Edinburgh to York.

 May 31st. Fine day and the temperature just right.

We rose a little early and were all packed and loaded in the car at 8:45.  It was then the Great Adventure began.  Lady Satnav was programmed to direct us to Lochcarron in Selkirk but she hadn’t found her GPS satellite while we were in the underground carpark and then we ended in the wrong lane so a convoluted series of turns to get us back facing west not east and we lost 15 minutes.

It was interesting driving through a different part of Edinburgh past a more suburban look and then into the Bio Quarter where the ginormous Royal Infirmary is as well as the School of Medicine.   Several entrances, well labelled and the sirens of ambulances entering almost all of them.   

I’m just about ready to throw a “separation party” for Lady Satnav.  The AI portion seems to think we want the scenic route always and so she programmed herself to take us to Selkirk via Clovenfords and Caddonfoot.  All very well except that at Caddonfoot the sign very clearly said Road Closed and there were four large bollards blocking the way.   So we went back through Galashiels and followed the road well travelled to eventually arrive at Lochcarron Tartan

Unfortunately the Mill Tour wasn’t available today as the looms are not operated on a Friday but the display boards were very informative and there was an excellent quantity of merchandise and fabrics to look at.  The tartan wall was interesting and we found the family tartan as well as our old High School tartan.  Little Sister told me she hated her school uniform so much she wouldn’t were blue and white for years after, whereas I have always loved blue and possess very few clothing items that are not that colour.

Bespoke tartans can be ordered but there was no indication given of cost or of time required to produce.   Tartans had been designed for the Scottish Olympic team, the Cancer Society, St John’s and others including one for the coronation of King Charles III.   He and the Queen had made a trip to Lochcarron last year and there were photos to prove it.   Vivienne Westwood had used Lochcarron Tartan in some of her designs and Louis Vuitton had used Black Watch tartan on a special edition pair of shoes.

It was after leaving Selkirk that the agonising saga of the Great Adventure began in earnest.   Lady Satnav directed us on The A68 as I wanted to see The Angel of The North at Gateshead.  Within metres of Carter Bar and the “viewing point for the English Scottish border” the road abruptly closed and men clad in high viz vests directed us off to the right on a far less major road.   One miserable Diverted Traffic sign and then miles with no further information.   Even with my poor sense of direction I knew we were back into Scotland and travelling along The Borders toward Carlisle.  

 Little Sister was far calmer than I but at around 12:30  we were near Hawick, pulled into a Sainsbury’s where a kind lady directed us to a cafe.  Sandwiches and a pot of tea revived is somewhat and being sick of Lady Satnav trying to get us to return to the A68 we planned a strategy and headed for Brampton and found to our surprise that the Diverted Traffic signs were indeed indicating the alternative route was in the direction of Carlisle!   At Brampton we then headed for Darlington along the North Pennine Way 

but by this point we were tired, hungry, thirsty and fed up and when yet another Road Closed sign appeared near Staindrop we parked and went to The Wheatsheaf Inn for food.  

No Luck - this was a pub in the true sense of the word.  We sat in a corner with our Ginger Beer and watched the four other older male patrons down pints in quick succession.  The guy sitting next to me spoke in a lilting Welsh accent and told us about his travels to NZ.  Turns out he’d lived not far from Little Sister.  What a small world.   We checked with these folk about whether the road really was closed.  “You need the A1” said one man.  The bar maid merely said “don’t ask me I’ve never left the village”. And the cheery man with several pints under his belt and only one tooth in his mouth told me in an almost unintelligible accent “follow the A1”.  So out we went and did as told and eventually at 7pm we arrived in York.

But the saga is not complete yet.  Lady Satnav took us to Bootham Terrace a very narrow road with cars parked along one side and barely room for our car to enter.  We needed Longfield Terrace.   Little Sister found a spot to park and I got out to walk along and check where our accommodation actually was.    Can you imagine how I felt when I got to the door and found it locked and paper stuck on saying please call the emergency number if you arrive after 3.   I called.  She told me they were closed for the day please call back next working day.   I wanted to sit down and cry!  But just then a young couple with a young baby walked past and I asked if they could help.  James and Helen with baby Iris did help.  He phoned and somehow got a response from the same number and the same lady who had only minutes before refused me.  They waited until the proprietors called me back and gave me the entrance code, then they entered with me and checked that all was well.  These two were definitely Angels Unawares.   Antony Gormley eat your heart out.  These two were far bigger angels to me than your statue at Gateshead that I missed out on seeing.

After a cup of tea in our room we revived enough to walk out to The River that James and Helen had recommended to me. 

It’s charming.  We walked along part of the Dame Judi Dench Walk and today’s second blessing appeared.  Two little squirrels made their appearance.  One ran up the tree but when I clicked my tongue he ran down again and posed before disappearing into the pretty garden behind the railings.   

The Museum Street Tavern provided a glass of Elderflower Soda and a Lishman’s of Ilkley Pork Pie.  So tonight after a somewhat disappointing day I have ticked off two boxes - squirrels and Pork Pie.

And then a quiet walk home along the river and I’m ready for bed. What a saga!  A total of nearly 300 miles driven in a time of 9 hours - this was an epic drive for Little Sister and we are both pleased to be still in one piece.