Sabbatical Diary – Day 8

Ailsa Craig. Small island South of Arran. Granite based remains of the volcanic plug from a long extinct volcano. Taken a few days ago, from Turnberry Lighthouse. Photo included today for four reasons: my room last night was called Ailsa Craig, Ailsa Craig is pretty cool, I quite like the photo, and, last but not least, I didn’t take any photos today.

So, about today. Not a great day. I had been concerned about the trike not starting too well in the mornings for a while, and particularly so on this trip. I have a tendency to worry a bit and, strangely, kind of worked through all this last night and got to a place of peace and calm about it. Then the trike wouldn’t start this morning. Ironic and frustrating. Because I’d been concerned, I’d brought my charger with me. So, put it on charge and tried to figure out what to do. Harley batteries not exactly commonplace anywhere, and certainly not on the Mull of Kintyre. Rang a few local car, battery, tyre places to see if anyone could get one. Not for a week or so. Then rang a few places up the road to see if they could get one. Not for a week or so. Then rang West Coast Harley-Davidson in Glasgow. They had some in stock. (Not cheap, but in stock!) Thought about trying to get them to ship it somewhere up the road, but very complicated for all sorts of reasons.

So, no Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse. No St Columba’s Chapel. No Gigha. Instead, a 136 mile journey to Glasgow. Very cold. Very, very cold. Quite wet. Hey ho.

Problems on the journey and thought I wasn’t going to make it in time. (Didn’t get trike running until after 1.00pm.) But I did. New battery fitted. Old accommodation canceled. (No charge. Lovely people.) New accommodation found. In Dumbarton. Trike seems to be running ok, but the real test will be in the morning. Or after three nights on Iona. We’ll see.

Thanks for prayers and support.

So, on room names. Night before (in Dunoon) my room was called was Little Cumbrae, which was part of my view. Night before that (at Cathedral of the Isles) my room was called Joy. All rooms in area where I was were named after Fruit of the Spirit.

My room tonight is 14! Don’t think there is any particular meaning (other than it’s next to 13).

Will rejoin my original itinerary tomorrow night at Ardgour, on the ‘other’ side of the Corran ferry, just South of Fort William.

So, a round trip to Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse from home is a little over 1,000 miles. Mmmm.