galmc2Report

From Edinburgh we moved onto Glasgow, which was the last stop for our joint trip as that’s where Heather was booked to fly home from. A brief aside, we were able to book Heather’s trip home using an airline credit from a Covid-aborted Icelandair trip. So, the lesson here is don’t forget about possible credits from trips that had to be cancelled because of the global pandemic.

Certainly Glasgow is not Edinburgh, but it is not without its charm. We took the train to Glasgow and found our hotel. We had planned to use the last of the Marriott points to get a hotel room, and the Moxy was a pretty funky choice. No formal reception, when you check in you do it from the bar and take advantage of a complimentary drink, and in our case free nachos to boot!

Once we wandered out, we enjoyed seeing some of the local highlights. We visited the Glasgow Cathedral, saw (and heard) some pipe bands who were in town for a competition, and most memorably were able to visit a Banksy exhibit that was curated by the artist themself!

Then it was time. Time for Heather to head home and enjoy some Vancouver (and Sunshine Coast) time before school begins. We had our journey to the airport on the express bus (which we had sorted out where to catch the night before – thanks Patty) and had our last (for this trip) airport chill out session. Then she was gone and I was on my own.

My amended itinerary had me picking up a rental car and heading to the Isle of Islay, with a golf stop at the famed Machrihanish Golf Club. I was a tad nervous, as it’s a bit of a drive (3.5 hrs) and I was without my trusted copilot. But thankfully Google Maps rose to the occasion and got me to the course well before tee time.

The golf experience was just awesome. Very unlike golfing in Vancouver! For starters, no trees, but many shrubs which were fully capable of devouring any golf balls hit in their direction. I started off playing on my own, but was soon joined by Harry, a young bloke who was working remotely in the area for 2 weeks and getting as much golf in as possible. We wandered around, with him showing me the way. Just a lovely and very memorable afternoon!

The next morning I headed for Islay. This stop was one that had a different meaning for me, as (according to Ancestry.com and Cam, the McMillan family historian), it’s where my first identifiable ancestor, Donald McMillan, was born in 1784. I’m not big into all the ancestry stuff, but standing there, in the cemetery and looking at where the homes were, was very moving.

For the remainder of my Islay time I wandered about with a focus on what Islay is most famous for……the whisky! Unfortunately Bowmore was closed to visitors on Sundays and Mondays, but I was able to do the Three Distilleries Trail on Monday, with stops at Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. Definitely a different kind of “hike!”

Walking back from Ardbeg I was struck by the thought that, with this now done, it was now time for me to head home. A last night in Islay, followed by my own version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles (I swapped the plane for a ferry, but I guess I did end up on a plane), had me heading back to Vancouver. But I’ll always fondly remember my last call on Islay!