As I neared the end, I slowed down because I knew what was coming and yet didn’t want to believe that it happened. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Lincoln, Team of Rivals, describes not just Lincoln’s life but also the lives of his political rivals, who would eventually be part of his cabinet to form … Continue reading Now he belongs to the ages
Pelé
It didn’t seem that long ago when the footballing world said goodbye to Maradona. Now, another footballing great, Pelé, has passed away. Even though we didn’t have a TV at the time, I was too young to watch Brazil winning the 1970 Mexico World Cup. But very soon after, all of us who played football … Continue reading Pelé
Glorious snow
I don’t know what it is about snow but it seems to make people happy. For children, it’s a delight — whether it’s building snowmen, having snow fights, or getting the sleigh (or tray) out. I went for a walk in Hampstead Heath via Highgate Cemetery, taking snaps with my phone. The snow on first … Continue reading / view photos Glorious snow
Leaving Loch Torridon
For our final full day in Scotland, we headed to Loch Carron, where we found the ruined 15th century Strome Castle. This area, now deserted apart from the odd tourist, was once a thriving town with a ferry port. The following day, it was time for our homeward journey. We drove to the Beinn Eighe … Continue reading / view photos Leaving Loch Torridon
Eagles, ticks and drawing
On the previous day, Cath and I had driven through Inveralligin, north of Upper Loch Torridon. One of our guidebooks had a walk not too far from there and the terrain was sufficiently flat for Helene to join us on the walk. So, we drove there. The walk had good views across Loch Torridon. When … Continue reading / view photos Eagles, ticks and drawing
A stroll from Lower Diabaig
The day started with us watching the Queen’s funeral. It was an unprecedented event in our life times: the death of a monarch. As we watched, we observed that the Queen had reigned for our entire lives. Regardless of whether you supported a republic or monarchy, it was difficult not to be moved by the … Continue reading / view photos A stroll from Lower Diabaig
Bealach na Bà pass
When we were in Kingussie, our hosts told us about the Bealach na Bà pass in the Applecross peninsula. I’d not heard of it. It’s the steepest road in the UK, eventually reaching 626 metres. We mentioned this to Cath, when we met up, and it turned out that she, with some friends, had attempted … Continue reading / view photos Bealach na Bà pass
Walking along Loch Damh
Before we got to Scotland, we had done a big online food shop for the week. One of the supermarkets delivered orders at the Torridon community centre twice a week. There must have been sufficient local demand to make the delivery because, our cottage owner told us, the driver had an hour’s journey to get … Continue reading / view photos Walking along Loch Damh
Driving to Badan Mhugaidh
On the third day, our holiday, as originally planned, could begin. So it was goodbye to Kingussie and onto Achnasheen to meet our friend Cath, who was going to drive us all to Torridon, a Scottish village, which is where we were staying. The final breakfast for me at The Osprey Hotel was a king-size … Continue reading / view photos Driving to Badan Mhugaidh
Hike around Càrn an Fhreiceadain from Kingussie
An essential website for ideas when hiking in the Highlands is walkhighlands. They have lots of walks and reviews of the walks. Some of the reviews have photos and even drone footage! I found this walk on the website. The summit of Càrn an Fhreiceadain is 878m, which is not high by world standards but … Continue reading / view photos Hike around Càrn an Fhreiceadain from Kingussie