The Great Scottish Pub Crawl continues

Honestly, that was not the original goal, but when one travels with an open heart you never know where you’ll end up and who you will meet along the way.

The weather was very windy and a crusty slick of snow/ice covered the roads so I guess my idea to head toward Inverness was smart. I ended up in the Royal Burgh of Tain

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It being dark when I traveled north on this road a few days ago, I appreciated the views as we road along the coast but with the splash on the windows there are no photos.  It was interesting to see the oil rigs as we crossed the Cromarty Firth. and the Duke of Sunderland’s monument high up on the hill.  It was placed there for two reasons.  First so it could be seen from great distance and also to prevent vandalism as the Duke is best know for his preference for sheep over people the result of which was he was one of the more energetic in cleaning the land of people to raise sheep.  The Clearences were a typical horror of the wealthy trodding on the average working family.

When I got off the bus in Tain and asked for directions I was a little frustrated when I was told my hotel was in a different but close village (buses can be hours between them this far north and especially at this time of the year).  Luckily I noted the Visitor office nearby where I was told my very nice GH, the Shandwick house, complete with upgrade was just around the corner.

My first stop was the Glasstorm a custom glass blower where I could get out of the rain and wind whilst warming from the heat of the ovens.

This piece, with real gold film on a red glass became a beautiful vase. Very interesting to watch.

I have learned to ask which pubs the locals frequent and once again was rewarded by finding The Snug, formally The Saint. My timing could not have been better.  I slipped into the empty barstool in the corner right next to a well appreciated wood stove and ordered a pint which came, very surprisingly, with a chit for a free drink! And before I was done another chit  arrived.   I was told that this was a holiday thank you for the regulars and the pub was full of them.  True Scottish generosity meant that a newcomer Yank was treated as if he too were a regular!  Then the food came out.  Beef sandwiches with horseradish, haggis balls ( Since a haggis has two right legs longer than the left to make grazing easier on the hill side, the best way to catch them is to startle them.  They will immediately turn to run, and with the leg difference, in their haste immediately tumble over and one simply then grabs them by the delicacies to capture) and a host of other treats too numerous to name.  No dinner needed for me.

When the gentleman in the next stool turned to say Hi, we found ourselves in a mirror image. 

I thank Jim, the coffee drinker, Gavin, Ian, Sean & Stu for the warm welcome and good craic. Quite a bevy of beards, say what! Merry Christmas, Mates! Even though there was an indication that, like the good people in Wick, I might be too warmly welcomed, I opted to leave at a respectable  hour.  One can only do a marathon with a long break between them. Ian is a musician and I was quite pleased when he offered me a cd of a group he once played with.  A group of musicians from the German/Swiss border had traveled to Skye to record some music under the name “Notty’s Jug Serenaders” I look forward to listening.  Thanks, Pal.