Travels with Dad

We didn't actually go that far, but today my Dad accompanied me on a mini expedition in the car, (with a couple of Blip photo stops thrown in!)

First we delivered my second oldest daughter to the bus station to catch her bus to Edinburgh, then we headed out west, only about 13 miles from where I live,  to a small village called Struy which sits just at the head of Glen Strathfarrar. It took over half an hour to get there because it's a small, winding road mostly. It gets more and more atmospheric and picturesque as you go, with the hillsides and mountains starting to close in on you.

We drove to the gated entrance of Glen Strathfarrar so that I could get out and take a photo of the mountain 'Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard' (which is officially only a 'Corbett') - see 1st extra. Normally I see it from near my home and it's much, much smaller (see background of second extra), so it was nice to see it up closer for a change. It also happens to be the mountain that my Dad, sister and I climbed to the top of to sprinkle my Mum's ashes, nearly 18 years ago.

Before we left Struy my Dad encouraged me to stop again and get a photo of Struy bridge (main photo) as we thought it looked very attractive. It's a five arched Thomas Telford bridge and crosses the River Farrar.

The reason we made this fun little road trip today was that my Dad had suggested I should find out where exactly one of my daughter's friend's house is, as she'll  be going there next Wednesday for a Prom 'after party'! I don't have to take her there, but it will be a sleepover with tents for about 10 of them and in the morning I will have to pick her up and make sure I get her back to school in time for her practical Music exam. (The reason why she is having an exam the day after her Graduation is a whole other story....and was the source of most of my stress and anxiety earlier in the week, in my efforts to get the school to change the date to an earlier one).

Anyway, as well as thinking it would be fun to go for a drive together, I think my Dad was trying to support me - so that on the morning of the exam I would have less to worry about if I already knew where I was going and exactly what time I would need to set off to get her to the assessment on time. We worked it out that I will have to leave 45 minutes for the journey from Struy to school!