During the school holidays we took a little trip. It was a belated birthday getaway for my sister, who turned 40 in December. We also both needed a bit of a break. What better way to relax than to take a 7yr and 6mth old to a blustery island?

Believe it not or it was bliss. I go away with my sister and the boys fairly often. In fact I start to yearn for round the clock auntie time if we leave it too long. Pleasingly big nephew also clammers for our next holiday. This was our first go with the new edition and it was wonderful.

Arran was, as expected, stunning. By pure chance I always seem to visit Scottish islands off season. Honestly, I think I like it that way. The rugged beauty in Scotland lends itself to the wilder aspects of our climate. If you’ve never stood in the middle of Scottish nowhere on a cold blustery day, you really should try it. There is something wonderful about wrapping up warm and venturing into the wilderness.

Anyway, back to this trip. We stayed at Auchrannie Resort which is genius combination of spa retreat and family focused. We were obviously taking advantage of the kid friendly aspects, but it would make a fabulous grown up escape too.

I had an absolute ball with my sister and nephews. We did a lot of swimming, explored the island and even a bit of archery. Turns out that for some reason I’m a pretty good archer. A fact that annoyed my competitive little sis. Come the apocalypse my chances of survival have increased, as long as I can get hold of a bow and arrow.

I of course indulged in one of my favourite hotel experiences, the buffet breakfast. I rarely eat breakfast. The luxury of having anything I could want prepared and ready tickles me. I don’t choose anything fancy, but I still love it. Toast, cornflakes & potato scones also happen to be the best fuel for a day in the great outdoors.

On our first day we set out in search of some standing stones. Unfortunately the big daddy stones were a trek too far for me. I did manage to reach a smaller stone circle, which was just as atmospheric. My sister and the boys headed on to the big stone circle whilst I enjoyed a little alone time. There is something magical about being amongst all that wild beauty and feeling completely alone. I live in big city and am never very far from other people. Don’t get me wrong, I love the hustle. There is however a part of me that longs for that fresh cold air in my lungs and no people.

We also managed to take in a few of the islands beaches. It rained on our last day, but that didn’t stop us. I prefer a gloomy beach, wind & rain feel like the real personality of the sea.

All in all it was the perfect trip. Now to buckle back down the drudge of daily life.

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