A solstice sojourn

When we attended the Valtos gig in Edinburgh in September, Megan was full of cold and couldn't really enjoy the experience. So a pre-Christmas jaunt was organised to see the band again, this time in Inverness at a new venue An Seomar (The Room).

Due to my advancing years, I qualify for free bus travel, so with the addition of a couple of ferry vouchers, we were able to make the journey on public transport at a much-reduced cost. All credit to the Scottish Government for these initiatives.

Rather than awake at some ungodly hour to catch the 06.30 sailing from Stromness, we opted to make use of the B+B facility on the boat, checking in at 21.30 the night before sailing. This allowed for a few leisurely glasses of wine and nibbles in the Magnus Lounge before retiring to our cabin for the night. Following breakfast and a smooth crossing of the Pentland Firth, we had a short wait at the terminal in Scrabster until our bus arrived for the journey to Inverness.

Scrabster sunrise twixt boat and bus

Megan had booked us on a new service, an electric bus run by the company Ember. This service boasts USB charging sockets at every seat and free WiFi (at faster speeds than our house!) so I was able to answer a few work emails en route. We were also able to birdwatch from the bus - Megan had the window seat, so was way ahead in the spotting stakes, but when she nipped to the loo, I scored the first Red Kite of the trip.

Upon arriving in Inverness, we decamped to an Italian restaurant for lunch, before a brief sortie into the shopping centre and then meeting up with old friends who were also going to the gig the following evening.

The next day, after a leisurely start to the morning, we wandered along the banks of the River Ness. The river was very full and fast-flowing, so I wasn't sure that the Ness Islands path would be open, but I needn't have worried. Birding was limited to Goldcrests and Coal Tits in the treetops, a Goosander fishing in the river and the distant "Chip!" call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

A festive Loch Ness Monster was emerging from the waters of the river

Holly berries catching the low Winter sun

We didn't risk sitting on this bench

Alder catkins (male on the left, female on the right)

As we neared the Botanical Gardens, there was some Yarrow in flower by a sheltered wall 

A little explosion of Ivy-ness

It is impossible for Megan to pass by a pristine Autumn leaf without taking a photo 

The Infirmary Bridge with Inverness Castle in the background

Ness sunset

Pre-gig (photo: IH)

The venue was fantastic, a small space, such that some of the band were chatting to the audience before the gig. For the show, the Valtos lads (Daniel and Martyn) were joined by Euan McLaughlin on fiddle, Finn MacPherson on pipes, with Eilidh Cormack and Lana Pheutan on vocals. Unlike in Edinburgh, Megan contentedly danced all night long.

Weirdly, I was asked by a couple of guys in front of us to take their photo. Apparently, one of them used to be in Eastenders, but I have no way of confirming this, it's a bit outside of my area of expertise. Still, at the end of the gig, we shared a fist bump as we returned to our blissful anonymity.

The trip home was uneventful and smooth, the highlight being the crew of the Ember bus, one of whom was festively-dressed as a Christmas tree, which must've made loading luggage a bit of a marathon. At one point, she even sashayed up the aisle handing out festive chocolates, leaving a trail of happy passengers and bits of tinsel 🎄🍬🚌

Our heartfelt thanks go to Isabel and Iain for their hospitality, humour and the sharing of good times. No pandas were harmed during the making of this post.