Scots Wha Hae! Part 7 - Heading Back

Did you read Part 6?

Selfie time at the Ben Nevis Distillery

We woke up after a restful night at the Myrtle Bank Guest House in Fort William, very pleased that we didn't have another day of hiking on the West Highland Way in front of us.  While we truly enjoyed our time on the Way, three days back to back to back was perfect, and we were pleased to put on regular shoes instead of hiking boots.

Chris' boots were beyond done anyway - they'd been to the bottom of the Grand Canyon a few times,

and this was their final voyage

A morning sail on Loch Linnhe

Back inside, we headed to the dining room for our last full Scottish breakfast of the trip.

Myrtle Bank is in a very, very pretty location

Using the portable luggage scale to weigh my suitcase -

it didn't matter so much today, but in addition to the limits associated with Delta Airlines,

our luggage porters on the Way also had a maximum - anything over, and we'd get charged extra

We'd be riding back to Glasgow around noon on ScotRail's West Highland Railway Line, but we had some time to kill before our departure; Dora at Myrtle Bank called a taxi for us, and we rode the short distance to the Ben Nevis Distillery, just a few miles up the road from our bed and breakfast.  While the distillery was open for purchasing items, they couldn't start tastings until after we needed to leave for the train station, which was a bummer (but what can you do - it's the law).  However, they were still happy to walk us through their lineup of offerings, and we could smell them all we wanted - completely for free!

We ended up taking home a bottle of the 10 year, with the white label

Since our "sensory experience" didn't take very long, we asked the folks at the distillery what else we could do that was within walking distance, and they suggested the Highland Soap Company, about half a mile away along a well marked pedestrian path.  The distillery was happy to hold our luggage and purchases, so off we went!

Danger! Watch yourself!

Happy little buddy!

Ben Nevis may not be the most picturesque distillery in all of Scotland, but it's probably high on that list

Before too long, we made it to the Soap Company, and we enjoyed wandering around inside their building, smelling their wares, and shopping for various and sundry, er, sundries (we also eat picked up a hot beverage from their cafe).

We brought home an amazing whisky and honey candle, as well as two different bars of soap

It was time to meander along, so we reclaimed our luggage and thanked the folks at the distillery; our taxi driver from earlier picked us back up, and it was another quick ride to the train station.  As we made our way through the station, we found that many of our trail buddies were also on our train, and we did our normal morning comparison of notes: how/where they slept, what they ate for dinner the night before, how they were feeling today, etc.  The train pulled in right on time, and we hopped aboard!

We've done planes and automobiles (and buses and on our own feet) - it was time for a train!

The West Highland Railway Line is considered one of the most picturesque rail journeys in the world, and while we haven't been everywhere (yet!), we can vouch for its loveliness.  Even on a day when the cloud cover was somewhat significant, the landscapes were incredible (apologies for the reflections from the train window, but you get the idea).  

More water pipes coming down a nearby hill

Train snacks!

A lovely loch

Going back through Rannoch Moor

Hey, it's the Bridge of Orchy Hotel again!

Most folks on the train were going directly into the heart of Glasgow, but we hopped off a bit earlier; we'd be catching an extremely early flight home the next morning, so we elected to stay in one of the hotels right next to the airport, on the western side of town.  Eventually departing the train at the Paisley Gilmore stop, we took a cab to our home for the night, the Courtyard Marriott Glasgow Airport.  When we checked in, the front desk clerk asked if we might like to make dinner reservations at the on-site restaurant, and after checking the menu, we decided not having to do anything further than ride an elevator two floors for our evening meal sounded absolutely amazing to us.  

We moved into our room and started a first round of organizing, packing, and the like, but since we'd asked for an early dinner time, before too long, we were heading back downstairs.  Hotels, particularly those near airports, aren't always known for their cuisine, but honestly, this was a fantastic meal.  We started with a Caesar salad and bruschetta, and our mains were a fish and chips (me) and a cheeseburger (Chris).  Everything was truly awesome - my fish and chips were particularly amazing.

Is crispy duck something we're famous for in Kentucky?

Our bruschetta appetizer

Stuffed, it was back upstairs to our room for us, where we packed a bit more and closed out the night with some samplers of Scotch we found along our journey, some whisky fudge we received as a Marriott check-in gift, and The Dog House UK on television.

Slainte!

Our alarm rang early the next morning - 3am - and we hopped up and into the shower before we finished cramming our suitcases full of souvenirs, dirty clothes, and even dirtier hiking gear.  The taxi the front desk arranged for us picked us up right on time, and we were back at Glasgow International in just a few minutes.  All of our flights - Glasgow to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Detroit, and Detroit to Lexington - were on time and smooth (even with the government shutdown in its 7th or 8th day), and before too long, we were picking up the car (thank you to Alan and Carol for helping us save tons on airport parking fees!) and driving to Berea to collect the maniacs.

I always feel like/somebody's watching me!

What a great luggage tag

We made it to the house around 8:30pm, and after a quick round of showers and unpacking, we all crashed out, happy to be home and together once again!  What a great trip!

Later!  

Amy