The Drive to Inveraray and Beyond
When we had our little rental car two weekends ago, we determined we wanted to drive north and see what we could find. We had no end plan really, just beautiful weather, a car, and adventures to be had.
The day started out sunny as we drove north, along Loch Lomond. The roads were pretty busy so we decided to keep driving and come back to Loch Lomond on a less busy day. What we saw from the road was beautiful though! I can't wait to go back!
About here our handy little TomTom died and we couldn't revive it so we just kept on driving and hoped we wouldn't get lost! Ha. Ha. Ha. Ahem.
We continued to drive until we reached Arrochar. I saw a sign for fish and chips and my hungry stomach demanded food. They were freshly fried and absolutely delicious. I was supposed to share them with Aaron but that didn't really happen. Chips with vinegar on them are the most amazing thing since sliced bread. The restaurants by the side of the road are always a hit or miss, but this particular one had a lot of cars in the lot so I felt it was pretty safe to eat there. Best fish we've had since we've gotten here.
Across from the fish and chips place was this stunning view on the loch. The sun flitted behind the clouds and the shadows played on the hilltops. I would have sat there for hours just watching the colors change with the sun and shadows.
We followed the A83 through a scenic route west. The small road followed the curve of the hills but gave us amazing views. Even as the clouds rolled over the tops of the hills, the views were otherworldly.
We drove up through Inveraray, made a stop at the castle, and continued on.
Looking towards the village of Inveraray.
We ended up taking the A819 instead of staying on the A83 and headed north instead of south. The sky was very gray and it was drizzling but the scenery was so beautiful the weather just seemed to enhance it.
Loch Awe
We stopped to see some "coos" or cows and saw the ruins of Kilchurn Castle across the loch. Now that I know where it is, I'm fully planning on coming back and exploring around the ruins! Apparently, it also belonged to Clan Campbell and was damaged by lighting in 1760. It hasn't been used since then, but the ruins are open to the public during the summer.
Not pictured: We followed the A85 up to Oban and drove through the quaint little town. Both of us were pretty road weary by then (and semi lost) so we turned around and drove home. Our little scouting trip was successful though! We discovered that we could take a train north to Oban and then take a ferry out to the western islands. Oban is a bit of a touristy town, but the windy streets and brick buildings were very charming. I look forward to going back there! Eventually we hope to make it up to Fort William to see the tallest mountain in the UK called Ben Nevis. Beyond Fort William are the Highlands! There is so much to see around here, I really want to explore and enjoy our time in Western Scotland.