Walk to Urquhart Castle

Urquhart Castle is the ruins of a castle on a point on Loch Ness, and it was less than a 1.5 mile walk from our Bed and Breakfast, Rowan Cottage.  So on Thursday, May 22, I got up early and left the lassies and the other laddie behind to walk to the castle.  The three of them had toured it the previous day while I hiked in the woodlands nearby.

This shows my approximate track, leaving a track point every 10 minutes and straight-line connecting them.  The white arrow shows the location of Urquhart Castle.

It was a very cool morning with a brisk breeze, and before I returned, there was a steady drizzle coming down.  But that was OK.  It was not a moderate rain like the day before.  Along the way, once I left the Lewiston part of Drumnadrochit, I passed sheep farms and saw this rare black lamb.

Here was my first view of the castle.  You can see how steep the ridgelines are by the loch.  It is a beautiful spot, but castles were not sited for the view.  It would have strictly been a strategic decision.

Interested in a little "fixer-upper" with some history behind it?  Well, inquire within...  My wife told me that the tour they took was really good and well worth it.

The last photo is proof one more time that one must always have their camera at the ready.  As I strolled along back north, I spotted Nessie out in the loch, but before I could get my camera out, she disappeared into the bank of fog.  Oh, I could have been so rich!

I finished my walk in good spirits, having gotten the day off to a great start.  It got even better with another fabulous breakfast, and then we got on the road to drive to Stirling, where we would be for the last few days of the trip.

Balloch Castle Park

Saturday, May, 17 was our first day in Scotland - can't count arriving the night before, 10 hours late, in Glasgow.  It was a cloudy and cool day, with periods of steady rain.  Perfect weather for an afternoon pot of tea, which we all did with a late lunch after a walk and then a boat cruise on Loch Lomand.  This loch is one of the most famous of all in Scotland and is a popular spot for vacations.  We were in the town of Balloch (maybe that means "bottom of the loch," as it is on the southern end of the loch where the river flows out.)

After lunch we took a longer walk around Balloch Castle Park, seeing the wonderful spring flowers, the ruins of the castle, and views of Loch Lomand.  Here are a few photos...

The park had walking trails, many paved, and had been a former estate, so there were lots of managed plantings.

It rained on an off as we walked - see the rain drop on the image?  Welcome to Scotland - the weather was more rainy and cloudy than we expected for May, the driest month, and about 25 degrees F cooler than back home. 

Look at all the skunk cabbage!

"Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll get to Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond."

Here are the interesting ruins of Balloch Castle, our first (of many) castles that we saw.

We thought that this tower on the castle was really interesting.

One of the great things about May in Scotland is all of the flowers.  In this park, many rhododendrons had been planted.  They were a feast for the eyes.

I really liked this little stone house at the entrance to the park.

There is fabulous hiking and many parks - including a National Park - all over the Loch Lomand area.  I had scoped out many hikes to attempt but never go to any of them here because of the late arrival.  Another time, I hope.