There and back again (hopefully) - Molly's Hebridean Adventure Day 1

So, after probably two years of planning, reading (and buying) countless books on the Western Isles, watching Monty Halls' videos at least twice, bookmarking every conceivable website and travel log, and boring the pants of anyone unfortunate enough to ask me about the trip (but I did not confine tales of my plans only to those fools who asked), I finally set off from Goose Farm this morning.

Having rather shocked myself with how well I have adapted to no work and no work emails for the last two weeks, I have been so looking forward to this trip. I seem to have moved seamlessly from the important matters of the day being people retention and recruitment, monthly billing targets and cash collections and onto whether I should take my driver or rely on my 3 iron and 5 wood off the tee and which of my walking trousers that I can now get back into do I look best in.

I am grateful to my work colleagues and partners for covering for me whilst I am away. Most of all, I am grateful to the family for giving me this sabbatical within a sabbatical, especially Kate who will have extra responsibilities and jobs with the animals and, of course, the crazy artist that is my beloved Lit.

I am also eternally grateful for h.Art organising their event whilst I am away. Not only does this create a distraction from my girls pining after me, but more importantly whilst Mrs S is in her open workshop welcoming visitors she is not on the inter web challenging the HSBC Fraud Team to do their usual panic at Lit's one woman (well, two with Kate) efforts to get the economy moving.

My plans of an Indian Summer, and heavy doses of sun cream, with Molly's roof down were rather dashed as I packed the car at 7 am with a thick drizzle that turned into something of a downpour en route to Leominster. So it was roof up to start with. Getting everything into the car was something of a juggling act (and Kate's idea of hell, living out of a couple of holdalls for two weeks).

I've got a Boot Bag on my luggage rack which has got walking gear, golf clothes, waterproofs and so on. I've then got a holdall and a wonderful waterproof duffle bag from Overboard behind the seats with my clothes in (the thought of two weeks' worth of clothes and shoes fitting into two holdalls is completely abhorrent to Kate). I've got a pencil bag of golf clubs in the passenger footwell. I had Morgan fit a Librands footwell lockable compartment when Molly was serviced a couple of weeks ago. That is brilliant for being able to lock up camera, iPad and so on but does reduced the length available for the clubs a bit so the driver (see I made that crucial decision) is loose outside the bag and just fits.

I also got Morgan to change the cigarette lighter (which has always been useless and plugs have
fallen out) for a proper power socket then bought a neat gizmo which can charge 2 USB ports at the
same time. I was planning to drive all the way to Dumfries and Galloway avoiding motorways and printed out a set of instructions to (in theory) read in my rather overfull cockpit. But I also wanted to try the Maps App on my iPhone as a SatNav which I've never used before. It was excellent and I didn't use the printed instructions at all.

My plan, as I said, was to avoid motorways. However, if you travel a long way on A roads, it tends to remind you why we have motorways - it takes forever! So I abandoned that
plan part way through the day and joined the M56 at Warrington and then the M6 and A74M into Scotland.

My first stop was near Malpas in Cheshire where I visited my former PA Helen (nee Walker but now Blake). Kate and Lit would have approved of a brilliant cake from a Mary Berry recipe and a wonderful home that she and Charles have developed. I met the very talkative Daisy and Jack who I
have heard lots about but never met before.

327 miles in a day in a Morgan is quite a trip, especially when a lot of it is motorway. Actually, the M6 from Cumbria North is quite interesting and I had a few smiles and waves from people. Life got a bit more interesting off the motorway, and the photos in the album show Molly on the A70 which is a really nice driving road. It did show once again that whilst Scotland has some of the world's most stunning scenery it also has some of its worst housing design and I don't think Muirkirk will be winning any awards on Grand Designs.

I duly arrived at my first stop over at Dumfries House Lodge. Dumfries House is a stately home and estate which was saved by Prince Charles in his role as Duke of Rothesay. The Lodge House was opened as a B & B in 2012 and is beautifully decorated and furnished. I have a very comfortable attic room with a huge bathroom (Arran Aromatics girls!). They don't serve food so I went into Cumnock to the Dumfries Arms Hotel where I had a nice supper.

Tomorrow I having a walk around the estate before breakfast then I head for Ardrossan for the first of two ferry crossings. I drive round the Isle of Arran and then the Mull of Kintyre before ending up at Kilberry. Hopefully I'll sort out my photos by then as well.

Over and Out.
PS Considering how interactive and easy things should be, navigating around this draft (I cannot scroll to the top and bottom), editing it, trying to see a preview and so on has been a complete nightmare on an iPad. Probably user error I realise.