Poppy bags the Dry Isle
Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, what’s happening, grrrrrrrrr let me sleeep, Dad, I don’t want to go walkies, just let me sleeeeeeep. I pretended to get breaky and hid under the table in the red room. “Poppy I know you are under the table, COME” I was still dark when dad took me for draggies. Round the block I sniffed every leaf, dad was getting angry. Well you dragged me out dad. Instead of going back to our house we went to Betsy! Mum was in the back she roared into life. Soon I was sitting on mum and we were off. Where are we going dad? MMmmmm its dark still, never mind, sleeps. When I woke up the sun out and it was nice and warm in Betsy. She pulled over for a rest at Glen Coe where we got out for a wee walk.
Soon we were off again until Betsy stopped behind a long line of cars, vans and lorries. Dad got out and took me with him to investigate. MMM I smell the sea. Are we going on a boat dad? We went past the trucks to a Jetty, we are going on a boat aren’t we dad? We watched the boat come across the water, better get back to Betsy
Betsy had to swerve to get on the boat. It was small and everyone stayed in their cars. It was soon full up and off across the water.
After a wee while we were leaving the boat behind and Betsy headed west. Where are we going Mum? “We are going to a Castle Poppy” Poppys likes Castles. Betsy left the big road and started to go down very small twisty roads. She had to go slow because cars would come straight at her and she had to stop lots to let them pass. On we plodded until the road came to an end at a place called Ardtoe. Dad look Beach!
We played ball on the beach but we had a castle to find so went to the end of the road, Dad look! Another beach! Ball! Ball! Ball!
Mum thought the castle might be over the dam at the end of the beach, I was not convinced but went along anyway. On the other side we followed a path over some small mounds until the path came to an end. I went on further but could not find a castle anywhere.
On the way back to Betsy dad thought he should ask the locals. Nobody had ever heard of a castle anywhere near here. Back to the maps and back the way we came. On the way out of Ardtoe I saw a big monster, Betsy get us out of here! Look at the size of that thing!
Betsy trundled along the small road until she came to Acharacle where dad asked some workies where the castle was, they pointed him to another road but warned him the road was small and tricky. Off we went. The road was very small and narrow, sometimes Betsy had to go very slowly, I was sure she would get stuck. Eventually we got to Doirlinn but poor Betsy had another problem, no space for her to rest. She was so tired she made a space, the noise of the trees on her roof made dad face scrunch up.
We all tumbled out of Betsy, look dad a castle! This castle was no ordinary castle, twice a day the island it is on joins onto the mainland. Mum, Dad lets go!
As we got closer to the castle my heart sank, Its still an island! I looked up and down, but the water was too deep for Poppys. We won’t get to the castle will we? Dad took his shoes and socks off picked me up and took me over the water to Dry Island. It may be called Dry Island and I was dry, mum and dad both had wet feet!
Let’s go to the castle it’s so close, up the hill we went through the heather and long grass as we got to the top I discovered a big gully was between us and the castle, well after every thing we had been through I’m not letting a gully stop me, I shot off, jumping from rock to rock. At the bottom I stormed the castle mum and dad trailing behind me.
Poppys are made for this type of country. I was having a great time, climbing rocks and running through the tunnels made from heather and bracken. I soon lost mum and dad. I heard them shouting for me so I climbed a big hill to find them.
Mum was worried we might get stuck on the island so we headed back to Betsy, she needn’t worry, when we got back to the water even I could get over. Back at Betsy we had some snacks before leaving, I got some ham YUM!
Betsy went back along the tiny road and eventually came out a place called Salen. The road was still very small so it was to be a long journey. As we came round a bend A car was hurtling straight towards us. Betsy dug all her paws into the tarmac, we all jolted forwards, mum’s big bottle of wine flew across Betsy’s floor and bashed open spilling wine everywhere. Dad jumped out his seat and stopped it from totally emptying all over Betsy. As he got back Betsy had to reverse so the car could get back, dad was not happy. On and on Betsy trundled, she left the water behind and started to climb the mountains. Dad, where are we going?
We came down the mountain back to the sea at a place called Kilchoan. Betsy had a tough steep bumpy path to get down before she could rest for the night, she made it, just, and went to sleep. I got out to investigate.
After a short while it was time to explore. We left the campsite towards the beach. The beach was rocky so we followed the path along side. It crossed lots of burns and marshy bogs. The path went on and on. We could not find anyway up or down. Dad spotted a field that had a fence we might get over. Lets go, up through the field we went all the way up to the road. We followed the road until its end.
End of the road, better get back to Betsy, the easy way.
