Took the Caledonian sleeper train to Corrour from London. First time I traveled anywhere with a 1st class ticket! Small compartment like a jail cell, but it had a table, bed, window, mirror, hooks for hanging clothes and all was very space efficient. On the 11 hour trek overnight, I kept awaking hoping, like Christmas morning, I would be there! The sun rises at 4:30am, so I kept thinking 'it must be morning, I must be there by now' but sadly, I'd still be 3 hours away! While I didn't too much work, I had a wonderful time!
The territory is vast, very green, and the architecture of the cliffs, glens, and forests is stunning. The hilly and rocky ground billowed, like clouds, covered in moss and ferns. It was not dissimilar from the cloud forests in Costa Rica, just very chilly and with annoying midges (nastier versions of mosquitos). With road grading, construction, IT work all hapenning on the Estate, I just stayed out of the way. It's absolutely invigoring to be somewhere so unspoilt by human interference - the lochs (Scotch for lake, ie Loch Ness) were placid, reflecting the sky and mountain peaks in their shimmering surface. The forests and bogs whispered as water dripped from leaf to leaf and gravel crunched underfoot. Went for a bike ride after work with Hunter, another Harvard intern working at Corrour, and the stunning landscapes and crisp air were inspiring. We got off our bikes to explore an old farmstead foundation, and in that moment, a cloud bypassed the hill (hill here means small mountain), and the heavens opened and we were soaked instantly. I don't mean the kind of soaked you say when a passing city bus sprays puddled water on your trousers. I mean that wet is a spectrum (not a binary!) and there was no further we could go. Hours more of water dumping for the sky would not have made my jeans heavier, my shoes soggier, or my glasses more splattered. Hunter's bike brakes stopped working too, so we walked back, chilly. Character building and fun.
Slept beautifully out in my cabin in the woods and departed after very limited work. Returned to London Friday morning. Played 'Spot the American' on the Tube, a game at which I am skilled. Wished them Happy Fourth of July and I pulled up Red White and Blue outfit subtly. Did ask my co-workers whether the UK might declare independence from the US one day (Travis's line). Got a hearty laugh from all. And with that I sign off. Need to figure out weekend plans now. Will load photos later for the past two week's adventuring.
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