The Return of the King
It's Monday morning at 7 am, 24th April and we're heading for our final destination Greenock. After breakfast we'll disembark deck by deck and head home. It is another glorious day...
Yesterday we were still in the Scottish Isles: Colonsay. While some went off on their own, other walked or took the minibus to Colonsay House's Woodland Garden. I'd signed up for a hike - in a moment of madness having climbed St Kilda's highest peak.
We were to set off at 8:45; and right up to then I thought of pulling out. I didn't and found myself in the Zodiac heading for the island, and a meet up with the group of eleven to set off on the hike.
To begin with it was dandy, walking on tarmac road past grazing sheep and blossoming trees,
but we then turned right up a grit path and then started climbing, passing what we were told were standing stones.
It hadn't rained for a week and yet the paths were very wet and muddy. I had difficulty keeping my balance - not helped by inadequate footwear, but I soldiered on with the support of a Scottish woman now living in Bath. She was on the cruise with her husband, but he wasn't strong enough to do the walk. We walked together for much of the 3 hrs, bringing up the rear.
The view from the top of the climb was, as usual, fantastic. In the picture you can see the path and road we would walk along all the way to the coast.
To my relief that was the only hill we'd climb. We headed down the same path and again met muddy, waterlogged tracks passing by a freshwater loch we'd seen from the summit. We then hit a made-up road which took us past Colonsay House and its gardens. Crossing a bridge, we came across these lilies.
There were loads of chickens around who loudly greeted us as we passed by.
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Walking along the beach we joined the main road into the "town", on the way passing the local shop and post office. We'd done 11 miles in 3 hours - eat your heart out "The Proclaimers"!
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