Will Ye No Come Back Again?

Got up this morning at 7.00am and got washed and dressed before dragging the suitcase out from between the twin beds (there wasn’t enough room underneath) and starting to put stuff in. It didn’t take long; it had only been a six-night cruise and there was no formal wear, just easily packable items. There was no rush anyway; our transport back to Oban was not due until 10 o’clock.

What an absolutely wonderful time we had had! I felt really despondent that the cruise was over, but we had visited some beautiful places, seen some amazing sights and met some lovely people, and I could always come back and re-read this blog if I want to relive it all. 🙂

We went up to the saloon for our pre-breakfast tea or coffee, before going out on deck to see what the weather would be like today. It wasn’t bad, a little cloudy but at least it was dry.

Everyone took their places around the big table for one final time. We started, as ever, with the inimitable porridge which was followed by scrambled eggs, a selection of charcuterie and a warm croissant. Some of our lucky fellow passengers were disembarking to extend their holiday in a hotel, some were going back to Oban to stay for a few days, and some, like us, would just be making the long journey home.

Trevor had previously asked Dan if there was a chance he could visit the engine room, so Dan asked now if anyone wanted to go down; Trevor went along with Ian, David and Barbara; I just used some of the time to upload some of my photos to X/Twitter. Skipper Iain came into the saloon, just as the Glen Massan’s engines rumbled into life. “Somebody is playing!” laughed Iain.

Soon they were back, and we descended to cabin #3 (JURA) to finish our packing and check all around to make sure we hadn’t forgotten anything. Then we hefted our rucksacks up to the saloon, which was now strewn with cases and holdalls and other luggage, everyone sitting around waiting until their respective transport was here. Five of us would be travelling back to Oban in a mini-bus, but others had trains to catch.

In the meantime, we all swapped emails and mobile numbers so we could keep in touch, and share some of our photos etc. In the case of Ian and Sue, we found out we’ll be seeing them in August 2026, as they are on the same cruise to Iceland as we are, on Fred Olsen’s Bolette. 🙂

All too soon the call came from Skipper Iain to tell us the mini-bus was here, and we hefted our rucksacks onto our shoulders while our suitcase was taken ashore to be loaded into the vehicle. We disembarked the Glen Massan, and as we walked along the landing stage I turned and looked back at her, feeling all soppy inside. I’ve called today’s blog entry “Will ye no come back again?” and the answer I have to give is a resounding “YES”. There’s just something about these little wooden boats, so full of character and charm, that makes you want to do it all over again. 🙂

Another absolutely amazing cruise had come to an end.