The intrepid adventurers left Fochabers at 10am, swung in past Elgin to pick up that other intrepid adventurer (Mum), and didn't stop again until Victoria's Restaurant in Pitlochry so that dinner could be partaken by all. Thereafter, the route followed the A9 then the A891 through Kilsyth to Balloch.
We spent the afternoon visiting Loch Lomond Shores, which acts as a gateway to the National Park and consists of shops, cafes, and other attractions. We had a fine wander around admiring the views down the loch, and sat on a balcony above the shops with (you've guessed it) a cup of tea and a scone, basking in the sun and the scenery.
After dropping off our gear at the Swiss-owned 'Time Out' B&B in Balloch (the Swiss couple were cute, with their matching plastic coloured clogs and all) we headed out for our tea. This involved driving north to Arden on the south-western shore of Loch Lomond, where we got a wee ferry out to Inchmurrin Island. The hotel on the island includes the price of the boat ride in your bill, £3 return each! The meal was fine and the boat ride was precious.
After returning to the B&B, Mum and I went out for a wee walk and had a nightcap at the Balloch Inn before turning in.
Tuesday 4th July 2006
From Balloch, we motored down to Dumbarton Castle on the Clyde.
*History lecture* The rock of Dumbarton (in Gaelic, Dun Bhreatainn, which means 'the fortress of the Britons') sits on a plug of volcanic basalt and has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain. From the fifth century until the ninth it was the centre of the independent British kingdom of Alt Clut. In 870 the Vikings laid siege to Dumbarton for four months, eventually defeating the inhabitants when they cut off their water supply. This marked the beginning of the end for the Britons, who subsequently fell under the overlordship of the Scots. The Kingdom of Strathclyde was finally incorporated into the Scottish realm in 1018 by Malcolm II.
While Dumbarton was an important royal castle during the medieval period, most of the existing buildings (including the Governor's House shown above) were built in the Eighteenth Century as a base for Government troops during the Jacobite uprisings of that time. *End of lecture*
After climbing up and down 'The Rock' (Beth had to stay in the car; God bless iPods!), we headed into Glasgow on an unscheduled stop to see cousin Andrew and Karen at Yorkhill Hospital. Wee Sadie had been flown down from Aberdeen again because of her heart trouble, so Mum was able to go in and see her for a while. From there we drove down to Ardrossan to get the 3:15pm ferry to Arran.
After settling into our B&B (Dunvegan Guest House), we went off in search of supper and found the Brodick Brasserie, a lovely restaurant furnished in light wood with tremendous food. Then it was off for a walk down the sea front before retiring to the sitting room of the guest house for a glass of wine or two!
Wednesday 5th July 2006
Today we paid a visit to the Arran Brewery as a matter of priority, before heading to Brodick Castle.
Having toured round the Castle on our visit to Arran in 2005, this time we just sat outside the tearoom in the bonny day and admired the scenery over the obligatory cuppa and sconny!
Mum and I left Beth listening to her iPod while we went on a walk round the Castle grounds. We followed a circular trail through the woods, and ended up in the walled garden just below the tearoom.
After rejoining Beth for another cuppa (yes I know, we're insatiable), we then took off on a drive round the south side of the island. We stopped at Lamlash, a bonny wee village a couple of miles south of Brodick.
We tried to get a ferry across to Holy Isle, a fair sized island in Lamlash Bay and now owned by the Samy Ling Buddhist Community. The ferry mannie was a bit flaky, though, and he cancelled the sailing at the last minute so off we went. We followed the wee road round by the villages of Kildonan and Blackwaterfoot before going up and over the middle of Arran back to Brodick. The following picture shows the cute wee harbour at Blackwaterfoot:
At night we went back to the Brodick Brasserie for another delicious slap-up meal. Cost a couple of bob but worth every penny!
Thursday 6th July 2006
After breckie, I drove Mum out to Cladach (the Gaelic work for 'beach'), a collection of shops half way between Brodick and the Castle. While Beth rested up at the B&B, Mum spent the day visiting Arran Aromatics and the Castle before walking back along the beach to Brodick. I, on the other hand, headed off from Cladach up, up and away to the top of the highest peak on the island, Goat Fell. Here's a picture of the mountain taken from across the bay at Brodick:
The weather was lovely all the way up, and indeed until just after I sat down to have a piece at the summit, when cloud and drizzle moved in from the west. I tried to make my way along a ridge on the other side of the peak to descend by a different route, but the cloud was so thick that I had to retrace my steps back to the top and then go down the same way I'd come.
After all the excitement of wandering around in the clouds at 3,000 feet, I figured some pampering was in order so we drove out to the Auchrannie resort on the outskirts of Brodick for tea at 'Cafe Cruize', which was simply scrumptious! ;-)
Friday 7th July 2006
We awoke to a bonny clear day, had our breakfast at the B&B then headed off to get the 8:15am ferry to Ardrossan. The sail took just over an hour and we could see for miles down the Ayrshire and Galloway coastline, with Ailsa Craig visible to the south.
Next stop Paisley! We parked in a multi-storey that was also home to the town's Shopmobility service, and so Beth saddled up a scooter and off we went. We scooted along to Paisley Abbey, founded in 1163 by the High Stewards of Scotland.
*History lecture* It's believed that William Wallace was educated by the monks of the Abbey. In 1315 the sixth High Steward, Walter, married Marjory, daughter of Robert the Bruce. In the following year, Marjory died at the Abbey following a riding accident nearby, but the baby in her womb was saved and he became King Robert II of Scotland, the first of the Stewart monarchs. For that reason, the Abbey claims to be the 'cradle of the Royal House of Stewart.' In fact, the Abbey is the final resting place of six High Stewards, Princess Marjory Bruce, the wives of King Robert II, and King Robert III. *End of lecture*
After leaving Paisley and negotiating the M8 and the M80 through Glasgow, we drove as far as Dunblane where we had a quick look round the Cathedral.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the shootings at the Primary School in the town, and there is a memorial fashioned from Clashach sandstone (quarried near Hopeman) standing in the South Aisle of the Cathedral.
The rest of the day was spent driving up the A9, stopping at Aviemore for a bite to eat at teatime.
Addendum
Just in case you felt there was something (or someone) missing from this account of our trip, here's a photo taken on the ferry from Claonaig on the way to Arran in 2005 :
The end.