As part of our recent holiday, we headed east to Fife (see my posts here and here) but we did also venture west. In my almost 8 years of living in Scotland, I had never visited Loch Lomond (subject of the Runrig song which is commonly belted out at Scottish weddings and Hogmanany celebrations) so out we headed from our Stirling base in the direction of Luss, before heading onto Dunoon.
Looking back at these photos, it’s a miracle that I didn”t snap any tourists, because Luss was absolutely full of coach parties and other tourists snapping away! I’ve obviously got used to Caithness life because while tourists do pass through (and the area could benefit with tourists staying a while like they do on Orkney), I found Luss to be so crowded! I’ve got used to the wide open deserted spaces of Caithness I guess.
Luss must be one of the most photographed villages in Scotland. It is pristine and July is a great time to visit if you’re keen on horticulture – the whole village had exploded into colour!
Beautiful hanging baskets and climbing roses were a common feature.
Luss is also a popular filming location. ‘Take the High Road’ – the original Scottish soap opera was filmed here.
I also loved the traditional iron lampposts next to the small cottages.
I had put out a call on Instagram for favourite cafes in Luss, and we followed the recommendation for the Coach House Coffee Shop for a mid morning pick me up which was well appreciated (and dog friendly).
Before long we reached the ‘bonnie banks’ of Loch Lomond, and while I was glad we came, I wouldn’t say it would rank in my top lochs – even the much touristed Loch Ness comes above it in my opinion. Maybe I’m just a proper wild Highlander at heart now!
I was much happier once we got in the car and headed west on the A83 – along to another famous landmark, the Rest and Be Thankful
From the viewpoint (plenty of parking available) you can see the valley road built under the command of General Wade in readiness for the Jacobite rebellion.
There are lots of other military roads elsewhere in the Highlands. One of the most famous is the road that connected forts in Inverness and Fort William.
Bucket list achieved, we headed onto Dunoon for an afternoon of wandering along the promenade, seafood platter eating (at the dog friendly Lorne Bar and Kitchen), bookshop mooching, and competitive putting (I lost both games).
The highlight of the day was using the roll-on, roll-off ferry from Dunoon to Gourock. We didn’t fancy retracing our steps across the Trossachs.
The 20 minute crossing (up to every 15 minutes at peak summer season) is run by Western Ferries,
The cost is around £20 for a single trip (car plus driver and passenger) and the views are absolutely stunning, especially looking back to Dunoon.
There were also amazing views north towards Loch Long. If I lived in the Glasgow area this would be a popular day trip idea!
My day trip definitely whetted my appetite for more Argyll and Bute adventures in the future!
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