We started our day again with yet another delicious breakfast by our hostess, Pam, at the Newton Hall Guest House. The views from our 3 Gothic windows were amazing this morning. It's like having a new painting created for you every morning.
Cloud smiling on us!
Back of our "Church" Guest House:
Anyway, Pam's shortbread cookies left in our room yesterday were much enjoyed.
After breakfast, we headed out towards what turned out to be one of my favorite of all travel adventures. I had read of a new business called Cakes in the Call Box, which is located in a disused phone box in Cladich. It was restored and transformed into Scogtland's tiniest shop selling locally baked cakes and crafts since 2017. Holly Ford and Bron Campbell bake wonderful desserts (or puddings as they call them over here, no matter what it is) and sell them from the box. On offer is usually mini cakes, shortbread, gluten free brownies, and cupcakes. We drove towards the phone box that I had figured out must be the one and aarrived shortly after leaving Inveraray only to find the phone box just a normal phone box. I was so disappointed, but figured that maybe they only do the desserts during the busy months. So...we headed back down the road only to find that the road we had come in on exited through a one-way road, so we had to continue on further down to find another way out. We drove and drove and I kept thinking we should turn aroaund and just when Ray found a place to do so, we came upon THE phone box we were looking for! I had Google-driven this road but had never come down this far because I thought the first box was the one. But by some good luck or serendipity or cupcake angels looking over me, here it was! I felt like it was Christmas morning, it made me so happy.
I shopped in the box and found a few treats and made my payment by honesty box, all the while being looked over by the local Heilin' Coos (Highland Cows--the ones with the long reddish bangs in their eyes.) Ray couldn't believe how easy it is to keep me happy. Let me find some magical place or see signs of fairies or just feel at home instantly in a new place here in Scotland, and I am delighted.
Kilchurn Castle:
We drove along Loch Awe and past St. Conan's Kirk and on into Oban where we visited the local Tesco for some shopping then checked into our holiday apartment, 304, at Esplanade Court Apartments.
We've stayed here twice before and always love the relaxing area and the gorgeous views that change moments to moment through our big picture windows--ferryboats, sailboats, pedestrians, sunsets and sunrises. Amazing sights to enjoy and a week of ferry trips to islands we've visited before and some we haven't.
Hoping to go on our trip to Glencoe and to Mull & Iona.
We walked back into town and bought some books at the bookstores and checked on ferry timetables and then bought some groceries at M&S Food Hall (Marks & Spencers). My main objective was to get a lemon tart with squishy cream, as Margaret calls it. Have so missed these tarts--I need to get a recipe.
P. S. The gluten-free brownies were the best ever!!!
The island of Kerrera visible just across the bay from Oban. This is an old droving route when csttle were swam across the bay and is also where Boswell and Johnson landed when they visited Oban.
Will probably be posting several more views of sunset tonight.
Reading a book about Old Oban and found that Sir Walter Scott stayed here in 1814 and was impressed with the town but not with its hotels. Boswell and JOhnson made Oban part of their Scotland Tour in 1773 and satyed in a "tolerable inn" on High Street. Our Esplanade Hotel was requisitioned by the RAF in World War II. The Esplanade Boarding House/Hotel was destroyed in 1973 by fire which killed 10 people, It was rebuilt as our hotel.
The McCaig Tower which sits high above the town looking like a Coliseum was financed by John Stuart McCaig who employed only out-of-work masons.
Fish gutter girls followed the herring fleet around and tied rags around their fingers to protect them from sharp knives, salt, and ""glaur", which I can only imagine is fish guts. Yuck! In their spare time they would knit using their supplies stored in their apron pockets.
Fingal's (a Scottish warrior) Putting Stone stands at the beginning of the town of Oban and is 9 1/2 feet high. It had to be moved when the new road was made and weighed 25 tons and had ancient carvings related to relision and astronomy. The erosion around the base of the stone is said to be caused by the chain around the neck off Fingal's dog, Bran, after a day of hunting.
Tonight's sunset photos all while church bells ringing somewhere nearby:
And today in news from the States, Harry and Voldemort were at it again...
