Hire cars and pottering around the area

Well, what to do. Loch Sunart was as stunning as the pilot book said (even if the analogy was pretty useless) and the local area had to be worth exploring. We walked the local forest area and loved it. So, a hire car was needed. The nearby supplier (Loch Shiel garage) upset us with their pricing which was at the top end of anything we had seen. They also won no brownie points with their telephone enquiry handling. "I will need these documents and this proof and you will have to do x / y/ /z" were almost their first comments on the phone after telling us how much. The icing on the cake was wanting to charge £5 on top of the already exorbitant hire charge to collect us (5 minutes drive away). Enterprise "we pick you up" they most certainly are not.

In a fit of pique about their rather money grabbing ways, we got a car from Fort William Car Hire instead. Even with the cost of the bus trip to Fort William, it was still cheaper and the owner, Jamie, was great. Collecting us from the bus station (for free) and taking us to an immaculate little office and workshop, we were handed a car that was not that new (71K miles) but that was one of the tidiest and cleanest we've had. Jamie deserves to do well.

So, we pottered around the Ardnamurchan peninsula in a Seat Toledo diesel quite happily.

Firstly, the bus trip to Fort William though, we get ahead of ourselves. A little Mercedes 33 seater that had to thread its way around the single track roads and then across the Corran Narrows ferry too:

Martin, the driver was clearly known by all the regular travellers, people he passed on the road, ferry staff, passing dogs etc etc. Mind you, when you drive the one bus a day to Fort William and keep it at home overnight, you must become famous. The twisty roads got the better of one visitor to the area - an emergency stop was needed for him to regurgitate his breakfast. The unfazed Martin just gave him a rubbish bag, kitchen towel and some wet wipes in case of further excitement. Clearly, this isn't abnormal behaviour on his bus.

On the way back to Salen, we stopped off to enjoy some of the scenery which we had travelled through by train on our Mallaig to Fort William trip. It was easier to get some pictures this time, no grubby Scotrail train windows in the way:

We also called into Glenuig. Wow. Quite a bay:

Yet again, the possible anchorage area within the bay was full of mooring buoys including two for visitors that are way too small for us. Another spot we will not be able to stop off in.....

When we got back, the boat seemed happy to see us:

and perhaps a little lonely.

It is all very relaxed and friendly here. In fact Jan the owner remembered that we needed a new 6 Kg propane cylinder to replace our empty spare and came to say that she was then putting in an order for gas and could get us one, probably by the next day! Sure enough, it arrived. Amazing service in the almost middle of nowhere.

By the way, we like the new houses and architecture around here. Some imaginative places with big picture windows and not a hint of grey rendering. Way better than the Outer Hebrides offerings. Perhaps they have one enlightened architect living here who is saving the place like Manrique did in Lanzarote?