Staycations, Lunch, and Line of Duty

As we drove south from Ullapool on Saturday we noticed that there were lots of cars heading northwards; the summer season in the Highlands has definitely begun. According to news websites it is expected that many more people than usual are planning to have “staycations” in the UK this summer. Although foreign travel is expected to be permitted soon, the countries which are considered safe can change very quickly, so holidays are home are currently a safer bet. 

I follow an Ullapool Facebook page and it’s clear that the people in the north of Scotland are conflicted about the rise in tourist numbers. On the one hand they do want the revenue that tourism brings, but on the other they are very wary about overcrowding on the roads and in the villages, and damage to the environment by some irresponsible wild campers setting fires and leaving litter.

When we got home the cats were pleased to see us; Ally and Cat have gone on holiday for a week (a staycation!) so they must have been wondering where we all were. Or perhaps cats don’t think in those terms, but they must have noticed that the house was unusually empty overnight. 

Today we went for a lovely walk in Lenzie with Heather, Ewan and Andrew. I’m always impressed with the beautiful countryside on their doorstep, and on this sunny afternoon the green fields and the River Kelvin looked particularly attractive. We ascended a coal bing near Woodilee, largely grassed over, and were treated to 360 degree panoramic views all around from its flat top. We stopped there to have coffee before returning to Lenzie and having lunch in The Grove. It felt delightfully normal to sit with our friends for lunch - like before the pandemic and the lockdowns. Alcohol at restaurants is still not permitted indoors, which didn’t bother any of us. However many diners had booked their lunch on the restaurant’s roof terrace, braving the slightly chilly breeze to have a drink with their lunch.

Last week we watched the latest (and perhaps final?) series of Line of Duty. We have watched all of this very popular police drama over these past few years, and this evening was the concluding episode. Perhaps inevitably, because of all the hype, the episode was a bit of an anticlimax. The identity of the mysterious “H” aka “The fourth man” was downright disappointing. I was left with the feeling that it was nowhere near as good as the wonderful Engrenages.