My Little Sugar Addiction

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Like most people in the western world I have a little, nasty addiction.  It sits in the back of my head constantly pestering me to have more of it.  There are times when I have been able to resist it, but more often than not I give in and get my fix.  I am, of course, talking about sugar.

Addiction is an odd thing to me.  I don't smoke and have never got into that habit, I don't feel the need to have a drink when things get bad/stressful/celebratory, I don't feel like I can't function in the morning if I haven't managed to have a cup of tea or coffee, and I definitely don't have a drug habitat of any form.  So it didn't occur to me that I might have an addiction to sugar until a few years ago.  Really, if I had been paying attention, I should have guessed that I had, the one chocolate bar not being enough anymore, the wanting a fizzy drink in the morning and afternoon, the constantly wanting pastries with icing and cream in.  It was only when I started eating healthily properly after doing some research on my PCOS that I noticed that little niggling feeling in my brain.  I have tried giving this up before, but I always fall back into consuming sugar in the form of chocolate, biscuits, and fizzy juice.  I suppose I should be too suprised, research on sugar addition and rats have shown that they are more addicted to it then they are to cocaine and sugar is added to products (even 'healthy' products) all the time.

The problem is that sugar, especially in it's process form, is so bad for you.  I remember being warned about it regularly, as I'm sure we all have, by my dentist when it came to the health of my teeth.  Then there was the big health push in my teens about sugar and Type II Diabetes (though you would have thought from the pictures that only obese people got that).  There's now also information showing that sugar increases the amount of aging our body does, especially on the skin, as well as some connections shown between sugar and high cholesterol.  Yet, despite all this, it's still there being added to our food.  I think the weirdest thing for me is the way it's still in all the diet food.  It's all 'fat free' this and 'fat free' that and yet they replace the fat with high amounts of sugar and as far as I'm aware there's no real difference between the fat you consume and the fat your body converts the sugar you consume into.  For some reason fat has been placed as the baddy to be removed at all costs, while sugar is the naughty product that isn't that bad really and definitely the better of two evils.

If only it was that simple.  The one thing I found when doing my research into healthy eating for my PCOS was that there are actually a number of fats that are not only good for you but also really important for your health.  Sugar isn't entirely bad either as your body does need it in moderation, but needs to be eaten in small amounts in a more natural way (and by natural I mean like in your fruit and vegetables which are mostly whole).  Sweetener is not really any better.  It still gives your body the sugar kick that is so addictive and, as your body doesn't know the difference, it still releases the insulin into your bloodstream with possible connections to insulin resistance in the long run.  There's also some evidence that people who use sweetener also eat more afterwards, possibly because their body is geared up to get sugar that never turns up.

For me, the big health issue in connection to my PCOS is that my insulin baseline is higher naturally than most people's.  This means that the Sugar that goes into my body is much more likely to be converted into body fat (with all the health issues there) and the fat in my body is less likely to be converted into fuel, I'm also more likely to get Type II Diabetes.  It's much more important for me that I eat healthily and exercise regularly, not only to reduce my body fat but to reduce my insulin levels as well.  Sugar is definitely an 'only in moderation' product for me and I really want that moderation to be in the form of the fruit and veg by body evolved to understand.  It also fits, as I'm trying to live more sustainably, that the by eating healthier, less processed food it'll actually be easier for me to make more sustainable choices in the food I eat.  I'll be able to decide where all the products come from.

So how am I going to break this little addition this time.  Well, thankfully I'm stubborn so the fact that I failed the last few times is not going to stop me giving this another go (it does have it's uses).  Also, my new job means I'm going to be stuck up a hill with no access to a shop selling pure sugar in a fizzy disguise, and my trip back and forth to work doesn't pass any of those either.  I'm not going to buy anything in my weekly shopping that has the substance in (I do have some very expensive maple syrup to get through right now though) and that way I'll have no choice but to not have it.  I will need to increase my calories for this job, but the plan is to do it through the healthy options, such as fruit, seeds and nuts instead of chocolate and biscuits.  I'll just have to ignore the little sugar demons in my head.  Afterall, I won't have a choice.

Decluttering: clothing & shoes

About a year ago I went through my wardrobe and got rid of a number of things that I just didn't wear anymore or that didn't fit at all.  I've never really had a particularly large wardrobe, but I still felt that there were a number of things that were taking up useful space that I easily get rid of.  Since then I have been getting rid of things here and there which were worn out and couldn't be fixed.  I had thought that there wouldn't be anything else that would go and I started packing up my items ready for my move to my new job, but as I was doing this I realised I have a number of items of clothing that are specifically for the administration in an office job I'd been doing for the last few years and not the outdoor getting wet and muddy job I was going to.  While I knew that I would want to keep a few pieces that I loved (and it's good to have a couple of nice clothes), I also knew there there were a number of items that I had just because they were office appropriate.

So I sat down and went through them, getting rid of a pair of black trousers (which didn't really fit properly anyway), a couple of tops that I would only ever wear in an office and which either didn't really sit on me properly or were too short for me know, a couple of cardigans, and a cami which I wore under tops but which has such skinny straps that my bra would show through.  I also decided to get rid of a long sleeve top I had brought as a layering piece but which was so thin it didn't do anything, a woolie hat that was so tight it gave me a headache every time I wore it, and a scarf I just didn't love anymore.  I'm not really into wearing high heels anymore either so I got rid of my last pair of really high ones and a pair of ankle boots which only really work with my work stuff.  There other items are just ones I realised I had duplicates of and didn't actually use.  There are also a couple of items (not shown here) which are vintage and so I'm going to try selling them.

This definitely isn't the largest decluttering of clothing ever (I know that other people have multiple bin bags full usually), but it was a good reminder to me that I could still be holding onto unnecessary stuff because I'm not really thinking about how much I use them.  Clothes are pretty easy items for me to get rid off as they don't tend to have any sentimental feelings attached to them, but there are other items which I tend to me much more attached to (predominantly jewellery) even though there may be absolutely no reason for it and I think the reason I've been letting myself hold onto them is because I haven't had to move in a while.  There's been no need or incentive to keep the items of products I have to a minimum.

A number of my products will need to start going into storage soon and that isn't exactly a cheap process, so storing items that I don't use or which don't hold any special meaning really does seem like a waste.  As I'm only going to be able to do this over the weekends it'll have to be a little bit done here and there, but I'll keep myself accountable by posting the decluttered items on Instagram.  It's time for me to start being just a little bit more brutal about what I've been holding onto.

Mini Film Review: Food Inc

I brought this film a few years ago as it was about the intensive farming techniques in America, similar to that expected in Lincolnshire in the form of a pig farm.  Directed by Robert Kenner it's split into three sections: first looking meat production, then at grain and vegetable production, and lastly at the economic and legal side of food production.

I thought it would be a difficult watch, especially when it came to the animal welfare side of things, and it was when they were showing how the pigs were slaughtered.  But, for the most part it was quite a good look at the way the food industry works in America.  Obviously there are always two sides to every story, but this documentary takes a look at how the industry is run when money is the main priority over welfare (both of livestock and workers) and the environment, designed to produce large quantities of food for cheap.  It also highlighted how much of a monopoly a small number of large food companies have over the whole industry, affecting and controlling how individual farmers can grow the food on their land.  While the actual livestock farming may not be similar in Britain, the relationship between large food companies and individuals farmers in the US is similar to the situation faced by British farmers when dealing with our supermarkets.  What was particularly interesting is how the companies have been promoting an unhealthy food habitat which support this type of farming.

This documentary definitely highlights what happens when the food becomes nothing more than a money earner.  As something that sustains us and has such a large impact on our environment it really deserves more importance than that.  It didn't really highlight anything to me I hadn't already found at about when I was doing research before becoming a vegetarian, but it was a good way of reminding myself why I've made the decisions I have.  If you're just starting out on finding out about the food industry this is definitely a good place to start and then take your research further.  I am glad that our industry isn't quite as intense as that in America, but it still could be improved to make it more sustainable and ethical.

Project Pan 17 Update #4 and Other Products

 This month has been a little more successful than I thought it was going to be.

Let's start with the product I'm most happy about finally finishing and that's the Wella System Professional Polish Cream.  This product does help a bit with frizziness and smells nice, but it isn't as good as the oils I usually use and is not cruelty free so I won't be getting it again.  I am happy that this has finally gone, but it is a reminder to not buy something, just because.

I've also used up the NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee.  I didn't manage to get absolutely all the product out of the container, but I did take out the stopper so that I could get as much as possible.  It's not really my colour (I seem to have been going through a pink phase for some reason), but the texture and smell were nice.  It is a good product, but I won't buy it again as I'm not a lip gloss type of girl.  There is also the whole are they, aren't they when it comes to cruelty free.  I've moved on to some of the other lipsticks that I have and am hoping to use another two products by the end of the year, which should take the number down to 4.

The eyeshadows are doing well.  Now that I'm doing a type of brown, smokey eye The Body Shop eyeshadow in Coconut About Me is moving along a lot quicker.  I've also been using Sea Shell on my eye as well as a highlighter and this has helped move it along, but obviously hasn't helped with two purple eyeshadows which have been put on the back burner for this month.  I had watched a YouTube channel by MakeUp Geek about covering up undereye circles which recommends using an eyeshadow as the powder rather than your usual face powder.  So I've been using the Natural Collection eyeshadow in Sable for this and have now managed to hit pan.  The rest have remained the same.

The smokey eye look has also helped me work through Soap and Glory Smoulder Kohl Waterproof Eyeliner in Superblack.  I am much more hopeful that this will be finished by the end of the year, but, as I won't be wearing as much makeup come the end of May, things will slow down on that front quite a lot.  However, good progress with this one so I'm happy.

I'm now using the Barry M nail varnish in Cyan as my main nail varnish.  All the Barry M varnishes I've had have always been liquidy but very pigmented, which means you don't need a lot to get the colour.  This, of course, means there's not as much progress as I would hope, but I still managed to get through a fair amount this month.  Even though I won't be wearing face makeup on a day to day basis I will still be wearing nail varnish, so I'm hopeful that I will still be able to get through them all this year.  I wasn't sure about this colour, if I'm honest, but since I've been wearing it on a daily basis I have to admit I actually really like it and it does go well with my skin tone.

I'm finally seeing some progress in the Barbara Day eye primer (just at the top).  I think this one is going to take a very long time to use up and I'm definitely not going to get it finished by the end of the year.  However, I'm not actually that bothered about that.  It's quite a good eye primer, especially for my oily eyes, and is the last one I have so if it takes a couple of years that's fine.

As before the MUA powder foundation in Shade 4 and the Bourjois blush in Ceidre 48 are showing no real change.  Slow and steady with these.

As for the Jean Paul Gaultier Eau De Parfum I am getting through it and might actually have it finished by the time I start my new job.  I will keep using it at my new job (if it's not finished), but not to the extent.  It will definitely be finished by the end of the year.

As for other product, I've been testing the Neal's Yard Wild Rose Moisturising SPF30.  It smells really nice and I was able to put it all over my face, including over my eyelids, without having any reaction to it.  However, I found it a bit too thick to use.  Even with warming it up in my hands first I still felt like it was pulling on my face.  It also didn't feel like it was very moisturising and, in fact, my skin seemed to get drier quicker when I was using this.  The outer packaging doesn't really hold up to constant use either, but the things that means the most to me is what's inside and I don't think I'll get this one again.

To see my previous posts on my 2017 Project Pan:

• Introduction
• Project Pan Update #1
• Project Pan Update #2
• Project Pan Update #3

Holiday Haul - West Coast of Scotland

I thought I would round off my blogs about travelling on the west coast of Scotland with a little haul.  I try not to buy too much stuff these days when I travel anywhere, especially those little trinkets that are supposed to 'remind' you of your travels, but I do like to look for local products that I can actually use.

So, let's start with the whiskey.  After all, you can't travel to Islay and Jura and not get some whiskey - that would just be sacrilegious.  We had decided not to have a tour of the Jura distillery as we only had one day there, but we did visit the shop.  I couldn't decide which whiskey to get so I plumbed for getting 'The Collection' which would allow me to try all three.  

And, after our tour of the Caol Ila distillery where Dad and me made ourselves feel ill by testing whiskey at 10.30 in the morning, I decided to get their most popular 12 year old single malt.  Caol Ila usually make whiskey to mix, so it's unusual to find their single malts.  We also got a free glass after the tour, which is always nice.

I had been seeing these island specific toiletries all over the place and was interested in buying but hadn't been able to find anywhere that actually sold them.  They are made from very simple, natural ingredients, and each has a unique scent connected to the local area.  While in the whiskey shop on Jura I noticed that they were selling the Jura version and so I brought the hand cream.  It's been very effective on my dry hands and smells great (Jura whiskey 😉) and is in a glass bottle, but it's not a vegan product if that is what you're looking for.

While on Jura we also visited the Crackaig Textile Studio (run by Fiona McDonald) which had a range of products in the Isle of Jura tartan.  I really liked the colour mix, which are meant to have been inspired by the island's winter colours with the brown colour coming from natural plant dyes.  My parents brought me a scarf in the tartan for my birthday, but if you're hoping to get something of the same it's only sold on the island and you can't get it anywhere else.

I couldn't find anything in the craft shop on Islay I really wanted to get, but did buy a crafted wooden spoon made of ash which I assume I can use to eat with (please let me know if I can't) and some left over deer horns from when they make the buttons for the dog back home to chew on.  Loki loves this and it keeps him busy for hours.

I only brought a few more things when we were back on the mainland.  The first was a mug from the Sarah Berry Studio at Tayvallich.  I was thinking about getting one of the prints that she has, but I already have a number of pictures I still need to find a home for and decided to go for a mug that I can use daily instead.  I love the depiction of the otter in water and the money goes towards the Tayvallich school.

I was still looking to see if I could find anymore of those local toiletries, but there didn't seem to be any other stores that stocked them.  However, I did find some products from the Highland Soap Company, which I have been wanting to try for a while.  I didn't really feel that I need any shower wash or moisturiser but, as my partner prefers washing his hands with liquid soap instead of bar soap, I thought I would get the Aloe Vera Hand Wash in Hebridean Seaweed.  It smells really nice and hasn't had any drying effect on my hands at all, but it would be better if it was in a glass bottle rather than plastic.

The one thing that I had been looking for throughout my trip was either a flat or foxhound cap.  The plan is to use the cap to put all my hair into when I'm doing my traineeship.  I had been looking on Islay for the cap as it is famous for Islay wool, but I couldn't find anything.  However, while we were heading back down to Glasgow to stopped off The Village Rest at Luss on Loch Lomond so get a warm drink as the weather had turned pretty cold.  There was a little shop there all Scotland themed, as you would expect at Loch Lomond, and I found this hat for about £12.  It's not pure wool, but a wool / polyester mix, but I like the colour, the shape, and my hair fits in there fine.  It was also a good price to test to see if this will actually work for me.  If it does, I can always spend a little bit more later on.

I also got a comb for my partner (whose comb mad) from that shop with a fancy little cover.

And that's everything I got while away.  Had I been sensible I would have remembered to keep the prices so that I could have put those in, but I didn't think that I would be putting these in a blog at the time.

Travelling March - part 2: Glen Kilmartin, Knapdale, and Crinan

Once we got back to the mainland on day 4 of our holiday we headed straight to our hotel on Loch Awe.  It was a bit of a windy road and at one point we thought maybe we had missed the hotel all together.  I can see the place being a favourite with the Victorians, but I'm not so sure about the location for modern travellers (above is one of the good features - the tables which were animals in water).  Once we had settled in we worked out what we wanted to do most of all over the next couple of days.

Day 5 was quite a relaxed day.  First we spent it driving along the windy road that follows the south edge of Loch Awe and had a coffee at Kilmartin.  There is a lot of historic sites in Kilmartin Glen but we wanted to have a look at the Crinan canal first and do some walking, so we drove down to Crinan.  We walked partially along the canal using the tow path (and this looks like a really good, relatively easy walk along the whole canal for a future date) and then headed back to Crinan through the Crinan woodland walk.  The woodland walk was a beautiful walk through an ancient woodland, hanging lichen and all, but some more detailed signs might have been useful.  We then drove along part of the canal to Cairnbaan to have lunch and look at some of the locks there.  We had seen that there were cups and rings carvings behind the hotel we ate at, so we headed up the path to have a look at them.  These are from the Bronze Age, but we have no idea why they were carved and what they mean if anything.  The usual possible explanation of ceremony or keeping a tally, but, of course, it could just be the Bronze Age version of graffiti. 

As we headed back to the hotel we stopped at Dunchraigaig Cairn, a Bronze Age burial mound which believed to not be a part of the other Cairns found in the Glen.  There were also a number of standing stones near by and some more cups and rings carvings.  We also had a look at the medieval gravestones at the Kilmartin grave site, but the church was already closed so we couldn't have a look at the cross.

Day 6 was the last day of the holiday and was really just a day to fit in all the other things we wanted to see.  As we were so close to Knapdale we decided to walk around Dubh Loch.  We saw a lot of frogs and signs of the beavers, as well as the lodge, but only one possible sighting which was probably more likely to be a Grebe.  Even though there was no sightings of beavers it was still a beautiful walk and there is a section where the remains of an old village used to be.

We weren't really sure what we wanted to do next and had thought about going down to the old church at Keillmore, but decided to eat at Tayvallich which was on the way down.  We stopped off at Tayvallich Inn and I couldn't recommend the place more.  The owner was helpful but not overbearing, the views from the window was beautiful, and the food was amazing.  The vegetarian options were really good and it was nice to have a break from cheese.  In the end we decided not to carry on heading south, but headed west, following the village over the peninsula, to view Jura from Carsaig bay.  While we were there we noticed that there was an artist (Susan Berry) workshop where we could view her work - they were all beautiful wildlife and view scenes which felt very Scottish.

As it was getting to the time that we should probably start heading back to the hotel we decided to see more of the historic monuments that are at Glen Kilmartin.  First stop was the very windy, Iron Age, Dunadd hill fort.  It is thought to be the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dal Riata and there is a footprint in one of the stones found at the top of the fort believed to be part of the coronation ritual (it's only a size 6 so they must have been tiny).  There's also a beautiful Pictish carving and some ogham script, which were a little difficult to see in the gloomy weather.  From below it doesn't look like a particularly high hill, but the view from the top really shows why they picked it.

Then we turned off the A816 to have a look at the Temple Wood Circle and Cist, and then walked round to the Nether Largie South Chambered Cairn.  This is the largest cairn in the Glen which you can actually see into so it was definitely on our to-do list.  

Lastly we had a look at Carnassarie Castle.  We weren't sure what this was going to be like as it is now just a burnt out ruin, but actually there was a lot to see and the outer shell has been very well looked after.  Best of all, it was completely free.

And that was it.  The next day we headed down to Glasgow and I got the very delayed bus back home.  We were pretty lucky with the weather this week and, as someone that loves wildlife and history, it ticked all the boxes for me.  The one place I would definitely love to go back to is Jura to have a really good walk around the island.

Travelling March - part 1: Islay and Jura

At the end of last month my parents came up for a week and we travelled to the west coast of Scotland to spend some time on the Isle of Islay, the Isle of Jura and around Kilmartin Glen.  If I wrote about it in full detail then this would be a very long blog, and I'm not wanting to do that, but I thought it would be nice to remind myself of the trip as the weather was so beautiful.  I'm going to leave out the places we stayed at as neither were particularly great and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.  As a further note, I was meant to write and publish this last week, but I have had some good news about work that meant I had to try and organise a number of things.

We took the ferry from Kennacraig to Port Askaig on Isle of Islay.  Despite the cold wind the weather made the view of Jura and Islay was absolutely stunning.  So blue.  There was also a good view of wildlife as well, mainly Great Northern Divers.  Port Askaig isn't the main port (that would be Port Ellen), but it is a pretty little port with only a hotel / pub, shop / post office, ferry terminal, and a lifeboat station. 

Once we had arrived at Port Askaig there wasn't a large amount of the day left to us, so we decided to have a little drive around the north east of the island and to go to Loch Finlaggan.  Loch Finlaggan used to be the home of the Lords of the Isles (later to become the Clan Donald) who 'freed' the Isles from the Vikings.  There are three islands, two of which contain the remains of the buildings used by the Lords, with Eilean na Comhairle containing the Council of the Isles and Eilean Mor containing the great hall, living quarters, a chapel and paved roads.  

There were also some amazing tombstones on the island aswell, traditionally those of the wives and children of the Lords of the Isles.  This was a very beautiful site.  And that was it for the day and we went back to the hotel to get ready for the next.

Day 2 of the holiday was mainly a wildlife day and we first travelled to the RSPB Reserve at Loch Gruinart.  While we did walk through the woodland walk we mainly spent our time in the hides in front of the marsh area.  

There was a good selection of birds for this time of year (obviously not too many waders), predominantly of wild fowl variety.  I got to watch some of my favourite birds, which are the Teals and the Pintails, and there was just a nice calm feeling.  I can image later on in the year the hides are pretty busy, but at this time of year it was just us.  I also learnt that not everyone can smell the coconut scent coming the Gorse flowers, something I wasn't aware of before.

We wanted to find some craft work on Islay, as theoretically the island is famous of Islay wool, but only really found one place called Tormisdale Croft Crafts.  So, after lunch at Port Charlotte, we headed there.  The owner spins her own wool from the Alpacas that are on the island and makes items using wool and recycled products.  While the shop was of interest, I didn't find any products that I really liked and ended up buying a wooden spoon, made of Ash, and some waste deer horns for Loki to chew on.  We did also drive past the Islay Celtic Craft shop, but the owner wasn't in.

As it was such a beautiful day and the views of the coast were so beautiful we decided to carry on driving south until we reached Portnahaven before driving back up to Port Charlotte.  We then carried on north, back past Loch Gruinart and up to Ardnave Point.  We had decided to go there as my father had read that there was a recommended walk that would take you to the coast.  This could, theoretically, be a beautiful walk, but you are mainly walking through fields of cattle.  However, there is a view point actually at Ardnave Point (which I believe looks at Nave Island) which is beautiful and theoretically should give you a view of many species.  We only got seals on this occasion, but I do still enjoy watching them regardless of how often I see them.  Then we headed back to the hotel.

Day 3 was probably my favourite day of the holiday and it was spent on Jura.  The weather that day was amazing with beautiful clear blue skies.  There was still a slight chill in the wind, but that was to be expected for this time of year and, as we were walking, was actually welcome.  We took the ferry from Port Askaig and drove straight to the main town of Craighouse.  As we were visiting off season not everything was open, but we were able to go to the local shop and then have some tea at the hotel.  

We wanted to do some more walking and first did the Corran sand and river circuit walk (just north of Craighouse).  This walk gave great views of the coast and also the Paps of Jura and, while a little wet underfoot, was lovely in the weather.  

Then after lunch, also at the hotel (which was some of the best vegetarian food I'd had so far), we then did the Craighouse view walk, which was a little steep but gave a great view of the west end of the island.  We were really hoping to see some eagles and Jura is meant to be quite a good place to see them.  The west side of the island seemed a more likely choice due to the terrain, but at this point they were a no show.

We had decided not to go to the distillery on Jura but did want to see what crafts were available.  We went to the Crackaig Textile Studio on the off-chance it was open and the owner kindly opened it for us.  I much prefered the quality and style of the crafts here to Tormisdale Croft Crafts and got a scarf in The Isle of Jura tartan.  Apparently she didn't have all her products out at the moment, but there were still a good selection of items.

Lastly we drove up north to Tarbert to get a better view of the island and to see the point where the isle is at it's thinnest.  We kept an eye at the skies in the hope of seeing eagles and, while the Sea eagles were a no show, we did get get a good view of two Golden eagles.  Definitely the icing on the cake.  

We had decided to visit Bowmore to eat, but were a little disappointed by this capital city.  Instead we ended up eating at the Bridgend Hotel.  The food was lovely, if not a little pricey, they had local beers (which I had wanted to try), and the owner was friendly, though obviously trying to get us to stay with them next time.

Day 4 was the last day of our holiday on the Isles.  As we were getting the ferry in the afternoon we didn't have a lot of time to do much more sightseeing.  My Dad had booked us into a tour of the Coal Ila that morning and we also got to do some whiskey tasting (which turned out to not be a great idea - drinking at 10.30 am is definitely not something my body thinks it acceptable).  There was still some time before the ferry so we decided to look at the south of Islay as we hadn't visited this part yet.  We had coffee at Port Ellen (not quite as bustling as we were expecting) and then headed to the other RSPB reserve of The Oa.

Unfortunately the weather had begun to turn at this point and it was very cloudy and windy.  Due to that the wildlife was in short supply (no Golden eagles this time) as they had sensibly got out of the weather.  However, the view over the water with the dark weather was still beautiful and the American Monument was both striking and sad on the edge of the cliff.  We did get to see some native cattle though, that looked distinctly unfazed by the weather.  

The only downside to reserve was the path we took back from the monument to the car park.  I guess this has been built to both make it easier for people to get to the monument and to protect the moorland, but it looked so distinctly out of place.

We then headed back to Port Askaig and the mainland to then spend the rest of our holiday.