retiredmartin

I want to thank Simon Urry, a legend of the Highlands, for his advice and help in visiting pubs these last few days. He really is a #PubMan, and I can’t say better than that.

I also want to thank the folk who have suggested songs with fourteen (14) in the title, and “Seven And Seven Is” by love would have been a shu-in (shoe-in ?) but I don’t think many of you can add up.

So the mysterious “miker” (no idea who he is, probably from a backwater) wins with this deep cut from Use Your Illusion II. You know, the one with the dreadful Dylan cover on it.

I’m sure the lyrics are somehow relevant, and I’ve probably been seriously working toward GBG completion for 14 years (at least that’s when the big spreadsheet goes back to);

I try and feel the sunshine, you bring the rain
You try and hold me down with your complaints
You cry and moan and complain, you whine an tear
Up to my neck in sorrow the touch you bring

Obviously the sun shone on Mrs RM and myself as we headed on the gorgeous route (pic to follow some time) from Carbost over the Skye Bridge;

They must have been expecting me, as they’ve scrapped the toll especially for me ! I remember paying a tenner in 1998.

Everything was going our way. Catching the earlier ferry from the Hebrides to Skye that evening had already given me two unexpected Sunday ticks.

Was it possible to do the two (2) in Plockton AND make the Strathcarron Hotel car park in time for a fifth of the night ?

Mrs RM had called the Strathcarron and seemed to establish they wouldn’t close BEFORE 21:30, but would only close AFTER the last person left. Regular readers will be aware of the phenomenon of “closing when the last diner leaves“, and Mrs RM declared herself “95% sure it would be open if we got there by 21:30.

That gave us half an hour to do Plockton.

You know Plockton ? Tiny fishing village, “Local Hero”, overrun by Helly Hansens from Hertfordshire, TWO GBG pubs. Sunday night was a good time to find a parking space.

This is the Plockton Inn;

The diners were just leaving, a few locals propped up the bar in wellies (good sign), two local beers seemed OK and the Red one was OK too (3). Fourteen (14) left. Feel my excitement.

But I wasn’t focused at all. How would I possibly tell The Plockton from The Plockton Bar and The Plockton Tavern ?

Or Plockton Shoreside & Bothy.