Scotland - the gift that keeps on giving

Complexion-friendly moist Scottish weather stands to its reputation. Low clouds brush on the tops of even-not-so-tall hills, and spill rain all over green lands and barren rock alike, and unprepared passers-by. Morning sounds with the fog horn. Wind of all strengths is ready to fill sails in aid of adventure, however this is currently on a short pause for a well-deserved rest in Oban marina. What a treat it is too!  Our previous stay in a marina was in Ramsgate, back in March at the very onset of our adventure.  As I start typing the blog, I am waiting in the Oban marina launderette for the last (fourth!) load of laundry to dry so I can fold it and take it back to Altor.

The treats go on from here - clean clothes, clean bed, clean boat inside and out, fan heater allowing us to lounge without wrapping up in layers of clothing and blankets, and of course showers! Cleaning the boat might not be considered fun, but to me it feels great and the effect is so rewarding. Mark and I agree as we admire the scrubbed deck, clean stern cabin, clean heads, and tidy saloon along with the smell of fresh linen and wood polish.

We set off on a walk to explore the island and we soon found the farm shop recommended to us by Sam, one half of the management team from the Oban marina. The special thing about the shop, it is open 24/7 but doesn’t have any staff. It is an honesty shop. The first question that pops into our heads is where else would it be possible to have such an operation? Beautiful wooden cupboards serve as shop shelves which present products not entirely native to bonnie Scotland and all tasty and tempting. Customers can pay by cash or online transfer and there is a notebook and a pink ink pen left on a table for writing down what you have chosen and paid for!  This could well be the last bastion of faith in humanity.

Last but not least I want to share that my birthday is coming soon and while in Oban Mark took the opportunity and bought the birthday present of my choice. It's a fabulous, red, acoustic guitar. The shop where we got it from was this amazing small-town shop, manned by a true enthusiast of string instruments. He was kind, knowledgeable, helpful and able to flawlessly present his artistic craft and the abilities of the red guitar I so badly wanted to have. I can't play the guitar just yet, but I have downloaded an app and hopefully I will feature on one of the Adventure Now videos if Mark, who is the main camera man and the only video editor, survives my learning process ;-)

My beautiful red guitar :) Thank you, Mark x

Honesty shop

Honesty shop

Some sunshine at last!

Shopping time! Not good for the farm animals...

Safely tucked in the Oban marina.

What a view!

Cleaning time :)