Onward from Oban

Got up at 7.30 this morning and looked out of our porthole at the dull and grey weather, which just about reflected how I felt, knowing that our eventful and unusual little cruise had come to an end. 🙁

Up in the saloon, Charlie was bustling about in the galley, preparing breakfast, while Skipper Jemma was filling in some paperwork in the wheelhouse. We joined the others at the large table and, while Greg and Lisa’s WC had been fixed yesterday, John now announced that their loo was blocked! It does seem as though there are issues with the boat’s plumbing, amongst other things.

Breakfast this morning consisted of a buffet. There was cereal, hot porridge, fresh fruit, yoghurt with blueberries, smoked salmon and toast, as well as the hot breakfast of your choice; bacon, egg, sausage, haggis, black pudding, mushroom and tomatoes, all washed down with fresh fruit juice, coffee or tea. We ate our fill, as Trevor and I had a six-hour drive back to Durham ahead of us; Greg and John were flying back to the States on Sunday, while Isabel and Lisa were visiting York, then continuing down to Kent, where Isabel had family.

After breakfast we finished our packing, then one of the owners of The Majestic Line, Ken Grant, put in a suprise appearance on board, introduced himself, and asked how we’d enjoyed our cruise. While it was not everything it could have been (mainly due to the abysmal weather, and the issues with our cabin which I’ve already mentioned), it was still nonetheless a very enjoyable and fun cruise, and we were glad we’d done it. 🙂

We’d visited some wild and wonderful places, charming little towns and interesting Scottish castles. We’d eaten the most fantastic meals (I think I’ll have to spend the next month on SlimFast!!!) in convivial company and we’d been windswept, soaked, buffeted and blown in a genuine nautical experience, close to Mother Nature, the sea and the elements.

We were sad to be going home today. 🙁

So this was it, really. We descended the steps down to the dockside where Jemma and Charlie loaded our bags into the trolley to take to the entrance of the pontoons. We spotted the Glen Massan as she slid into her berth behind us, and imagined all the new passengers who would be excitedly looking forward to boarding all the “Glens” tomorrow.

As we walked away, I turned around and took one more photo of the little Glen Rosa behind us. She rocked gently with the slight motion of the water, and I smiled at the thought of this sturdy little vessel taking on the vestiges of Storm Nigel. 🙂

When we reached the gate to the pontoons, there were hugs and handshakes all around, everyone saying “safe journey” and “take care” and all that. Then we walked around to the Lancaster Hotel, loaded our bags into our waiting car, and set off for the long journey home.