On the Bonnie, Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond

I've mentioned in at least one previous blog post that I was going to climb a munro (a Scottish mountain) with Hamish this weekend, mainly because I was so excited about it. This trip was vital to me because it was one of my last times to go out and see the country-- at least, this year. I've been hearing about the beauty of Loch Lomond and its national park in particular all year (even the Rector suggested it)-- it's the largest loch in Scotland, and Ben Lomond is said to be one of the easiest munros to climb. There's a well-known traditional Scottish song about it, so I knew that I had to check it out before I returned to Culver.

Loch Lomond's location in relation to Paisley and Dollar.

On Friday the 19th of May, Hamish and I left Dollar to spend the night at his brother's flat in Paisley (as marked on the above map) so we could easily get to our location in the morning. Climbing up a munro can take as long as eight hours-- we had to get an early start if we wanted to be back by dinner. In our calculations, we would have to rise at a mere 5:30 in the morning if we were to successfully conquer Ben Lomond. So, we dragged ourselves out of bed the next morning doing our best to prepare our bodies for the long journey ahead.  However, it became clear to us while at the train station that we wouldn't make the bus up to Ben Lomond in time for the boat, which was unfortunately the only one that morning. For such a famous national park, the public transport was severely lacking. Because we had nothing else to do, we decided to take the train up to Balloch anyway, which is right on the southern tip of the loch. We had made it that far, so we might as well explore the park even though we wouldn't be able to climb the munro.

A friendly otter outside Balloch's aquarium.

This turned out to be a great decision. We were expecting all sorts of bad weather-- wind, rain, cold, all those Scottish things-- so we were pleasantly surprised when the air was pleasantly cool and the Maine rain barely bothered us. This time of year is perfect for going hiking in the country. The environment is vibrantly green and fresh, but the tourists don't begin to visit until the warmer months of July and August so they can golf in comfort. I must say that Loch Lomond is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited-- yes, that's including Notre Dame and the canals of Amsterdam-- and the views were absolutely unforgettable.

In fact, it was so nice out that we decided to rent bicycles in a moment of spontaneity. Upon the suggestion of the rental consultant, we enjoyed an hour-long trail up the west coast of the loch to a quaint little village called Luss. The ride was quite physically taxing, actually, due to all of the altitude changes-- something that separates Scotland from the Midwest. Luss did remind me of Culver, though-- a relaxing lakeside hideaway dotted with coffee shops and unique souvenirs. It was more crowded than one would think, with happy families walking up and down along the coastline, and little kids fully enthralled in some Scottish homemade ice cream. We stayed here for about an hour, having a picnic and trying to find a scarf for Hamish with his clan's tartan, before heading back down the coast to catch the next train to Glasgow.

Our bike route, which took about three hours with picnic included.

A slightly dangerous bike selfie? Yes please.

So, the trip didn't quite go as planned. I was a little upset that we weren't able to climb the munro, but that just gives me an excuse to come back in the future. And technically, I did climb a munro in the most literal sense: Hamish's last name is Munro, and he gave me a piggy back ride. Close enough, right? Anyway, it was still a really nice way to relax after my Modern Studies exam, as well as prepare for my geography exam this Friday. And then, in 16 days, I'll be enjoying the shores of Lake Max again-- but who's counting the days?