Day 5; Cairngorm and Loch Morlich.

First I should apologise for yesterday's mix up. The image was actually taken at the Katatonia gig on Monday the 3rd. I didn't notice the mistake until after it was posted. I'll rectify that one when I get a bit more time.

Then there's today; we headed up to Aviemore and the Cairngorms with a mind to go up to the top on the funicular railway. Thought we might catch a breath of fresh air... until we reached the top. Seems that the 8 minute train journey was too much for some people and they had to have a drag as soon as they got out onto the viewing terrace at the summit! Daughter soon put paid to one guy's nicotine fix when she moaned loudly about it without knowing he was in earshot!

Not the prettiest or the most spectacular mountain in the Scottish highlands either. Lots of fences everywhere to stop the snow drifting in the winter and pretty barren too - apart from the seemingly overgrown mountain garden they've planted up at the base. Honestly, I half expected to see a garden gnome or two.

The trip back down was the worst though - one carriage had been designated for disabled use and it seemed to be the only one with seating in it. Was completely astounded when I asked someone to move over and he pointed to the 8 inches beside him and said that we would have to fit in there. I could feel the blood rising and pointed out that that was impossible and that the seats had been designated for a reason. He muttered something under his breath and then, without making eye contact said reluctantly that "he would stand".

At this point a few of the women who were sitting in the carriage then offered said guy their seat and then asked him if his knee was OK. I felt terrible - even although none of them had offered to move to let the son sit down. However he refused these offers, although he did it in a pointed way while trying to kneel on the seat pushing into the space the lad was sitting in.

As if this wasn't bad enough, he then started hopping about on one leg to rub the point in. Was only when he started taking pictures out of the front window, that realised what he was up to. He didn't want to give up his seat on the train because it was the best one for camera work.

Well I hope he got some good ones, because he made us feel about two inches tall. Bad enough that you've got shit to deal with in this life without some selfish jerk making you jump through hoops to get a seat. Worse still that he has to make you feel bad about asking in order to salve his own conscience. I really hope he never has to look into the eyes of someone that he loves after they have been humiliated like that.

Anyway, after we had a bit of a rant, we moved on and enjoyed ourselves despite him.