My holdall is packed with everything I am going to need in Shetland and probably a lot more. As such it is extremely heavy but 'fortunately' it has wheels and a loop for pulling it along. Now normal people would take a taxi or get someone to drop them off. Not me though, I struggle with it half way across Glasgow to Queen Street station for the train to Aberdeen. Yes it is on wheels and is able to be pulled but from an almost crouching position placing strain on my lower back and resulting in muscular pain that was to inhibit my movement for a good part of the week.
Now modern trains are very comfortable and their design nowadays is quite akin to aircraft. They are perfect for the business traveller with small hand luggage but if you have a large holdall you can forget it. Even if you can manoeuvre it up the isles, there is no way it is going to fit on the overhead racks (even if you were a Russian weightlifter and could lift it). That leaves the rack at the end of the coach where you can't see it, and remember there's expensive optics in it. You can't relax for visions of it disappearing at Montrose or some such place.
Despite all this, I arrive unscathed in Aberdeen and find that the Northlink Ferry terminal is a short holdall drag away. I get checked in and am on the MV Hjaltland by 5pm and sinking my first pint of Carling by 5:15pm.
At 7pm the captain advises that the weather conditions are favourable and with the wind behind us it should not be rough. I enjoy my dinner and watch the USA seemingly go into an unasailable position against Europe in the golf before finding my 'recliner' for the night. This 'recliner' 'reclines' about 2 centimetres and to all intents and purposes is a chair. I sleep fitfully and arrive in Lerwick by 7:30am, pick up my Ford Ka and were ready to rock and roll.
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