Or… I got Covid. Yay.

There is something about arriving in Johnshaven that always feels like coming home. It doesn’t matter how long it has been since the last visit; as soon as we see the sea and the harbour, it all feels familiar again. That is exactly what I like about it… every visit feels like we are picking up where we left off. The village had grown slightly, with some new houses that had been built since our last visit a year ago, but not enough to see a huge difference. 

I was looking forward to seeing my favourite place in the world: Dunnottar Castle, and we decided that at the first opportunity we would go there to see the sunrise. As luck would have it we were able to do this within the first 24 hours of arriving. The castle looked as striking as ever and I sat on the clifftop for several hours, just taking it all in. It’s difficult to describe – I have never felt as connected to a place as I do there, and if given the opportunity I would just set up a tent and move in. 

The first few days of the holiday went well. We visited Glamis Castle, went for long walks, ate at the local cafe and generally relaxed. The weather was decent, the village was quiet, and everything was ticking along nicely. Halfway through the week, though, things changed. 

I started to feel really unwell, not just tired and a bit achy, but a high fever and a burning sore throat. A test confirmed it was Covid. I’ve had Covid several times before and hoped it might pass quickly, but it soon became clear that was not going to happen.

Where I picked it up from, I have absolutely no idea. I had been around plenty of people since we arrived in Stirling towards the end of the previous week and felt fine, so it could have been anyone, anywhere. Either way, that was the end of any further exploring.

The rest of the week was spent in bed, feeling absolutely dreadful. My grand plans of coastal walks and beautiful views were replaced with paracetamol, plenty of showers to wash off the bucket loads of sweat I was producing (nice) and lots of sleep. It was frustrating, especially being somewhere I enjoy so much, but there was no choice but to stay put and rest. More than anything, I did not want to risk passing it on to anyone else. 

Still, if I had to be ill somewhere, I suppose Johnshaven was not a bad place for it. The sea was just outside, the view was familiar, and at least the surroundings were peaceful.

When it was finally time to pack up and leave, I was still feeling rough, but it felt good just to be out in the fresh air. The drive away from the village always feels a bit reluctant, but this time even more so. It might not have been the week I expected, but Johnshaven worked its usual magic, just in a slightly less enjoyable way than usual.

And the day after we got home, The Bloke started to feel unwell. Unfortunately, he had caught it too, and he spent the next week feeling the same way I had done. It was not what either of us had hoped for, but at least we were back home and could recover properly. Looking back, we both agreed that we were still incredibly lucky: lucky that we were able to go on holiday at all, lucky that we had each other, and lucky that the worst thing to come out of the week was a slightly spoiled holiday rather than something more serious. It was not quite the Scottish break I had pictured, but it still reminded us how much Johnshaven means to us. 

Even when the week does not quite go to plan, it is always worth the journey.