Scotland

It was a calm, overcast day and I had been sitting in a stuffy, over packed car for six hours. I was delighted when my mum told me that we were almost there, I looked ahead and was presented with a view of magnificent grey mountains separated by a winding, grey road. At the end of the road we entered a valley, in the centre of the valley was a loch, the sun glistened off the water and momentarily I was forced to shield my eyes. I eagerly looked, again full of curiosity. The mountains in the distance looked like hands reaching up to touch the sky, the meadows beneath lay in the shadow of the great giants. Ten minutes later we came to a grinding halt, I peered out of the window with a look of wonder...1

On the edge of a peaceful road, surrounded by mountains and mystical trees, a traditionally built stone cottage was set in an idyllic picture. I stepped out of the car and approached the flaked green door; I inhaled the fresh, pungent aroma of lavender that grew in the garden. I waited for my mum to open the door, I imagined a crackling fire and stone floors, but the door flew open to unveil a stained, threadbare carpet and outdated wallpaper. The smell of lavender vanished and was replaced by the overpowering stench of mould.2

The next morning I woke to the sweet sound of birds singing and the smell of cooked bacon. Later in the day after a full English breakfast and after a short car drive, we arrived at a car park next to a loch. There were about forty yachts placed in neat rows, I walked along the pontoon, treading carefully to avoid the slippery seaweed. After my dad had paid for three hours sailing, we proceeded to put on our life jackets and make our way to 'Sea Pearl'. Following a rocky start, my dad became familiar with the controls and the journey suddenly became pleasant, I was able to absorb my surroundings and be soothed by its beauty. Within a couple of minutes the mass of yachts looked like tiny toy sailing boats, I peered over the side into the murky depths, fascinated by what creatures lurked beneath. The cool, crisp summer air washed over me, Goosebumps crept up my arms and a chill ran up my spine. 3

Far in the distance a castle darkened silhouette stood, lonely. The vivid ruby sky caressed the lighter shades of blue beneath; the sky danced with excitement and illuminated the lands below, the castle floated on the water’s surface underneath. Calm waves lapped up against the side of the blue boat and made peaceful beat, we floated on the surface of the water, growing closer and closer to a cluster of islands, on closer inspection I could see brown creatures bathing beneath the glorious sun and in the water little heads bobbed up, they were seals coming to inspect the wooden sea creature that intrude on them. I sat at the helm of the boat attempting to steer, I saw some interesting islands and wanted to explore them but as I turned to the right we veered off the left, half an hour later I was almost an expert on steering.4

Sitting in a quaint little beer garden with a glass of ice cold lemonade, I felt content. A big oak tree hung over us, shading our eyes from the afternoon sun, the wind scooped up a pile of leaves lying on the ground, they danced and played with the summer breeze making patterns of scarlet, gold and burgundy. 5

Later that afternoon, we were back at the cottage and so I decided to explore the back garden. I stepped out the backdoor onto the cold concrete floor, the sun was setting and just above the tree tops that surrounded the cottage, I could see dark, mysterious clouds that were outlined by the fiery setting sun. I wandered further down the garden, two large trees hung over a cracked path, heather grew either side of the path, I only made it to the first big willow tree and then my bare feet could not manage one more moment on the cold concrete. I ran back into the warmth of the cottage and settled back in a scruffy, grey, over-used armchair.6

The next day we were all dressed in our walking gear and I was prepared for a long, hard day of walking. I stood in the middle of a crowded car park with an anxious feeling, not knowing how far I would have to walk. Ben Nevis was the highest mountain in Scotland and my parents wanted me to climb it! After three hours of strenuous uphill climbing I needed a rest. I glanced behind me to see how far I had come, the narrow path I had followed zigzagged up the side of the mountain, the vast valley below was full of colour; smoky browns and glassy greens, and they painted a marvellous portrait of the landscape. 7

A little while later we walked past a loch, situated half way up the mountain, I was amazed at its location and size. The glossy blue water looked so inviting, I wanted to jump in and be refreshed by its coolness, but I plodded on. As we grew higher I put on more and more layers, the closer to the peak we travelled, the colder and more exhausted I became. With the peak in sight, I collapsed in heap, grateful that I had made it and as I took a long deserved sip of water, I looked around at the empty space, but only the location was empty and alone, many other people shared the delight of reaching the peak with us. 8

Peering over the edge of the cliff top I was astounded at how far we had climbed, we were higher than the clouds, floating above the world like the moon gazing down at the Earth. At the top a large stone was rising up from the ground, all around us were the remains of an old observatory; there was no grass, no trees, and no wildlife. I then ate my cheese and onion sandwiches, which had never tasted so good, quickly followed by my flask of tea. I could feel the energy flooding back into me, ready for the long haul back.9

The trek down seemed longer and more painful than going up, with each step my knees would be violently jolted and when passed the loch I was filled with disappointment, knowing that there was still so far to go. My water had run out but my mouth was still extremely dry and I was gasping for a drink. A while later we came across a spring, the water was so clean and transparent. The water was fresh from the earth and so I filled up my drinks bottle, and took another gulp of water, it tasted even better than last time. 10

The end was in sight and rays of relief shone down on me, my pace quickened as the car grew closer. 11

That night I fell asleep to the peaceful swaying of the trees and the whisper of the wind, wrapped in a blanket of serene peace.12