Although all buying trips can turn into a bit of an adventure, few have been as special as taking my Grandfather around Scotland with me. He was born in Scotland and spent most of his childhood in the Highlands, deer stalking and setting rabbit traps with his Grandfather who was a game keeper. I'd heard so many stories about about Grandads early years, and hearing him talk about Scotland always made me smile, just as it made him smile. The story would always end the same way "I need to make a plan to get up there, soon."

A few months after Grandad was diagnosed with Dementia, I woke up one morning restless. I hadn't slept very well, thinking about Grandads memory and how forgetful he was becoming - I had to take him to Scotland, back to all the places he lived and loved as a boy, and to visit his family. Waking Amanda up, I told her what I was thinking, "When would you like to take him?" - "Now!" I replied.

I packed up some clothes, jumped in the van and headed to my Grandparents house, only 30 minutes away. When I arrived, Grandad was still in his pyjamas, eating his usual full English breakfast with sausages that looked like they were cremated on an open flame. "Hurry up Grandad, we're going to Scotland."
After a few chuckles I managed to convince him that I wasn't joking, and he agreed, packed some clothes and bundled them into the back of the van.

I'm not a planner, its just not in my nature... and after typing "Scotland" into the sat-nav, I knew I needed to put some sort of strategy together. So, I phoned the best person for the job, my wife! I called Amanda and told her Grandad wanted to go to Bute, so she took the role of travel agent and started looking for places to stay. An hour or so later I received a booking confirmation, followed by postcodes of antique shops, centres and markets on route. This became the theme of the trip, we'd wake up, grandad would decide where he wanted to go... and Amanda would surprise us with the accommodation for the evening.

The following morning Grandad and I went to see the house he lived in on the Isle of Bute, and I was amazed by its tranquility and beauty. The house was right on the side of the loch, and the view just breath taking. No wonder he longed to return for so many years. We then wondered down the high street, where I popped into a rather unassuming antique shop looking for stock. There was nothing, nothing for me really or anything that would suit my website. However, I'd learned as most seasoned antique dealers have, there's always a back room... shed... or attic with more hidden.

After chatting to the owner, he took me to a back room to show me a clock he'd pulled out of the local school. Eager to take a look, I was amazed to see it was a rare square double sided gents clock, and pretty valuable! "Do you have anymore?", I asked, knowing it was unlikely. "Yes, I have 4 of them!". He gave me a price, and after biting his hand off, I chewed on his arm for a bit as well, just to make sure they were mine. Those clocks paid for the whole trip, which ended up being 7 days, touring Scotland, from Loch Ness right up to the Highlands, then back down to Edinburgh.

My road trip with grandad was one I'll never forget... we spent hours in the van, and I listened to him reminisce and tell stories, I dragged him through every antique shop we passed and rewarded him with Fish and Chips and a pint of Larger most evenings. We visited family, and flicked through old photo's... one of which grandad handed me and said, "Thats me on the High Street", which turns out was only steps away from the shop I had found the clocks in... the clocks that once hung in grandads old school, that he would have undoubtedly walked past many times.

This was the beginning of the end for grandad, his decline came swiftly afterwards and with that the loss of all these memories we made. And when he passed, I was so grateful to have spent this time with him... if I had left it any later, it just wouldn't have been possible.