Oban

Our last family week is 'Scottish' with persistent rain. This weekend at Loch Levin we had 45knot+ winds. Luckily while we were safely tied to the dock.
We mostly ducked the bad weather by taking the West Highland Express, first west to Glen Finnan (where 'bonnie prince Charley' landed), then to Rannoch moor, which has breathtaking nature and where you realize just how empty Scotland is. Sophie got the added excitement of seeing the 'Jacobite', a steam-train of Hogworth express fame as well as a helicopter film crew that was there to shoot the new Harry Potter film.

Sunday we stayed at a sweet mooring off Suna island to arrive in Oban early yesterday in time for some serious shopping for the girls.

We are meeting lots of nice people and experiencing the whole atmosphere here as much more sociable than what we were used to in Denmark. Participating in the West Highland Week is now firmly on our wish list. Yesterday Julia and I met with our Scottish neighbors who just spend 8 years building their own stunningly beautiful wooden 44 footer. The family then had very pleasant drinks (Oban Wisky obviously) with Hans Yntema and his sailing friend Frank. Hans is also a member of the KNR&ZV, his team is sailing around Britain in a Etap 37 and we previously met him and his daughter Nina in Lowestoft. Hans and his team are now on the way to the south coast and I hope to catch up with them again.

Today, still in Oban, we took the kids to Gforce, a nice James-Bond-like film, but produced by Pixar and about Guinea Pigs. Otherwise a few too many ice creams but we are enjoying ourselves very much, also in the knowledge that tomorrow is the last family day (!) and that daddy will have some challenging sailing ahead next week. The low pressure areas keep coming in like clockwork and virtually guarantee south winds in the Irish sea.