Hebrides 33: Epilogue

We stopped for lunch in Carrbridge at the same cafe we'd used on the way home from Orkney 11 years previously.  The food was mediocre at best and the service was abysmal, but at least the old bridge was just as pretty as ever.

We then hit the A9 and headed to Pitlochry, which was absolutely heaving with people.  It had become extremely touristy since our previous visit, and is now clearly the place which puts the "twee" in tweed!  On the plus side, I did manage to buy myself some slippers at Wilson's (where else?).

The traffic built up (and, of course, slowed down) as we passed Perth and drove across the Forth bridge; we also encountered the first of a series of very heavy rain showers.  We managed to navigate our way around Edinburgh without getting lost (quite a feat), and then headed towards Dunbar and Berwick.  Having failed to find somewhere to grab a bite to eat, we continued around Newcastle and stopped at an uninspiring (although very quiet) Costa Coffee in Washington before hitting the A1 with all its road works.  We eventually arrived home just before 00:15 - 618 miles and a gnat's whisker less than 19 hours since we'd set off from Lemreway.  I love Scotland, but why does it have to be so far away?

So that's it.  Another long and tedious travelogue finished, and this time in the same year that the journey took place.  Maybe, in the future, I'll get round to posting the pictures "as they happen"?  Whatever else, I'm sure it won't be too long before we're back in the Hebrides.  Next time I suspect we'll bypass the Uists, instead spending time on Mull and Skye.  (I also have a secret ambition to visit all the distilleries on Islay at some point, but that's another story.)  Harris and Lewis are magical places which managed to get under our skin in the short time we were there.  We were genuinely sad to leave, and will definitely be back to explore further...