The Odd Couple

In the late 1980s, on the little bus heading inland from the Argyle seaport, the two seamen stood out form the rest.  They were not locals, and they were not even British.  The shoulder flashes with "Canada" prominently displayed, betrayed their nationality, but what were they doing traveling inland?  What was their business here?

These two young men, in their mid twenties,  tall for local standards, and with their seamen's beards were a mystery to the native passengers. As the bus made its way up into the Trossach hills, the two seamen dozed off unaware of the puzzlement they had instilled in their fellow travelers.

Perhaps, they dreamed of the real reason they took this trip away from the sea - as it was merely for a weekend.  The blue sky turned to black as night descended bringing with it an isolation from the world outside.  A soft rain pelted the windows and the wipers began their rhythmic movement back and forth across the windshield.

These were, in fact, two young Canadian Submariners venturing inland for the weekend to get away from the routine of the submarine, and see a bit of the Scotland their ancestors had left over 150 years ago.  The Royal Navy base offered more of the same to them and they both were anxious to get the smell of the sea behind them for awhile.  One was my oldest son, Bradley MacGregor, and the other was his shipmate, Bob MacDonald.

After a few hours, the bus rolled into a little hamlet, and the driver called to the two remaining passengers, "Last stop, this is where you get off Laddies".  Slowly rising out of their seats, they looked about and saw only a few houses in view.  One asked the driver, "Is there an Inn around here?"  The driver replied " You can find a room in this place," pointing to the nearest building.

"Thanks buddy", said the sailor.  As they tumbled out of the bus, they couldn't see anyone in sight, so they strolled up to the front door and knocked.  A light went on, and the door opened.  The little elderly lady, immediately gasped and stepped back.  Brad instinctively realized she was shocked by their appearance.  Standing 5' 10" and in their navy blue long coats, and with their beards, they must have appeared frightening to her.

He quickly asked "Could we have a couple of rooms for two nights?"  The lady, regained her composure and replied "Certainly, come on in."  After signing the book, and visiting their respective rooms, They asked the lady, "Is there a place where we can have a drink around here?"   The lady, replied "Yes, just go downstairs, there's a pub there, it's the only one in town."

So Brad and Bob ventured down the stairs and opened a large wooden door to a pub, where there were about a dozen men, some  sitting at some small tables, and others sitting on stools at the bar.  All eyes shifted to the two strangers as they entered.

The pub went deadly silent.  After ordering glasses of beer, the two strangers sat at a table and looked around the small country pub.  Everyone was looking at them so Brad smiled, lifted his glass towards them, and took a long refreshing swig.

An explanation: In some rural areas of Scotland, there are Catholic bars and there are Protestant bars.  Brad and Bob just happened to choose a Catholic bar.