Have you heard about the “Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond?”  It is just one of the many Scottish songs that we sing and know in the United States.  Well, now I can say I have seen the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.  They are, indeed, bonnie.

We started our trip to Loch Lomond by sitting in the FRONT of the bus!  This is a big deal.  Insight Tours gives you assigned seats and rotates them every day.  They change the assignments every morning.  We started on the back right of the bus.  Rotating clockwise, we worked our way to the left back, and then up the left side.  Yesterday we reached the front of the bus.  Insight Tours does this for two reasons.  First, you get to know your tour mates as they move past you in the other aisle.  Second, everyone gets to sit in the good seats, whatever you consider those to be.  I’m not sure there are bad seats on a tour bus, but there are definite preferences.  Tom and I have enjoyed having a new viewpoint every day.

Sitting in the front was fun because we got to eavesdrop on the conversation between Nigel, our tour manager, and Dougie, our driver.  Although Nigel spends a lot of time telling us history and giving us context, he and Dougie also have time to talk.  Dougie is from Glasgow and has a strong Scottish accent.  I enjoy hearing it.  Between Nigel and Dougie, most of the world’s problems could be solved.  But they both generally have their hands full just taking care of the people on the tour.

Sitting in the front seat, we had a great view of Dougie driving.  We were in the Highlands most of the day on very narrow roads, and Dougie did a great job dealing with the traffic.  There are a lot of rented campers on the road and people don’t realize how big they are or how narrow the road.  Nigel frets about the slow drivers, but Dougie just takes it all in stride.  

On the day we sat in the front, Dougie had a couple of close calls.  One was a camper that started across a very narrow bridge when Dougie was already on it.  Dougie slammed on the brakes and honked until the camper driver finally backed up.  The other was a camper who was drifting over into our lane.  When the driver realized there was a big bus coming, he jerked the wheel.  But, because he was someone accustomed to driving on the other side of the road, he jerked it so he was even more in our lane.  A natural reaction for someone who is used to driving on the right, but dangerous in a country where they drive on the left.  

Which is exactly why Tom did not want to drive in the UK.  He was afraid he would get in a dangerous situation and react the way he has for 50 years driving at home.  We told Nigel and Dougie that was exactly why we booked a tour with Insight.  We are happy to leave the driving in Dougie’s capable hands.

What do you think the weather was like the day we went to Loch Lomond?  It you guessed rainy, windy, and cold you would be exactly right.  Every day we spent in Scotland was rainy, windy, and cold.  Fortunately the rain came and went, so we could usually get off the bus, snap a few photos, and get back on before the rain started again.

We stopped at Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most photographed castles in Great Britain.  Snap.  Rain starting.  Back on the bus.  Then a viewpoint of Ben Nevis, with its 14 peaks.  Snap.  Rain starting.  Back on the bus.  The Spean Bridge Commando Memorial.  Snap.  Walk around a little bit.  Rain starting.  Back on the bus.  Most of our days in Scotland have been similar.  It does not dampen our spirits and we came prepared for this kind of weather.

We had lunch in Fort William, then headed to Glencoe, where we heard how the Campbell Clan murdered the MacDonald Clan on the orders of the English.  Snap – you know the drill.  It got sunny as we drove along the banks of Loch Lomond.  Nigel put on the song and we all sang along.  Then, as we drove out of the Highlands and into Glasgow the rain settled into a steady drizzle.  

Having been on the bus for most of the day, Tom and I were determined to walk around Glasgow and see the sights.  We made it to St George’s Square where we admired all the statues.  We took our picture in front of the statue of Admiral Nelson, who was wearing an orange cone on his head.  When raindrops started dripping off the front of my hood onto my nose, Tom and I gave up and headed for supper and our warm, dry room.

Despite the weather, Tom and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Scotland.  We would love to stay longer but it is time to head to Ireland.