Clyde Arch bridge

Plume of smoke from the Tennet Brewery

The Peoples' Palace

Queen Victoria Fountain in Glasgow Green

Wall of the carpet factory

         At George Square in downtown Glasgow, we got out to look at statues and monuments of all things British.  Some of the statues were of Queen Victoria, James Watt, Prince Albert, Robert Peel (who established the first paid police force, hence the name Bobbies for British policemen), and Sir Walter Scott.  The City Chambers (government) building is at one end of the square.

        The coat of arms of Glasgow is interesting.  It has a salmon with a ring in its mouth (relates to a fable), a bush, a robin, and a bell.  They all represent part of Scotland's history.  A representation of the coat of arms is found on light posts in the city.

George Square - City Chambers in the distance

Queen Victoria

Light post representation of the Coat of Arms

         Outside of Glasgow we passed a part of the Antonine Wall, an 11-foot high Roman Wall which represents the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire.
         We drove to the Trossach Nat'l Park, one of Scotland's wilderness parks.  Loch Lomond is in this park.  Loch Lomond is the largest freshwater lake in the UK.  It has 22 islands and is 23 miles long, five miles at the widest part, and 638 feet at its deepest.  It is only 22 feet above sea level.   Salmon come in from the Atlantic to breed here.
         We boarded a small boat, the Lomond Princess, and took an hour cruise on the lake.  We saw the rocks where Rob Roy, a legendary thief, is said to have hidden in 1671 and we saw several hikers and some red deer while on the cruise.

Trossach Nat'l Park sign

Lomond Princess

Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond

Hikers along Loch Lomond

Electricity generating plant

Railroad bridge

Inchconnachan Island in Loch Lomond

        From Loch Lomond we drove north up to a mountain pass at 1,200 feet and entered the Highlands.  The landscape here is a moor with peat bogs and heather but no trees.
        We stopped for lunch in Ft. William.  It is a two block long tourist stop and several bus loads were all trying to get a quick lunch.  It was a slow go.

Waterfall

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands

         Our next stop was at the Ben Nevis Distillery, founded in 1825.  Ben Nevis is the highest mountain at 4,400 feet and is the source of the water for the whiskey.  We got a tour of the distillery and learned about the process.  They make a single malt whiskey.  Malt is made from barley.  A malt not labeled as single malt, is made from whiskey from several distilleries.  A blended whiskey is a mix of a malt and whiskey made from grain like rye.  Scotch whiskey is distilled twice and can be made in any country.  Bourbon is distilled once and Irish whiskey is distilled three times.  The alcohol content is controlled by how much water is added.  In order to be called whiskey the brew must rest in an oak barrel for at least three years.  The samples were ok.

Empty tank for mixing

Fermenting liquid in a tank - doesn't look too tasty

Oak casks for aging

Distilling tanks

Ben Nevis hidden in the clouds

         We drove on to Inverness, which means the mouth of the Ness River, along Loch Ness and the Ness River.  The lake is 22 miles long, one mile wide and 900 feet deep.  The sides go deep sharply at the banks.  We did not see the "Water Horse."  Locals see her as a friend, not as a monster. 

Loch Ness

Gale looking for "Nessie"

Hillside