We woke up bright and early, 8 am to be precise, and began packing up our camp. It was sad stuff. Our home for the last week had to be dismantled and fitted back into the car so we could drive down to the Kilchoan Estate, just outside of Oban - the location of the second leg of our expedition. We took down our camp in record time, and were in the car and ready to go 45 minutes earlier than we had planned! Yet another time that we worked excellently as a team. We picked up some morning coffees and dropped off the last of the equipment on Martin's boat, Ailsa. With heavy hearts we waved goodbye to Ailsa and set off, ready for a new adventure.
The drive down to Oban was beautiful. Mike was DJ in the car and played some banging tunes, while Lois and Jennifer sat in the back reading as we passed idyllic Lochs and mountains. As we approached Kilchoan Estate, the road turned into a one lane track which may have proved trouble for our nine seater van but our driver and team member, Lewis, managed it with skill. We are staying in the Estate's Guesthouse, a beautiful cottage just above the water. The views are unbelievable, the landscape is tranquil, and the house itself is a huge step up from our tents. For starters, there is a front door we can shut to keep the midges at bay!
"[tree hugging] It's good for the soul." - Lewis
Once we had arrived, the team set about making a cup of tea. We marvelled at our ability to boil water in a few minutes, which was unfortunately not possible on the campsite. Once we had decided who was sleeping in what room, through the use of our reliable random-name-generating spinning wheel (which we used to select the winners in the raffle), the team headed down a wooden walkway to the water front and Lewis hugged a tree. The views were even more stunning from the water's edge. Jennifer and Lois sat on the rocks, chatting and watching Lewis, Dylan, and Mike skimming (and throwing) pebbles, while Kerry strolled along the water's edge. We found some jellyfish on the beach and a seal watched us from the water.
We headed back to the house where Lois and Kerry began to make dinner. It was curry night. They whipped up two veggie curries: a Saag Aloo, and a mango chickpea curry, with rice and naan. The team were thrilled to be sitting at a proper table in a midge free environment. We threw our towels in the washing machine and once they were warm and dry, we treated ourselves to proper showers and baths.
Lois and Kerry's curry night dinner
While we were taking turns in the various bathrooms, we put Shrek 2 on in the drawing room (aka, the room with the sofa and the telly) and settled down ready for a relaxing evening. Jennifer read her book and Lois began to work through some of her data.
Tomorrow, we are going on a tour of the estate and are meeting at 8:30 am! Therefore, we're aiming for a good nights sleep. That will be easy, considering we are in real beds away from the wind and the rain and, most importantly, the midges.
All the best from a dry and warm,
The Seaweed Team
P.S: Happy Fathers Day to all of our dads!
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