Scotland Road Trip Day 6: Fort William to Glasgow

 

I woke feeling a bit sad, knowing that our road trip was quickly coming to an end. I knew, though, that I still had one item on my bucket list and that was Glen Coe. We ate breakfast at the hotel, packed up the car, and were on the road by 9:30. Fort William to Glasgow was scheduled to be an approximate three-hour drive but if you've read my other entries, it won't be a spoiler alert if I tell you in advance that we pretty much doubled that time.

Leaving Fort William, the A82 took us along the coast of Loch Linnhe. I wish that I had a word other than breathtaking to describe the views but I haven't come up with anything better than that. As we approached the Glen Coe area we saw a "Scenic Route" sign. We are not the kind of people who can say know to a scenic route, thus began our first detour of the day.

This road took us up the coast of Loch Leven and into the town of Kinlochmore. We saw a sign for a waterfall so we parked for free (!), put on our hiking boots, and set out in that direction. We crossed a bridge over the River Leven and I captured the first photo of the day.

We followed the sign for Grey Mare's Tail Falls and we were soon in the woods. We heard the falls long before we saw them. We first encountered water tumbling over rocks in a series of steps. For just a second, I thought that was the falls. 

Just beyond the curve in the stream, we finally saw the falls. They were gorgeous, but our photos don't do them justice. It's possible to get really close by walking on some narrow planks, holding onto ropes, and then scrambling over rocks. I looked at Drew while I was deciding if I wanted to do this and he just gave me "the look;" the one that says we are not taking you to the hospital today. Also, I'm pretty sure that the physical therapy team that spent three months getting me ready for this trip would not condone plank walking, rope walking, or rock scrambling.

The obstacle course to the falls

In the end, we enjoyed the falls from a distance and sat for a few minutes to take in the splendor of it all.

On our way back, Drew spotted what seemed like a trail that might have a view at the end of it. We followed it until we reached the John Kent Memorial Bench. I don't know who John Kent was but I would be pleased to have such a beautiful spot named in my memory. The views of the loch and the surrounding hills were just stunning. We spent a few minutes enjoying the solitude and feeling incredibly lucky to have this moment.

Back at the car, we couldn't seem to find the rest of the loop on the scenic route that had detoured us in the first place so we went back the way we had come. We started seeing signs for Glen Coe after returning to the main road and we knew it wasn't far away. As we started our drive through it, we had some incredible views of nature and...so...many...freaking people. Where had they all come from? Cars and tour buses filled every pull-off spot and there was nowhere for us to stop. We took in as much of the scenery as we could while looking for a spot that never materialized. As I realized that I was not going to have my Glen Coe photographic moment, I thought back to all the beauty that we had witnessed over the last week and it was pretty difficult to be upset. If you're planning a trip to Glen Coe, try to get there early in the morning. 

Eventually the traffic thinned out and Drew pulled off the road and we were able to snap a couple of photographs looking back toward Glen Coe.

It was here that I spotted the cutest little boggy patch. I would like to think that this is where my bog witch origin story begins. 

We were both getting pretty hungry and decided that the next stop needed to be for food. I had my heart set on a Gregg's sausage roll because there are no Gregg's in northern Scotland and I like those sausage rolls as much as I like fish and chips. With no Gregg's in site, we stopped at a roadside cafe on the shores of Loch Lomond. By this time, hanger had me in a chokehold and I had a very bad attitude as we ate the egg salad and ham and cheese sandwiches that had been on offer. Did I take photos of the lovely loch? I did not. I ate my sandwich and returned to the car with zero humor.

About 90 minutes later we arrived at our hotel in Glasgow and almost immediately set out to see the Glasgow Cathedral. The last entrance was listed at 4:30 and we arrived at 4:10. Whew!

I love this version of Jesus and the Little Children

We left the cathedral and headed for the Glasgow Necropolis which is situated on a hill behind the cathedral. The closing time was listed as 4:30 but there were plenty of folks like us going through the gates so we continued. The necropolis is the final resting place for many of the city's prominent founding fathers and merchants. It has expansive views of the city and the monuments are gothic and gorgeous.

Glasgow Cathedral from the Necropolis

We headed in the general direction of the hotel and restaurants. Just down the hill from the necropolis we saw the Tennant's brewery; the very home of the tasty stuff! A few blocks away we found a pub with outdoor seating and decided to have a couple of pints. And, yes, I had Tennant's.

We meandered toward Buchanan Street to take in some sites and find dinner. I was so thrilled to see the statue of the Duke Wellington and to find that he was wearing, not one, but four traffic cone hats and carrying one gull on the back of his horse.

Poor Duke Wellington

After a bit more walking, we decided to try Ralph and Finn's for dinner. The menu had a modern flair which meant that there wasn't a savory pie or fish and chips in sight. Drew had an amazing fried buttermilk chicken Caesar salad. I had a risotto with fresh peas and so many herbs that it felt like taking bites from my herb garden. And I mean that in the best possible way.

After dinner, we strolled a bit more and then walked back to the hotel. Kaitlyn called to tell us that there was a problem with the smoke alarm in the kitchen and we walked the streets of Glasgow attempting to help her troubleshoot the problem. That was likely the most surreal moment of the trip. For what it's worth, she had done all she could with the smoke alarm so we told her to chuck it in the garage and not build any fires until we got home.

I love this mural