Glasgow and Mallaig

Glasgow

Just one night in Glasgow, my favourite place being the treetop cafe where I went for a pot of tea and a sausage sandwich. It was worn out and in need of a coat of paint but run by a very friendly grey haired woman who called people love. She made it feel warmer than the electric bar heater was managing to.

I managed to spill my milk and of course when the lady came to clear up after me I said 'sorry about it, no use crying over it though!'. The enthusiasm with which I said this made it look like I'd spilt it deliberately to make my feeble joke. The kind lady simply said 'Nee bother, as long as it's not beer' and with that sentiment I decided that I liked Glasgow and would return to this cafe on my way back through.

Off to Skye then. Apparently the best train ride on earth. This may have been hyperbole from proud Scots but the journey through the highlands and over the Harry Potter bridge was certainly by far the best one I'd been on. Scotland is incredibly beautiful with scenery to rival New Zealand and if global warming kicks in they'll have one hell of a tourist trap.

In Mallaig where I spent the night before the boat to the Isle of Skye I stayed in a B&B that was essentially a family's spare room. Lovely, but I felt uncomfortable, I prefer hostels. Staying somewhere nice makes me feel on edge, like I should be nicer. I prefer being able to come and go as I please without anyone noticing whether or not I'm having my second poo of the evening. I dealt with this by using the facilities of the local pub where I also had dinner and played pool with a couple of locals who dive for scallops for a living. Their longest working day is about 2 hours because of compression which leaves a lot of time for the pub and pool, I was well beaten.