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We stopped there for a couple of day on my birthday (on {{thisday|30|September|2012}}) on our way from [[Madrid]] to [[Munich]]). | We stopped there for a couple of day on my birthday (on {{thisday|30|September|2012}}) on our way from [[Madrid]] to [[Munich]]). | ||
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| + | There is a sense of freedom in Scotland that you don't get elsewhere in occidental Europe. The scenery might not be as imposing as the Alps, but you don't feel like in the states, "trespassing" wherever you go, with all the signs and directives to keep you on the trail, where you'll typically cross with or follow along a queue of other "tourists". In Scotland, it feels like it used to be, when law and society, private property and the words "forbidden" were not all over the place. | ||
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| + | More specifically on the area we visited, the Trossachs. We've been there because for lack of time, we couldn't go deeper into the Higlands, or to [[Iona]], although Oban was not much farther, but I'll go there when we'll have time enough even for Staffa. The place is interesting. Roads are few and narrow. On day 1, we followed the one that from Callander brings you to Inversnaid along the Lochs Ard and Chon, then Arklet. There we engaged into a trail that, however, quickly disappeared in the grass. We carried on towards the top of a hill, thinking that with great efforts we were climbing a Munro, but we remained always less than 520m, an culminated with the northernmost top of the Lochan Cruachan. It was very wet and the ascent was not completely trivial, but its improvised character made it a lot of fun. We came back by the only other road existing, thus exhausting the local road network, that is, at Aberfoyle, we went towards Loch Achray and stopped by Loch Venachor. We were surprised to see that this secondary road was actually better and wider than the main one. Our hotel, the [http://www.kingshouse-inn.co.uk/ King's House Hotel] is hotly recommended if you are in the area, with friendly dogs all other the place and a genuine Scot as the landlord/barkeeper/breakfast waiter, well, it seems he was doing everything. It's a desolate place on the road with a taste of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica_Inn_(novel) Jamaica Inn]. It's close to Balquhidder, and that's where we went on the second day, paying homage to Rob Roy, "Mc Gregor despite them", and exploring, again at random, points of interest. What is nice with the Lochs is that they come in all varieties, those between mountains, those standing in a valley, by the road, in the middle of a forest... They're lakes all right, but not too big to let you loose the big picture, and there is something definitely proper to them in the way they slosh their water. They are like little seas. They make you feel like a giant. | ||
== Loch Lomond == | == Loch Lomond == | ||
Revision as of 13:52, 20 October 2012
The Trossachs
The Trossachs is an area in Scotland, you could say this is where the Highlands begin. The most famous spot here is Loch Lomond.
We stopped there for a couple of day on my birthday (on 30 September (2012)) on our way from Madrid to Munich).
There is a sense of freedom in Scotland that you don't get elsewhere in occidental Europe. The scenery might not be as imposing as the Alps, but you don't feel like in the states, "trespassing" wherever you go, with all the signs and directives to keep you on the trail, where you'll typically cross with or follow along a queue of other "tourists". In Scotland, it feels like it used to be, when law and society, private property and the words "forbidden" were not all over the place.
More specifically on the area we visited, the Trossachs. We've been there because for lack of time, we couldn't go deeper into the Higlands, or to Iona, although Oban was not much farther, but I'll go there when we'll have time enough even for Staffa. The place is interesting. Roads are few and narrow. On day 1, we followed the one that from Callander brings you to Inversnaid along the Lochs Ard and Chon, then Arklet. There we engaged into a trail that, however, quickly disappeared in the grass. We carried on towards the top of a hill, thinking that with great efforts we were climbing a Munro, but we remained always less than 520m, an culminated with the northernmost top of the Lochan Cruachan. It was very wet and the ascent was not completely trivial, but its improvised character made it a lot of fun. We came back by the only other road existing, thus exhausting the local road network, that is, at Aberfoyle, we went towards Loch Achray and stopped by Loch Venachor. We were surprised to see that this secondary road was actually better and wider than the main one. Our hotel, the King's House Hotel is hotly recommended if you are in the area, with friendly dogs all other the place and a genuine Scot as the landlord/barkeeper/breakfast waiter, well, it seems he was doing everything. It's a desolate place on the road with a taste of Jamaica Inn. It's close to Balquhidder, and that's where we went on the second day, paying homage to Rob Roy, "Mc Gregor despite them", and exploring, again at random, points of interest. What is nice with the Lochs is that they come in all varieties, those between mountains, those standing in a valley, by the road, in the middle of a forest... They're lakes all right, but not too big to let you loose the big picture, and there is something definitely proper to them in the way they slosh their water. They are like little seas. They make you feel like a giant.
Loch Lomond
Our first Loch, the Loch Lubnaig.
We went for the top of this hill, in front of Loch Lomond, between Inversnaid and Ben Lomond.
(That's the Loch Lomond by the way)
The texture of the mountain is fantastic.
The ever-changing light,
the shadows from clouds racing by...
the land
and the water...
it's a never-ending spectacle.
When you're high enough, new Lochs appear (here Arklet and Katrine)
Who tried to enclose these spaces?
That's the highest we've been. The Loch in first plan is Lomond, behind, it's actually the sea already.
It was raining and a splendid weather at the same time.
The reason why the scenery is so beautiful, a brisk wind has all these palettes to play with.
Walking through high grass...
and ferns burnt by Autumn
and leaving them all together by themselves.
Now on the bank of Loch Lomond.
A bit deeper into the forest.
Strange things happening at night.
Loch Voil
This is Scotland.
More specifically, Loch Voil.
A rally point of the McGregors.
Here's the grave of the most famous of them, Rob Roy.
This is a wet land,
where the boundary between land and water is better seen from above.
On the steps of the McGregors,
where a Loch hides behind the forest.
Loch Voil is literally by the road.
A nice retreat.
Behind Loch Doine, fantastic hills are to be found.
With rivers falling off them.
A close-up on one of them.
Elena with sheeps.
Rocks in the furnace of autumn that is a Schottish field.
Highland cattle have to be the cutest breed on earth.
Next to other adventures.
Our hotel had a feeling of Jamaica Inn.
