Friday 30th September - Shieldaig to Kilmarnock

Another day of driving. This time I’m heading south – well south of Glasgow. I’ve ended up in the Premier Inn in Kilmarnock and am very happy to have a room. I’d planned to travel a bit further south than this, but the blocking high didn’t reach this far north. As darkness fell, the rain came down in torrents and then piled up on the side of the roads just right for aquaplaning. So I was happy to see the sign for a Premier Inn although it took me three turns round Kilmarnock and a detour through the hospital car park before I found the hotel entrance. But I’m off the road, in the warm, Strictly on the telly and a nice cup of tea. Who could ask for more?

I’m always sad to leave the Highlands, the landscape is beautiful and the people are a delight. With the Tory conference next week, doubtless there will be lots of talk about the ‘big society’. But in the Highlands society is small and strong. Lots of things are run by the community – the shops, the public loos, village halls – and they seem to work well. It works and works well, but I’m not sure how well it would work in modern middle Britain. There aren’t many people living at the edges of the country and people know one another. People chat, and help each other. Sociability seems to be inversely correlated with shopping opportunity and I still can’t work out which is driving which. Is it working long hours to keep shops open that means people have neither the time nor energy for anything else? Or is it the lack of shopping that drives people to connect with others and spend time on singing/dancing/chatting/doing things?

On my way south I stopped in Fort William. It’s always been a rather strange town, a place where people stop briefly and the gateway to the highlands. It’s never felt like a rich town, but after three years of recession it is looking rather battered. There used to be a number of the chain stores, but most of these have gone. There’s a Tesco metro, Boots and W H Smith, but other than that only the outdoor shops are still there. There are lots of empty shops and the opticians/bookies/charity shop combination that are typical of struggling towns are here.

I skirted Glasgow and came along the Ayrshire coast. Port Glasgow and Greenock were busy with people heading home for the weekend. By the time I got to Wemyss Bay and Largs industry had shifted to leisure. Houses face the sea, ferries and candy floss. But further along the coast and the towns seem to be struggling to find their place. But then darkness and rain fall and I take shelter.