![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhythmaningOver Christmas I was reminded of a journey I made three or so years ago. At the time I was living in London and visiting Scotland; I drove from Torridon in the north west of Scotland to Skipness in the south west, a journey of over two hundred miles and several hours.
What made this trip particularly memorable was that, despite driving to (and around) Torridon from Edinburgh up the west coast several times, and making the trip to Skipness many times a year (though not always by the same route), this time I travelled along a stretch of road that I don't think I had ever driven along before.
Usually going up the west coast from Edinburgh, I'd either take the quicker, more direct route via Inverness and the A9, or the slow west coast route from Edinburgh via Tyndrum, Glencoe and Fort William - up the A82. From Edinburgh to Skipness, there is a similarly "direct" route up Loch Lomond and across Rest And Be Thankful, or a more relaxed, longer journey via Tyndrum, leaving the A82 and taking the A85 via Oban, and then onwards south to Lochgilphead and Tarbert.
The diligent (or knowledgeable) amongst you will notice these routes diverge at Tyndrum: south to along Lochaweside to Oban, or north through Glen Orchy to Glencoe.
Heading south from Fort William, these two routes can be joined by the A828 between Ballachulish Bridge and the Connel Bridge, driving beside Loch Linhe. I have driven north from Connel Bridge a couple of time to Loch Creran, to go walking, but never the whole section between Loch Creran and Ballachulish before.
Not too remarkable, perhaps - there must be many roads in Scotland I haven't along - but given my familiarity with the west coast, particularly around Glencoe and Oban, it surprised me when I realised. Only sixteen miles or so, but new.
The reason I was thinking about this is because it something similar happened - albeit on a much smaller scale - over Christmas. My brother lives (more or less) on a crescent just off a main road, the same house my mother had lived in since 1990, and my grandparents before that: a house I have known since the 1970s, I suppose. Turn left to go south into town, right to go north away from the centre.
But walking from the north into town on Christmas Eve, not stopping at my brother's house, I walked straight along the road into the centre.
And I realised that for perhaps 100m, I had never walked along that stretch of road - at least since 1982. (It is possible I walked along it when I was a student, going from one college to another.)
What made this trip particularly memorable was that, despite driving to (and around) Torridon from Edinburgh up the west coast several times, and making the trip to Skipness many times a year (though not always by the same route), this time I travelled along a stretch of road that I don't think I had ever driven along before.
Usually going up the west coast from Edinburgh, I'd either take the quicker, more direct route via Inverness and the A9, or the slow west coast route from Edinburgh via Tyndrum, Glencoe and Fort William - up the A82. From Edinburgh to Skipness, there is a similarly "direct" route up Loch Lomond and across Rest And Be Thankful, or a more relaxed, longer journey via Tyndrum, leaving the A82 and taking the A85 via Oban, and then onwards south to Lochgilphead and Tarbert.
The diligent (or knowledgeable) amongst you will notice these routes diverge at Tyndrum: south to along Lochaweside to Oban, or north through Glen Orchy to Glencoe.
Heading south from Fort William, these two routes can be joined by the A828 between Ballachulish Bridge and the Connel Bridge, driving beside Loch Linhe. I have driven north from Connel Bridge a couple of time to Loch Creran, to go walking, but never the whole section between Loch Creran and Ballachulish before.
Not too remarkable, perhaps - there must be many roads in Scotland I haven't along - but given my familiarity with the west coast, particularly around Glencoe and Oban, it surprised me when I realised. Only sixteen miles or so, but new.
* * *
The reason I was thinking about this is because it something similar happened - albeit on a much smaller scale - over Christmas. My brother lives (more or less) on a crescent just off a main road, the same house my mother had lived in since 1990, and my grandparents before that: a house I have known since the 1970s, I suppose. Turn left to go south into town, right to go north away from the centre.
But walking from the north into town on Christmas Eve, not stopping at my brother's house, I walked straight along the road into the centre.
And I realised that for perhaps 100m, I had never walked along that stretch of road - at least since 1982. (It is possible I walked along it when I was a student, going from one college to another.)