October 10. Note: will be adding photos once we are home or when we have better wifi.Well, I don't think I have ever suffered worse jet lag than on this trip. From Saturday morning, when we woke up, until Sunday evening around 7:30pm, not a minute of sleep-- cannot sleep on planes and trying to negotiate getting from Edinburgh to our hotel at Loch Lomond was a trip. But we arrived and had a hilarious time getting dinner and figuring out that the wifi here at the hotel only works well in the lobby then trying to figure out the TV when somehow there was no remote--almost felt like it was a test of our endurance just getting settled in. Felt like my brain just wasn't working and Ray said he did, too. I think they gave us the furthest room from the lobby so that it would be quiet, but this created the other problems.
Met a really nice couple at Atlanta airport, also going to Edinburgh on an arranged tour, and we talked between trips and found out that she and I had many friends in common from my high school days and she was best friends back then with my former sister-in-law! Small world.
Staying at the Buchanan Arms Best Western Hotel & Spa, built in the 1760s and full of history. It's in Drymen and has a really cool pub called Drymen Inn, decorated for Halloween incredibly well--Katie, I will post photos when get a good connection-- where we ate last night at the bar and had burgers and chicken filet--although it is pronounced "fill-it" over here.
Anyway, went to sleep at 7:30pm last evening, woke up at 11pm then back to sleep at midnight and slept til 9am--had to hurry to get ready and have breakfast downstairs (smoked salmon, croissant, and scrambled eggs) then drive like crazy to Trossachs Pier to catch the 10:30 sailing of the Sir Walter Scott steamship on Loch Katrine. Such a peaceful and beautiful place. And I have to say, I just love Scottish and English people--so friendly and welcoming.
"Admiral" Tam narrated our trip and told us how Sir Walter Scott used to sit at the area called Silver Sands to write and think, but how that was when the loch was 17 feet lower. There is a house on the shore called the Royal Cottage. When it was first built, Queen Victoria came to christen it. When she arrived, she was given a 21 cannon salute. Unfortunately, this salute blew out all the windows of the house, so she wasn't able to stay! One of Rob Roy MacGregor's homes was on the shore as was the Clan MacGregor burial grounds. And a boat shed and house that was used in the filming of "The 39 Steps." On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Loch Achray to see the "heiland coos" (Highland Cows) and a beautiful castley home or hotel on the opposite shore.
Went to get supplies--i.e. stuff I forgot to bring or need--in Milngavin at Tesco. On the way to and from, we passed right by the Finnich Glen. It's a spot hidden from the main road by deep crevices and water-filled gullies. According to local lore, the gorge was used by Druids as a secret meeting place. I found out about it by looking up filming locations of Outlander. This is the spot where Dougall takes Claire and makes her drink from the river to see if she is lying. Didn't take the trek down to the water as the route is treacherous. You have to clamber over an old barbed wire fence and then descend the super slippery Victorian steps known as Jacob's Ladder, some of which are missing. There you find a deep sided gorge cut into red sandstone covered in green moss. There is also the Devil's Pulpitrock where the devil supposedly addressed his followers.
This area where the river runs through the bottom of the gorge was supposedly used for the trials and executions of witches, too. Those accused would be pushed from the Devil's Pulpit to the river below and if they survived the fall, they were declared a witch and executed. There is a 100 foot fall on the edges of the cliff you have to traverse to get to the river below--also very dangerous and slippery--so I decided not to partake in the experience. The 2011 movie "The Eagle" also used this location to film the penultimate battle scene. Ray mailed off his jury duty papers--oh forgot to tell you, in our last batch of mail before we left home was a jury summons for Ray for November 9, so that was more craziness to handle. We are going back to Drymen Inn for dinner where I hope to have grilled salmon.
Later: on the way to dinner I saw a viewpoint sign and remembered something about the view to Loch Lomond being blocked a bit by the Buchanan Castle Estate's trees. Well, it was, but it was still a gorgeous view after we climbed to the top to look out. At the Drymen Inn, We had a smoked and grilled salmon appetizer with salad, toast, and capers as an appetizer then I ordered grilled salmon with garlic roasted vegetables --amazingly delicious--and Ray had lasagna. Had my first ginger beer of this trip but it was non-alcoholic, it turns out.
Tomorrow we have breakfast downstairs then head for Fort William where, weather permitting, we will take the tram and Ray may climb Ben Nevis.Our hotel, the Buchanan Arms in Drymen:
Our favorite pub here:
The pub decorated for Halloween:
including zombies:
our ship in its younger days:
And today--the Sir Walter Scott:
on Loch Katrine:
The house that Queen Victoria visited and when they did a cannon salute, it burst all the windows and she couldn't stay here after all:
music while we sailed:
walkway along Loch Katrine:
Hairy Coos on our way back to the hotel:
Ray checking messages in the hotel lobby:
Loch Lomond from atop hill across from hotel:
photos of Finnich Glen, which we didn't get to:
Sent from my iPad
