Up north ...

Thursday (7th November) our bags were packed, the hire car had been collected and ...

by 9-am we were on our way from Hambleden Marina, through the autumnal leafy lanes, on the first leg of our journey to bonny Scotland ...

After a night of very heavy rain there was lots of lying water on these narrow lanes, but the sun was shining through the canopy of trees and life is good ...

George saw deer crossing the road behind us through the rear-view mirror as we climbed the Chiltern hills on the approach to the ancient village of Ibstone

9:25 and we're turning onto the M40 

 We stayed overnight with George's sister near Market Drayton and by 7:45 on Friday we passed by the parish church of Ashley to continue our journey.

The drive was uneventful, thankfully.  

Along the M6 where there is lots of work going on (no change there then), but the managed system in place kept the traffic moving.  Then onto M74, M8 through Glasgow and the A760 into Largs.  The views through the Lake District etc were amazing although the temperature outside dropped a couple of time to 3° and was only 6° at its highest throughout the five hour journey.

 12:45 and we're dropping down the Haylie Brae into Largs.

 I'm always excited to see the wonderful views over the Firth of Clyde ...

 to the Isle of Cumbrae

It was too early to book into our accommodation and we'd arranged to meet family at the Bosuns Table at Largs Yacht Haven where granddaughter Joanne was on duty today ...

 View of Largs from the Yacht Haven

Son in law Joe, daughter Sharon and their youngest Alice arrive at the cafe from ...

 Alice's graduation ceremony ...  Congratulations Alice!

At 3-pm after coffee and cake, we left the cafe to book into SugarPop Cottage ... a four bedroomed, spacious, delightful cottage near the centre of Largs and were later joined by the rest of the Palin family, Mark, Ange, Lucy, Dan, Ed and Pip!

Tomorrow is party time!