And contemplates lots of laundry

I haven't posted for quite some time. I have busy travelling though, not up and down the country like last year but across. It's long been the plan to sell up our current home and relocate to the West of Scotland and try our hand at B&B. We first got the idea on our honeymoon, staying in a lovely house in Kirkcudbright which was part family home, part guest accommodation. While by no means underestimating the hard work involved it seemed to be a way to afford a nice house in a beautiful place. So over the past eight years I've been scouring the internet for suitable houses. We had quite a large search area but quite stringent search criteria and I've tried not to get attached to "perfect" houses while we were not quite in a position to move. One which I "watched" for three years was bought just as we started serious looking and another, the subject of our first tentative viewing may always be "the one that got away". It's good to drive past and see it being renovated but I have to choke back the old song....."it should have been me.." I've learned to read between the lines of HomeReports and suspect closely cropped photos.

There's been some practical experience too; we had a few seasons renting out our holiday home so I'm familiar with the meeting and greeting, cleaning and running the books. Mr Starke has been perfecting his ironing, marmalade making and general baking skills. He's convinced me that scrambled eggs and smoked salmon is a nice combination and has developed some less well known breakfast dishes. Mind you we would probably pay for the secret of failsafe perfect poached eggs and we're under no illusions that it's going to be easy. (Not just the poached eggs)

When I started this blog I saw it as an extension of the reviews I posted on Trip Advisor, but even there I couldn't (with maybe two exceptions) bring myself to be negative. The initial "thrill" of posting something a bit cutting and "clever" soon dissipated and I hated re-reading those reviews - though one was heartily deserved. I decided that it was much better to feedback any criticisms directly when asked, not to just say that everything had been fine then be snide later. And it is so much nicer to post positve reviews after a really nice meal or stay. I suppose I appreciated the nice comments and constructive criticism we received from our guests and realised how hurt I might have been by nasty reviews. I'm neither so idealistic nor naive not to anticipate some negativity when we get going and don't really believe in karma but "do as you would be done by" seems to be a reasonable mantra.

So where are we now? Well possibly homeless quite soon, we've agreed the sale of our current house but have yet to find a new one. We're off again this weekend, so keep your fingers crossed....

 

 

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And welcomes back the sun

Long, long ago when I was young Miss Starke and newly arrived in Scotland I was enchanted by the almost midnight sun. We'd been on a late night leaflet run and were heading home, it was past 11 o'clock and still light. This was the most wonderful thing. I had memories of going to bed when it was still light, but then I'd been a child. Resenting my early bedtime I'd groused, muffled behind the blackout curtains, (for when the pit lights came on, not to hide us from the Luftwaffe) hearing other children out playing. Other children who were allowed not just to be up but out and about at 9pm.

This northern night light was new and strange and beautiful. How could it happen? The sun was lingering in the north. Didn't it set in west? I hadn't paid enough attention to those Geography diagrams..

Tonight it is light at 8pm gentle dusk at 9. It is one of those precious nights, we are in the west of Scotland, in view of the sea, the air is mild and still, the midgies are still to hatch. It's the day when convertibles lose their lids and garden furniture finds a purpose. There are bats pitching about and birds calling the nightly news. From across the water Tarbert winks, closer by Calmac welcomes us to Portavadie. We have wine, a comfy bed and the promise of summer.

 

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And risked going back....

Last winter we made repeated trips up and down the M6 and a journey that had been an exciting one, often ending with a family celebration changed forever. Often we needed to break the journey and once we found reliable places to stay tended to go back, we needed that sort of comfort. But when happy times are remembered returning can be a risk; that lovely hotel or charming restaurant may have changed hands, or perhaps it was just the moment and not the place. ( "....And sometimes retraces her steps" July 2013)

This year, for happier reasons we've been travelling to the west of Scotland and on our last trip returned to two spots we'd enjoyed before.

Now if you're not familiar with this part of the world there are a couple of facts you should know. It is very, very beautiful and it rains. A lot. But afterwards it's even more beautiful.

(Oh yes and there is the wee issue of the midgie, but another time....)

So after visiting a couple of prospective new homes, one only slightly less damp inside and neither with any heating we needed cheering up. I'd read all the community notices outside the shop waiting with Dogstarke while Mr S. bought the newspaper. One had announced that The Barn at Millcroft was open again for the season, dated just two days earlier. We'd had tea there back in the summer, the same day I'd swum in the loch. It had been lovely. This time we had to persuade Dogstarke that she needed to stay and guard the car, (no dogs inside; imagine her sad face) while we sploshed in, hoping we didn't just have sun tinted memories.

Lunch was lovely and we had it scoffed too quickly to take a picture.

 

Next day there was no rain and all the views were like this

Dogstarke got to play on the beach

 

And the house we viewed had rooms and a roof. Better still we took a drive into Knapdale and saw the "Open" sign outside the Kilberry Inn. We stayed there a few years ago for my birthday and had good memories.

We have some new ones.

And will be back for more.

 

 

 

http://www.thebarnatmillcroft.co.uk

http://www.kilberryinn.com


 

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