Girl In The Pretty Dress

We hadn't made any firm plans (except for horse riding) for our time in the Smokies so on the second day we headed out to explore with no real destination in mind.  Taking the scenic (and somewhat slippy) route down the mountain. I'd have been a bit less nervous on this road with a driver who spent a bit less time admiring the view... ...but then again it was pretty spectacular so who can blame him? When we reached the valley floor we were greeted by this handsome chap.  Elk don't usually appear during the daytime (we were very lucky!) but they can somtimes be seen on the meadows at sunset/sunrise. After bidding adieu to the Elk we made our way to the Boogerman trail (thanks to the advice of a friendly mountain ranger we met en route).  Walking the Boogerman trail is a pretty magical experience - with all the different coloured butterflies dancing on the breeze you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a Disney movie. O...

Today is my birthday - so naturally I took the whole week off to celebrate. What better way to spend it than a trip to one of my favourite places? The west coast of Scotland boasts some truly spectacular scenery. I've been a few times now and I can never get tired of it. Links to all the places we visited are below (I whole-heartedly recommend a visit to all of them) but this post is going to be quite picture heavy so I'll shut up now and let the images do the talking. Where we stayed: The Galley of Lorne Inn in Ardfern Day 1: Where we ate: Brambles (Inveraray) & The Galley of Lorne Inn The Castle: Inveraray Castle (One of the locations used in Downton Abbey) Day 2: Where we ate:   The Lord of the Isles (Craobh Haven) We went riding with:  Lunga Stables  (Craobh Haven) Where we explored: Craignish Point & Ardfern Marina Day 3: Where we ate: The Oban Chocolate Company  (Oban) Boat trip (not pictured): Sealife Adventures  (Seil Island)...