Getting around

Now's the time to add a map of the Coigach Peninsula - our little world. Polbain, our village, sits on the edge of a one-lane road that circles the peninsula, and branches off in several directions. One road leads to the village of Achiltibuie and then on to where a dear friend owns the very last house before the road ends. From there a tiny path, the old mail carrier track, leads off along the flank of Ben Mor Coigach and ultimately to Ullapool. One road goes off to dead-end at Reiff. And one road (the one going off the map at the upper right) branches in one direction to connect with the main motorway route to Ullapool - the other branch is the "Wee Mad Road", winding through spectacular scenery to Lochinver. All these roads are one lane with pull-outs every so often for passing.

Jack got to know these roads so well he could have driven them blindfolded. He loves to drive little twisty roads (we had belonged to a sports car club previously and had done quite well in rally competition). So when he got his hands on our little red Mini he was in hog heaven. The car became known affectionately as "Ho Chi Mini - the Red Terror".

Jack never had a problem driving on either side of the road - he can do mirror writing, and driving on what always seemed to me to be the wrong side of the road came easily to him. I am directionally challenged and never really got used to it - though I could happily drive on the one-laners because they didn't have a "side". But I was always nervous on the motorway or in town.

Whatever the roads - a car was a necessity, for distances were large and settlement sparse.