Menoquisitive [men-oh-kwizzy-tiff]; following one's nose... or, Variation on the theme of Menoffagainorrhoea (and a wee bit menosukhi to start)

Possibly the longest title on this blog so far. Oh well. It's been a while since have added to the menoctionary, but my sister's visit warranted it, I feel. Having been back in Scotland for well over two years now, I have had hardly any time with her, and certainly not one-one, because her life was full with both her work as a speech pathologist and - most of all - the Maestro. Mac1 took up the offer of coming back to Dunoon with me (couple weekends back now) as it was her last weekend before returning to work from a very extended compassionate leave.

On the Friday, we first attended a late afternoon concert in Edinburgh. It was the first ever performance of the Digital Orchestra; Amy had been part of it, of course, so it was rather poignant from that perspective. However, this was to show support for Drake Music and also for Rhona and Joe, two of Amy's close pals and talented musicians in their own right... all of the group are very talented.



The music was astoundingly good and actually hit the inner chords - many in the audience developed a leaky-eye condition. Ambient, flowing, uplifting... yet in places there was some darkness, heart-gouging and involving. This was a donation-only event, but I would gladly part with the dosh for a full concert from this group!  Mac1 and I were touched by a lady called Lucy, from Zimbabwe, here in Scotland studying childcare; she wishes to work with special-needs children when she goes home and was clearly very inspired by what she had seen and heard that afternoon... music is so very transportable!!!

As we drove off into the sunset**, we very quickly made the decision to follow the less-driven route to the West Coast. You know me well enough by now to anticipate that this got 'interesting'...

I handed Mac1 the YAMroid with the offline maps on it. Here is a screen shot, with my addition of the red line. This may, or may not, be the route we followed...

By this time of the year, there is good natural light till about 8pm. Depending on weather, of course.  (*ahem*)  As we drove out of the city it struck us that it was rush hour; and a Friday. Just as well we were not in a hurry then. If we had gone the usual M8 route, it would have been parking-at-pace. At least with the back road one could keep moving forwards. It also afforded lots of delightful views and passed us through some gorgeous little towns and villages.

After forty minutes-ish, we made a stop at Linlithgow, finding a parking spot just below the palace (birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots) and looking over the loch.  We had a picnic tea and I got in a little bit of Fudge-work...

The church spire is extremely well known as a symbol of Linlithgow, and is often mistaken for being part of the palace, which sits right beside it - as can be seen in the 'looking up' shot.

Once I'd got up to the gate, the obligatory 'looking down' shot had to follow... right?

You will also have gathered by the lighting that it was cloudy.

Very, very cloudy.

Shortly after we set off again, the rain arrived.

Sight-seeing was likely to be infringed. Go for the motorway? Not on your nelly. Back roads to Falkirk.

Then we started looking for the signposts to Falkirk; then the signposts for Kirkintilloch...

Falkirk passed in a blink. Mac1 assured me she could see the top of the Wheel. We almost missed Kirkintilloch. Lennoxtown might have been 'interesting'... but it was already 7:45pm and wet and windy and getting almost dark; and it wasn't where we wanted to be. We reached K'tilloch twenty minutes behind schedule. That's okay... just a minor side tour.

Through that town we went now and were following signs for Bearsden.

It got more 'interesting'...     tbc...

**I am of course being facetious; it was the usual Scottish glaring grey sky which can still be blinding in a screw-the-eyes-up kinda way. The point here is that we were headed West. Which we firmly believed held the setting sun...