We awoke VASTLY refreshed after sleeping 13 hours in our very cosy Airb&b. The weather today promised to be perfect so we set out with renewed vigor to visit the legendary Loch Lomand.
After rising a bit late, we started back toward the university and found a small local restaurant for breakfast with a very Scottish flair to it.
My brilliant navigator wife found an efficient public bus route that took us to Loch Lomand. As you may know this loch is the one referenced in the well known Scottish ballad.
We exited the bus at Tarbet, a small village on the loch. We took a few minutes to appreciate the lovely 19th century Tarbet Hotel near the bus stop.
We discovered that we were at the location of a photo taken of us on our 2nd trip to Scotland and couldn’t resist doing an update. Today is much cooler and more windy than it was the last time.
We found the location for a boat tour, a small place called Inveruglus and before long we were touring the loch in comfort.
Loch Lomond is the largest freshwater lake in Scotland. We enjoyed tales of Vikings, Highland clans, and the legendary folk hero Rob Roy.
I was taken, as I always am by the majesty of the Highlands so much of my photo eye was on the phenomenal mountains rising high all around us.
After the tour we discovered to some concern that the bus back to Glasgow did not arrive as scheduled. As we considered our limited options a gentleman who had been hiking in the area offered a ride back to Tarbet to us and some young English hikers we had met.
I was hesitant but we felt safe with a group and accepted. He regailed us with stories along the way, delivered us to Tarbet with good humor and will and declined any thank you money. His name was Donald and he boasted a lineage from Clan Donald which is a clan of no small significance in Scottish history.
There is an important and treasured principle of the Scottish set of values called Highland Hospitality. To my mind Donald personifies this aspect of what it means to be Scottish beautifully. I was inspired by Donald’s kindness and generosity.
After a lovely meal in a church that had been converted into a restaurant, we walked to a nearby train station and caught a late train back to Glasgow.
Malcolms in Scotland 23 