Bruce Peter's Blog

Ever since I was a small child, D&F Models in Bell Street in Glasgow's Merchant City has been one of my favourite shops. As a child, I went there to get model railway stuff, then as a student, it was an indispensible source of plasticard, balsa wood, scalpel blades, sandpaper and all of the other items necessary for making architectural models to the necessary high standard of refinement. The ever-lovely owners David and Irene Davies have now retired and so an era has come to an end. I shall miss them:

Then and now:

Myriad items to bring joy to chaps:

While, for ladies of all ages, everything imaginable for the well-equipped dolls' house:

Boxes of dogs and cats:

Kitchen utensils for dolls' houses:

Mothercare in miniature (also for dolls' houses):

Sanitary ware:

Some photographs from a few days' break up in the West Highlands to sail on the paddle steamer Waverley. We begin at the utterly charming Falls of Lora Hotel at Connel Ferry, where I stayed two nights:

Dinner: mussels followed by lamb:

The hotel gardens:

What a location:

Oban in morning sunshine:

Waverley approaches:

Loading 'catering supplies' (as opposed to food, or even cuisine):

Isle of Mull approaches:

Heading along the rocky South-East coast of Mull:

Iona Bay:

Cal Mac local ferry:

With iona Abbey in the background:

The tender boats arrive to bring Waverley's passengers ashore:

Luncheon:

This was followed by a little climb:

Diamond Jubilee decorations:

All too soon, it was time to leave:

Waverley's port-side paddle float in the clear water:

Heading northward:

Lord of the Isles, en route to Colonsay:

The cruise ship Ocean Countess approaches on her way south from Fort William:

Waverley back in Oban:

Dinner:

Oban Harbour the next morning:

Oban signs:

Quality books in Waterstone's:

Lord of the Isles and Hebridean Princess:

The moderne Regent Hotel:

(I merely popped in to have a wee look around)

It looked unfortunately run down and there were some old mattersses piled up for disposal - oh dear, oh dear:

A pity - it could be such an elegant an stylish place, but it badly needs quite a lot of sympathetic T.L.C.

Corran Esplanade Church of Scotland (Leslie Graham MacDougall, 1957), very much in the manner of Swedish churches of the 1930s:

St Columba's RC Cathedral (Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, 1932-1959) - a very fine modern romantic building:

The main attraction at the Corran Halls - blood transfusions!:

A glimpse of Castle Stalker, seen en route to Mallaig:

Mallaig:

In the second hand bookshop in the Fishermens' Mission, someone had shelved Fanny Hill next to the Small Tools Handbook:

Mural with heroic fishermen:

The B&B where I stayed in Mallaig:

Dinner:

The view from my window the next morning:

Colourful fishing boat:

Loch Nevis leaves Mallaig for the Small Isles:

Coruisk approaches:

Onboard Coruisk, bound for Armadale on Skye:

A book of quality for sale in Coruisk's shop:

Armadale:

Luncheon:

I never could resist:

An eco-encampment:

Coruisk again:

Waverley approaches Armadale Pier:

Small cruise ship Lord of the Glens:

Passing Coruisk:

Approaching Inverie:

Waverley hiding behind Inverie Pier:

(The midges were out in force, so I got no further than half way along the pier before retreating back aboard ship.)

More passengers boarding Waverley at Mallaig Pier:

A Gradwell with two fish suppers:

Detail shot of another Gradwell eating a fish supper:

Loch Nevis in the distance:

Kylerhea turntable ferry at Glenelg:

The Skye Bridge:

Waverley at Kyle of Lochalsh Pier:

Bed & Breakfast interior:

Dinner at Creelers' Restaurant in Broadford - this was outstanding:

West Coast Squat Lobster - Mmmmm!

And, for dessert, Clootie Dumpling drizzled with Buckfast* reduction (living as I do in Airdrie, the global epicentre of Buckfast consumption, this had to be tasted):

(* For bemused foreign viewers, Buckfast is a tonic wine, made by monks in an abbey in Devon. Once upon a time, it was a 'pick me up' for older people with poor circulation, but in more recent time, it has become the favoured drink of youth in Lanarkshire because it has a sweet taste and its combination of alcohol and quinine makes imbibers drunk and high - if they quaff enough, that is.)