Thursday, March 15, 2007

Back on the whisky trail

I'm planning a wee trip to the Islay Festival, or Feis, at the end of May, and have been inveigled by my friend Dave to (a) cycle and (b) camp. I tried to interest my son Magnus in the expedition. He is, after all a grown student, with interests extending from real ale to computer games, and I'm sure he'd enjoy visiting various distilleries.

There's also the fact that my maternal grandfather, John MacCalman, was born in Islay, leaving when he was 12 to begin work in industrial Scotland. I hope to investigate his/my background while I'm there.

Magnus, however, point blank refuses to camp. He claims to have been put off for life by "a terrible experience at the Download Festival" where he couldn't sleep because of "a rock". As opposed to, hey! Raaaaawwwk! Promises of Thermarest sleeping mats, four-season sleeping bags and a decent tent have so far failed to prevail. Young people nowadays!

On the other hand, maybe I could hire a camper van...

1 comment:

hoolet said...

hi tom
you know whit "they" say ner cast a cloot til may be oot, so the civilised thing tae dae would be hire a caravanette , and your the very man who could afford it, a star o' stage screen and radio, plus the fact your no gettin any younger yoursel