Somehow I knew I was jinxing myself when I wrote that tickets to Scotland would be cheap as chips before checking for myself. They are - mostly - at 13 quid, except for the day that I'm going, which is a civic (UK: bank) holiday and has no sale seats - they start at 99! But I didn't want to wait a day, so I've booked myself a berth on the Caledonian Sleeper after my 6:30 show the night before. I'll arrive in Glasgow an hour and 5 minutes after sunrise on said holiday. Smug though I appear to be, I do regret not joining Claire (who taught me the phrase "cheap as chips" in the first place) on the drive up from Stockton; and also I almost never sleep more than 2 hours on night trains so the next day will be a bit groggy. But both things will be made up for by our daily road trips and accommodation in a great big Edwardian house in Paisley.

West Scotland and The Hebrides
(well, most of them)

Much of yesterday, when not practising or getting through emails and dirty laundry, was devoted to figuring out how to make the best of my time in Scotland. Aside from hiking (UK: hill walking) with Claire and an appointment to go horsebackriding (UK: horseriding) in Aberdeen, I'll still have a few days to myself. I think I'll take the West-Highland line (do click, it's gorgeous!) up to Mallaig (right in the middle of the map), hop on a ferry, and go sea-kayaking in the Hebrides.

I hope it's a bit like lake kayaking (on a proper Canadian lake) but with bigger waves and salt spray... and never a distillery far away unless you venture out to St. Kilda (off the map to the NW) which probably won't happen until I get a bit more experience. Even now, I think I'll go to Dorset first in July to take the three-hour course in learning to capsize with elegance and grace.

Points to My Mom for noticing that last Monday's post was written in iambic pentameter.