Early morning, Whittlieburn Farm

I woke up at first light, and the view from sweet Mary Watson’s farmhouse window immediately erased any lingering thoughts of the horrors of yesterday’s travel.  The stress of the turbulence, hunger and fatigue had melted from my body as soon as I tucked myself in under the covers last night.  I slept deeply and well.  I expected to see the same sunny skies that we had driven underneath as we drove across the country to Largs from Edinburgh Airport yesterday; but when the first rays of dawn lightened the curtains,  and I pulled them back, I was greeted with grey, misty skies and rich green fields made even darker by the night’s light rain.  The flock of sheep and the horses have now gone in from the fields to have their breakfast, and I await Kyle and Liisa so that we can have ours.

South Whittlieburn Farm

South Whittleiburn Farm

I had a few minutes last night to catch up on things with Mary; like talking with an Auntie I haven’t seen in a while we talked about our lives since the last time I stayed with her in 2006.  She (as everyone is who has not seen Kyle in a while) was amazed at the man the eighteen year old boy she met in 2005 has grown in to.

I wonder what Liisa and Kyle will do when they find out that the music we heard in town last night as we had dinner was part of the week-long Viking Festival that will culminate in the re-enactment of the Battle of Largs on Saturday.  (?!)  In defense of the travel planner (me): I knew about the Battle and its association with the Thistle being the national flower of Scotland and that Vikingar! is in Largs. I put it on the list as a place we could visit before we head up to Ballachulish today.  I looked online to see what else might be interesting as far as the Viking influence in this area.  I did not see anything that even alluded to the festival.

We’ll see what the day brings….

Ceud Mille Failte