A Trying Day

It’s always a sad day when we leave Ullapool to head south. Especially on such a fine spring day as yesterday. However we are quite good at the routine; tidying and cleaning the cottage so that it is ready for our next visit. By 11 o’clock we were on our way, with the cats safely if unhappily in their basket, and some new scratches on my arms to show for it. I caught Tom first, put him in the basket, zipped it up and went to find Flora. When I arrived back Tom had cleverly unzipped the carrier and was nowhere to be seen! I found him strolling down the lane beside the cottage and he was not a happy boy to be taken back to the car. Half way through the journey, when James took over the driving, I had the idea of taking Flora out of the basket to give Tom more room (sometimes we hear them having a quick fight in the carrier) and to keep her calm by holding her and patting her. This worked very well for Flora, she seemed a lot happier on my knee and looked out of the window some of the time. However Tom must have missed her company because he then did a bit of panting and whining in his wee scratchy voice. 

They were both very happy to arrive home and reacquainted themselves with their house and garden. 

Meanwhile, I had to go almost straight back out again because I had not one but two medical appointments to attend. The first was the one I dreaded most, my three yearly mammogram appointment. How quickly that three years goes by. Last time was horrendously painful so I spoke to the nurse and she did her best to put me at ease. She was really nice but it was still very painful. I am however grateful to get these tests, much better than missing any signs of breast cancer. I went straight into the Starbucks next door and was so stressed that I initially forgot to order coffee with my cake! I relaxed and was very glad that my ordeal was over. Next I went to Ross Hall to see a dermatologist about my increasingly rashy and sometimes spotty face. Except that I didn’t realise that Ross Hall has opened a brand new facility at Braehead, so I turned up at the usual place in plenty of time, only to be sent onwards, arriving slightly late. The consultant seemed a bit frosty; I don’t know if he’s just like that or whether he was furious to be kept late on a Friday evening. However he was quite helpful, prescribed a couple of things and I’m to go back in three months. 

I got home exhausted to find that James had not only done some grocery shopping and processed several loads of washing, he was cooking a lovely meal for me to cheer me up after my mammogram. It was from the Jamie Oliver Veg cookbook, and was called Mighty Mushroom Pasta. It was absolutely delicious, with lots of mushrooms and a wee chilli kick, and it was topped with garlicky hazelnut breadcrumbs. I was really touched at the effort he had gone to, and it really did cheer me up. 

Orphans at the Eden Court

I had a lovely relaxing day on Thursday, sitting in the bench in the garden drinking coffee and watching James planting some heathers, and little white butterflies flitting around the garden. Tom was also outside watching James, but Flora stayed in her customary position under the bed upstairs until late evening when she happily went out into the garden in the dark. I don’t think that she is scared of going outside exactly, it’s more as if she has got into the habit of staying indoors during the day and going out at night. After lunch we went for a stroll around the village and did some errands.

Late afternoon, we drove through to Inverness. I had booked a play at the Eden Court, a musical in fact, called “Orphans” which is currently touring Scotland. But first we went for a pre-theatre dinner to the Contrast Brasserie, just across the river from the theatre. We were early enough to go for a little Riverside walk. I was very impressed by the restaurant; it seemed to be a Scottish/Korean fusion menu, and was very tasty indeed. The service was excellent too, and we had plenty of time to eat and then make her way back to the theatre. The show was great. It was a dark comedy about four adults whose mother has died, and what happens during the stormy night preceding her funeral. The different characters of the siblings and their fears for the future caused them to react in very different ways. The music was very good as was the acting. The most well known member of the cast was Robert Florence who co-wrote and started in the Burnistoun series, and there were a couple of other familiar faces from the Scottish comedy scene such as Paul McCole who has been in Limmy’s show. However a lot of the cast were very young and not long out of drama school, and they were all great. Amy Conachan was fantastic as Sheila, and Reuben Joseph had real presence as Michael, but they were all really good actors and good singers too. This is why I love going to the theatre; you never know when you are going to come across something outstanding, and this was one of those evenings. 

Nearly Cul Mor

Having climbed Ullapool Hill twice this week, I decided that I should climb a bigger hill. James suggested Cul Mor near Elphin, one of the Assynt Corbetts. James has climbed it many times but still offered to come with me, but I didn’t want to limit him to my glacially slow pace. I suggested that he should take the opportunity to tick off another Corbett that he has still to complete. He chose Ben Hee, about an hour’s drive further on, north and eastwards. 

James dropped me off at the start of the path to Cul Mor, a very easy and well trodden walk in. James advised me to walk up to the saddle between the two peaks then turn right to ascend to the summit. On my way up the path I was overtaken by six pleasant ladies, probably in their early sixties, who had two little dogs with them. I was also passed by a couple who said a cheery hello. Bear with me, these people are key players in my story.

So I plodded on up the hill, stopping several times for a rest. I eventually reached the top of a rise just before the ascent to the saddle. Here I met the cheery couple who were on their way back down the hill. They told me that they have climbed Cul Mor before and didn’t feel like going all the way to the top. However, over to the right we could clearly see the six ladies walking up the steep side of the summit hill. This puzzled me because the saddle was straight ahead. So I asked the cheery couple if that was the best way to the summit, and they said yes, and that it was a bit of a plod but an easy route. Influenced by the cheery couple and the confident tread of the six ladies, I made my big mistake. I turned to the right and followed them. 

By the time I reached the start of the slope the six ladies were out of sight *, but the path was clear and I could see the ladies’ foot prints and walking pole marks. I made good progress but I came to a point that the path disappeared because the hill was covered in large rocks. I felt very nervous; it was very steep and  was worried about falling. I messaged James for advice. He thought that I should continue to the top, then go down the path to the saddle. But I was too scared, I was now scrambling on my hands and knees and although I was only about twenty metres from the top I was concerned that I would get stuck. So I sat down on a rock and started going back down by moving on my bottom slowly downwards from rock to rock. It took ages.

Finally I reached the steep path, then the less steep path and continued downwards on my tired legs. What a relief. My hero James arrived back from his hill and walked in to meet me, which was great because he chatted to me and kept me going. I was so happy to get back to the car. By this time it was 7 p.m. - I had been walking for more than eight hours (including a few stops.) I begged James to drive straight to Essence of India where we got ourselves a tasty curry and then watched two episodes of the excellent The Last Kingdom. 

* I never saw the six ladies again. Had they really scrambled up those steep rocks with their tiny dogs? I presume that they did, in which case they were not only fitter but a lot more confident than me. 

Pie Run

This morning we went to Lochinver on our traditional “pie run” but first we went for a walk. Two walks in fact. James wanted to walk in to Suilven Bothy and I knew that he would set a dauntingly fast pace, so I decided to do my own walk. I walked across the bridge and up past Highland Stoneware to see where the road led. When I got to the very end of the upper road I saw a wee grassy path so asked a man (who was working in the garden of a self-catering cottage) where it would lead me. He said that it would eventually take me to the road to Achmelvich, so it must meet up with the path that we have taken to Achmelvich several times before. I didn’t try to go all the way to Achmelvich but I enjoyed walking along the pretty path, lined with trees and old stone dykes. As I arrived on the open high moorland I sat down for a rest and heard some strange snorting noises. I looked round and noticed about twenty deer watching me from the crest of a hill about 20 metres away. I sat still as they trotted down the slope; they were so beautiful. 

I walked back into the village and with perfect timing I met James just as he came walking out of the road from Suilven. There was only one place open for lunch in the village and that was the pie shop, or Lochinver Larder, as it is properly called. We ordered at the van and sat at one of the picnics tables to await our hot pies (and the chilled ones that we would be taking home.) I have to say that the pies were absolutely delicious. James of course chose venison for himself, which made me feel bad for those lovely gentle deer whom I had encountered earlier. 

From Summit to Sea

The continuing excellent weather motivated me to walk up Ullapool Hill today. James gave me half an hour’s head start, which was just as well because he arrived on the summit moments behind me. In fact as I clambered up the last and steepest slope, we could wave to each other as James advanced rapidly up the path below me. We also got great views of the ferry sailing out of Loch Broom on its way to Stornoway. 

James had kindly brought my chilly flask filled with tea, and we quaffed it on the bench just below the summit. I was really hot as usual after the ascent and James was worried that I would get a chill because there was a welcome cool breeze at the top of the hill. Of course I wasn’t cold at all, I was only gradually cooling down due to my faulty internal heating system. We circled back down the hill, and on the way James pointed out to me some old lime kilns. He explained to me that the heated and ground up limestone was used by local farmers to make their soil more alkali. 

We had more tea and some cake at Tea by the Sea before going back to the cottage. Mid afternoon was high tide so I donned my swimming costume and big coat and nipped down to the estuary. It still gives me a thrill that I can be in the water less than five minutes walk from the cottage. And in I went; I got right in this time and swam for about ten minutes. It felt wonderful and as I looked up towards the 270 metre summit of Ullapool Hill I reflected that I had journeyed from the hill top almost directly into the sea.

Burnt ears

It is said that if your ears feel as if they are burning it’s because someone is talking about you. That may be the case, but the main reason that my ears are burning this evening is because they got a little bit singed at Achnahaird Beach today. James and I are in Ullapool and the weather is fantastic. Today we went to the beach with a picnic and James’ trusty camping stove, with which we brewed some coffee. I set off into the waves for a swim but failed to get in above my waist, unusually. The water was very cold and the waves were quite strong, at least they felt that way to me. I think that I could have managed with cold or waves, but both together was too much. It was still very refreshing and I dried off quickly in the sunshine, hence the burnt ears. 

The cats are with us in the cottage. Tom is as happy as usual, but Flora had another difficult journey. During the last 10 minutes of the journey she again did a poo in the cat carrier and was sick onto Tom, which can’t have been very pleasant for either of them. I haven’t attempted to get pills from the vet to sedate her for the journey because my (admittedly uninformed) instinct tells me that it might not be good for her. As soon as we arrived at the cottage I had to wipe down both cats and to clean the cat carrier! The good news is that she seems to be a lot more confident about venturing into the garden with Tom, and has been in and out of the cottage all day. 

Signs of Spring

Spring has been with us for a while but now it’s really in overdrive. Today we drove to Biggar to visit Bill and Katy and there were tiny lambs in lots of fields. Oh they were so sweet! Daffodils lined the verges of the roads and there were lots of primroses amongst the trees. Many of the trees were covered in blossom like confetti. In Bill and Katy’s beautiful garden I could see some small tortoiseshell butterflies flitting about, and higher up, blackbirds were flying from tree to tree. It was great to see Bill and Katy, who made us delicious homemade soup and bread followed by a cheeseboard. 

Back home our garden is looking good too. James has given the grass its first cut, the old pear trees are heavy with blossom, and the magnolia is covered with bright white waxy blooms. Plump pigeons are strutting around on the grass cooing loudly, and the fruit bushes have new bright green leaves. Spring has sprung indeed. 

The Burrell Collection has finally reopened after a refurbishment which has taken more than five years, and this evening we were invited to a talk about the renovations and a tour around it. I like the improvements, which are subtle and not overdone. The whole place is better lit and better laid out but still has the same feel. Also we got drinks and canapés which were lovely! I noticed another sign of advancing springtime; it was still light when we arrived back home at about 9.30 p.m. 

Ferry back to Mallaig

On Monday it was time to pack up and head home after our amazing weekend in Knoydart. David and Chanel had taken the early ferry because of their long drive to Manchester, and the rest of us took the 11 a.m. ferry back to Mallaig. It was quite busy and the sea was a bit choppy as we rounded the point. We were sitting out on deck and I was glad that I was wearing my warm padded coat (the one that James gave me for changing under while wild swimming) - I was the cosiest person on the boat! We all said our farewells and set off home. We expected Loch Lomondside to be busy on Easter Monday and indeed it was, delaying us by about forty minutes. But we had no choice but to be patient and soon we were reunited with the kitties, who were very pleased to see us. Later we had a curry with Ally and Cat which was delicious. 

This evening James gave Ally and Cat a lift to the airport while I went to a Book Club evening at St Leonard’s Library. It was really good; we had a good look at the books, got cheese, biscuits, drinks and cakes, and took part in a quiz which our book club won! This pleased us mightily, especially since a lady from one of the other book clubs had earlier told us to be quiet! 

Easter Egg Hunt

The weather forecast was not great for Sunday so when I set off for a walk with Cat, Christine, Gerry and Chanel we all wore plenty of waterproof clothing. It was actually raining as we walked through the village past the pub. But our luck changed because shortly afterwards it stopped raining and stayed dry for the rest of the day: in fact the sun came out and stayed out to give us spectacular views of the island of Eigg with Skye in the distance. This was just as well because the walk was much longer than I had anticipated; about 19 km from Inverie to the beach at Sandaig and back. It was also steeper than I had thought it would be. It’s a coastal path but after the first bit it rises up and follows the line of the hills. Cat later calculated that all in all we had climbed 394 metres. I’m so glad that I didn’t know all this in advance because I would probably have panicked. In the event I plodded onwards and managed fine, with encouragement from Chanel, and lots of chat and good company. The ever changing views were wonderful; Inverie feels so remote and I love it. When we got to Sandaig we walked steeply downhill to the beach where we had sandwiches and coffee to revive ourselves for the return journey. Of course, once we had climbed back up from the beach to the top of the road, it was all downhill back to Inverie which was fantastic. 

I had time to organise an Easter Egg hunt for Ally, Cat, Davie and Chanel before dinner, for which the girls were a lot more enthusiastic than the boys; instead of gathering the eggs that they found, Ally and Davie munched them straight away! 

Dinner was at The Lookout which was excellent, and we all walked back in the dark with our head torches lighting the way. 

Loch an Dubh Lochain

We woke to a splendid day; warm and sunny with blue skies. When I drew back the curtains a stunning white highland cow was standing with her calf looking over the fence; what a lovely sight to wake up to. The hill-walking group chose their various destinations with the largest group heading for a big walk to Ladhar Bheinn. Christine and I decided to walk up a beautiful glen to Loch an Dubh Lochain. It was about 14 km round trip, which is the longest distance that I have walked for a good while. It was almost too warm for me but there was a slight breeze and we cooled down a bit when we stopped for lunch in the shade of a wee boat hut beside the lochan. There were gorgeous views in all directions of the mountains. We were just investigating a small ruined cottage when we saw three familiar figures walking towards us from the direction of Barrisdale Bay - it was Heidi, Tom and Jean. We walked back with them towards Inverie.

Christine and I then made a cup of tea at the studio and sat in the two blue-painted Adirondack chairs that are on our decking. They are very comfortable with high backs and armrests wide enough to rest your tea mug on. We basked in the afternoon sunshine, chatting and reading. 

I had ordered a meal for nine people (Britta of River Cottage does catering) to be delivered to the bunkhouse at quarter to eight, and the timing couldn’t have been better because the hill-walkers had arrived back from Ladhar Bheinn half an hour beforehand. So I didn’t need to keep the meal warm, and was able to serve it up straight away. There was chicken curry, vegetable curry, rice, flatbreads and mango chutney. Then dessert was a delicious chocolate tart garnished with raspberries and sliced almonds. I had been a bit concerned about whether the quantities would be sufficient for ravenous hill-walkers but Britta knows her stuff; there was exactly the right amount and there was even a little bit left over, and everyone was well satisfied by the end of the meal. James produced a bottle of whisky for the stalwarts and I headed back to the studio with the aid of a torch lent to me by Christine. Boy is it dark without street lights! 

Inverie at last

At last I’m in Inverie on the Knoydart Peninsula! Hooray! This hill-walking club trip was originally planned for April 2020 and I was really looking forward to it. I had never been to Knoydart before and had heard that it’s very beautiful; also I really fancied the boat trip from Mallaig to Inverie. However “the best laid plans…” and horrible Covid intervened. However, here we are, two years later, and I’m very excited to be here! 

We travelled to Fort William yesterday afternoon and had a lovely dinner at the Crannog with Davie and Chanel, followed by drinks and chat in the Ben Nevis pub. Then today, after a delightfully inexpensive breakfast in Fort William Morrison’s, we made our way to Mallaig. The last time that I was in Mallaig was many years ago and I remember walking around deserted streets, looking in vain for somewhere to have lunch. To be fair, this may have been out of season, I can’t remember. Well, what a difference today! The little town was positively bustling, and after parking the car (in the long stay spaces, as advised by Cat and Ally who had caught an earlier ferry) we quickly found a very pleasant little restaurant where we sat outside in the warm sunshine for a light lunch with Davie and Chanel. We spotted the familiar faces of various hill-walking club members strolling around the town. We all met up at the pier and piled on to the busy 2.15 p.m. ferry. The luggage was loaded on first and then we were all called forward by name to board; it was lucky that we had booked. Of course most people heading to Inverie were self-catering so there were mountains of bags of food as well as rucksacks and suitcases.

The crossing was delightful; only about forty minutes as we journeyed towards the mountains of Knoydart which were spectacular. 

Soon James and I were installed in our comfy little studio apartment at River Cottage, only five minutes walk from the bunk-house where the others are staying. I feel a mixture of delight and guilt at arranging different accommodation from the others; I have stayed in my fair share of bunkhouses and bothies over the years but I do like my comforts. We had dinner in the bunkhouse with the rest of the group later, and it is perfectly acceptable, but I do not regret my choice! Meanwhile James was feeling very ill with a bad headache. He had woken with it this morning and despite taking pain medication it was still plaguing him. So he sensibly went for a nap for the rest of the afternoon. I went for a wander down to the bunkhouse where I met Davie and Chanel and we went for a walk to the beach. It was still warm but the sky was quite dark grey in the distance and we could see that it was raining over Skye. 

Later there was much heating of food and a convivial evening ensued. I was delighted with how my lasagne turned out; it was well up to standard. 

Lunch in Leith

At tea time today with Ally and Cat, James mentioned that he had recently heard a song that he thought had been written by Jim Steinman, and had looked it up to confirm it. I asked him what it is called and he said, 

“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” to which I instantly and amusingly replied,

“So can you remember what it’s called?” 

We all laughed, but nobody louder or longer than me; I was very tickled by my merry quip!

Tuesday epitomised the circle of life (to quote The Lion King.) We were at a funeral in the morning, which was very personal and moving, a celebration of a long life well-lived. And then in the afternoon I met a brand new baby, Orla, who is very lovely. 

And today I had lunch in Leith with my nephew Josh, such a pleasant young man, a credit to his Mum and Dad. Leith was sunny if rather breezy and we went to a nice restaurant called the Granary. 

The Rhinns of Kells

Today I went with Ally, Cat and James on their hill-walking trip to the Rhinns of Kells in the Galloway Hills. It was a really big day’s walking, about ten hours over eight Donalds and one Corbett, with nearly 30 km distance. Needless to say I wasn’t fit enough for this but my presence was useful because it was a linear walk and after being dropped off near to Carsphairn our intrepid walkers need to be picked up at the other end of their route. This was at Forrest Estate, which is set in a beautiful valley. Once I had waved them off I set off to explore the nearest village; St Johns Town of Dalry. This didn’t take long because it’s very small, but it’s also very pretty so I had a nice walk around and a coffee sitting outside the Clachan Inn. 

I then drove to the pick up point at Forrest Lodge and after double checking that I was in the right place (using OS Maps on my phone) I went for a walk along one of several paths through the trees and up the side of the hill. I stopped for a rest and sat on the stump of a felled tree; the wood was lovely and warm from the sun! Back at the car I read my book for a while; the time flew by until James, Ally and Cat arrived back from their big day on the hills, tired but happy. 

We picked up a curry on the way home, ordered by Cat on the journey. Both Cat and James were determined to pay for it, but after their walk and the car journey their legs were very stiff, so Ally and I were treated to the sight of them both hobbling as fast as they could towards the door Spice restaurant - it was very funny! Cat won because James had forgotten his face mask and she very generously treated us to our curry. Davie and Chanel had arrived in Cambuslang late afternoon. They were spending the night with us before heading north on their holiday. A jolly evening of curry and chat ensued.

Back in Action

I was much better today so I headed for a morning swim to David Lloyd’s. I was pleased to be back in the water and it was a lovely day for it; big white clouds in a blue sky. I had myself a wee spa too. Meanwhile James, Ally and Cat had headed to Cambuslang Rangers for their Trophy Day. They have already won their league, so their 2-1 win today against Thorniemuir was just a nice bonus. I arrived not long into the 2nd half to find the others basking in the sunshine on the terrace as they watched the match. 

We were alarmingly close to the pitch and the ball narrowly missed us on more than one occasion. If the ball shot over the spectators and down the slope behind them, a loyal troupe of little boys dashed after it to retrieve it. The same half dozen little boys sang supporters’ songs, ran about and shouted encouragement to the team. The adult supporters were also enthusiastic and shouted encouragements (and reproaches) in rather colourful language. The spectator areas were far from full but those who were there were a lively crowd. When the whistle finally blew there was much jubilation and the winners’ trophy, a silver plate, was brought out and placed on a table. It blew away in the wind briefly but a match official managed to catch it quickly. The team lined up to receive their medals and then the captain held up the winners’ trophy amidst rejoicing which was led by the loyal little boy supporters. 

Back home we decided to go out for dinner and after a bit of research (we wanted to stay local and most of our choices were already booked up at such short notice) we settled on Padano’s in Rutherglen. It was ok, perfectly pleasant although not outstanding. The company however was extremely pleasant and we had a lovely evening. 

A Sudden Cold

I had a lovely lunch with Philippa at Kember and Jones in Byres Road today. We had a good chat and afterwards I did a bit of shopping in Waitrose. The strangest thing happened. As I walked back to the car I started to feel very out of sorts indeed. My throat became very sore, I developed a headache, my eyes felt heavy - all between Waitrose and the car! By the time I got home my nose was running and I took myself off to bed where I have remained ever since, apart from a brief visit downstairs for a cup of tea in the evening. I have done a lateral flow test which was negative, so I must have caught my first cold in more than two years. I had forgotten how unpleasant a cold feels. All I can hope is that this sudden cold will depart as quickly as it arrived. 

* Health bulletin (like the Queen, as my Mum used to say): well I’m still full of the cold on Wednesday evening. Coughing, sneezing and sweating. I mean glowing (horses sweat, men perspire, and ladies merely glow, as my Mum also used to say) I’m glowing a lot! I have had a very quiet day and hope that the rest has done me good. Meanwhile I’m trying to communicate with Flora telepathically, having read an article about this online. There has been no discernible response so far, although she looks uneasy when I stare at her during my attempts. I’m hoping to feel much better tomorrow. 

Thoughts on London

“Tired of London, tired of Life” to quote in shortened form the late Samuel Johnson, and I will certainly never be tired of London. What a city, so teeming with life. New buildings are rising at speed all around the dockland area and I’m reminded of Virginia Woolf writing about new houses rising in waves as old ones fell, in 1920s London. From our bedroom on the 9th floor of the Ibis at Canning Town we could see each morning orange-suited builders working busily on a new building next to us. 

I keep a list in my planner of places that I would like to visit and things that I would like to do in London, and as soon as I tick off an experience I add more things of which I have heard or read. This evening our friend Alison came to visit, whom we have not seen for many years. She lives in Twickenham (where coincidentally we were last week) and added several interesting ideas for visits in her area of London so my London list continues to grow. That’s not all that we talked about of course, we had much to catch up on and the time flew by as we chatted.

We were chatting last night too, with Heather and Ewan, over a delicious curry at Rasoi. They have recently had a wonderful ski holiday in Ischgl with perfect weather and plenty of snow, so we had lots of adventures to discuss.

This morning James and I went for a walk along the beach at Troon. It was cool but not windy, excellent weather for a brisk beach walk. I will never tire of London, however it is also very nice to stride along the sand with the water sparkling and the oystercatchers standing at the water’s edge. 

Prog Rock Art

We woke to brilliant sunshine although the chilly wind was still in evidence. After a tasty breakfast in the Griffin Inn, the owner James very kindly offered to drive us to Trading Boundaries, two miles away. He was well disposed to us because James had helped him to light the fire in the pub in the morning! 

Trading Boundaries is an interesting place; a shop for antique and unusual items, a café and a music venue. But the main reason that we were there was to visit the Roger Dean art work that is on permanent display in the upstairs gallery. I bought a painting from there for James’ 60th, but I used the online catalogue as well as many phone calls with the owner, Michael. We were both interested to visit the gallery. 

There were many large original Roger Dean paintings and James was mesmerised. We met up with Michael and he was very pleasant and genuinely enthusiastic about the artwork. He is a longtime friend and business partner of Roger Dean. In due course Roger himself arrived and we all went back to the Griffin Inn for lunch. We had a good chat; James was asking Roger about how he had started working with Yes, and Roger told us some great stories about his life. He once shared a flat with Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd and told us a very funny story about him. He then took us to see his architectural project which is a unique structure that he hopes to build in California. What an amazing afternoon. We had to leave at 4 to go to Gatwick Airport, and I’m currently blogging as we wait for our plane to depart for Glasgow.