Happy place …

We made it. We’re here. Not here exactly, but in an old white cottage in Glen Rosa, the mouth of which you can see to the left of the backdrop to Brodick Bay as a glorious afternoon turned into a warm - and rather midgy - evening.

Our journey here, which took us up the Loch Eck Road, round the head of Loch Fyne, south beyond Lochgilphead, through Ardrishaig - where we were stopped for almost 30 minutes on the road into town because of a gala day parade - and then down the single-track road to Claonaig and the ferry to Lochranza. Anything to avoid the challenge of finding ourselves on a viable ferry from Ayrshire…

Self-catering for a week makes odd demands of one’s packing. It’s not long enough to put an order in for a delivery of a week’s groceries, because you’ve already got the stuff at home and you’ll be there in 7 days … Anyway, we found our way into the key box at the cottage, admired the decor but couldn’t get into the dishie, unpacked downstairs and dragged ourselves up the steep stairs with decanted packing cubes, leaving one hand for the ship … you get it!

Then we drove into Brodick to sort some vital purchases like a bottle of wine, some sweeties - the really necessary stuff. We phoned and texted the owner for help with the dishwasher and had a discussion about induction hobs - and at last sat down to eat. Spag Bol followed by strawberries, by the end of which we’re knackered and still have to invest some effort in getting the shower to do our bidding.

I’ll put up a photo of the house another day. It’s lovely - though I’m so relieved at how much cooler the bedrooms feel now that darkness has fallen. Now all I need is an unbroken night…