Reported in the Aberdeen Firsthand News: “Creelman, a bright and vigorous looking young fellow will return by the West Coast to Glasgow “doing” the Trossachs en route.

The Trossachs, located within the boundaries of Stirling and Perthshire, is a vast National Park of over 1800 sq km. The area is full of braes (hills), glens (valleys), lochs (lakes), munros (mountains above 3,000 ft), corbetts (mountains 2,500-3,000 ft) and burns (large streams).

Karl had previously shared with the Canadian newspapers that the scenery of Scotland was the finest he had yet seen, and he was “charmed with the aroma from the whin blossoms”. He went on to say in a letter to the Truro News on August 9, 1901: “All over Scotland, I found the people very kind, more especially, however, in the counties of Sutherlandshire and Caithness. Nearly every village postmaster when I called at the post office to have my book stamped, to certify I had been at the place would not hear of my leaving the place until I had partaken of a glass of milk and some biscuits. The Scotch, I found, were not quick at making friends with anyone. To use a term of their own, they’re “canny” but when once they do take to a person it’s with a friendship that is not easily broken. I also found them very much interested in Canada, and any Canadian who turns up in that part of the world is treated with the greatest of hospitality.

After I had finished traipsing through the Hebrides, I arrived back on the mainland of Scotland via the Isle of Sky. Like Karl, I enjoyed the “Trossachs” on my way to Glasgow. Then I ventured farther afield up the Munro of Ben Nevis, and then to Eileen Donan Castle, where three lochs meet and around Oban, the unofficial capital of the West Highlands.

All these adventures had left my rental car a little worse for wear. I noticed a noise from the car when I picked it up two weeks earlier in Edinburgh. The noise was noticeable when driving slow and then disappeared, I assumed that the window wasn’t sealed, and with speed, the issue was resolved. However, as I moved west to east, the noise was more noticeable regardless of my speed.

Stopping in a small town on the Island of Orkney, I had a look underneath the car and noticed that the plastic undercarriage cover or “splash panel” had a tear causing a flap of material to be hanging down and slapping the road. I thought I could simply pull the loose bit off. But, pulling created a larger flap. I set my sights on a nearby service station and inquired with the mechanic about something to cut the piece away. He offered to help me, kindly cutting off the offensive noise maker.

And then I was off again.

Now dear reader, I need to admit I was a bit trepidatious driving in Scotland on the “wrong” side of the road on narrow, windy lanes with no shoulder. I may have been distracted once or twenty times by views of sheep, highland coos, standing stones, and thatched roofs. Perhaps twenty is an understatement. And, in those briefest moments when I was distracted, the car may have veered slightly off the road.

So after “doing the Trossaches en route”, I pulled into the parking garage for my hotel in Glasgow and noticed the noise was back, and it was even worse. Once again, I looked under the car, and dear reader, no word of exaggeration, ¾ of the undercarriage cover was hanging on the ground. It was undrivable. I’m not sure how I managed to drive it to Glasgow. I also concluded that perhaps I need a hearing test.

I called the rental company to inquire if they could send someone to fix the car, but apparently, this service is an option in an emergency. So after checking into my hotel room in Glasgow, I did what any rational-thinking person would do. I set out for a home repair store to buy duct tape and a utility knife, figuring I could “jimmy it up”. On my way leaving my hotel room, a maintenance man was painting the corridors. I thought he’d know the best spot for my supplies. I shared the saga related to my rental car, and he offered to walk across the street to the hotel parking garage and have a look.

I suggested he bring his toolbox.

But dear reader, oh, my shame. When this “canny” man laid on his back and had a look underneath my rental car. He was aghast, and couldn’t believe that any undercarriage was still intact, let alone any damage to the now exposed wires and sensors. He also quickly shared that my duct tape idea wasn’t good and suggested we reattach the car with heavy-duty twist ties.

While I passed him the twist ties to fasten the plastic shield to the car’s frame, he passed me some of the things he was pulling out from the space between the undercarriage and the engine. There was a lot of straw, some peat, and tufts of wool, and I was hoping he wouldn’t pass me any part of a Highland Coo!

He moved around the car counterclockwise, finishing at the front of the car underneath the hood. “Look at this”, as he passed me a USB cord. It was an old rusty USB cord wound on the car frame that the previous renter had used to keep the undercarriage in place.

My new pal, Jim, was chuffed for me, with evidence that the undercarriage was already in disrepair. Jim wanted to share his personal contact information, and what he observed with the rental company in case there was any suggestion I would need to pay for the damage. I suggested he write his validation in my documentation book.

And so, dear reader, while I didn’t have any milk or cookies, I did meet a canny scotch who treated me with the greatest hospitality. Cheers, Jim!

[Photos on my way to Glasgow]

Isle of Skye