Scotland - The Black Isle, and our first emergency.

Monday night - three o'clock in the morning...." David!!  David!! The roof is leaking!!. Jeez, above Ann's head water was dripping from the roof light fitting. It wasn't raining, but we did have the roof light open during a rain storm a few hours previously. Could that be the reason?

Anyway, in a state of undress, and with Ann stating the bleeding obvious, I tried to mop up the interior of the roof light. It seemed OK, so back to bed. However, at half past four (it is light then in Scotland) I could hear the drips again. So, roof light fully open (luckily it wasn't raining), and standing on a stepladder with my head out the roof light I could see that due to the particular angle the van was at, water had pooled at one corner of the roof light  - and sure enough there was a crack in the mastic. Luckily, having been a boy cub, I carry a roll of gaffer tape (don't ask!), and after mopping up a quarter bucketful of water got to work with the tape. What the inhabitants of vans and tents around me made of the screeeeetch as I pulled the tape off the reel I don't know.

Anyhow, it has held, and I'll reseal the sky light when I get back home. In the meantime I'll ensure I park up in such a way that this pooling doesn't happen.

Even though somewhat sleep deprived, we decided to tour the Black Isle. This is not an island, but the area between the Moray Firth to the south and Cromarty Firth to the north. It is pleasant, but not dramatic, and VERY clean and tidy. The Cromarty Firth is where they park up the unused oil rigs, and the scale makes them look quite small - they are actually huge.






On the way back we stopped at the Old North Inn, and had a very pleasant lunch - Ann had haddock (which she said was the best she ever had) and I had Balmoral Chicken - chicken breast coated with haggis, grain mustard and cream. Really nice.

Tomorrow we head westwards again, down the Loch Ness shore to look for Nessie.

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