A return to my beautiful Highlands

A return to the Highlands always lifts my spirit & heart. Staying, once again, in Arisaig, the peace & quiet was perfect. I was travelling with a friend, not my usual solo adventure, but an adventure of discovery all the same for her. I showed her the local sites, she loved every minute, from Arisaig to Drumnadrochit & everywhere inbetween.

My visit confirming, if ever I needed it, that this is the area I want to finally settle. Our journey to the Highlands began once we got to Glencoe. An incredibly emotive and atmospheric area that is steeped in Highland history. Even driving through the immense mountains you can’t help but think of what occured there. The Massacre of Glencoe took place in Glen Coe in the Highlands of Scotland on 13 February 1692, following the Jacobite uprising of 1689-92.

The region had had quite a bit of snowfall, but it had started to melt thankfully. Through Glencoe, our next destination was to be Fort William. We stopped and had a walk around, although being ‘out of season’ there were fewer places open than hoped. One place we did manzged to look round was the West Highland Museum. A fantastic showcase for the Commandos that trained in the Highlands for WW2 with lots of fascinating exhibits to see and read about. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

http://www.westhighlandmuseum.org.uk/

Fort William is a lovely wee place, again, well worth a visit.

And so we continued on the A82, the Road To The Isles. I have to say its one of my favourite roads to drive. The scenery is absolutely stunning. Passing along on the coast road, we came across the area that hold The Princes Cairn.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince%27s_Cairn

We stopped off at another of my favourites, The Glenfinnan Monument.

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glenfinnan-monument

My usual essential stop off, for some wonderful sea air, Camusdarach Beach

As I think I’ve already said, in a previous post, I fell in love with this beach after it was featured in my favourite film, Local Hero. A small, clean little beach but perfect all the same.

Local Hero is a film about a big American oil company, who want to buy up a small Scottish fishing village to turn it, unbeknownst to the villagers, into an oil refinery. A lovely, easy watch film, that showcases the Highlands to the max.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0085859/

We spent the remainder of our stay driving the Road to the Isles, taking in the scenery, while dodging the weather….

View of the Ben Nevis region

The Commando Memorial, Spean Bridge.

Urquart Castle, Loch Ness

Loch Ness view

Glenfinnan Viaduct also the film location for Harry Potter movies

Saint Mary & Saint Finnan Catholic in Glenfinnan

View from the A82

View near Our Lady of the Braes

Along the A82

Our Lady of the Braes (also used as a location for Local Hero)

Enroute to Glenuig

Life, again, leads the way….and plans, again, are changed

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, just when you think you have everything worked out, life comes along again and…wallop!!!

Having spent the last 35 years purposefully staying out of direct sunshine, well, any sunshine really, my body has now decided to declare a distinct lack of Vitamin D. Waiting for an upcoming bone density test, I now realise that my dream of relocating to the Scottish Highlands is just that, a dream and for the sake of my health, a much warmer climate is going to be the way forward. A bit of sun on my bones is what I’m looking forward to now.

A new plan is now needed. I am now looking for quiet villages to visit over the next 18 months or so to decide on an area to settle. I have a love of history and a very keen interest in the era of WW2 so am beginning my search in Normandy. Anyone with any suggestions would be very welcomed and appreciated. My plan is to buy a property for myself them 1 or maybe 2 more cottages to renovate then rent out as holiday gites .

An exciting time, a new adventure is on its way….

I long for the simple life…….

It’s been a long while since I’ve blogged. Work takes up a lot of time but still there’s a quiet unease and impatience to just ‘jack it all in’ and live the simple life. A life without Social Media, Newspapers, News Channels etc. I’m slowly realising that I would just like a very simple life….a cottage with a small garden, a beach for ‘the boys’, Gibby & Monty to run each day, some country walks etc to keep me fit, and I’ll be happy.

Recently, I have heard numerous, awful stories of animals being hurt and it’s actually affected me more than I realised. I won’t go into detail, the incidents were extremely upsetting, but these numerous attacks were just the measure of the local world in which I live, and I have no doubt that it’ll be a nation/world wide and it doesn’t fill me with any hope for the future. Yes, I know that there are lots of good people out there, I agree, but I do think that they are the few now, not the many. Why do we, as a human race, have to be so awful to animals? to each other? Religion and politics aside, why can we all not just get along, be kind, be nice and live peacefully together and with our animal companions? I know that this may sound naive to some people, my wanting a nicer, safer, peaceful, animal loving world but I’m just so sick of hearing these reports.

Back in 1918, the world emerged from what was to become known as ‘the war to end all wars’, millions were killed, and the world, politicians and public alike, should have learnt a strong lesson, on the fundamentals of treating each other with respect etc… roll forward a few years 1945, the world AGAIN emerges from a horrific war, millions killed and again, nothing learnt. Each year since 1945, there’s been a war, conflict, territorial dispute somewhere on this planet….we’ve learnt absolutely nothing. Years ago, I loved watching a US mini series called Winds of War and War & Remembrance. In it, the main character, takes a dawn drive to a cliff top to watch his sons battleship sortie for battle, knowing he may never see his son again, he opens up into a *monologue, sadly, that comes to mind more and more for me these days. I am pleased I am the age I am…can’t imagine what kind of world the kids being born today are heading towards.

Pug Henry’s Monologue

And so I continue to plan my new life, a simple life, when will that happen, I do not know….but it really can’t come quickly enough……..

The Dream……..

As the title of my blog suggests, my ‘new life’ was supposed to start from today.  A lovely wee cottage somewhere deep in the Scottish Highlands with Gibby & Monty as my companions. By this time in my life, I should have been settling into my wee cottage, living a quiet life, a slower pace of life. Not to be…..not yet. A new date has had to be set…something to aim for, to look forward to. Family comes first. Elderly parents, friends and immediate family that don’t want me to leave, ensures that I will be here for the next 5 years. So, my next target date??? 1st Jan 2023!! This gives me time to explore the Highlands more, to find my ideal spot to live the rest of my days.

A New Plan

With a big birthday literally knocking on my door, it’s time to take stock and make a new plan. I was hoping that by now I’d be on my way North to fulfil my Scottish Highland dream…. a new start from Jan 2018!! Life doesn’t go the way you want it to, when you want it to, but all things, good & bad, happen for a reason, I’ve always known this to be true. But the pull for a quiet, simple life in a little cottage in the middle of nowhere, with Gibby & Monty (my two Labradors, up in the Highlands remains my dream. And so, a new plan is born and the hope that life runs a bit smoother to aid my dream becoming a reality. 5 years!!! 5 years to pay off the mortgage, see my son and daughter settled and then sell up, pack up and head North!! In the mean time an Easter jaunt is in order….. I wonder where 😊

Sign up for Airbnb with my link for £30 off your first trip.

A New Adventure Awaits…..

This year hasn’t turned out the way I thought it would back in January. An unexpected major operation has made me rethink life in general and put things into perspective.  Now, fully recovered and raring to get back in the road for some more adventures, I have been back on the good old ‘World Wide Web’ and found another perfect destination to look forward to. A disused RAF Radar station is going to be my base and I can’t wait.

The Isles of Harris and Lewis have always attracted me, so my next destination was easy to choose. Aird Uig is a village of two distinctive characters. The south end is composed of a traditional crofting community whilst the north end is a composite of army barracks and buildings many of which have been converted into homes. Aird Uig village is home to a diverse and active community. It is situated in a stunning location with a picturesque bay that leads North to the Gallan Head Peninsula which offers spectacular elevated views of the surrounding seascape.

This is going to be step one on my relocation journey…..

Aird Uig Adventure April 1st 2017 ~ 214 days

Relocation Countdown ~ 489 days

A New NEW Start…and a new appreciation

After 3-4 months of recuperation, a new perspective on life is gained and a new appreciation of life acquired, its time to return to my journey.

Having a health scare, whilst nerve-racking, puts ones life into perspective, gives you a renewed appreciation of the life you have and the life you can look forward to.

Last year I began a journey to my new life that I want to start in the Scottish Highlands. A new life where I can leave behind the fast pace of a modern city and enjoy ‘the quiet life’ a time to just enjoy the peace and tranquility that is non existant in the city. A quiet life, thats what I yearn for, a place to simply be.

I am now looking forward to returning to the Highlands in early Spring and I can’t wait. The air is clearer, cleaner and my heart is lifted when my car edges closer to my destination through the Lowands and eventually leading me to my destination….

Isle Adventure Countdown – 251 days

Ultimate Countdown – 513 days

Journeying through Glencoe….so atmospheric.

Just when you think you have life sorted…..

  
Why is it, that just as you think you have life sorted, WALLOP!!! it comes up behind you and knocks you off your feet?? Easter was fast approaching, I had a lovely 4 day break booked, time off from my hectic work life and the open road up to the Isle of Skye ahead of me. So, when, this week, a health scare crept up on me, to say it was a shock, is an understatement. Turns out, I have developed a 20cm fibroid attached to my right ovary. I have had no symptoms at all except for an occasional uncomfortable feeling under my rib cage. Having the GP check it out turned out to be one of my better decisions and she gave me a thorough physical examination, blood tests and sent me for a couple of ultra sound scans then on for a gynocological referral.

Instead of my blog portraying my exciting travels in my beloved Scotland, it will, for the foreseeable future be my journey back to health blog, and if I can help people along the way who are experiencing the same, then that’s all good. Let this unexpected journey begin……

Just over a week to go, then I’m Skye bound…….

It seems like a lifetime since I booked my Easter break to the Isle of Skye. Now, with just over a week to go, my excitement is building and I’m on countdown till I finish work on Thursday. 

The thought of a 6 hour drive would normally fill me with dread, but on this occasion, I am more than happy to suffer the wonderful scenery that awaits me on the Road to Skye. I’m hoping there is still snow on the mountain tops. A few days of peace, quiet and no stresses of work is long overdue… let the week speed by and the exploring begin!!

  

Isle Adventure Countdown ~ 8 days

Ultimate Countdown ~ 652 days