9.21.2009

"Frustration causes accidents. Please allow overtaking."

We laughed every time we saw this sign during the drive to our cabin in the country this past weekend. Most of the time the two lanes were barely big enough to allow room for two vehicles, small as they are, and for part of the trip there was only one lane. I even drove our beetle bug car a good part of the trip. Some of the curves and bends and dips in the road were completely blind, you had no idea if anyone was on the other side and you were in a one lane-wide road with no where in particular to "dodge." But we only had one close encounter on the drive back when we cautiously came around the corner and another driver was coming the opposite direction pretty darn fast and for a split second I saw a head-on collision. But we missed each other by a hair. The scenery during the drive was gorgeous though...




The trip was to celebrate our three-year wedding anniversary on Sept. 30. I can't believe it's already here again! Mike and I have so much fun being married, we love traveling and having fun with family and friends as well as escaping for adventures of our own. Through Inverness, we stopped in a little town known as Dores and ate dinner at the local Dores Inn, it was gorgeous and right on the water. Mike and I have had a really hard time finding a local restaurant in Aberdeen that serves genuinely good food, which is why I've been doing so much cooking. But this inn was fantastic! Mike went for the staple fish and chips, which was delicious with fresh lemon and tartar sauce, and I got the steak and ale pie... my first official Scottish dish. It was mouth wateringly wonderful, a mixture of steak, mushrooms and gravy baked in a mini crock dish topped with a puff pastry and cheesy mashed potatoes. It also came with roasted potatoes, carrots and onions, yum! (The Scots, as I've mentioned before, are big on their carbs.) We even sipped some whisky on the rocks, which made us feel like we blended in or something. The restaurant was cute and quaint with candle light, fresh flowers one very table, a stone fireplace, wooden chairs and tables, a low ceiling and murmured conversations... just like something out of the movies.



Our cabin was perfect, Mike did a great job tracking it down and getting it booked! The Loch Ness cabins are 10 min. past Dores and secluded just enough to make you feel like you've escaped into the roving countryside. Saturday we went for a 2.5 hour horse ride, I loved it!!! All the way to the top of the little moutain we were on, galloped around curvy gravel roads, through pastures of sheep and even passed a castle where we heard bagpipes playing. How much better does it get!?!





On Sunday we headed back, stopping in Inverness for lunch at the Filling Station, which we've decided is like the Scot's equivalent of a Chili's in the US. They have everything from salads to burgers to pizza and it's all pretty good for the most part. They also have popular local food, like meat pies and salmon AND they serve Coors Light! We figured that whenever we're having a rough week and need a little taste of home from a reliable restaurant, the Filling Station is the place to go.
And of course we had to stop for a few more pictures. The weather was perfect, blue skies and sunshine!




2 comments:

  1. Pleased to read you had such a lovely time on your vacation in Scotland. I would like to point out the actual meaning of the sign "Please Allow Overtaking" This sign is normally seen on narrow roads where overtaking by normal means is not possible. It is trying to suggest that when you see a vehicle has caught up with you and can't get past you should pull over at the first opportunity and let them pass you. The car behind you could be a doctor or midwife on their way to an emergency!

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  2. I just returned from a trip to Edinburgh and Drumnadrochit (Loch Ness Marathon too) and we did the exact same thing. The sign "Frustration Causes Accidents" was also on a black neon traffic alert board in Inverness... I could not stop laughing... the one on the rural road made us think it applied to Road Rage... obviously it doesn't but it's quite humorous to Americans! Thanks for sharing.

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