30th Birthday long weekend in Scotland…

30th Birthday long weekend in Scotland… Great mates, good weather, whiskey and kilts, the stage was set for an epic weekend to help celebrate my 30th Birthday. It all began on Friday night when, Hamish McCarroll, Sana and Hayden flew into Edinburgh. We organised to stay in Edinburgh that night so we could partake in some touristic activities the following morning. Negotiating Edinburgh streets and finding the apartment key drop-box, was a frustrating yet entertaining experience. The Drummond St apartment had a strange multi-level set up, which Hayden used to good effect with a ringside view of Hamish and Sanna sleeping! Saturday morning the weather was picture perfect so after breakfast we headed to Edinburgh castle. We spent the morning wandering the castle taking in the views of the city and the history of the castle. Highlights included. The war memorial hall, the great hall of swords, Mollys cannon, the crown jewels and the stone of destiny! For the rest of the morning we wandered the streets, of Edinburgh in the sunshine, the guys particularly enjoyed the anti-facist street parade. After dropping Kimberley off at the train station we headed to the Grassmarket for lunch and a few bevies, it was top notch! On the way back to the car we poked our heads into the newly renovated Edinburgh Museum, this was amazing definitely a place to revisit! By mid afternoon we departed Edinburgh electing to drive straight through to Dundee due to time pressure. Before going to the flat I showed the guys the lay of the land of Dundee, from the Law. At the flat we tucked into some delicious cupcakes courtesy of Kim’s Uni friend, then we decided to make the most of the sun and headed down Magdalen Green for a beer tasting session and tennis ball catches. Hayden had an entertaining run-in with a local who did a crazy impression of a seagull! Back at the flat we readied ourselves for the showcase event, Kim’s end of year Dental Ball! We had fun trying to work out how to wear a Kilt, which Hayden, Hamish and I had pre-hired. Dinner was booked for 8:30 at the Blue Marlin, the food quality was excellent and we all looked the part in our Kilts! At the end of the meal we were joined by our Kenyan acquaintance Mr Oliver O’Meara. He flew into Edinburgh, picked up a rental and drove straight to Dundee. Olly quickly changed into his number nines in the carpark and then we strolled over to the Apex. There, we were greeted by the stunningly beautiful Kimberley Stone-Wigg, who was adorning an elegant blue ball gown. We were introduced to many of Kim’s fellow university classmates and the drinks began to flow freely. At which point the funniest event of the weekend occurred… As you are probably well aware, there is only one way to truly wear a Kilt, which is of course, free and easy! So when the opportunity presented itself for a photo shoot we decided to bare our behinds for a laugh! This was my debut ass bearing in public performance and unfortunately it did not go quite to plan! We lined up backs to the camera and counted down 3, 2, 1! Kilts Away! Hayden had problems getting his up, McCarroll had a near perfect performance and I on the other hand made a “real balls up of the situation”! Lets just say my legs were spread way too wide, and the audience got a lot more than they bargained for!!! It sent everyone into hysterics! Fortunately the camera lady deleted the offensive photo. However we went back for a more successful round 2 later in the evening. Next we had a go at traditional Scottish dancing (Celidh dancing) It was great fun and people were literally flying around the dance floor. The night continued to a rave at the night club, Liquid, followed by curried chips at the 24 hour bakery to finish everyone off! What a night! Sunday morning started at an expected slower pace. I fixed the crew bacon and egg rolls. Then after collecting Ollys rental car from town and filling up with gas we packed up and hit the road. We decided to take the scenic route to Fort William via Crieff, Loch Earn, Crianlarich, Glencoe and Loch Leven. Our first stop was Loch Earn for cupcakes, coffee and photos in the sun! Then we carried on to Glencoe where we stopped for a late Lunch and impressive views of the mountains. Onwards to Fort William where we went straight to our accommodation, the Calluna. A trampers lodge which overlooked the bay. We decided to go for a walk and maybe a swim. So we drove up to the end of Glen Nevis and started out on the Steall falls walk, which was recommended by a co-worker. Three quarters of the walk was up a narrow valley through the forest then unexpectedly it opened up into a large field with a small river running through it. On every side of the field were towering hills, the furtherest of these had a 150ft waterfall cascading down it. It was one of the most spectacular sites I have ever seen in Scotland. We crossed a wire footbridge over the river and walked right up to the base. We even felt the urge to put on our togs and have a shower! It was very refreshing! We went and had a swim in a water hole near the footbridge before heading back down the valley to the car. Back at Fort William we picked up fish & chips and supplies. We sat outside the Calluna and chatted, but I think the vampire midges enjoyed eating us than we enjoyed the fish and chips! Armed with some powerful insect repellent we managed to keep the midges at bay! After a few drinks we decided to tackle Ben Nevis early the next morning! Monday morning 05:30, Hamish, Olly, Sanna and I jumped into Olly’s car and headed to the foot of UK’s highest mountain. We had minimal equipment but conditions were perfect. We started climbing at 06:15 and took 15 minute turns with the pack. The first 45 minutes were tough and we set off at a cracking pace, then when it levelled off we got into a good rhythm. We took photo’s all the way up and near the top we hit snow! We would not have been able to do the walk merely a week earlier because there had been a lot of snow falling. We were lucky the weather came to the party at the right time! I looked at my watch and realised we were on track for knocking the Ben off in under 2 hours. So the last 50 metres to the summit we ran through the snow. At the top we met a strange Juggler and his girlfriend! The view and clear, still, conditions made for a fantastic experience. One that is very rare in Scotland! On the way back we had a snowball fight and jogged in parts. There were a few minor skids, but nothing major. Total round trip including ½ hour break at the top was 3:40. We needed a good stretch and a leg drain at the bottom. Then we joined Kim and Hayden at the Nevis Gondela and took the ride up the range, we went for another walk and grabbed lunch in the café. Next we decided our legs had done enough walking for the day so we arranged to go Kayaking in pairs up the canal. This was not an easy feat as we were paddling into a very stiff breeze. It required teamwork and coordination and Kim and I struggled a wee bit. It was good fun though and we even managed to have a race! On the way back to the Calluna we picked food and drink supplies from the Morrisons’s, supermarket. When buying the alcohol, Kim was asked for ID which she couldnt provide in an accepted form, so I had to repurchase on a separate transaction. The checkout lady attendant was having a bad day I reckon! We ate nibbles, yarned, and drunk the night away! There was even some break dancing to be had later in the night! Unfortunately for Hayden the combo of red wine and whiskey didn’t go down too well and he spent much of the night singing to the toilet! Tuesday morning was a bit of a rush to get out the door to make the archery and tommohawk throwing . Hayden especially was moving rather slowly! We arrived at Ardvekerie estate at just after 10. We had great fun at both disciplines. Olly took out both competitions, Hayden took the Wooden Spoon, which he blamed on the midges and the night before! We linked up with the A9 and headed down to Bruar for coffee, a bit of shopping and Lunch by the waterfalls. Near Perth we parted ways. Hamish, Sanna and Hayden taking the rental back to the airport and Olly coming back with Kim and I to Dundee. Later that evening Olly took Kim and I out for a pint and a curry on the Perth Road. A great way to round off a fantastic weekend one that I will look back on fondly!