Scottish Highlands

My cold was almost 100% better this morning, so maybe I have found the cure for the common cold: lots of vitamin C, a good sleep, and Scotch malt whiskey. Today was mostly a day spent on the bus viewing very striking scenery. We traveled from the Highlands (Aviemore) to Southern Scotland (Glasgow). We traveled along this loch and viewed another castle.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Close–up of the castle.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

We stopped at the Commando Memorial. The Commandos were an elite force commissioned by Churchill in 1940 to fight the Axis forces. The memorial is in memory of the Commandos who died during World War II. Their motto was “United We Conquer.” This is the area where the Commandos trained. While we were viewing the memorial, we were also treated to two very low flyovers by military jets (obviously not for our benefit).

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Grazing sheep seen from the bus.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain (4,406 feet) is in this mountainous area. There is a gondola that will take you up to the top of Ben Nevis, but it was too overcast today (which is about nine days out of ten) for us to go up the mountain

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

I don’t remember exactly where I took this and the next photo, but it was probably at a rest stop. I don’t know what was in the water, but it did make interesting designs.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Another view.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

We are now somewhere in the area of Glencoe. We were treated to many miles of green rolling hills here and stopped to take some photos. The walking trail seen in the photo is the West Highland Way, one of the longest walking trails in Scotland. It extends for 95 miles from Ft. William, near Ben Nevis, south to Milngavie, which is on the outskirts of Glasgow.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Another photo taken of the green hills.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

View of this area from the bus.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

We next stopped for lunch. These sheep were grazing behind the restaurant. The restaurant also had a gift shop with samples of Scotch malt whiskey, which, of course, I tried as I wanted to be 100% cured of my cold.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Beautiful Loch Lomond. We stopped at a viewpoint to take photos.

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Another view of Loch Lomond.

Scottish Highlands

Southern Scotland

We arrived in Glasgow late in the afternoon and had our first look at this city. It is a city of both old and new buildings. It was warm here, a welcome change from the cold of the Highlands. We stayed at the Radisson Hotel––very very nice, and after getting settled, we went out for dinner at a very nice Glasgow restaurant.

Southern Scotland