London 2012 - Olympic torch route around Britain

The route the London 2012 Olympic torch will take around the UK next year was announced today, beginning on 19th May at Land's End, in the extreme south-west, before progressing around the whole country until it arrives at the Olympic Stadium in east London for the Opening Ceremony on 27th July. You can see a map and list of place-names the torch is going to be on any given day here.

The Olympic torch won't actually be passing through the town where I live in Scotland, Nairn, but it'll be passing pretty close on 9th June, when it will be travelling from Glasgow to Inverness (15 miles west of Nairn), with various places around Loch Ness being mentioned as way-points on its journey (Fort Augustus, Invermoriston, Lewiston, Drumnadrochit then Inverness). Then again on 11th June it will be passing relatively close by on its way from Stornoway to Aberdeen, the following perhaps being of local-ish interest (Inverness, Aviemore, Carrbridge, Grantown-on-Spey, Tomintoul), with either Carrbridge or Grantown-on-Spey being the easiest to get to from here, quite apart from involving a journey through lovely scenery to get there.

I'm not entirely sure that I shall be here myself to even contemplate making a journey to see the torch pass by, because it is possible/probable I shall still be at my place in Spain at that time next year, but I'll certainly read with interest what others say about it passing their way, wherever that is in Britain. I think that whatever one may think about the Olympic Games coming to the UK, and the undoubted expense it will involve, I do think that it may serve to cheer up at least a little what could potentially be a pretty troubled period for this country and for Europe generally, if recent events in Greece (the birthplace of the Olympic Games) are any guide.