Haudagain Roundabout

We're still here in Scotland, flying around a pixelated Aberdeen, happily labouring away with emergency checklists and category "A" profiles.   The full motion sim is quite realistic, but don't pass gas, as you can't open a window and clear the air as you would in the real thing.  My co-pilot just about killed me last flight.  Despite gagging, we were laughing but it really wasn't pleasant.   So it's sun up to sundown in the training centre, with full days strapped into the "box" and it's dubious air quality, sandwiched between long commutes to and from the hotel.

I don't know how big city dwellers deal with traffic day in and day out, I'd go mad.  The drive from the hotel varies from twenty minutes to an hour forty-five, as UK's worst roundabout, named Haudagain roundabout (google it) somehow pathetically manages to handle the rush hour crossing of two major thoroughfares.  I wonder if there's an overpass in the plans somewhere as I think it's presently untenable.  I thought Dar es Salaam  traffic was bad.  We're the blue dot headed into town, not moving for over thirty minutes.



But there's still the weekends to get out and explore the Scottish countryside, and we've been doing plenty of that; castles, cathedrals, highlands and scotch distilleries.  Being the UK,  you are driving on the left side of the road, while driving from the right hand side of the vehicle, the reverse of what I'm used to.  Of course I've driven on the left plenty in Tanzania and Kenya, but I've never noticed certain things as I do here.  I'm managing well enough but I've got my left and right completely messed up.  For most of my driving life, turning left meant crossing against oncoming traffic, and turning right was a simple exit off the road, but now it's reversed, and the guys are constantly after me for messing up my "turn right" or "turn left".  My brain has adapted in strange ways.  Plus you have to look up and to the left to see the rear view mirror.  Sounds stupidly simple but after thirty plus years of looking up and right for it, you just forget about it and use the side mirrors.  The roads are extremely narrow, with no shoulder, and you find yourself squeezing your shoulders together passing cars as I'm sure there's very little clearance between our mirrors.  About as effective as leaning forward to see something clearer way off in the distance but we still do it.  Now take these narrow winding roads careening around the highlands and throw yourself down them at sixty miles an hour just to keep up with the traffic flow.  I'm white knuckling with both hands on the wheel but I'm smiling too.  I see how Scotland breeds such capable rally drivers.

Obviously I'm becoming more acquainted with the finer points of single malt whiskey, and my particular predilections has narrowed my favourite down to Ardbeg's Corryvreckan, with their Uigeadail a close second, pushing out Lagavulin for top spot.  It's too bad the Islay distilleries are too far for a day trip.  I've scored some fine Scottish wool scarves, much needed here, and even one of their "Andy Cap" hats, to fit in with the friendly locals, but I think it adds ten years and does nothing to keep my ears warm.

Another week with yet another check ride looming, then hopefully I'm home for a spell of some relaxing in Nova Scotia.  Sounds like my next posting will be in the jungles of Suriname.

Slight Edit for Single Malt Scotch fans;

Found thee scotch bar in Aberdeen tonight in a wee bit of a blizzard, and while Ardbeg's Corryvreckan is still my favourite, I tried, according to the bartender, thee smokiest peatiest Scotch in all of Scotland, well out of my price range but I did try a dram of each......