Views to a thrill

Sometimes luck is on my side. And on this occasion the luck came in a very big way indeed.

For many years Mr Outdoors's dad has wanted to visit Plockton. I don't think he really knew why except that he had seen pictures of the stunning coastal village and so he had it in his mind that one day he would like to go. But at the age of 85, getting to Plockton on his own was not really option.

So at Christmas Mr Outdoors and I gave him the gift of a weekend trip to Plockton (so long as he could stand the thought of being accompanied by the Outdoors family). Finally, last weekend we headed off for the five-and-a-half hour drive north.

But we did not simply head off in the usual Scottish dankness. No, we set out on Friday afternoon in the most amazing sunshine. For the entire journey (and weekend) we were treated to fabulous sun-kissed views and miles of glittering, flat sea lochs. You really would not want to be anywhere else in the world when the weather is so fabulous.

Even luckier still was the gem of a B&B that I had booked quite by chance. Finding that many places in Plockton were either fully booked (I tried to book months ago.. definite signs of the "stay-cation") or were not set up to accommodate a family of three and my father-in-law we were finally directed, via word-of-mouth, to a new B&B in the nearby village of Duirnish. But with only the start of a website (therefore no pics) and no reviews on the likes of TripAdvisor (this I will now amend) it was impossible to know exactly what I had booked.

Amazingly Tigh-Arran B&B turned out to be one of the best such establishments that I have ever stayed in. The two en-suite bedrooms were huge, bueatifully decorated and boasted stunning views from the mainland, across the Atlantic ocean and over to the Isle of Raasay and the Cuillin Mountains of Skye in the distance. There was also a guests’ lounge and dining room, again with the same fantabulous view. For much of our two-night stay we sat looking out over the scenery, completely mesmerised – and drinking drams of the “local” whisky Talisker, of Skye.

Thanks, too, to the extremely welcoming host family, Mary, Ian and 2-year-old Isabella, plus dogs and a rabbit, we enjoyed one of the most wonderfully relaxed and companionable weekends for many years, summed up by my father-in-law who was apt to repeat out loud: “I just feel so contented, so contented.”

These photos do not even come close to showcasing the awesome views of this weekend but they do give a flavour. It really is worth the long, long drive north – and then the long, long return journey south again.