Scotland 2015 - Day 15 - August 30, 2015

This was our day to go to the Loch Lomand and Trossachs National Park.  I wanted to see snow covered mountains- like the Alps, and waterfalls and interesting animals, etc.  Hmmmmm.

At the end of a narrow, windy road  with vegetation "kissing" my side of the van

We got to the beautiful and famous Loch Katrina and the steamboat, the Sir Walter Scott.

For US $80.00, the two of us could go on a cruise down the loch - for one hour - and back for another hour, with narrative on the points of interest along the shore.  I was tempted....but I've been on really long lakes in a canoe in Canada.......but the final decision maker came when we realized we'd have to wait for an hour in cold drizzly weather.  Back to the van; our days of mountains in Scotland were over.

We stopped at the Scotland Wool Center in some town which had a big store with "everything wool" that you would ever want to buy.  There were different kinds of sheep in small pens around the building.  Ths was my favorite.  The sign says that this kind of sheep can have 2, 4, 6, or 8 horns.

Then Dad spotted a.........

and we chose from all of these things

I got a pie - Haggis with a potato cheesy top.  Very tasty - really

We also learned about traybakes - 

Headed east to Stirling to see and visit the castle.  It's quite the place.  A lot of restoration has occurred and many of the buidings are as they were in the 1500's  and 1600's and 1700's and 1800's until 1964 when the last garrison of soldiers quartered there marched out.

From the top of the walls

Interiors .  Jessica, you need this table

a place for Logan and Jude to play in

Living history actors were there to interact with visitors.  They were really good - like at Williamsburg

the queens bed.  But it was only for show - she slept in a smaller room elsewhere

After two and a half hours, Dad and I were exhausted from listening to our guide who knew everything - or at least pretended to.  I admire British historians who can remember, for instance, all the kings named James, their numbers, who they married, what wars they won/lost.  I can't even remember the names of vice presidents.

We headed east again to get as close as possible to Edinburgh for our last night in the camper van.  I don't even know where we are - the nearest city that is.  It's on a farm with cows, chickens, and more cows.  Dad says it reminds him of Holland - guess there were lots of cows there.

Went to eat at a fancy (fancy for us, that is) restaurant.  We had roast beef and all the triming

On the way back to the van, we saw a tiny take out place advertising "Chinese and European Take Out."  I'll always wonder what we could have taken away from there.

Tomorrow - Edinburgh.  We'll hardly know how to act not being able to see sheep out or window.