Hi All :)
Tim and I have both been working for a few weeks, exploring Edinburgh bit by bit and saving a few pounds, so we planned a long weekend away to Loch Lomond. :)
We hired a car (oooh, fancy not using public transport for a while!) and set off on Saturday morning. We took the scenic route and went via Stirling and the Stirling Castle, the second biggest and probably most important castle in Scotland. The weather wasn't playing along but we had a great time trying to soak up Scotland's fascinating history inside the stronghold. It was quite an experience to walk through the bedchambers and home of real famous Royals who shaped this country. The tapestries hanging in the throne-room were spectacular, showing that unicorns do exist, hehe!
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| Tapestries in the Throne-room |
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| The impressive and beautiful Castle walls |
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| Defenses! |
After the Castle we got back on the road and headed west to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. The trip ended up being slightly longer than it should have been after we took an unplanned hour-long detour... but of course no-one is being blamed for that! We finally arrived at the extremely cute and beautiful 'Gardeners Cottages' - our accommodation for the next 3 nights. The cottages consist of about 4 apartments in one long building which used to be the staff housing to the big fancy Arden House next door. The gardens were beautiful with bunnies, robins, daffodils and lovely big trees. It was just a short walk to the shores of the famous Loch with it's special views.
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| The Gardener's Cottages |
On Sunday morning we went on a beautifully scenic drive around Loch Lomond, Loch Long and Loch Eck to reach the Argyll Forest Park. The road took us through a spectacular river valley with mountains and cliffs towering in the mist, past mountain goats, sheep and highland coo's! We walked the Puck's Glen Gorge, which was just magical! It is named Puck's Glen after a mischievous sprite who appears in Shakespeare's 'Midsummer Night's Dream'. The walk mostly criss-crossed over the river, wooden bridges and waterfalls through the gorge and really felt like a fairy wonderland!
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| Puck's Glen |
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| Where the fairies live! |
On Monday we took a ferry across to Inchailloch Island, one of the biggest Islands on the Loch. It was previously a hunting ground for Robert the Bruce (and we spotted some of the deer that still live there!), as well as monastery for a runaway Irish Princess known as Caintigern. The name Inchailloch means 'Isle of the old woman', probably after the nuns who lived on the island. We visited the rruins of the Church and burial grounds. The Island also has remains of a farm, and was the burial ground for Clan MacGregor. The burial rituals used to involve some heavy drinking and there are some funny, if morbid, stories of the family members losing bodies or forgetting to bury them because they all got too drunk!
We climbed to the top of Inchailloch and the view of the Loch and Ben Lomond was stunning, made even better by the sunshine! We were lucky enough to watch an Osprey circling above us. :) The forest was amazingly peaceful and carpeted in a blue haze of bluebells. After we enjoyed a picnic lunch on Inchailloch we caught the ferry back across the Loch and drove up to The Lodge Forest Centre and Red Squirrel Hide - excitement! After a pretty, short walk through the forest and past a lovely waterfall we found the hide. The birds were extremely active and fun to watch and eventually we were rewarded with a little red squirrel who came down and had lunch in front of us!!! It really made the weekend, to be able to sit quietly and watch him nibble away! :)
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| View from the top! |
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| Burial grounds |
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| Bluebell carpet |
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| RED SQUIRREL!!! |
Our final morning was Tuesday and we treated ourselves to a 1.5 hour cruise up the Loch. We passed a couple of cute little islands and Rob Roy's cave, where the famous Scottish outlaw and hero hid from the Duke in the 1720's. It was a lovely morning on smooth water, with the high mountains around us still with patches of snow on them!
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| One of the Cruise Loch Lomond boats |
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| Natural Beauty |
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| Cruising! |
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| Loch Lomond |
And so after an amazing time on Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond, we headed back to Edinburgh!
In other news, Tim's job is still going well and I have also been working for the past ~2 months. I am working about 4 days a week at a cafe called Leo's Beanery. I'm in the kitchen, doing breakfasts and lunches and some mornings I go in early to open up and make scones, soups and quiches. It is pretty hard work but I am enjoying it and I work with great, friendly people.
We are still enjoying this beautiful city and ticking off things bit by bit. We were able to visit the spectacular St Giles Cathedral, walk the Royal Mile and picnic in sunshine at the Royal Botanical Gardens. The weather is slowly improving and all the buds on the trees have popped open and flowers are blooming!
I am sending lots and lots of love and hugs to everyone, miss you all! Hx
