Beyond Glasgow

After spending the night in Bearsden with Dad’s friend David we set off towards the west coast and the islands. First stop, though, was back on the Great Western Road in Glasgow for an internet café and while I punched away Indi and Dad ate cake and mused on the changes respectively.

Then we were off to Fort William and the World Championships – the long way.



The iconic Loch Lomond was first on the agenda, and we couldn’t help but pull into a parking bay and clamber down to the Loch’s edge for a bit of a sticky. Back in the car and over to Arrochar, where Dad pointed out the Cobbler and his wife, a classic climbing peak way up over the loch. Then on down towards Loch Gair, where Dad was evacuated during the second world war. But first we had to conquer the Rest and be Thankful!! Our diesel Vauxhall danced up it (better than the two lads on road bikes we saw at the bottom) and Dad told us of the days the bus to Loch Gair used to have to unload passengers for the final section, because it was a bit much for both vehicle AND passengers.

Down, along, around, around a lot of courners and we finally made it to Loch Gair, finding our way across a wee ford and along a bumpy track to where we could get a view of Asknish House, to where some fifty Glaswegian kids were evacuated when Glasgow was bombed during the war. Turns out that Dad’s family had also spent lots of summer holidays in the area in various cottages as well. From there we headed north again, pausing in Lochgilphead for a feed, before driving on to Kilmartin Glen area to walk in the footsteps of kings!

Here we climbed Dunadd, an iron age fort dating from perhaps 500AD, and stood in the footprint said to be that used by aincent kings of Dalriada, for which the Fort would have been a major center. It’s also possibly the original site of the Stone of Destiny – which sat under the Royal throne of all the Kings and Queens of England in Westminster Cathedral for hundreds of years. Old stuff indeed. But more ancient was awaiting just around the bend. The stone circle of Templewood is said to date from 3000BC!!

Thence back into the car as the rain started (it ended a km later), over to the coast at Oban for a supermarket break before driving up the coast past the mountains of Glen Coe and the ruins of Castle Stalker, through Fort William to finally reach Spean Bridge and our accommodation for the next week. Phew! What a trip – and that’s just the first few days!!

Indi says…

Today we woke up and went into an i-café on Great Western Road so dad could put stuff onto the blog… I had a giant piece of chocolate for brunch before we left Glasgow. At Loch Lomond we went down a little path to a beach of stones for a look, then we went on to Arroachar where Granpa Dave was expecting to show us a pier… but we came around the corner and he said, “Oh, it’s buggered”. Then we went on to this big footprint thing and apparently an Irish king’s son put his foot in it and made history. I put my foot in it too. We had a look at a stone circle too. It was like a grave, it was a bit scary. Finally we came to Fort William and Spean Bridge where we’re staying. We’re staying at Burnbank Lodge, one of 12 cabins in lots of greenery – in Australia everything would be dry and brown. There are far more trees here in Britain. Ha ha.