An awfully big adventure

 Well, on the gusto and carpe Diem front, two friends of mine, Eamonn and Catherine, have been encouraging me to join them on their boat for a few days. So finally the window opened up and I said yes.

So now, if you check that ticket above, you will see I am on a train from Ipswich to Mallaig. I would say "check it out on the map" but can't actually wait to tell you that this is a thirteen-and-a-half hour journey of 570 miles, ending up on the slow train through Glencoe, Fort William, Glenfinnan (Harry Potter viaduct, natch) and rolling into the ferry port of Mallaig at nearly midnight. To say I am quite looking forward to it would understate the case. The last stretch from Glasgow alone takes over six hours.

And tomorrow I will be catching the ferry for 3 hours out to the island of Canna (population, approximately 20) to join the boat, and Eamonn and Catherine, and their cheerful dog (see below). 

And of course, some time on Saturday - maybe anchored off Skye, it will be a very early morning Hebridean summer solstice. I think this calls for a dawn dip and a glass of the local Uisge Beatha. 

Updates to follow.