Day 10: Lovely Loch, limited service

There was a real sense of excitement in picking up the car and heading over the border, and the views of Loch Lomond didn’t disappoint, but the hotel is only and overpriced OK, and the restaurant which makes extravagant claims about its excellence has really lost its way. It’s not often that I complain — usually I don’t have time because I am following a furious Paula out the door, but I had get up and ask for service after twenty minute. Two hours and too many pounds later, we gave up on romance and retired to our room, which was missing a bath plug and had a sauna with none of the things that makes saunas worth while, so we didn’t bother.

It’s a shame, because the loch and the surrounding hills, going up to Ben Lomond, are spectacular. We had a pleasant cruise for a couple of hours but the commentary was hopeless and waiting on the queue exposed us to forty or so kids on the first weekend of their school holidays, the girls over-exposed and caked in make-up, the boys drunk and doing bombies off the pier. Too close to Glasgow?

I include the above photograph because it suggests that there’s a career in those PLC kilts, Sophie and Liv! You could busk around Scotland!

Let’s leave it at the scenery!