Chapter Sixty Five - "In Scotland (Part 2)"

Day 5 – Wednesday, 24^th May 2017

               This journal entry is written in memory of the poor sparrow that flew into our window pane at tea time. Matthew 10:29 says, Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

                Today was a day of rest and relaxation. There were no specific plans for this morning, and so I woke up slightly later than usual, at eight thirty. However, with no plans, it also meant that there was no set time for prayer time; this, I thought, was a shame.

                I took time to finish writing my postcards, and then shortly afterwards, walked into Fort William with Dan and Josh to post them. Whilst out, we also wandered around some gift shops, and after much browsing through all the various tartans on show, I settled on a scarf for Mum (or Dad). As we stopped to buy a paper for Venna, I randomly considered how times had changed – once upon a time I would have been looking for the Official PlayStation Magazine. Alas, no more. The weather was grey, but dry, although the original plan was to go out for a walk, more locally, in the afternoon when it was expected to be brighter. As it happened however, it was grey and overcast for most of the day, so we stayed indoors for the afternoon.

                Lunch was risotto, lovingly prepared by Tom – I considered it his signature dish. Mike didn’t join us (probably exhausted from yesterday’s exertion), but this meant more for the rest of us!

                The afternoon was spent doing various things – I snoozed and tried to read. Later, as time pressed on, I challenged Abre to a game of Scrabble – Venna and Mike also joined in. It turned out in my favour, as I used all my tiles first, finishing on 166; Abre was just one point behind me on 165 – my Scotland winning streak remained unbroken! Somewhat unexpected, if I’m honest.

                Things rounded off with the film The Usual Suspects (my second viewing) and general discussion. We would be visiting the Isle of Skye tomorrow, so more opportunities for photos.

                To close today’s thoughts, it has been inevitable that in a predominantly male house, the subject of relationships and marriage has been coming up a lot, and it becomes ever more apparent that I long for a godly woman; I ask that I would keep trusting God.

Day 6 – Thursday, 25^th May 2017

                This morning’s prayer time was centred around Revelation 1:3, Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near, looking forward to the Lord’s return. In this chaotic world, with bad news day after day, it is uplifting to remember the hope that we have in Christ, and that everything will one day be made new.

                Just after nine we left for the Isle of Skye (all of us minus Venna, who had other plans – a boat trip and an afternoon church meeting). As usual, Tom and I travelled with Dan, while Abre took Josh and Mike. We stopped en route to Skye to admire Glengarry and Loch Cluanie, having our picnic lunches at the roadside. As I ate my sandwich, I thought back to a previous lunchtime rest stop from Italy, looking out at a similar view of mountains and trees – I’ve been blessed with seeing some beautiful places over the years.

                We travelled onwards to Skye, the landscape of which was especially beautiful en route. Once there we parked up at a campsite in Glenbrittle. Josh, Abre and I took a walk along the Cuillin Hills, skirting the beach, whilst Dan rested on the shore. For most of the walk Abre was far ahead, as Josh and I tried valiantly to catch up, struggling due to the boggy, damp ground, despite the absolutely glorious sunshine. As we made our slow progress, we chatted about life, and things pertinent to single guys like us. It was a valuable time to bond with Josh more, as we spent much of the walk on our own together.

                Reuniting with Dan and the others, we started the journey back to Fort William at around six. The drive, for me, was spent drifting in and out of sleep, daydreaming about the future.

                At eight thirty we arrived back. Venna was in the process of preparing dinner for us (spaghetti bolognese), for which we were most grateful, although a few of us were suffering slight discomfort due to sunburn. Fortunately I wasn’t one.

                A few particularly eyecatching views were captured on camera today, and I couldn't help but share some of these online, saying that I’d spent the day on the Isle of Skye. There were those I knew who would be very interested to see them, and I could totally understand why some would consider it one of the most beautiful places in the world.  

                The day closed with another episode of The Night Manager, and with various thoughts and questions about my singleness going round my head, I soon decided to call it a night.

Day 7 – Friday, 26^th May 2017

                Another glorious day dawned. I awoke with a refreshed view of things. The morning’s prayer time actually helped me to think positively about my situation – surprising considering the theme was ‘husbands loving your wives’ (Ephesians 5:25), and we were all single. As we prayed over our position as singles within the church, that we would serve the church leaders wholeheartedly, as serving Christ, I realised that my worth was not to be found in obtaining a wife or having a girlfriend.

                Today’s trip was to Aviemore, or rather Loch Eilein in the Cairngorms National Park. All of us, except Mike, headed out for an enjoyable day – though some of us were more active than others. Tom, Abre and I took a leisurely trek around the loch shortly after lunch (authentic Scottish cullen skink) – three guys out, wandering along a country lane, past farmland, feeling in my mind rather like something out of Band of Brothers (without the gunfire, of course). By the time we reached the loch, at the far end of the lane, it was worth the effort. On such a beautiful day the water, green trees and sparkling sunshine reflecting off the surface contrasted vividly; the abundance of conifers surrounding the banks reminded me of Canada (although unsurprising, considering Nova Scotia was literally seen by settlers as ‘New Scotland’). Trying not to get too distracted by the sight of the sunbathing young blonde girls on the opposite bank (Tom had wondered about offering to apply their suncream), we three finished our lollies (mine dripping down my front for much of this time) and drank in the scenery. Such a picturesque part of the country!

                We skirted the loch about a third of its circumference, before deciding to turn back – we were rendezvousing at four, and the time was fast approaching. The scenery was predominantly woodland, making a change to our open walks, previously. We actually arrived at the café with about half an hour to spare, so we enjoyed some cold drinks before returning to the cars for the homeward journey.

                As the walking took so long, the other options of clay pigeon shooting and fishing were not taken up. Thus, there was some discussion of whether the long drive to Aviemore was actually worth it. In my opinion, it was still a day well spent, as the trek did not provide views that we could get on our doorstep in Fort William.

                At six thirty we headed out to town for our final holiday dinner together, at the local Indian restaurant. Though I largely enjoyed my meal, it was apparent (to my annoyance and frustration) that spicy foods did not always agree with me – in that I had to stop frequently to dab my brow, dripping with perspiration, and was ultimately unable to finish all my food. As I left, nursing my stomach and feeling rather bloated, Venna was amazed that I actually admitted defeat – I said I was full!

                Tom, feeling thoughtful and wistful on our final night of the holiday, opted for a gentle evening on the hilltop watching the sunset. The rest of us settled down to the third episode of The Night Manager, or retired to bed. It would be an early start tomorrow as we would leave for London.

Day 8 – Saturday, 27^th May 2017

                I rose early this morning, at six thirty, with the expectation of enjoying a final breakfast with the others before we all finished packing. However, I was slightly disappointed to discover that Abre, Josh and Mike had already left – so I was left to eat breakfast on my own. No real opportunity for our last prayer time either, then.

                We departed just after eight, with a quick prayer of thanks offered up by Daniel. As the mountains and lochs passed us by, and I got wistful about saying goodbye to this beautiful place. I would certainly like to return one day.

                En route, we passed the Green Welly Stop, where Dan finally bought his long sought after Scotch Whisky for Simps – necessary for a men’s ministry whisky tasting evening.

                At around twelve thirty we crossed the border into England. There was a perceptible change in the landscape, as we left the mountains behind, and the scenery returned to the patchwork quilt so characteristic of rural England. Sadly our time in Scotland was now a memory.

                The rest of the trip was uneventful, arriving in London in the early evening. At least there was a bank holiday weekend still to enjoy.