My quote

"The World is simply my playground, everyone else just happens to be in it."

Sunday 30 January 2011

On the Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond


In some parts of the world the seasons are shown in all their glory.  Think Japan in the spring and the wave of cherry blossom sweeping from south to north, or the Alps in the wintertime.  When it comes to autumn, there are many places which can show off this season to its best, and one of those for me is Loch Lomond.

It may not be far north of the hustle and bustle of Glasgow, but it is worlds away such is the tranquillity and natural beauty on offer.  Add to that the fact that the autumnal colours, as leaves either cling on to their branches or line the roads and pathways, are in full prominence and it is an extremely photogenic scene, and one that lends itself to a few relaxing days.


Ok so you might well have to put up with a bit of rain, which was certainly the case for us, but that’s par for the course in western Scotland.  Staying in the tiny village of Balmaha on the Loch’s quieter eastern shore at the Oak Tree Inn, a quick recce of the facilities pinpointed what looked like a very well stocked bar, complete with several beers and many whiskies.  We’ll get back to that later…

In the mean time, before the afternoon sunlight gave way to early evening rain and murkiness, we headed up the adjacent Conic Hill for a bit of a walk and climb.  The footpath begins at the back of a car park, but once on the path you’re soon surrounded by tall moss surrounded trees and countless fallen orange leaves.

The path wound its way through the forest climbing steadily and before long we were high enough to have a grand view over the Loch below – well, it was there through the mist somewhere anyway.   Atop the hill the landscape changed from forest to barren scrub, complete with a small cascading stream trickling over the rocks, and a few lone, twisted, leafless trees standing defiant against the wind on top of the hill.

The expected rain started to fall with increasing steadiness, as the daylight started to fade quickly.  Time to get off this hill and in to that lovely bar I think.  The tramp back down, in our wet jeans, saw us overtaken by hardier souls who’d presumably done the full loop walk in far more appropriate clothing.  I cursed my miscalculated risk to leave my waterproof trousers in my bag.

Since we were wet anyway, a short detour around the harbour adjacent to the Inn took us through what started off as puddles but soon showed themselves to be overflow from the Loch itself.  Many boats are moored here, including some that you can apparently just ask the driver to take you to the nearby island, and collect you again later – it didn’t look overly appealing in the rain however.

Back at the Inn, dry clothes on, we retired to the bar with its log fire and its beers and whiskies.  A hearty dinner was duly ordered and the drinks started to flow.  Interestingly the bar also had a trivial pursuit game which added to our entertainment.  Despite the size (or rather lack of) of the village, the bar was a rather lively place that night, and I finished up with a local Glengoyne whisky in a delightful round bottomed tumbler, which entertained me far more than it really should have done.

After a long sleep, more hearty food followed at breakfast before we set out for a long walk northwards along the lakeshore.  The weather that morning was clear and crisp, perfect autumn weather for a pleasant walk.  Having stocked up on a few supplies at the very friendly local store we headed off along part of the West Highland Way which leads through Balmaha.

The path soon leads away from the road and onto the very edge of the Loch, at times clinging to the edge of the rocky shore, or through more autumnal trees or past small beaches scattered with pebbles just asking to be skimmed across the water.  One point also took us past a field of very hairy red cattle, clearly unfazed by the sight of tourists and cameras pointing at them.

We wandered for a few hours along the Loch shore and back again and most pleasant it was.  By the time we’d got back though, the heavens were opening once more and so any plans to take a boat trip were abandoned in favour of getting to the Glengoyne Distillery for a tour and a sample of their wares.

The distillery is nestled below several steep hills and its old looking chimneys make for a quaint setting.  We manage to get on the tour about to begin and settle down with our sample whisky and our ever-friendly guide.

The tour is much like any other, but no less pleasing for it.  We even manage to resist the temptations in the shop before heading back for more feasts and beverages back at the Oak Tree Inn to complete a delightful stay.

Of course the next day on the way home the sun shines brightly, but it takes more than a spot of rain to spoil a trip to Scotland.

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