Le Tout P'ti FC

Cardboard and cabbage tones mostly went the way of hot toddy filler in our holiday cottage last week. So, aye, lesson learned!

Bit soggy at Romano Bridge this morning. Not much more than a burn normally has burst into the fields around the village. Road to West Linton blocked. I need to use that road maybe twice a year - it had to be today!

About the tunnel option: I did read once the location of the new bridge was not suitable for a tunnel due to the geology on the Fife side. It would either result in a dangerously steep tunnel exit, or a lengthy and costly diversion/extension of the tunnel well into Fife to avoid the problem rock. Some guy did his dissertation on this, and identified an alternative route which would be viable. Can't find a link to the article I read on it, frustratingly! I did find this nutter who wants to build tunnels everywhere, stopping just short I think of advocating a road link to Manhattan from Oban! http://www.thinkscotland.org/thinkpolitics/articles.html?read_full=11134&article=www.thinkscotland.org

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Just drove down A9 to Midlothian, via Stirling. Horrible night, everywhere. Never driven in rain as fierce as through Dunblane. Bloody hell.

A guy on Twitter caught the 5pm bus from Edinburgh home to Peebles. As of 11pm hadn't got through Penicuik centre. Abandoned cars everywhere, jackknifed lorry and a bus crash blocking road.

I missed it. Had a bit of a fraught journey up the A9, the weather was awful coming over the top. Loaded the car up at the click & collect at Inshes, got soaked to skin in five minutes. Couldn't face being outdoors for game! Pushed on through. Wee cottage up in Black Isle with friends. Off to try see some dolphins tomorrow. Mon the Dolphins! Congratulations to Kingussie. Roll on next season in March!

Great news for me! I'm passing through town on Saturday heading to a do. Good way to break journey!

Any word on the dates/venues for the Kingussie v Kilmallie play off? I'm hoping to take this in. Suppose 28th is most likely date now?

Cardboard and cabbage tones! That's fair burst my enthusiasm for opening that bottle. Never mind, I'll get it opened soon, got about a third of a Laphroaig quarter cask left in my current bottle. If it ends up a horror show, I can always first foot it away to someone else!

Does anybody know which distillery the new release Lidl Islay 22yo single malt is from: https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/tastings/new-whiskies/batch-16-lidl-limited-releases/ Have read that it is a Laphroaig, others insist it to be an Ardbeg. The box it comes in has a huge circle over Bruichladdich on the map of Islay inside! The review above uses the word medicinal which must narrow it down to Laphroaig? Anyway, massive fan of all things Islay. Bought one, the last one in town. Will open it next month, the bottle likely won't see 2016! (None of the Speyside 28yo left in the shop either.)

We're a Bing house too. When will Flop and Padget get it together? Who is Bing's Mum? What does Amma get up to every time she drops her kids off with Flop? So many questions.

Edinburgh to Stornoway. Cracking views of Skye as we went over. Good day!

Took Wee man on first plane today, alone. Mum drove ahead, we didn't fancy driving baby 8 hours to this cottage. Airport went smoothly, he fed, watered and amused himself. Nappy changed just as boarding was called. So far so good. Then he took a massive dump on the transfer bus to the plane. Changing a v soiled baby in a plane toilet cubicle while the stewardess is thumping the door telling you to get a shift on so we can push back is no doubt the most stressful holiday start so far! He's having a ball now, it was all worth it. And... Relax!

That hair is world class! I saw a Kyles fan coming out a pub with a tribute wig on. Marvellous! My stand out moment was the Lovat #2 screaming "get up" to his mate who'd just taken a ball in the face from all of four feet! (He himself ended up covered in blood, led by example!) Great scenes at the end. I'm in amongst this lot at full time!

Congratulations Lovat!

Lovat keeper has been incredible throughout. Well played!

Shows you what I know! 2-1 Lovat. Suddenly it's came to life!

Well, if you watch enough shinty games, eventually you'll go to one that is turgid. Half an hour in and I'm thinking about whether I'll get my grass cut tomorrow. Hope to god this picks up!

The train up here from Glasgow was like a Bangladeshi commuter express. Packed to the rafters. Great atmosphere building. (This may be connected to the nips consumed on my distillery tour!)

Congratulations to Skye on their promotion! Looking forward to a trip up there next season. Cup final next week. Can't bloody wait!

http://www.theguardian.com/global/2015/aug/23/dulwich-hamlet-londons-most-hipster-football-club "They buy pints of craft beer brewed in Peckham and eat bratwurst topped with sauerkraut from a pop-up stand." It sounds good, it sounds awful.

In the league, it's looking very bleak for Inveraray now. A shame that, I've developed a wee soft spot for them on my shinty travels! (Where else can you lean on a standing stone whilst watching a game?)

So I found Ganavan! Ended up 7 or 8 to Oban, snuck away for a very decent chippy in Oban. Then onto Taynuilt, lovely wee town. I drove round the whole place looking for a parking spot. Eventually found one near Dalmally! Kyles deserved their win. They're probably due a win v Newtonmore. I've seen a few between them now, not much between them at all. Impressive turnout from the Kyles fans as well. Three older guys near me had a perpetual round of whisky nips going at the golf club bar, enjoyed them breaking into made up folk songs as the day wore on. A touch of Shieldinch about them! Some of the Kyles guys took in their seconds at Oban too, one tanning Buckie for lunch. Christ knows what state he's in now! But at least he can watch it on iPlayer to catch up. Good day out. Train tickets booked for cup final!

Good game so far, few chances, Kyles dominating possession. So Newtonmore to win 2-1! Excellent ground, pitch looks very good.