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2005 Summer Vacation - Scotland/London Click on the pics to see the full-size versions. Our 2005 summer vacation encompassed a whirlwind tour of Scotland, followed by a week in London... Pre-departure, we went on a couple of days out with the boys. On the way to Bear Mountain, Iain engages in earnest conversation with a penguin... And at High Point, Iain ran around like a thing possesed! Flying to Scotland at last... a beautiful, fairly clear day for our flight up to Inverness - Loch Errochty, from around 15,000ft. On final approach to Inverness... city of Inverness in middle distance, Great Glen and Loch Ness in far distance beyond. Driving up to our cottage at Stoer, we pause to take in the view from the top of the hill, before descending into Clachtoll... A couple of days later - family portrait on the beach at Balintore Sandy at Balintore, living up to his name! Later return to Stoer... Ben Mor Coigach in the evening. A little further up the road... a long delay. An idiot tried a crazy overtaking move, lost it, and rolled it. Air ambulance required. Location: near Inchnadamph, at the Allt nan Uamh. The next morning. 8am: howling gale, driving rain. 9am: sunshine and clouds. Welcome to Scotland! Went for a drive to far North, starting with Drumbeg road - this is Clashnessie. A windswept and interesting (but world's best) au pair at Strath Dionard. On to the far North. Durness: Smoo cave. This was amusing at the time; Gunita has a sister called Aiga :-) A tourist trip along Loch Ness: Urquart Castle. I promised Gunita I would take her to some special secret places, way off the tourist trail. I certainly managed that here: the Allt Saigh, at the end of the hill roads above Livishe, almost back to Loch Ness at this point! Another excursion, another secret place - the view of Loch Achonachie and Tor Achilty from the portal valve of the Orrin hydro penstock. Achterneed, above Dingwall; cows, and the view across Strath Peffer to Knockfarrel (AKA the Cats Back) We *should* have been charging around in my Renault Avantime. Unfortunately it developed terminal electrical problems; a month later it's *still* in the workshop, awaiting a new wiring loom from Matra... On down to London, where Diana was working for the final week of our vacation. Her employers got us a very nice corporate apartment; this is the view from our terrace! (St. Pauls cathedral) This is the view ON our terrace; Sandy getting to grips with crawling! Gunita did normal tourist things in London; changing of the guard... Buckingham Palace gates... First trip in a London taxi for Iain (and Gunita!) We all took the London Duck Tour; a WWII-vintage amphibious bus... The side was just the right height for Iain to lean over! And yes it DOES drive into the water and cruise up and down the river! We all took a trip on the London Eye too (like a Ferris wheel on steroids) Gunita photographing me photographing Gunita... Iain entirely fearless as always! Amazing views! Back in Scotland for the last weekend... Iain at Troon, looking exceptionally... well... Sandy! Sandy looking very... Sandy.. and cute! Back to my old haunts: The geology department at Glasgow University, where I did my degree. Click on the pics for full-size versions