Oh what a long bloody way “actual” Scotland is. Not the border. That came and went an hour ago. But proper mountains and forests and lochs.
I bashed out 3 hours and now Aimi is ploughing on into the dark. It’s not late, just 4pm… in Scotland. But this long days drive north is especially boring for the puppies. Kayto is happily chilling on the bed watching cars float past. But Daito is on the floor. Hes surprisingly good in the van, but then super whiny and eager to get out whenever we pull up. We’ve got his crate bed and a blanket down for him and he’s been sleeping most of the way, but he will need a walk when we get to the pub stop.
Getting to Glasgow, we did a red light driver swap so we didn’t need to pull over and carried on. The traffic was heavy at 5pm and I’ve spent a year driving this motorway section so i took over to the pub.
After a quick Google, we found a place which was doggy friendly, looked like it had good food and, for bonus points, it’s name was funny; the Rhu Inn. This was an excellent choice as they were very happy to accommodate us, and the dogs. Actually, it was almost segregating us from the locals in “the snug” tucked in the corner behind the bar. But that suited us, plenty of room for the dogs.
I took Daito for a wander around the bar to say hello to everyone. He did very well and I ended up standing at one end, chatting to the carpenter who fitted out the bar. And he’d done a great job. Deep blue panelled walls, beneath a flame scorched wood picture rail shelf. The bar and shelving all clearly made from solid wood, flame scorched for texture and a thick & chunky solid wood floor that was in the process of wearing a beautiful patina. Just the right sort of blend for a modern and classic pub.
After a quick tour around the churchyard next door, I got to have a Joker IPA again; something I’ve not had for a couple years since working up here. Aimi splashed out with a lime and soda…
We had picked a spot randomly using a combination of the Park4Nite app and Google satellite view. But finding it at the top of a huge hill, overlooking a naval base (we could just about see submarines – SO EXCITING), proved rather difficult. Or, easy, if we were willing to drive past signs saying “Caution, Military Training”. This didn’t seem like a good idea, so we drove on and happened across a perfect spot here. A proper car park, with designated motorhome spaces, a view, picnic benches and bins. It was pretty flat too!
