Dawn has a friend, not an imaginary friend, but a furry friend of the Porky Variety. He really wanted to come on Alastair and Dawn's trip and (between you and me) I think it was because he was searching for his ancestors.
He started out in the north of England staying at a Hunting Lodge. I think he was probably looking for the Scottish poet, James Hogg, known as the "Ettrick Shepherd" who lived in the Borders of Scotland.... Well, that is just north of the Lake District....
Piggy probably was jet-lagged or he had had too much champagne ... sorry, poetry .... on his first evening on his cultural adventure.
To get a taste of history he has a sniff of Hadrian's Wall. He was very impressed thinking about all those Romans peering over the wall wondering if the invading hoards from the north were about to descend.
Well if you can't beat them, you might as well join them. Piggy ended up Christmas Day at Dunira, central Scotland, where everyone was waiting for him! Not being able to muster any kind of red nose he did his best to join in the Christmas spirit by pretending to be one of Santa's furry four-legged sleigh-pulling friends.
One little person thought he was too much fun to be left in charge of the television. This is when he was in Piggy Heaven getting his full Cuddle Quota.(The mp3 file of the voice of Ishie telling you what Piggy says does not want to load on this blog. It may be the technology; it may be that Piggy language or possibly a two year old's language, is beyond our ken.)
Where were we? Oh yes... Piggy then headed off to Achiltibuie to continue on his ancestral search. I'm not sure pigs were thick on the ground in Wester Ross but he was determined to go and have a good look. First, there was Glencoe and the Black Rock (mountaineers) bothy.
Enroute, he either thought he'd have a look for the Loch Ness Monster and/or check out Castle Urquhart in the background.
No it is not his Cambridge Cousin en route from a Highland Holiday. This is Piggy paying a visit to Eilean Donan Castle on Loch Duich. Piggy said he was fed up with all the chocolate box and postcard photos of this famous castle near Skye. He felt a little gravitas needed to be added to the occasion, or perhaps, sublety, i.e. no castle just Me and My Scarve.
Who is more curious here is hard to say. In freezing temperatures in the north of Scotland he wonders if James Hogg might have written about highland sheep on frozen hillsides. Piggy thinks - or is trying to think that - it is all very romantic... at least it could be if it wasn't for being stared at by one of the locals: "Excuse me... but do I know you?" Or as I can atest to from my experience, it is more likely to be: "Uh-h-h er ....you're not from around here...."
Feeling he has just about had his bristles frozen enough for one trip Piggy takes refuge in Alastair and Dawn's hired car. He is thinking "I'm off to the nearest pub...maybe there will be a roaring fire where I can order a pint and roast my hind quarters" ... oops... I mean " get warm by the fire!"
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