I cannot pay to use a toilet

There is always at least one dreaded day in a holiday when the alarm has to be set. It sucks that I woke up 20 minutes before it. Things on my bedside table were shaking. It was windy and rainy. Great weather for an early morning drive on 1 lane roads and mountain roads. Hooray for being designated driver. 

Problem 1. Google advises the main road is closed and there is a detour onto a single lane 2 way road. Sigh. But wait, the mini road is closed and the main road is open. Driving times back to sort of normal. I'm getting better at hitting the speed limit.

In order to see the steam train go over the viaduct, just like in Harry Potter Catches the Train To Hogwarts, we have to reach destination X by a certain time, park, walk and wait. 

However there is now no time for the walk. There is also nowhere to park. 

I drove into the small car park, took one for the team and decided that Annette takes the photo, I drive around for 10 minutes and come back to get her. 

So I drove out onto the road, timed my drive perfectly and the train had still not arrived when I returned (they were probably waiting for Harry Potter to get his luggage through the wall), so I just double parked. People could get by, nobody was parked in as they were all taking photos, so who could have a problem with that? Well until you've been sworn at in Scottish, you haven't lived. I'm hoping he is saying the same thing about being sworn at in Australian. 

The car park had been shut for incoming traffic so I just decided to drive round and round, hoping for a glimpse of the train. I circled for 15 minutes before the train arrived. I did manage to see some steam and am hoping the pictures compensate for my sacrifice. 

Back in the car - wait, I'm already there.

Annette returned, hopped in the car and off we went for a 30min drive to the train station, to catch the train to go over the viaduct, so that somebody else can circle the car park and miss seeing the train go by.

Finding a park was a bit of a mystery until we stumbled upon one. A walk to the station to find toilets. A manoeuvre through the barrier because today I am not paying 50p to pee.

Finally we got on the train. First class with lunch in a box. Sandwich, cake, cake, scone with jam, butter and cream. As a child, I got into trouble for having both butter and cream under and over jam. Thank you Scotland for validation.

The train went to Mallaig. We saw the viaduct and on the way back the island where (spoiler alert) Dumbledore is buried. 

Nothing to see at the town but seagulls.

The toilets were free, which is a win. The local store did rip us off with our meal deals but that was station toilet karma coming back.

Off the train, into the car for a drive from Fort William to Oban. It was supposed to take an hour, but the local roadworks idiots started early and we were stuck in the car for an extra hour - sitting in one spot, in a line of cars.

 I should not have had that bottle of drink just before we stopped.

We arrived at last, found the parking after a lap around the village and finally called it a day at 11.30pm.