Last of the holiday pics - a bit of a miscellany!
Our coach driver detoured a little on our way from the Jacobite train back to Inverness, so that we could visit the Commando monument just outside Spean Bridge.
As the first Commando units were formed early in WW2, prospective Commandos were taken by train to Spean Bridge, then had to yomp the seven miles (eleven kilometres) to the training centre at Achnacarry Castle, in full kit, with weapons. If they did not make it within 60 minutes they were rejected and sent back to their original units.
The memorial looks out over the land where they trained;
And a few bonus pics -
A present for Edie;
A proper Highland Coo - that moos!
Food - we went shopping in Inverness and s2C found a barbers' and had his beard trimmed. Then we found a brilliant eatery for our lunch - here he is looking tidier and contemplating a Vietnamese rice bowl.
Whereas I just went with my sweet tooth - this is my Key Lime filled Croissant. That is a normal dinner knife...
And back in York I recorded S2C with the best fish and chips he had ever had. He had enjoyed them so much when we stayed on our way north than he had them again on our night back there before heading home!
And just after I took that picture I looked out of the window behind him and, drifting over York Station, we saw two hot air balloons;
Also worth noting - during the time away from home, S2C met a fox in York, we saw both a number of small deer from one train, and large stags with antlers another day, and I saw, in the distance, a pair of eagles. All wildlife we don't have on-island so fascinating to us!
As the first Commando units were formed early in WW2, prospective Commandos were taken by train to Spean Bridge, then had to yomp the seven miles (eleven kilometres) to the training centre at Achnacarry Castle, in full kit, with weapons. If they did not make it within 60 minutes they were rejected and sent back to their original units.
The memorial looks out over the land where they trained;
And a few bonus pics -
A present for Edie;
A proper Highland Coo - that moos!
Food - we went shopping in Inverness and s2C found a barbers' and had his beard trimmed. Then we found a brilliant eatery for our lunch - here he is looking tidier and contemplating a Vietnamese rice bowl.
Whereas I just went with my sweet tooth - this is my Key Lime filled Croissant. That is a normal dinner knife...
And back in York I recorded S2C with the best fish and chips he had ever had. He had enjoyed them so much when we stayed on our way north than he had them again on our night back there before heading home!
And just after I took that picture I looked out of the window behind him and, drifting over York Station, we saw two hot air balloons;
Also worth noting - during the time away from home, S2C met a fox in York, we saw both a number of small deer from one train, and large stags with antlers another day, and I saw, in the distance, a pair of eagles. All wildlife we don't have on-island so fascinating to us!