Are you sick of Scotland pictures yet? I could look at them forever.

After our last night camping in Fergus on Islay, we set out for the drive back across the mainland to Bankfoot. Because we’d had the early ferry we had all day to make the approximately 4 hour drive, so we took every opportunity to stop and take pictures.

Loch Fyne.

Inverary

We pulled off the road to capture this pastoral view with the mountains in the back as we approached the Trossachs National Park.,

 

As we climbed in elevation our surroundings looked more and more “alp – like”, and with good reason. This area is known as the Arrochar Alps. The trees looked so perfectly shaped and green, and you could almost imagine you were in Bavaria rather than Scotland.

Though we took pictures, there’s really no way to experience just how incredible it was. Photographs do little justice to this awesome place (and we mean that in the original sense of awe-inducing). Passing through Glen Croe was something I cannot adequately put into words.

After Glen Croe we found ourselves on the shores of Loch Lomond and in need of a potty break. We found a cute little cafe and sat on a bench overlooking the Loch eating bar cookies with coffee. We had passed a lot of signs for camping and outdoor recreation in this area, and at some point I’d love to go back and do some hiking in the Argyll Forest and kayaking on Loch Lomond.

We also decided that we should check the rest of our route and determine how to manage our time, as it appeared we’d get to Bankfoot several hours early. Happily, our path took us directly past Stirling Castle, and as we are both avid fans of Tudor history, this castle was a spot we’d both been interested in seeing.

The view from the castle. I imagine it hasn’t changed a whole lot since Mary, Queen of Scots’ time, aside from some of the buildings.

We could have wandered Stirling castle for hours. Sadly, we didn’t have hours, and soon had to be back on the road to return Fergus and catch our train to Edinburgh. I made sure to buy the official guidebook to the castle with its history and inhabitants. I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but it sits next to me, invitingly. We’ll definitely be back for a more thorough visit in the future.