‘Yip. So having one base and one bed for six weeks is a treat.’
They were nearing the prehistoric site of the cairns, which were built sometime between 5500–4500BCE. ‘This will be something that you don’t see back home,’ he said to Olivia, then edged his way ahead to stand at the front of the group. ‘Here we are. As you can see, the tombs are mostly ruined, there’s a lot of turf covering some of the remains. But this style of cairn is part of the Clyde group; there are many of these Clyde tombs scattered across the island.’ He paused to let everyone look around. ‘When they were excavated, shreds of pottery, fragments of cremated bone, and flint knives and arrowheads were discovered.’
‘When was that?’ asked Olivia.
‘That was back in 1902.’ He looked across at Kitty, who now seemed to be avoiding eye contact. ‘Have a look around, take your time.’
He peeled his rucksack from his shoulders and circled them a few times. It was hotter now than it had been when they started their walk, and he was parched. Taking a swig of water, he stood observing the group as they wandered around the site, taking photographs and quietly talking to each other.
He fleetingly thought about the last significant woman in his life. He and Julia had dated for a few months, until she became increasingly keen that they move in together and settle down. She didn’t understand his passion for the outdoors and adventure and the need he had to explore. When she started making suggestions that he settle down and work more ‘regular’ hours he knew that was the end. He never wanted to feel trapped or suffocated in a relationship. He knew he would perhaps never find someone who would understand his nomadic lifestyle. Anyway, he reminded himself, he had been perfectly happy with that.
Until now, a voice in his head whispered.
His T-shirt was damp and sticking to his back. He would be glad to have a cold shower when he got back to the flat. Glancing at his watch, he was relieved that they were on time. He liked to have a bit of a schedule to follow, as some guests liked to plan their day meticulously, especially if they were here for a short time. However, he would never rush a tour, particularly if conditions were tougher, or they were genuinely immersed in the moment.
When everyone started to gather around him again, he clapped his hands together. ‘Okay, let’s make our way back to the bus.’
* * *
By the time they arrived back in Brodick, the bus was almost silent, and Logan knew that most of the party would have fallen asleep. There were also a few loud telltale snores, always the sign of a well-walked lot. He was glad that they seemed to have enjoyed their first day of the tour. It was a gentle start to the next four days of walking, and it had gone well. This was one of their easier walking tours, in contrast to the Arran coastal way, which was a path that took them right round the island, stayingin different places each night. He would be doing that trip a couple of times later in the summer, and he felt a sense of relief knowing that he would be spending a bit of time on Arran over coming weeks. He had always felt at home here.
Tomorrow they would visit the Machrie Moor Standing Stones and the King’s Cave; the day after they would go and explore the northern coast at Lochranza, with an optional stop at the distillery there. Day four would be a walk through forest trails from Brodick to Lamlash, and then the fifth day they would climb the highest peak on the island, Goatfell. He just hoped the weather would stay fair.
He pulled into a parking bay at the ferry terminal and switched off the ignition. ‘Wakey, wakey, sleepyheads,’ he called gently, and then cleared his throat when he realised that there was no movement. ‘That’s us back.’ He coughed noisily and stood up to face everyone. He was met with a few bleary-eyed looks of surprise as people realised they had arrived in Brodick. They began to slowly gather their belongings together. ‘Make sure you remember all your stuff, water bottles too,’ he said, pointing to one that had rolled to the front. He picked it up. ‘Thanks for today, everyone. I hope you enjoyed it and are raring to go tomorrow?’
There was a collective murmur of ‘yay’.
‘Glad to hear it,’ he said. ‘Now, enjoy the rest of the day and I’ll see you here at the same time tomorrow. We’ll drive to the other side of the island this time, which should take around forty minutes. We’ll walk to the standing stones then down to the King’s Cave, where we can have lunch on the beach. Just remember the usual stuff. Your water, your lunch, a waterproof jacket just in case . . .’
‘Thanks, Logan,’ said the Australian man called Adam, who had been sitting at the front of the bus with his wife, Liz.‘Thoroughly enjoyed that. But I’m not going to lie, I’m looking forward to a cold beer now. And maybe a little lie down.’
Logan chuckled. ‘Indeed. And so you should. You’re on your holidays.’
As everyone clambered down the steps with their backpacks, he braved a glance at Kitty, who was last off the bus behind Olivia. She had scooped her hair into a ponytail and a few tendrils fell around her face. He felt himself wanting to reach out and tuck them behind her ear — he thrust his hands into his pockets so he didn’t do anything stupid. He didn’t want to end up having a complaint filed against him on day one. ‘Did you enjoy the day, girls?’ he said brightly.
‘It was great,’ said Olivia. ‘Just loved it. Thank you.’
‘Yes. It was lovely. Thank you very much.’ Kitty’s cheeks were flushed, and he wasn’t sure if that was from the sun and fresh air or if she was embarrassed.
‘See you tomorrow, Logan,’ said Olivia. ‘And thanks again.’
He watched the women make their way over to their car, then set about locking up the bus and getting it ready for the next day. When he glanced across, he could see Kitty looking back. She raised her hand in a small wave. It was a tiny gesture, but one that made his heart soar. He lifted his hand and waved back.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Over the next couple of days, Olivia enjoyed getting to know Kitty a bit more. Although they both made sure to speak to other members of the group, they always seemed to fall into comfortable conversation with each other as they walked. Olivia felt as though she had known Kitty for years, and was glad to hear that Cameron was once again okay. She knew that had played on Kitty’s mind after that call as they were hurrying out the door. However, Kitty had told her that Cameron had since reassured his mum. He said he had felt a bit homesick but was over it, and now having a great time. Olivia couldn’t even begin to imagine the rollercoaster of emotions that Kitty must go through as a mum, and not having a partner to share it with must make it even harder, despite Kitty saying she knew it no other way. While Cameron insisted he was fine, Kitty’s mood had definitely been a bit strange since they started the tour, and Olivia wondered why.
Today they were doing the trail from Brodick through the forest to Lamlash. Logan had promised them it was quite an easy route, and they would stop in Lamlash before heading back.
Olivia was enjoying the peace that the walks and the island provided. It was a calming contrast to life back at home, when she was constantly rehearsing and surrounded by people and noise. She was starting to realise how much she appreciated quiet and stillness and time to think. This trip was giving her a chance to untangle the mess of all her thoughts and make sense of the last couple of months.
She was happy to walk at the back this morning so she could make a point of noticing the wildlife around her, like the magnificent dragonfly that had just flown past. The day had started grey, but now the sun was shining and she looked up at the sky, which was beginning to turn deep blue as the cloudsdisappeared. Olivia didn’t think she would ever get bored of looking at the rich tapestry of colour on the hills, in the water and in the sky.
Kitty was ahead, also on her own, and maybe she was reading too much into it, but she sensed there was something else on Kitty’s mind. She had tried to reach out yesterday when they visited the distillery. After hearing about the special source of fresh water from Loch na Davie, which they used for distilling, everyone was keen to sample a dram. They were invited to try the Robert Burns single malt whisky, and Olivia felt rather embarrassed to admit that she had never tried Scotch, or any whisky for that matter.
‘You can have it straight like that,’ said Kitty. ‘Or add a drop of water.’
‘I’ll follow your lead,’ said Olivia. ‘What would you recommend?’
