You take the high road!

My apologies to all those who remember the song - my modifications are my own!

By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,

Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,

Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,

And I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye,

But me and my true love will never walk again,

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

'Twas there that we decided in yon shady glen,

On the steep, steep side o' Ben Lomond,

Where in purple hue, the hieland hills we view,

And the moon coming out in the gloaming.

O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,

And I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye,

But me and my true love will never walk again,

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

The wee birdies sing and the wildflowers spring,

And in sunshine the waters are sleeping.

But the ach'in limbs ken nae spring again,

Though ma burd may cease her complain'in.

We have enjoyed Scotland almost too much - we would be reluctant to return for fear of corrupting our wonderful memories of the little country! - we wonder what the improved weather over the next few weeks will do for the vistas - we will follow the postings of Erika and Knud with enthusiasm!

Before we farewell the Ben Nevis Guesthouse and leave it to its Jacobite travellers - its  West Coast way trampers - its Ben Nevis Climbers! - I draft a letter to the local Fort William newspaper!

Along Loch Linnie - curse the aggressive English caravaneers - admire the bluebells - cross the new bridge - cross into the Village of Glencoe and its river glens - magical!

Turn out of Glencoe - feel sorry for the trampers at the bus stop - feel even sorrier for the trampers on the  braes of Glencoe.

Along the  valley of Glencoe - more a gigantic ravine than a valley - impressive - impressive to us - impressive to the multitude of walkers negotiating the latter parts of the west Highland Way -

 

Into the Loch Lomond National Park and on-wards - Calender - Sterling  - towards Dryden and the Winnock Hotel.

The hotel?  - large - old - nice in the traditional Scottish sense - lovely large room - we will treat this place as a resort - lie back - relax - frequent the bar - often - make trips into the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park  - occasionally - enjoy.

I follow the plan immediately - whiskey accompanies my soup for lunch - Sauvignon Blanc accompanies my ale pie for dinner.

She poses with my house sauvignon blanc - made in France for marketing in the Highlands of Scotland to Australian tourists.