2018 - FIP Glasgow: Day 3: Tue 28 Aug - Glasgow to Fort William

Drive: 241km

11-28 degC

Slept well for the first three hours then I guess it was time to wake up back home. Tossed and turned until 5am then forced myself to get up. Had a coffee then rang Greg, nice to catch up. Jane then rang to say she was coming up to have a coffee.

We met in the lobby at 7am to go to breakfast at Tim Hortons, a big well-known chain in Canada. They do a similar breakfast to McDonalds and was quite nice but McDs is better I think. Back to the hotel to brush teeth, do a final pack before checking out. Our guide, James, met us in the lobby at 9am and we left shortly after only to be stuck in traffic on the highway due to roadworks.

First stop was at Luss, a typical Scottish village. We had a wander and the weather had become particularly nasty with a very lazy breeze so we had to stop in at a coffee shop. The lady that served us is from NZ and happens to be the niece of an NZ pharmacist who comes to the FIP congresses! Small world.

Back in the bus, and we continued westwards to the stunning, well it would have been stunning had the weather not been so bad, view point of the “Rest and be Thankful”. “Rest and be thankful” are the words inscribed on a stone near the junction of two major highways, placed there by soldiers who built the original military road in 1753, now referred to as the Drovers’ road. It was then a short drive and we were in the historic town of Inveraray where we had another stroll and a light lunch. We could have visited the Inveraray Castle but did not; perhaps James needed a rest??

The Green Welly was our next stop where we got to have a wee taste of whisky. Not being a whisky drinker, I was not that impressed hence I do not believe the guide was that impressed! Oh well, he did not ask so we did not tell. This was a real tourist stop and although some of us bought some whisky souvenirs, we did not spend that much which again did not impress the staff.

Glencoe was next, internationally known for its amazing landscape. This is where the McDonalds and the Campbells had a big barney for some reason or another. The hills were quite spectacular but the weather was still not very nice. Some of the pictures came out really nicely though. We stopped at the Glencoe Tourist Centre for nothing other than a comfort stop and probably to entice us to buy some useless souvenirs; none of us succumbed.

We then had only another 30 minutes on the bus before we were at our final destination - Fort William. James dropped us off and gave us timings for dinner. We settled in to our rooms, I am sharing with Jane. Due to the very inclement weather we were driven the 1km to the restaurant - Crannog which is a predominantly seafood restaurant. I had the only meat option - steak. But it was twice as expensive as we would pay back home. It was a good steak though. Washed down with a glass of South African chenin blanc. Lights were out just after 10pm.

Saw three couples doing it tough on bicycles today.