Scotland Week Two

Progressing a little further north we skirted Glasgow, the sprawling city I spent a few years either flying or driving up to on a regular basis whilst with Balfours. Outskirts are not great, but the City & it’s people are, fond happy memories of the team I worked with at Bellshill & our customers in the area.

First stop was 2 nights at Milarrochy Bay on Loch Lomond about an hour further north where we got lucky with a Loch side pitch and a cracking view. We loved the area and I’m sure we’ll be back some time. It was a 2 mile waterside walk to the nearest pub, The Oak Tree, and our first afternoon was filled with an amble there and back including a stop for various beers in the well laid out beer garden. Strange mix of drinks continued into the evening;

wine with nice beef hot pot followed by G & T’s with Horlicks before bed. Clinging onto our youth, but inexorably heading to late middle aged!

Tuesday we did a super 10 mile walk up Conic Hill following a section of the 96 mile West Highland Way which takes walkers from north of Glasgow up to Fort William. We were clearly walking against the tide of the many walkers on this busy route choosing the southerly direction, that said I think it was easier on the knees ascending the steep climb followed by a gentle downhill. Stunning, iconic Loch views from this 362m camel like hilltop know as Conic Hill with equally breathtaking moorland views the other side. Daisy was on one again, taking countless sticks up to random foreigners mainly for them to throw for her as we’d long lost interest and energy to bend down. She’ll feature on quite a few holiday photos as Americans, Canadian, French and Dutch walkers were keen to take snaps of her. Bizarre.

Inevitably our “we’ll just stop for one, I’m ready for a sit down” at the Oak Tree turned into several more as they put the heaters on on the patio and pulled the canopy down for us; would have been rude not to.

After leaving Loch Lomond our next stay was at North Ledaig, about 6 miles north of Oban. Have to say I was less than impressed turning off the main road into the site through seemingly a scrap yard. Don’t be fooled though if you stop here, past this is a gobsmacking view across the bay toward the Isle of Mull with memorable sunsets. We got lucky again with a beach side pitch, albeit next to an abandoned JCB. On the Wednesday we followed the beach side track to North Collen and stumbled on the sunny beer garden of the Lochnell overlooking the estuary where we sat drinking Tenants until the sun lost its strength. Very pleasant.

Thursday was dry and bright again, chilly later when we got into Oban after the 8 mile walk along the Sustrans track which passes through the site. The single track road, once past Connel and it’s iconic steel bridge was quiet and scenic. With the sun out the countryside was reminiscent of our walks in Andalusia, with the brown scorched like hues of the surrounding hills and distant mountains. Some lovely houses in hobbit like hamlets dotted around.

We had a coffee stop once we arrived in Oban, where we inevitably got pestered by a local drunk. No idea what he was on about, in his slurred drunken Glaswegian accent. Sure enough, my twat magnet was on, and when we waited for the bus back he was at the front of the queue. An argument ensued as the driver refused him entry without a ticket and he was close to lying down in front of the bus in protest. It was an entertaining 15 minute delay, bought to an end with the threat of the police by the driver before we pulled away to cheers by the passengers.

Friday was sunny so we did nothing more than a laze around, a mooch along the beach path to a sun trap clearing overlooking the estuary, then back to the van for our first BBQ of the year watching the sun set over the Loch.

Saturday was drizzly in morning so made a shopping stop in Oban before travelling to Bunree in the afternoon for our 5th site of this trip. It pissed it down for the remainder of the day, attempted the short local walk to the Inchree Waterfall but this was blocked off due to work taking place. Mrs H was not at all enamoured with the site at this point, felt we’d picked a crappy pitch (58) and not knowing the area we felt a little stranded. Inevitably next morning we stuffed our gear into the van and swapped pitch to a Loch side one (80). No Pauline’s here, very amenable to a pitch swap without the drama we’d experienced elsewhere. You know who you are Pauline, Isle of Wight - I cringe listening to Lisa Tarbuck every Saturday who calls out your name. You’re still

top of my list..

Things looked up with a nice afternoon taking the ferry over to Corran where we did a scenic forest trail uphill walk up to the waterfall before returning to the Inn for a pleasant few beers waiting for the ferry and watching the skies clear. The Loch takes on a glacial, shimmering look in the late afternoon and it was nice to sit outside and watch the world go by waiting for our slow cooker Sunday dinner to finish. Week 3 to follow.