We left off having just crossed
the border into Scotland- yay!! – and we had an overnight stay at the Abbotsford Hotel in Dumbarton. That
evening we had a grand dinner there: starters of haggis, neeps and mash,
followed by my favourite : roast venison with red currant jelly. We were so enthusiastic we forgot to take pics
– you just have to take our word for it
– it was magic!! Brother-in-law, jJhn was delighted to see his surname, Chaytor,
included in the Chilean merlot name: Concha
y Toro! Something to do with the bull, but does ‘concha’ mean shell,
horn, ear ….or even a very naughty word, indeed? There is no consensus!
Next day it was an early-morning
walk for me to help digest the previous night’s meal and … prepare for a full
Scottish breakfast. Amid the trees I saw a vast container and, after spying
this lorry further onin the same complex, I realised where I was : at the Kilmalid facility which employs 600
workers, and where the bottling and distribution of Chivas Regal (distilled in Moray, Speyside) Ballantine’s whisky and
Beefeater gin goes on – to the tune of 20 million cases annually.
There is a delightful story of a
wee accident that happened here in February 2013. During a routine cleaning
procedure, instead of draining away waste water, by mistake some employees
flushed away thousands of litres of bulk whisky. A strong smell was reported by
local sewage workers! Ooooppss!
On my walk, I enjoyed the
glorious banks of daffodils which enhanced many urban areas – what hardy
flowers. On checking out, we also check out the lyrical meteorological forecast
: Clear skies with clouds bubbling up and the possibility of slight sleet
showers later in the afternoon. So off we go, straight ahead – making for Loch Lomond.
On the shores of the loch, tame
ducks waddle up to greet us. We admire too the rhododendrons (Greek: rose tree), the national flower of
Nepal, which grow to monstrous heights in this mild, damp climate. I really
miss them in all their glorious colours. Behind this one you can see the clouds
begin to bubble up!
Here’s a cheery Highlander who was happy for
me to snap him; and a happy bear! Can anyone tell me who the local tree
sculptor is? It has been suggested it might be Andy MacLaclan, but I’m not sure.
Next stop: Inverary where we pay homage to the Vital Spark, the puffer which featured in the short stories of Neil Munro, born in Inverary in 1947.
Moving when young to Toronto, in 1905 he had his short stories first published
in the Glasgow Evening News. They formed the basis of the BBC series, Para
Handy - The Master Mariner with
Duncan Macrae as Para Handy, Roddy McMillan as the Mate, John Grieve as Dan
MacPhail, the engineer. If you look very closely you can see Para Handy up on
the bow!
From the pier you can see the old
Aray bridge, one of the most famous
military bridges built in 1775 by General
Wade. After the 1745 Jacobite
Rebellion, the British army was detailed to construct a network of roads
and bridges to control the clansmen and gain easier access into the Highlands.
The A83 road that runs along the shores of Loch Fyne formed part of that
strategic network
And finally a good shot of Inverary Castle, I
thought – my least squint yet!! This is, of course the seat of the Chieftain of the Clan Campbell, MacCailean
Mor, the Duke of Argyll.
And a fitting note is a quotation from the
national Bard, Robert Burns, who
visited the Inn of Inverary in 1787.
He was paid, however, little attention while there as northern chiefs were
being entertained at the time. He gave vent to his annoyance at His Grace, The
Duke of Argyll with the following:
Whoe’er he be that sojourns here,
I pity much his case,
Unless he’s come to wait upon
The Lord, their God, His Grace.
There’s naething here but Highland pride
And Highland cauld and hunger;
If Providence has sent me here,
T’was surely in his anger.
