Tags
Arisaig, CSOE, Czech Memorial Arisaig, Glencoe, Glencoe Corbetts, Morar, Operation Anthropoid, Prague, Scotland, SOE ww2 Training Arisaig, The Brecklet Trail, The Duror Trail, The Silver Sands, writing, Writing tips, WW2 SOE
MEESTER
MONSTER
ARISAIG. Shey on the rocks without a drink too… DAY ONE. The walk was to Rhu Point and back. Shey and the Mr were full of day one walking anticipation, so they howfed the three and a bit miles there, then back again.
ARISAIG Shey on a moth-eaten swing. Strangely this was without a drink although you might not think it. The Highland Games Dance was yet to come….
ARISAIG A deserted set of swings without anything….
And a phone box somewhere in Glen Roy that took Shey’s fancy largely cos you can’t get a mobile signal… BUT MAYBE there’s a ‘ beam me up Scotty,’ story here, OR It’s the TARDIS… As you can see …many writing prompts here.
DAY TWO. Shey at the Silver Sands, Morar before she and the Mr clocked the incoming tide…. and had to walk miles back to the road… or water, lots of it would have been what they were drinking…
MORAR
DAY two the Silver Sands of Morar from a safer viewpoint.
DAY TWO Unperturbed by the diversion at Morar and dancing half the night away, Shey and the Mr drove to Glencoe and tackled the Duror Trail feeling very brisk and loving the joys of walking. So much so they even walked along to Am Torr and back later before howfing it into the Boots Bar.
Glencoe
GLENCOE DAY 3. Despite the sun now beating down Shey and the Mr. set off to bag Meall Mor. From 1500 feet already up –on a forestry road to Ballachulish no less– with the last bit, straight ahead there, through the bog, round the sheep fence, through the gate and up the slope, just to go, what could be simpler. In Glencoe, there is no such thing as simple…
The view looking down from the top was quite something.
As for the five and a half hours all told it took Shey and the Mr to do the entire bagging-yes you can spot him there, thinking how one slip would result in him taking the express route down to Loch Leven…, while Shey tried a more zigzagging approach well….that was something too…
But returning…, or rather crawling back…to the Clachaig a surprise awaited. A bottle of lovely bubbly from the staff there for the wedding anniversary. So obvi this picture and all the ones taken after had a drink in them, in fact they had many, and no wonder.
Now this as blogger Ralpha will know is THAT sign again which Shey, no longer so full of the joys of walking, but rather full of fizz and cask aged cider tried to vary pose-wise.
DAY 4. GLENCOE/BALLACHILISH. Despite outright rebellion in the ranks, the Mr fell into step and did the lonely, overgrown, Brecklet Trail where Ping Pong Monsters lurk….. Monsters that tasted delicious…….
The view from above was something very special. .. ->yes how much wonder he is, in Scotland, wonderful thank you !!
Oh It is beautiful in Glencoe. Entirely different kind of scenery too from Arisaig which is about 50 miles away. Thank you so very much for visiting. I greatly appreciate it. It was a very special time away to us. I won’t say ‘restful’ lol. We also spoke to many people from all over the world which was great.
beautiful!! thanks to many and flew out until the coming. !!XXL !! (*L*))
Lots of love. So nice to see people from all over coming to this quiet bit
This looks like a most amazing holiday, Shey. Super pictures too.
Robbie, it was wonderful. And truly while we had planned on bagging Meal Mor, and obvi we had booked the night in Arisaig so much just fell into our laps after me NOT having time to plan beyond that. And really you kind of have to plan these trips to these places and also if you hill walk you need a back up plan too. So areal take it as it comes few days. Glad you liked the pics. My phone played up so I never got as many as I’d have liked xxx
Nice pic
Glad you liked the post x
I know you know this but ah, you have a lovely life and I thank you for sharing it. xo
Aw Pam, you are a gem. Every day I wake up and think life is sweet. And this trip was just brilliant, start to finish. We had only really planned in advance bagging Meall Mor. I had been looking online for hills, treks near Arisaig etc and not had a great deal of luck, like you factor in the four hour drive on not pretty pantz roads, the fact you then don’t want to walk four miles before putting a foot on a hill. But it just all kind of fell into our laps in many ways. Even, like I spotted the poster for the dance well tucked away and it was that night. We were only in Arisaig for that night and there was the place we were staying, bar and food wise, but that was all. So it was ideal. Also we generally are in the Clachaig for music night which is Sat but we were going home that day again cos we had not wanted to drive for hours on our actual anniversary. So we thought yay we will get music and a dance. But then when we got to the Clachaig they also had a band on on the Fri nite so yeah. What a time ! Couldn’t have planned it all better. YOu know me I just believe in seizing the moment xxxxx
Oh, and what a great moment it was!!🥰😘❤️ Happy anniversary to you both. 🎁
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Pam thank you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fantastic pics, Shey and the Happy Anniversaries to you both. The stories of the secret assassins, wow, I didn’t know and found it so interesting. Well done, dudes for this amazing narration of the story. Now, vodka and ……… dance. xxx
I didn’t know they’d all trained there either, despite visiting that church in Prague and the museum there. BUT when the MR found out he was for visiting Arisaig and tying it onto another trip to Glencoe which he’d originally said was a no no this year cos of the way the area has hiked hotel prices, so I am damn glad they trained there! I also didn’t know that so very many Czech fighters trained there or that Szabo did. I mean in the film they have her going home to her folks’ house in London from somewhere nearby when she hurts her ankle. It was up here that that happened but I also guess that things were not released or revealed till much later. They were mainly based at Arisaig House which is a few miles before the village but there were other houses used and I also found the hush, hush business of it all fascinating. Just aspects of it you don’t think about you know. Like I guess if someone is failing the training, or wants out well, you can’t just put them on the train home and wave them bye bye. Glad you enjoyed xxxx
A fascinating tale of secret agent intrigue there.
And the hamsters tell it so well.
Hopefully you had Big Macs and not cans of Campbell’s soup in your lunch baskets as you walked through Glencoe so you were not set upon by angry ghosts of the slain.
Ah Dracul, it was really interesting. One learns something new every day sure enuff. Of course the Clachaig is famed for the sign nailed to the reception desk. No Campbells it ses. I reckon that goes for soup. x
Fabulous tale. Gorgeous photos. I have to admit that the hamsters are quite good storytellers.
Well, I couldn’t think of how to do this post so I got them on it instead. Glad you liked it. I won’t tell them of course! Glad you liked the pics too. I had a prob with storage on my phone and it was fine, then it would play up for no reason, so patchy. xxx
Stunning Photos Shey, looks like you had an amazing time. pxx
I did Paul. Dead knackered by Sunday but hey. Part of the fun. Weather was brill and that was a bonus but equally it can be too hot to walk.
Oh no ! Not that sign again ! 😉 ❤
I pointed at it specially for you Ralpha. That is the truth x
So lovely…
Luisa, so glad you enjoyed. Glencoe is our little slice of heaven and now I think we can Arisaig is too. Thank you xxxxxxxxxxx
❤❣❤
The very same xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shey, you and the Mr sure know how to seize the moment! A wonderful anniversary trip and stunning pics. The dudes did you right proud too. I am in awe of those secret agents who had such breathtaking courage, often all alone with death at their shoulder. Seizing the moment. xx
Kate, glad you enjoyed. We did indeed have the most fabulous time. And the dudes quite stepped to the fore here after I thought…I don’t know how to knock this post all into one. Help. Truly amazing about the agents who trained there, the majority of them so young but obviously utterly focussed in giving up so much. xxx
That was a real fun post, Shey!
I think the pic of you on the rocks could be your new Gravitar (not that you’re looking for one).
Also… adore the history. For me, the history is one of the draws to your novels.
OKAY..
Meester
Monster
Hamsters… Listen up!
Shey will pick who she wants. I prefer Meester… but whatever. I’ll support this blog!
What? I’m writing to on-line hamsters? Goodnight!
Derest resa
Yis u r writin’ to hamstirs. And we ir writin back,.
Love
The dudes,
AW Resa, glad you enjoyed. I should have borrowed one of your art gowns for the rocks!! I just can’t resist a rock You’re very kind. Truly. I do love history. I especially love the behind the scenes bits, the bits you’ve to go away and think about cos they get lost in the bigger picture. And I do love using a particular bit of history as backdrop. xxxxxxxxxxx
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
New heroine is on the cover in a gown and I will get you your copy soon. nearly ready to roll xxxxxxxxxx
Ooooooh, what a marvelous trip! Bo and I are getting our first day-date in ages to a unique Wisconsin spot I promise to share pictures of soon. I may even get to share some things crazier than the ping pong monster….
Oh, and I love the advice here! There are amazing stories of conflict without all the global scale sweeping epicness. Well put, hamstahs and Lady Shey!
OOH, do enjoy my dear, there is nothing like that kind of trip. We never got many back in the day so when we did we always appreciated. So yep, bring on the piccies. We had a great time truly. Wonderful from start to finish. The ping pong monster was a new addition to the Brecklet Trail. There’s a bit there where some folks keep adding, fairy stuff and that was where the monster was. I reckoned the dudes would like a little pic. Personally I am always drawn to the smaller detail behind the sweeping epicness xxx
Oh, that’s neat how people can add their own bit of magic to nature! Here’s hoping my mom survives the kiddos–apparently they camped out in a tent in her yard last night. 🙂 I bet it was memorable xxxxxx
Yeah, it’s down near where the trail turns back into the village so I don’t know if it’s local kids or just walkers, though these days the trail is pretty neglected and doesn’t look to be done much either. Anyway they have fairy doors and windows on tree trunks …some new ones I noticed.. and places where people leave wee offerings and now they have this monster.
The little guys really are brilliant. Not sure I would Trust our 3 with vodka.These photos brought back so many good memories. The weather was perfect – match with the times Ive been there. Happy belated anniversary. xx
Lol, the little guys do their best. Glad the pics brought back memories. The weather was great, almost too hot for walking. BUT never had it so good there. Seen us arrive in torrential rain and depart in it too having waded it for days. Thank you for the god wishes. The Clachaig sure did us proud.
Loved the whole post, whining dudes and all. And loved the phone booth. Did it work? You look great on that swing Sistah! Weapos! ❤ xxx
HA ha,. LOL. The Mr. did the ‘out the way I can do that’ bit. And obviously that was a long time ago cos he took one pull on it and landed on the ground on his knees. WHACK. NOW I should have got a piccie of that! Glad you loved the post. The dudes were sure in whining form. Now that phone box. We stopped to switch drivers and this was in the middle of nowhere and truly there it was. I never went in to see if it was working. it looked okay, like it might but it also looked pretty mingy inside the booth itslef, if you tok the phone out of it I mean. The emails and texts bit cracked me up cos you don’t get a phone or radio signal either. You drive along for ages with no radio, then you get this 3 second blast of music where it suddenly gets a bit of signal. had to smile at this guy in the Boots Bar at the Clachaig, going on about how he’d been to the staff that he couldn’t send a text and not only had they told him to stand out in the far corner of the car park and wave his phone in the air, the place had now wi fi either…. x
What a fabulous travel-log. Glad you got some fizz – what lovely staff they must be at the Clachaig – or was this a tribute to your qualities as guests? Looks like a lot of fun was had, before and after imbibing.
Ah Cath, we had a fine old time, I must say, the bets bit being that we headed to Arisaig with no real plans and then to Glencoe with only one day planned and no back up either which you kind of need there. And it was just fabulous. The staff at the Clachaig are great . We have been going now for 10 years and come to know a lot of them BUT it was such a surprise and totally unexpected. I had only mentioned in passing cos the lovely woman who always is on at breakfast time who we have known for like 8 years, was surprised to see us what she thought was a day early…we usually do Fri/Say/ Sun, but what with tagging Arisaig on and not wanting to drive miles on our anniversary we did it differently this time. It is quite a hotel to stay in. Staff are always cheery and bright.
Great pics. Thanks for sharing
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Glad you liked. Truly
your images fill me with longing!
Ah dune mouse, you must tell Cybele Moon…although I am sure she knows already…to come dance by the light of the moon and the skirl of the pipes in Arisaig, until the dawn fingers the sky, to walk on the white sand and then despite whatever trials and length of a drive to get in there and dance some more on hills and mountain tops xxx
What a special trip and fantastic story-telling pictures.You are good at making memories xxxxxxxxxxxx
Oh it was a lovely trip. Had a fabulous time. I dunno re the pics but I do my abso best in life to make memories, Inese xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
❤
xxxxx
My sort of holiday: that is, in my dreams! My poor Mr is slightly older than yours, Shey, and not able to keep up with me (or so he says). Such lovely unspoiled scenery in those pictures of yours. It looks so much more spacious and open to the sky than down south. I bet it smells better, too xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You just get him out there and tell him Sarah!! Lol. All the places were lovely and I was careful planning Glencoe at this time of year to stay off the beasts in terms of the biggies people do there. For a start there’s damn all parkin in Glencoe so you quite undo all the goodness of chilling if you can’t get in a car park, and some of the biggies you do head to from the few car parks there is. The main one where all the tour buses go for folks to take piccies now and get to the Sisters, the Hidden Valley etc, …my God, it was like whacky races as we drove by on our way home. So was the one further along, the one for Buchaille Etive Mhor and the Devi’s Staircase. Lol, weren’t we smug pants!! Then you kind of are stuck in between various other parties too on these beasts, so I chose a mountain that is pretty well forgotten about and some trails like that too. And we had Meall Mor to ourselves the entire way up to the bealach then up the hill itself. On the way down from the bealach there were a few folks but they were heading over to Ballachulish or just strolling a short distance with their kids, taking pics So yep, totally open and unspoiled and that is what we go for. The air is wonderful and the peace is soul food.
So you have to endure whacky races wherever you go, too! Well done for shaking off the hoards for a while, though. My favourite beauty spot near where I live has been rendered intolerable apart from midwinter, as it appears in all the guidebooks. Last time I went there, some Spanish students took up the whole path and had a ghettoblaster blaring away, scaring off all the wildlife. Grrrrr….
Well, the road through Glencoe is torture at this time of the year. Too many tourists in campers driving on the wrong side of a very narrow road with sharp bends and steep drops, , and with no understanding of what a passing place is when they turn off that road…and that is just the Mr and me for starters.. Seriously Last year we were up at this time and truly I thought we were goners twhen his camper van wing mirror got whammed by a speeding jeep..the van was out in the middle of the road, in so far as you can be out in the middle of the road there and both wing mirrors flew right into our windscreen. Luckily that is made of reinforced pretty well unbreakable glass. But that was but one of five or six near accidents in a row we were in that day. When we got to the C road that leads to the Clachaig I thought, Thank God,’ then we were nearly in another two. Folks who just did not know what a passing place was.
Add to that the fact there’s very little parking. But like that, you can go to do some hill somewhere in the area in the middle of nowhere and there’s only two parking spaces in a layby anyway and if they are taken by other hillwalkers well then that’s kind of it which is why I always have a reserve option on everything we do. But yeah by and large it is an unspoiled wilderness, you just have to choose or time and know your way when it comes to these things. We aye say, when you are out in the wilds you forget about the journey and it’s true.
Thank you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>!!>!>>!>!!!>!!>!>!>!!!>(*L*)))
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx my friend. Have a wonderful Saturday
OOOOLSO so back to you, Have a wonderful Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!
I fully intend to xxxxxx
Great post
Thank you so much xx