WHO CARES: Storms, a white-knuckle trip up the A9 and breakfast calamity – the perfect short break!

Well, I really picked the wrong week to go on a short break to the Central Belt!

Two named storms and blizzards, horizontal rain, freezing temperatures and hazardous driving conditions that saw me clutching the steering wheel for grim death while travelling up the A9 at 45 miles an hour.

Was it worth it? On balance, probably. We also had issues with our accommodation as the people who had booked the rental flat before us decided it was the perfect location for a wild party (despite parties being forbidden on the landlord’s website), which resulted in so much damage that the place was trashed, the police were called and there is going to be an insurance claim. Why would someone do that? I can’t believe it was a spontaneous thing, but if it was planned, that was really wicked.

For me, having done my usual carer proofing of all aspects of the break so that there would be the least possible stress for our boy, most things that could have gone wrong did.

We were transferred to another flat, but it was only a one bed, resulting in me sleeping on the couch as the boy would not have coped with that and I would not have been able to go on my early morning rambles sneaking through the living room with him lying there. We only got it for the first three nights as there was a prior wedding party booking for all the remaining flats which meant we were bumped out to a hotel for the last two.

Hotels are great relaxing breaks for most people I’m sure, but for us, it presents issues with feeding the boy as he has particular routines with food and being in a rental flat allows me to replicate home. But in a hotel, although the lunch time fish and chips works, tea and supper are not easy.

And there was major disappointment that breakfast in this hotel from a familiar chain did not have the conveyor belt toaster he enjoys so much; (you know which chain I mean now don’t you).

For me, the thought of a giant bed after three nights on a couch was enticing, right up to the point when I realised that the lift shaft was on the other side of the wall and there seemed to be a never-ending stream of people travelling up and down to their hearts content all evening and into the wee small hours. Driving the boy and his Falkirk pal to all the main cities in the area daily after sleeping poorly and through weather varying from monsoon to arctic conditions tested me a bit.

However, the excuse to spend time in various local cafés warming up with a big cup of tea and a book while the boys went roaming looking for lifts and buses as are their passions was most welcome. And I found out that if you bring your own cup to the one with the loyalty card, you get an extra stamp towards your free cuppa!

So, there were definitely some positives in the experience – I wasn’t working, and I got another fix of the Kelpies into the bargain, capturing them reflecting the sunset on the first day which turned them golden instead of their normal silver grey. Got to focus on these positives and that the boy enjoyed reconnecting with his friend which is lovely to see.

Karen is Mum to an autistic teenager and campaigns for the rights of unpaid carers to be supported in their caring role and involved in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of the people they care for. You can find her on twitter @Karen4Carers.

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