Dancing the Night Away

Dancing the night away began to look like a gleam in the eye as flood waters rose across Scotland yesterday.

We received invitations to join a party at the Aberfeldy Ball in wonderful Blair Atholl Castle, Blair Atholl. No need to ask twice: the dress, shoes and DH’s kilt were packed in a flash. I’ve visited the castle several times and even dined in the Great Hall – but danced there? Delighted to come. Where else do you get to dance the Eightsome Reel to the skirl of pipes played by pipers of the only legally raised private army in the UK, The Atholl Highlanders?

However, come the day and come the rain. Also, and equally frustrating, come the closure of the Forth Road Bridge until 4th January!

Book the train. Back to that rain. We could get as far as Perth on the train, but the line north of there was flooded and all trains were cancelled.

Come the bus: delivered to ten yards from the hotel we were staying the night in, by the train company. On the way we had every opportunity to see the water. Lochans where fields were three days ago.

Today the sun is shining and in places the sky is blue. Scotland, as commentators have observed, does not have a climate, it has weather. But that brings resilience. Hats off to the transport people who are working so hard to keep us all on the move. We really appreciate you.

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