On the Bonnie, Bonnie Banks

A rare sunny (but still frosty) Sunday and we were lucky enough to be invited on an excursion to the countryside by the Scottish cousins of our Portland friends Marc and Susan. With Tam as our guide, we attempted a steady uphill climb in Queen’s Wood but had to turn back because the trail was too icy (and Rhonda’s boots had too little traction). Instead, we took a drive round Loch Lomond, which was hardly a consolation prize. Britain’s largest body of fresh water, Loch Lomond is surprisingly close to Glasgow (about a 20-minute drive) yet a world away. It’s surrounded by oak and pine forestland (the Trossachs National Park) and boasts 21 “Munros” (mountains over 3,000 feet). Half of Scotland’s population lives within an hour’s drive of the park. Even with the sunshine, there weren’t too many people hiking along the shoreline or stopping for tea in the cafes near the boat launches (nor were there many boats). Spring and summer will likely be a different story, with tourists and residents alike thronging the ferries and boats that ply the loch and travel to the many islands within it.  (For fun - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feLT7Btuqpc - but the song is actually quite sad)