Day 233 - Birthdays ... you can run, but you can't hide

Well, no matter how far away you try to get from them, birthday's inevitably find you. But finding yourself in Scotland with a view as stunning as the one we have simply serves to remind me to be thankful for every day I'm given and to make the most of them whenever possible.

The squid dish. Source: Gasta website

Phil and I spent most of the day working or writing or, in my case, doing some ancestry research. I received some lovely greetings from the kids, my Mom and sister, and my friends. Lady Jane Tanqueray had given me a card and gift when we were last together along with strict instructions to open it on my actual birthday. To all of you...thank you for taking the time to remember me! I am truly blessed to have you in my life.

At about 6 p.m. Phil and I made our down the hill (not sure if that is metaphorical) to make the mile walk to the restaurant at Armdale Castle, where Phil had booked us a reservation. The restaurant only opens for dinner on the weekends, and then serves a variety of predominately local seafood tapas dishes. We ordered a bottle of Prosecco and then tried a few of the dishes: squid with roasted garlic aioli, smoked paprika houmous; scallops with jerusalem artichoke and chorizo sausage; and Thai red curry mussels with sourdough bread. No birthday cake on the menu, so we shared a sourdough tatin with caramelized apple and  ice cream, and tasted a shot of a local whisky. The whisky is called the MacNaMara classic is from a distillery down the road called The Gaelic Whiskies. It was delicious! The whole meal was really lovely. A couple of musicians were due to come in, but we were pretty tired so we didn't stay.

The Gaelic Whiskies distillery. Sleat, Isle of Skye: Source: www.gaelicwhisky.com

After a leisurely meal, we left a few hours later, making the walk back (mostly uphill) to the cottage. Interestingly, there was not a midge in sight...perhaps the whisky keeps them at bay.