Busy day in Portree and off to Willie McLeod’s House - our new home away from home! 22nd Dec 2019

Busy day in Portree and off to Willie McLeod’s House - our new home away from home! 22nd Dec 2019

I got to sleep around 10.30pm last night and was awake at 3.00am with all my stress about moving into our new home, getting organised for Christmas and the Wedding organisational stress. Vince is always so calm and mostly just takes it all in his stride - I admire that, but it’s not me I’m the born worrier!!!!

Today was already a pretty jam packed schedule:

1. Sort out a food shopping list into dry and cold stuff (we need to do two shops - one before our midday meeting with Penny (Photographer) and one after

2. Pack up our gear and get it all back into the car ready for going to Willie McLeod’s.

3. Organise breakfast - probably at the Granary in the town square as they are usually the earliest to open at 8.00am

4. Call CalMac and sort out the problem with our ferry booking for tomorrow to go to Lewis and Harris for the boys kilt fittings.

5. Try to get an alternative candle (the Skye Candle Shop is shut) to represent Kyle (my son who died) at Christmas at Willie McLeods

6. Head off to the Aros Centre for the Skye Story 45min show

7. Find the larger Co Op (the only place to buy food really) and shop for the dry food supplies

8. Pick up the pre ordered turkey and ham for Christmas from the Portree Butcher in the Portacabin (that comes from Lochalsh)

9. Go to the Cuillin Hills Hotel to meet with the Wedding Photographer (Penny Hardie) - maybe grab lunch there not sure.

10. Back to the Co Op to shop for the cold/freezer stuff

11. Head North for an hours drive to Willie McLeods - past the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing etc and try not to get too distracted with taking photos right now - we have months to do that and need to get settled before nightfall (3.30pm)

12. Check in with Loraine and unpack at our new home away from home, Willie McLeod’s House

13. Welcome the arrival of our friends (adopted family) Aad and Mike Schram who are coming from the Netherlands for our Wedding - and will even be wearing Kilts!

No wonder I can’t sleep with so much going on at once!

As it turned out here is how my day went on “Karen’s Stessometer”

1. Waking up and getting shopping List sorted

2. Vince phoning CalMac and sorting out our booking problem

3. Packing up gear and car

4.Trying to find somewhere open for breakfast on “Island Time” (nothing open until after 9.00am) on a busy time schedule

5. BONUS - Finding a Skye Candle at the Aros Centre when the Skye Candle Shop don’t open on Sundays

6. Watching Skye Story at Aros Centre

7. Finding Co Op and doing “Dry Food” Shop

8. Discovering that Ham on the Bone is uncooked in Scotland

9. Finding the Cuillin Hills Hotel

10. Discovering the envelope with the Photographers fee was inaccessible - locked in my case trapped under everything else

11. Meeting Penny who wasn’t concerned when I could pay her - even on the day!

12. Discussing all the lovely location options for photographs

13. Back at the Co Op doing the “Perishable Food Shop”

14. Seeing the bill came to over 300 GBP (A$600)

15. Travelling to Willie McLeods

16. Seeing Eagles hovering close up at Uig

17. Arriving at Willie McLeod’s not sure if we could get in as the owner was away

18. Falling in LOVE with Willie McLeod’s House

19. Unpacking at Willie McLeod’s - playing tetras with the small fridge/freezer and our large amount of food supplies

20. Aad and Mike’s (who we haven’t seen in 4 yers) arrival about 10 min after us

21. Discovering they had brought food as well that need to fit in the fridge

22.Catching up with our old friendsMeeting the owner of Willie McLeods - Lorraine

23.Burning our Pizza dinner in the extra hot oven

24. Figuring out to how to work the hot water system for a shower

25. Getting into bed on the upper floor and sleeping with the clouds

What a jam-packed but AWESOME and AMAZING day!