tie up briefly at Dochgarroch lock, scene of Peter's head injury which everyone on the locks seems to know about. The lock keeper there has a big barge coming so she asks us to go through as quick as we can and we do. After that there's a nice restful stretch of canal before we reach two bridges. We are just attempting to tie up to wait for the first one when we realise it is opening, so we head through, tie up again, wait very briefly for the second one to open for us. From there it's only a short section of canal before we reach Caley Cruisers and return the boat to its snug mooring in a corner, with a bit of help from one of the Caley people.

We explain that we're back a bit early so we can get my hand seen to. They suggest we ring 111 to make an appointment, but when we're told we may have to wait for up to an hour for anyone to answer the call, we decide to stick to our plan of going straight to A&E in the hospital. We are then offered a lift in their van with their maintenance man, instead of waiting for a taxi - so kind of them as it's quite a long drive to the hospital.

We find our way to the Minor Injuries section, where there are only a couple of people waiting. By the time Ive gone through the registration process for a visiting Australian, there are a lot more people waiting, but it's only about 30 minutes before someone calls my name. I am then dealt with most efficiently by a nurse practitioner who hears my story, then sends me for an X-ray. My diagnosis was half correct: I have broken my fifth metacarpal, but I've also broken the middle phalanx of my fourth finger. I need a splint for the former, and a buddy-tape for the latter break. These are fitted expertly by a nurse, who also removes all the bandaids I stuck on when things were bleeding, and put a new dressing on the one wound that still needed it. 

Thoroughly patched and braced, we take a taxi back to Inverness City Centre where we have some lunch, walk around for a bit, buy a couple of crime novels and a shirt in charity shops and then walk the 3km back to Caley Cruisers. Now we can have a quiet night eating our remaining food and packing up ready to leave for Thurso tomorrow.

My hand is much more comfortable in its splint, but I find I risk disturbing the metacarpal fracture if I try to touch type, so the rest of this blog will be typed one-handed. I may become less verbose! 

Thank you NHS!

Caldedonian Canal Day 6: Nice weather, helpful lock keepers, Loch Ness again

 We have decided that the pontoon near the Cullochy Lock is our favourite place in the canals. It's quiet and very pretty. We wake to sunshine and have a leisurely breakfast, enjoying the peace before boats start coming through the lock. Eventually we start up and continue down the canal to Kytra lock, tie up and then go through with a cruiser and a yacht, both with Germans aboard. 

We proceed gently on down the canal, slowing down as we pass a group of canoeists so as not to slosh them about with our wake. When we reach the Fort Augusta staircase we find that there are 3 batches of boats coming up, so we tie up and go ashore. This time the pharmacy is open, so we stock up on new dressings and consult with the pharmacist about getting my hand x-rayed when we get to Inverness - directions are to go to A&E in the hospital when we get there.

We plan another pub lunch at The Bothy, but it's packed, so we buy a roll and a baguette at a cafe, eat them sitting by the lock. As the last batch of boats are exiting the top lock, we talk to the lock keepers - they are going to lunch, then they'll load the locks in batches for the downward progression, starting with the two huge barges that are waiting. One of the last boats out is a monster with a crane called Holyhead Towing.

Holyhead Towing going past

By 2pm lunchtime is over and we watch fascinated as the two huge barges manoeuvre off the jetties where they are moored and into the first lock. Not too long after we are called in with three yachts and one other motor cruiser. Word has got around about my hand, so one of the lock keepers does the bow management and Peter does the stern pull this time. I stand about and make sure Peter is OK as we descend slowly through the five locks. We wait for some time in the last one before they open the gates, swing the bridge just beyond the locks and let us free into Loch Ness. Most of the boats who came down with us tie up beyond the bridge but we go on, because it isn't raining and it's relatively calm compared with our previous crossing. There is rain forecast which catches up with us about half way, but there is a light sky ahead most of the way and we enjoy the journey, even with a bit of rain, and some increasing wave action with it. As we are going with the waves and there isn't as much wind, it's a much more pleasant trip.

Loch Ness, calm and rain-free

Urquart Castle as we approach Urquart Bay
(with rain and more wave action)

Finally Urquart Castle is in view, and this time we get a good look at it as we turn into Urquart Bay and head to the harbour. Reverse berthing is always challenging, but after one attempt where I thought we were going to back into the Nessie Hunter, we slot ourselves in on the quieter side of the marina (further from the road) with some help from people on the boat next to us. Time to put the next ready meal in the oven and open the bottle of rosé we bought in Fort Augustus.

Postscript: Now we're tied up the sun has returned.

 

Lifeboat Station in Urquart Bay Harbour, in sunshine!

Caledonian Canal Day 5: Mixed weather and another injury

It started raining as forecast at 10pm on Monday and is still raining in the morning. It stops as we go up the canal, following a nice-looking yacht from Germany. It's almost sunny by the time we reach the Moy swing bridge, which is closed this time, with several boats already waiting. We and the yacht do 360s in the canal while we wait for the bridge as there is no room on the tiny jetty for more than a couple of boats. 

When the bridge opens we go straight through and on to wait for the bridge and lock at Gairlocky. Our attempt to tie up at the pontoon is a miss, and by the time Peter has turned around, avoided other approaching boats and turned around a second time there is no longer any room, so we raft up to one of the boats already moored (tie up to their side). We have to wait there a while, and when the bridge opens there are other boats waiting to come down the canal, including a huge barge. Finally it's our turn, and as we are rafted up we are the first boat to untie, pass through the bridge and into the lock. It's a very deep lock, and they drop lines down to you as you'd have no hope of getting a rope up to the top unless you were a caber-tosser. 

It's a FIFO system, so we are first out of the lock. One of the other hired cruisers passes us before we are even clear of the entrance channel, the others gradually pass us as we go through Loch Lochy at a leisurely speed, enjoying the scenery and dry weather, almost sunny!

Loch Lochy, rain behind us

Scottish green hillsides in Loch Lochy

At the other end we make our first mistake for the day. The boats who've passed us are now waiting for the Laggan Lock, and once again we do circuits while we are waiting, rather than tie up. As a result we don't get instructions from the lock keeper. I'm keen to hang back so we don't have to travel through Laggan Avenue in convoy, but Peter sees there is room for one more boat in the lock and heads in. Unfortunately there is only one lock keeper and he is still dealing with the third boat on the other side, so there is no one on our side to throw a line to. It's now blowing hard, so we drift across the lock, finish up almost diagonal. Lock keeper is not pleased. We were supposed to wait until told to come in. We do eventually get the boat back to the correct side of the lock and safely tied up, but the lock keeper has to do a huge amount of hauling to get the stern across. Definitely not pleased. We apologise profusely on our way out.

It's pleasantly calm in the shelter of the trees in Laggan Avenue. We're instructed to stay together with the other 3 boats in a pack so that we can go through the bridge at the end of Laggan Avenue together. After a while we catch up with another barge, so we proceed at a nice slow pace behind it and we all go through the Laggan Bridge together and into Loch Oich.

Laggan Avenue in convoy

A mini waterfall in Laggan Avenue

We have no wish to keep up with the other cruisers and potter through Loch Oich to find them all waiting at the pontoon at the other end, two moored and one rafted up. All that hurrying gets you nowhere. We do circuits - when we get close enough we shout for directions and are told that we have to wait for the tourist barge (now behind us) to go through the bridge and lock first, as they need the whole lock to themselves. So we go back into Loch Oich and poodle around in the vicinity of the barge, which isn't moving much.

Following the tourist barge into Loch Oich

Scenery

When the barge finally sets off for the end of the lock, we don't hurry after it as we understand we'll have to wait for a second bridge opening. However the other three cruisers do follow it through the bridge, so there's now plenty of room for us to tie up and wait for the next opening. It's now raining again and blowing hard, and in the process of putting a stern line on to the pontoon I jam my hand between line and cleat. I jammed three fingers, which are now cut and bruised, but my little finger, not jammed, is the one that really hurts - I think it got bent and it's either sprained or I've cracked a metacarpal. I can't type with that finger, having to use fourth finger on the A key.

The mangled hand

We have a longish wait for a workboat to arrive which will trigger the next bridge opening. Despite my injury, we untie successfully, pass through the bridge and into Cullochy Lock behind the workboat and another cruiser, this time not until the lock keeper is ready! Lines are successfully thrown and managed. As we leave we're told that the next lock is expecting the three of us, but we've had enough for the day and tie up to the pontoon where we spent Sunday night. And now the wind has dropped and the sun is actually out - need to take off another layer of clothes.

Caledonian Canal Day 4: Best day so far

 It's beautifully calm with no sign of rain when we start the day at Cullochy Lock.

Morning!

By the time we've had breakfast the lock is operating and the two women who run it call us in.

Cullochy Lock

 I've learned something from my throwing failures yesterday, and the lock keeper tells me that my bow line throw is the best throw she's had all week. Once through the lock we head toward a swing bridge and have to wait a bit mid-canal for it to open. Now we enter Loch Oich, the smallest of the three main lochs in the Great Glen, shallow, narrow in places but very pretty. For once we don't need the windscreen wipers going and we can take photos without having to stand in the rain.

Scenery, without rain

We are about to tie up on a pontoon as we approach Laggan Swing Bridge when we realise that it's opening and get a thumbs up from the bridge keeper. In the process of not-quite-tying-up we finish up at right angles to the canal, but Peter executes a neat 270 degree turn to bring us back in line with the bridge opening. We head through and find there is a big barge on the other side who should have had right of way (as the bridge opened towards us), but it's too late and no one seems to care.

Laggan Avenue

From here we go through one of the loveliest sections of our journey, Laggan Avenue. When this canal was dug, they had problems with the sides and trees were planted along the length to stabilise the banks. We have this green corridor all to ourselves, so we can go through at a leisurely pace. We have to wait for the locks at the other end, and we have time for a coffee ashore before we go on through tiny Ceann Lock and into Loch Lochy. This seems a strange name for a loch, rather like calling a boat Boaty MacBoatface. It's big enough for a bit of wave action, but not as rough as Loch Ness was - minimal spray on the windscreen. I love the colour of Scotland - the steep hillsides rising from the lochs are covered in a tapestry of muted greens, with occasional bright green fields at the water's edge.

The muted greens of Scottish hills

Kayakers on Loch Lochy, with sail up

At the other end of Loch Lochy is another lock and swing bridge. When we tie up we're told by the lock keeper that the swing bridge is stuck, and until an engineer comes to fix it, we can't go through. Several of the convoy of boats that got ahead of us yesterday when we missed a chance to go into Kytra lock are now in the Gairlochy lock, where they have been for some time. Once again, we're pleased we were too slow yesterday - we had Laggan Avenue to ourselves, and now we can tie up at a pontoon and make ourselves lunch while we wait for some action. Eventually the lock-keepers fill the lock again so that the boats in it can reverse out and also moor while they wait, rather than being stuck in the lock. As they come out and more boats come from Laggan, the mooring places fill up - we're glad we had an easy option when we arrived.

Some time later when Peter has just gone below to have a post-prandial zizz and I'm not paying attention, Peter realises that the boats around us are moving. Clearly the bridge problem has been resolved and boats are re-entering the lock. We rapidly organise ourselves and are just in time to be the last boat into the lock. When the lock opens we happily let the other five boats go ahead. For a little while we try to keep pace with them because there is one more bridge ahead, but when we get there we find it open and it looks as though that's its normal state. So we slow down and let the other boats disappear from view - why do people have to rush?

Another pleasant stretch of canal lined with greenery and we come to Banavie, where there is a famous 7-lock sequence called "Neptune's staircase", which takes you down to Loch Linnie and sea level. The pontoons near the locks are full, but there is room for us between two yachts a bit further back. We're just about to go in to tie up when we realise that a boat coming the other way is heading for the same space. We feel it would be a bit rude to go ahead of him, as he has clearly turned around to come back to it, so we also do a turn and come back to where there is still room behind him. It's a bit tricky to get into a space that's just long enough, but the people who went in ahead take our lines and help us in.

As soon as we're secure we walk to see the staircase. It's too late in the day to see anyone going through, but it's still an impressive sight. We go down one side, watch a train crossing the canal on its way to Fort William, then back up the other side, with a splendid view of Ben Nevis to the south. There is even a tiny patch of sunlight on the hills.

Train at Banavie

Neptune's staircase, from the bottom

Ben Nevis

Look! Sunlight on the hills

Even though it was cloudy and the maximum temperature was only 16 degrees, today was our best weather. Sadly, it goes pearshaped again with lots more rain starting at 10pm tonight and continuing for the next three days. On our last day the forecast maximum is 11 degrees. Let's hope they're wrong!

Caledonian Canal Day 3: Loch Ness and a lot of locks

 When we left Yorkshire, the forecast for our time in Scotland was three days of rain followed by three sunny days. In fact our first two days were only showery, but today's weather was seriously Scottish, pretty cold and rain nearly all day. What is depressing is that the better weather that was supposed to come later in the week has vanished entirely - one rain free day tomorrow, then rain for the rest of the week. So much for summer.

We leave Urquart Harbour around 9:45 and head down Loch Ness. It is bumpy at the start, so much so that we have our windscreen wipers on all the time to clear the spray. The skipper is worried that a wave may wash the bow line off the deck, so the mate goes forward into the spray to bring it back aft. The wave action reduces as we head down the loch, but then the rain starts, so windscreen wipers stay on.

Heading down Loch Ness at 7kt

Loch Ness and Scottish summer weather

We make good time to Fort Augustus and tie up while we wait for the big moment when we go through a five lock staircase. Skipper consults the lock keepers and finds we have a 2+ hour wait, so we go ashore, do a bit of shopping. We're hoping to find a pharmacy where we can buy some fresh dressings for Peter's head, but when we do it's closed. We make do with a box of band-aids from a supermarket. I take the shopping back to the boat while Peter reconnoitres. He has checked out the cafes on one side and hasn't yet found one that appeals, so we decide to try the Canal Centre, but the cafe there only does soup and cakes. We spend some time watching boats that are descending the staircase, including a couple of yachts. Peter chats to a German sailing a lovely gaff-rigged yacht single-handed. When we tire of standing in the rain we turn around to find a pub Peter had missed, where we have a very good pub lunch.

Pontoons where we wait and the view opposite

Yachts going through the locks

When we return to our boat, the lock keeper comes to tell us that we will be in the second batch of boats to go up the lock staircase, so we have another wait. I take the lines of the single-handed sailor when he comes to the space behind us on the pontoon. Finally, it's our turn. The first batch of boats are two locks ahead when we drive into the first lock. There are only two boats in our batch, so they position both of us at the back of the lock, one on either side. This means they can open the sluices fully as we are well back from the turbulence this creates.

Once in the lock, we have to throw a bow and stern line up to the lock-keeper. After Peter's last effort, I'm doing the throwing and I manage both quite well. Once the first lock fills we step ashore as we have to pull the boat through the locks. The person on the stern line pulls, the one on the bow uses the line to steer the boat. I pull, Peter steers and we go through all five locks without any assistance. I find that if I give the boat a good heave to get it from the back of the lock toward the gates it has enough momentum to keep going as I climb the ramp between locks and walk over the open lock gate - all I have to do is keep hold of the line and be ready to stop the boat by putting the line round a hook on the lock edge once we're clear of the gate.

Once the last lock has filled we climb back aboard so we can drive out of the lock into a canal, where we travel at a restful speed towards Loch Oich. We pass through one more lock and this time I fail throwing - the lock is a bit deeper and maybe my arm is tired from the pulling. My first toss of the bow line is good on height but poor on direction, and it slips back into the lock before the lock-keeper can grab it. Second one gets there, but then I can't get the stern line up - eventually I tie it to the tail of the bow line and the lock keeper hauls both in and sorts them out. At least there was no one watching, we were on our own in the lock.

Once through the lock we traverse the rest of the canal and tie up just before the last lock. There is nowhere to moor in Loch Oich, so no point in going further today. Now that we're ready to call it a day, open the wine, heat up a "haggis, neeps and tatties" ready meal,  the rain finally stops. (Yes, we enjoyed the haggis, in case you're wondering. And neeps = swedes - turneeps? tatties = mash.)

Caledonian Canal Day 2: Loch Ness, Drumnadrochit and Highland Games

 We make an early start from Dochgarroch (7pm), navigate carefully past a weir, through Loch Dochfour (very small loch), between navigation buoys and into Loch Ness. Going SW in the Canal you are considered to be going out to sea, so it's greens to port, reds to starboard. It's showery, so we have to use the wipers to keep visibility. Mull of Kintyre (our boat) has only one driving position, and that's inside, so cruising in the rain isn't an issue except for visibility. naNavigator stands beside the driver, who's sitting in comfort.

It's fairly calm as we enter Loch Ness, but the wind is forecast to increase so we decide to head to Urquart Bay, which is normally the first night stop. We find our way into the narrow entrance channel and the skipper reverses into a berth quite expertly (bow thrusters really make life easier). We tie up and wedge some fenders along the back of the boat to stop it bumping on the jetty, then it's time for breakfast.

Later in the morning we set out on the walk to Drumnadrochit. Its about a 3km walk along a very busy road, but we take our time and enjoy the views as the road rises. The first thing we reach in Drumnadrochit is the Loch Ness Centre, and we stop at the cafe there for lunch, not realising that there are several more options in Drumnadrochit proper, which is round a bend and out of sight. Traditional Scottish food: Thai chicken curry and beef lasagne. With chips. But it is tasty, and the coffee is OK. We then walk on into Drumnadrochit in search of a general store, but find only more cafes.

As we were approaching Drumnadrochit there were signs advertising HIGHLAND GAMES, THIS SATURDAY, and we can hear the sound of a PA system. We decide it's worth walking a bit further to find the sportsground where they are being held.  We pay our ten quid to get in, and find a very well-organised show. No caber-tossing (or not while we're there), but lots of other heavy objects being thrown, running, jumping, Highland dancing and a pipe band for entertainment. Big crowd of people and dogs around the oval arena, and an outer ring of stalls selling craft and food, and a few fairground rides, including the one of the kind that requires screaming from participants. We find ourselves seats on the perimeter and watch in comfort for a while before walking a complete circuit of the ground, and then returning to one of the Drumnadrochit cafes for a baked potato and drinks. The walk back to the marina in Urquart Bay is gently downhill with the wind behind us, but we're glad to get back to the warmth and comfort of the boat after a lot more walking than we normally do.

Pipe band at the Highland games, marching along the running track
long jump pit visible behind.

Inverness and Caledonian Canal Day 1

 After an excellent breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms and tomato at Ardmeanach House we head out to find our way to the Caley Cruisers marina, a walk to the end of the road which contains our guest house and dozens of others in both directions. At the end we cross the canal via one of the lock gates, then walk down to the marina. By the time we've got there, we've decide it's definitely too far and too rough a road to repeat the walk with suitcases. We introduce ourselves to the Caley people, get a bit more information about what we will need to shop for to equip ourselves for the voyage. As we're heading back towards the lock to cross back over the canal, we realise it's about to be opened for an incoming vessel, so we watch the locking process with interest, as it will be our turn the next day. The boat coming through is a nice-looking ocean-going yacht from Norway. Peter has a chate with the skipper and finds that their eventual destination is the Caribbean.

Once he's part way through we cross back over the lock and walk to the centre of Inverness to explore. It's about a 30 minute walk from the canal to the footbridge over the river Ness that leads into town - we are getting a lot more walking exercise than we're used to because we're such layabouts at home. In the city we explore all the charity shops looking for something in the way of bulky warmer clothes that we can give away again on return. Peter finds a very classy Musto jacket, waterproof outside, fleece lining, for a mere £40, and too good to discard later. I am looking for a thick woolly but it appears that the charity shops think it's summer, and so the only sweaters on display are very lightweight and synthetic. When we've exhausted our options we change tack and I buy a very nice merino wool sweater in Pringle's for £35.

In between we check out food options at M&S, and find a salad bar in a food hall at the end of an arcade where we get a greens fix with a chicken caesar and a watermelon and fetta salad, both awash with leaves. We go to Boots because they have all kinds of useful substances in small containers for travellers: we stock up on sunscreen and insect repellant which we may need if the weather improves, plus various other useful items like moisturiser, shampoo, body wash. 

Finally we head to Tesco as Caley Cruisers have recommended it as the place to buy food, because they will deliver. This turns out to be a half-truth - they only deliver if you buy online. And you can't buy online without an account. And you can't sign up for an account without being able to provide a phone number, which I can't because I have a data e-sim, no calls or texts. Of course we don't find that out until we've been right round Tesco deciding what we might buy online later. Defeated retreat to a cafe that does a good coffee, and then complete our exercise for the day by walking back to Ardmeanach House.

Plan B is to have breakfast, walk back to Tesco, shop for food, get a taxi to Caley Cruisers stopping at the guest house en route to pick up bags. But as we are stowing our bags downstairs for later pickup, we have a chat with host Andrea's husband, who recommends Lidl or Aldi instead. So we find our way to Lidl, but it's a bit too early as our boat pickup time is 12:45. Decide to find a cafe and have a morning coffee, but we are in a cafe-free zone and have to walk all the way to the river to find one. It's a Manna House cafe, which serves free coffee and scones to anyone who wants it. You have the option to make a donation, which we do. Our coffee the day before also came from a cafe run by a charitable organisation - in that one you paid for your coffee, but you could also do "Pay it forward", where you make a donation so that someone else who's hard up gets a free meal. We donated there as well. By the time we finish our coffee and scones the morning is almost gone so we go to Aldi as it's closer and shop there. We are now connoisseurs of British supermarkets - Lidl was probably the best, but we are quite happy with our Aldi purchases. Call a taxi, pick up our gear and arrive at Caley Cruisers ready to pick up the boat.

We pass the test to prove we'd watched the safety video, pay in advance for fuel, put our food and gear on board and it is time for our briefing about what's where. That doesn't take long as we are familiar with most things on a boat. Peter then takes the steering position and we practise getting the boat out of a cramped corner, doing a 360 turn, coming alongside a pontoon and tying up. All goes smoothly and it was time to set off. We successfully tie up at the first pontoon to wait for a bridge to open, but we're blowing off when we try to come alongside the second one where we have to wait for a second bridge, and we finish up at right angles to the pontoon. Peter decides the simplest solution is to keep turning and do a 360 - by the time he achieves this the second bridge is about to open so we just sit in the canal and then go straight through. Now we have a long section of canal before our first lock, but there's quite a bit of boat traffic coming the other way, and a number of rowers in the canal in single and double sculls, so it's a journey where the skipper has to stay alert. 

Successful tie up to a third pontoon to wait for the gates of our first lock to open. We enter the lock easily, I throw a bow rope up to the lock keeper, and Peter throws the stern rope. Consternation at the stern. Lock keeper tells me to leave my post and go back to tend to my partner. In making an effort to throw the line far enough to reach the lock keeper, Peter has managed to bang his head on the edge of the cabin roof, creating a gash of about 6cm. He appears to have damaged an artery because blood went everywhere - all over the boat and pouring down his face. He heads for the sink to get a wet cloth, distributing more blood around the galley area. When I reach him I alternate between mopping blood off him and off the boat, and finding something (a wet handkerchief) that he can press on the cut to try and stop it from continuing to bleed. I make him sit while I do this - by the time I've cleaned up I've thrown four washing-up-bowlfuls of very bloody water into the canal.

During all this the lock fills, the gates are opened, and the lock keeper single-handedly pulls us through the lock and, with a bit of help from a passing friend, moors us securely. People from the boat behind offer an ice pack which we accept and a first aid kit, which we decline. Once the blood tide has ebbed a bit, I patch Peter up with various dressings I am carrying in case they are needed for the wound on my leg where I had a skin cancer removed before we left Australia. Fortunately they are unused and by late evening they've all been deployed as the wound is still bleeding a bit. 

The whole episode leaves us too tired to want to do much ashore, so we just take it easy for what remains of the afternoon and I cook our first meal on board. All the bandages come off when Peter pulls clothes over his head to undress. I wait until he's safely in his pajamas, rebandage, and he goes to sleep with a pair of my knickers on his head to prevent seepage on to the pillows. Hopefully.

Peter wearing my beanie to keep the icepack in place.

Bandaged.

The knickers-on-head look, probably not a fashion statement.

Meanwhile...

..our boat...

...sleeping ducks...

...our first overnight stop at Dochgarroch (with more ducks).

Farewell to Yorkshire and a three-train day

We spend our last day in Yorkshire quietly: helping with the post-party cleanup, doing some washing, packing. We go out for another pub lunch - an excellent meal at the Blue Bell, where we sampled haggis bon-bons as a shared starter - more driving through beautiful NYorks countryside, ice creams at a famous shop in Ripley, and a walk around The Top in Knaresborough. Blue sky and sunshine - pity it wasn't like that on garden party day. An early night in preparation for the big travel day.

Knaresborough - view from The Top

 

Farewell to Ardann Cottage

We are collectively up in good time for Laura and David to drive us to Knaresborough station, where we catch the local train into York. Pleased to find that our next train comes in on the same platform, minimal movement required. We haven't yet worked out how to find the carriage in which we've reserved seats, so we board in the nearest carriage and eventually find our way to our carriage and seats after departure. 

Another win - our seats are on the right side of the train in all senses, which means we get spectacular views out to sea as we travel along the Northumberland coast: cliffs, boats, Lindisfarne on the Holy Isle.

Our train arrives in Edinburgh on time, we find our way to the exit that friend Marlene has specified and soon spot her car. She takes us for lunch at The Sheep's Heid, one of the oldest pubs in the UK, with a 19th century skittle alley in the back. More good food, soup followed by cod and chips, with the standard accompaniment of mushy peas. Am beginning to feel a bit deprived of fruit and veg and have definitely eaten too many chips lately.

Marlene drops us back at the station in plenty of time for train number three from Edinburgh to Inverness, and this time we manage to find our way to our carriage before boarding. We find our reserved seats are part of a double, rather than being face-to-face singles as on the last train, but we strike up a conversation with our companion and h turns out to be someone with whom we have much in common. He's a barrister who does civil law cases, a counter-tenor who sings in the St Alban's cathedral choir, and a former oboist who's hoping to get back to it in retirement. We made encouraging noises and told him to go to Howarth's to buy a good instrument - he knows the shop.

Scenery on this trip is quite different - no longer are there yellow meadows of recently harvested wheat and hay, interspersed with green fields occupied by sheep, cows and horses. Greens are muted, no crops, fewer animals visible. As we approach Inverness we follow the path of a swiftly flowing river full of rapids. Rising on either side are heather-covered hillsides, and higher land is visible in the distance. White patches on the hillsides are sometimes stones, sometimes sheep. The weather is also Scottish, grey with periods of rain.

It's dry when we reach Inverness, but very windy. After a long walk into the cold wind along the platform we find our way through the station to a taxi rank and are deposited at Ardmeanach House, which is warm and welcoming, and our Yellow Room is very attractive and comfortable.

Garden Party

 Laura has invited 22 guests from the village to come and "Meet the Australians" at a garden party, with hats.

Much inspection of the forecast, which is for a warmish day with rain in the evening. We fervently hope that the rain part of the forecast is accurate, as 26 people inside the cottage would be an extremely tight squeeze.

With our help, the garden setup is completed with hours to spare.

Eating here

Drinks there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as I am about to ask Peter to take a photo of Laura and me in our party finery, with hats, the first guests arrive, so it does not happen. You will have to imagine it, although you can see Laura in hat and frock in the pic below.

Party begins with Laura's string quartet playing in a sheltered corner, but note the pegs on the music to stop it blowing away.

After that we get into serious eating, drinking and talking. The warmish bit of the weather forecast is a lie, no sunshine and a chilly breeze. By mid afternoon everyone dons a jacket or sweater. At about 4pm we start to get the odd drop of rain, but the stoic English ignore that. 

 

Note the sweaters

Thinking about going inside...

Serious rain starts at 6pm, just as it was forecast, and the stayers move inside to continue eating, drinking and talking. A classic Goldsborough garden party concludes when the last guests leave at about 9:30pm, 9 hours after it started.