Having really enjoyed our stay in Edinburgh and visit to Colonsay with Max & Mette, it was time for us to explore a little more of Scotland with Wil, who was planning to relocate to Glasgow. It was a rare treat as Wil has been living in Europe for most of the previous 5 years and the last time we saw him was over a year ago when we were in French Polynesia. So really good to spend time together and explore some of the locality.
We started by staying at The Crossed Keys in Kippen, a lovely traditional pub with great food and a very lively atmosphere on a Saturday night – no doubt a popular local watering hole. We thought it was a good location from which to explore the Trossachs the following day. The weather remained grey & drizzly, so we headed to Callander which is a lovely little tourist town on the river Leith and stated to be the ‘gateway to the Highlands’. It was also a gateway to gastric delights, most notably the Mhor Bread & Store – full of all kinds of bread, delicious pastries & cakes, as well as huge rolls stuffed with an extraordinary array of fillings. Probably our favourite bakery on the entire trip and we prioritised a visit when we returned to Callander a couple of times later on.
We then headed west following the Trossach trail which follows the shores of Loch Venachar & Loch Achray before weaving through a picturesque forest drive down to Aberfoyle. There we found a very good cafe to sit out the rain with a book & good cup of coffee! Given that the weather wasn’t conducive to a good walk, we drove to our Glasgow accommodation in Renfrew, where we based ourselves for 4 days. Glasgow is a busy, thriving city, considered to have a booming arts and grassroots culture and apparently is a UNESCO city of music! It perhaps lacks the charm and more manicured appeal of Edinburgh but nevertheless has become a popular city attracting an influx of young professionals. Can’t say I’m a city girl, but keen to get a feel for the city where Wil has chosen to live for at least the foreseeable future.
Having said that, the next day we dropped Wil off at the Mitchell library, (incidentally the largest public reference library in Europe), and Bill & I headed for the countryside! We wanted to explore the area around Loch Lomond and headed to the small village of Balmaha on the less visited eastern side of the Loch. There is a small boatyard there, gardens and a visitor centre as well as a steep walk up Conic Hill from the top of which were apparently expansive views over the Loch & surrounding mountains. It was still raining intermittently, but the clouds seemed to clear and we decided to make a dash up the hill. Well we made it about half way when the skies opened, the temperature dropped and the mist obscured all the view. Seems to have been the recurrent theme of our trip! Shortly after our descent, the sun popped out & actually hung around (typical), so we cut our losses and drove around to the western side of Loch Lomond to a small village called Luss. Pretty as a picture with quaint cottages, flower-filled gardens and a charming old church set on the shore of the Loch. Definitely worth a visit although probably heaving at the height of tourist season.
For a bit of variety we headed westwards the following day to visit the various beaches and villages along the coast. Starting at Troon, we headed north via Ardrossan, Fairlie, Largs, Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay before headed back to Glasgow alongside the Clyde river. We enjoyed the trip: pretty coastline, sandy beaches, stunning views across to the Isle of Bute, made all the more dramatic by the stormy sky. We weren’t tempted to get in the water though it must be said – just a bit too cold & windy.
We did explore the city a little and liked the imposing Victorian architecture and busy city streets. We spent a few hours at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum which housed an extraordinary number of interesting objects and displays varying from a suspended spitfire, dinosaur fossils, stuffed animals, (including a stuffed haggis!), a grand pipe organ with about 3000 pipes and a surprising collection of artworks including those by Dali, Lowry, the Glasgow Boys & French impressionists. We were even treated to an organ recital whilst we were there! Interesting place and not the typical run of the mill museum.
After a few days in Glasgow, next stop Stirling – not a place we’d visited before. We stayed in a brilliant Airbnb right near the centre – a spacious penthouse unit with amazing views across the river & fields to the well known Wallace monument, (sited where William Wallace led the Scottish troops to victory over the British). We all loved Stirling, a charming historical town with its own ancient castle, interesting streets & cosy, old-world pubs. There was even a kilt shop and a bagpipe shop – so all the essentials!
Whilst there we headed into the Highlands, (via Callendar), when the weather looked a little more favourable. I planned a trip to the Falls of Dochart in Killin, which took us through some stunning scenery alongside Loch Lubnaig, past Loch Earn & on to the village of Killin. The further north we went, the more dramatic the scenery as the hills were replaced by quite imposing mountains. Just as we approached the falls I had the sense of déjà vu & then it occurred to me that I had in fact been this place before, when Alice & I had a bit of a Scottish sojourn about 10 years ago! Just goes to show that I am consistent in my choices of tourist destination! We had visited the falls & stayed in a guest house in Killin! So it was cool to retrace my steps – the waterfall was impressive with a series of cascades dropping into a deep wooded gorge & there was a watermill alongside which houses a small community arts centre.
After a bit of a mooch around, we decided to drive along Loch Tay & (encouraged by Wil), we turned off the beaten track & ascended a small road to the Ben Lawers vicinity. It was pretty barren the higher the altitude with rocky treeless paddocks frequented by shaggy sheep. Predictably the cloud descended & we were enshrined in drizzly mist with little visibility so we headed back down towards the Loch & onto the village of Kenmore at the far side. It was a pretty place & we had a good walk along the river’s edge to Taymouth Castle, originally built for the Campbell’s clan, but now owned by a US property tycoon who is developing it into a private golf resort, (sigh). Leaving that disappointment behind, we took the ‘high road’ back to Stirling across the mountain range absolutely in the middle of nowhere – but gee the views were captivating!
Stirling turned on the festivities for us on the Saturday – there was a military parade through the city starting at the castle. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time as we had no idea it was scheduled. We hotfooted it up to the castle & got the best place to watch the parade as it emerged from the castle. So wholesome to see the groups of different armed services marching in line including men in kilts playing their bagpipes! I do like a man in uniform but truly, men in kilts take it to a new level!
Surprisingly the sun was out on Sunday, so off we went again in search of a peak to climb. We found one called Ben A’an at 454m. It wasn’t a particularly long walk but did involve a steep rocky climb to the summit, which gave our lungs & limbs a good workout. In fact the description on the information board read “a strenuous route and only suitable for fit & experienced walkers”. I thought we could wing it. The view from the top was absolutely gorgeous, with a panoramic view across Loch Katrine, Loch Acray, Loch Venachar & the Trossachs with further views to nearby hills, Ben Venue & Ben Ledi. If only more days in Scotland were blessed with clear skies & sunshine it would be a firm favourite!
And so our Scotland trip with Wil was sadly drawing to a close. We dropped him off in Edinburgh whilst Bill & I caught a flight back to Jersey for the final few days before we left the British Isles behind.
Much to our delight, once we were back in Jersey, someone turned on the sunshine switch – in fact there was a bit of a heatwave for the last few days that we were there which made us feel quite at home. It also enabled us to enjoy the best of Jersey as it has the most beautiful coastline and beaches, (not to mention the delightful country pubs). Bill would get up early & swim at nearby Bouley bay, whilst I sensibly waited for the sun to warm everything up & have a dip at Grève de Lecq, which was my favourite beach & interestingly that of my late Mum’s. Not only that it has the best beach cafe, Colleens, which does a delicious Buddha bowl that Bill & I would frequently share. Bill also finally managed a body surf at St Ouen, on the west coast. It is the surfing capital of Jersey facing the Atlantic swells, but Bill always laments the fact that he’s never actually seen surf there!
We popped in to see Dad several times & took him out for a drive to enjoy Jersey in the sunshine. From a practical note, we completed all the necessities around selling Dad’s house as he has moved into care. We caught up with Margaret & Dennis, whom we are so pleased to have got to know in Jersey. Margaret was one of the Trinity volunteers who looked after Dad when he still lived in his own home. Both are an absolute delight, we really enjoyed their company & had a wonderful evening together at the local Thai restaurant before we left. We certainly will keep in touch. Likewise we caught up with Geoff & his wife Carol, who also kept a close eye on Dad as he was beginning to struggle with life admin. And Lesley, Dad’s amazing, competent carer who looked after Dad when still at home – an absolute superstar. All these people have been so wonderful with my father over the past few years.
Finally, time to say goodbye to Jersey & my father this time around. After 3 months in Jersey, England, Ireland & Scotland we were heading home. Overall we had a wonderful time visiting beautiful destinations, spending time with family & friends and enjoying the comfort of familiar places. We planned to stop by Bangkok again on our return to Australia to stay with Alice, which we were very excited about. Additionally we were looking forward to enjoying some warmth and replenishing our rather replete vitamin D levels!