Home again

I wandered around Tarbert a bit before starting off on the road home. 

 

 

A pair of swans were out in the harbour – I heard later that this pair had ousted the resident pair plus several cygnets just that week, and the local folk were not happy to have lost the family.   The tide was just short of high and the adult birds were preening in the shallow water.  What reflections! 

Paid a visit to the Co-op - overlooking the harbour –  and had to take a photo of some Gaelic signing, albeit below the English, and in smaller lettering.

Browsing and shopping done, I got back in the car and – reluctantly – left Tarbert behind, not by ferry this time but by the road, the long way - round the sea lochs, going north first and turning south at Arrochar (ARRuh-chur)and Tarbet – same derivation as Tarbert.

There are pretty coastal villages and towns all the way up Loch Fyne to Inveraray (INver- AIRy), this being a model village built by an 18th century Duke of Argyll whose home was

 

the castle just round the bay.  The current Duke still lives there with his family.   Ween and I spent several weekend breaks in Inveraray in our younger days, with friends who liked to go fishing in the loch!  Happy days!!  We visited the castle at least once, and another time were devastated that there had been a bad fire there.  We could still smell the burnt timbers in the village which is still a good half mile away.   Just a quick stop to eat a sandwich, and take photos,  and I was on my way again.  Before reaching Arrochar there is a long haul uphill through a mountain pass that has taken the name from the nickname given to the summit – the Rest and Be Thankful!  In the days when this sentiment was first expressed the journey on foot or on horseback must have been a tough one.

I had one more stop before home and that was on the banks of Loch Lomond, where I photographed the Ben  - Ben Lomond - that dominates the loch.  I’ve been up there – once - right to the summit, with some visually impaired hill walker friends.  That was a good while ago!!  It’s not a bad walk, with lovely views on route!  We got mist near the top that time, but it didn’t matter that much.  We all enjoyed ourselves!

So a couple of hours later, having negotiated the Erskine Bridge over the river Clyde, and the motorway through Glasgow, I was home again, back to reality!  What next? you may ask!  Well, that’s for the next time!

Talk again soon.