Saturday will see the start of the Blog’s Highland Holiday. Off the air for at least a week unless a working cyber café can be found in the heart of the Cairngorms. This is one of those family gatherings on a Christmas like scale but without the Queens Speech or presents under the tree. For snow read mist. For sweet little red breasted robins read midges.

The location at Loch Insh, is primarily a water sports centre-not really Huttonian’s scene. Golf is a good 8 miles away, ditto tennis. We will be mob handed with 10 Adults and three sprogs including the younger granddaughter. The cohort is being housed in three log cabins luxuriously appointed. Except no washing machine and incredibly for a family holiday, no high chairs. The management regret that high chairs cannot be borrowed from the dining room as ‘they are very popular’. Is this ploy to make us bring the infants to eat at great expense in the café? But this is primarily a self catering establishment for families! Presumably popular as well. But to make up for this curious lacuna we are promised COLOUR TV –When did we last see it in Black and White

I fear that Huttonian will be under pressure to join in the sailing outings, if only as unpaid and much put upon crew. He is a good sailor especially on High Speed Craft ploughing the fearsome main between Stranraer and Belfast. But narrow spindly bottoms (that’s the boat not Huttonian) are nervous making conveyances over glacial lakes as deep as Loch Ness. (Loch Insh, I suspect, is a misleading description). And the sailing words of command’ Heave Ho!’ ‘Lee Oh’ ‘Change the sheets’ ‘Mind yer ‘ead’ ‘Boom or bust’ ‘Ooaaagh-or Grubs up’ are very bewildering to the non-cognoscenti. Best stay on terra firma and try the archery. He hopes that junior son in law will be excused nappies for at least one morning and can sneak off to Kingussie (pronounced, apparently,’ King yoosie’) for the odd 9 holes with Huttonian and a chance to see the location of ‘Monarch of the Glen’

Of course (if Mr Fish knows our plans) it may rain all the time and we might enjoy gale force winds. Oh dear, no sailing. Perforce watch the Olympics and read several good books. Nice thought
  ¶ 2:38 AM