A short Scottish story

They say that Jupiter, the Moon and the Earth have to be aligned to be able to see something singular. Sometimes this is not enough. One case is to be able to enjoy a sunny day in Scotland. Apart from the mentioned alignment, you need an extra factor. Although I have not proven it yet, and after many years of research, I might have an interesting answer. My hypothesis suggests that to have a sunny day in Scotland, Saint Andrews and Santa Barbara have to have intercourse (obviously together) and if this is satisfactory the day might also be warn.

When that happens people dying to produce vitamin D, and if the previous night´s hangover let them do so, come out from their long-dwelt-homes during the grey months, I do not know either what I mean with this as there is not a huge difference between them and the others, to practice their favourite outdoors hobbies. The streets get so crowded that it can take you longer to arrive wherever you want. Other people would rather just lay down on the greens on their owns to relax or with their couples, children, friends,…A good option, one of the favourite ones, is to go to the banks of Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond, Loch Laomainn –who knows how it is pronounced- in Scottish Gaelic, is the biggest lake in Great Britain (39 km long x 1.8-8 km wide x 37 m deep) bearing many islands. The loch gives you the opportunity to enjoy it in many different ways and because of that many people approach there throughout the year. Any excuse is good. In fact in the old days, it looks to me that it used to be as appreciated as it is nowadays. This one is a part of The Bonnie Banks o´Loch Lomond, a traditional song published first in 1841:

O ye’ll tak’ the high road and I’ll tak’ the low road

And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye

For me and my true love will ne-er meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomon'.

Anyway, next time I go past a Santa Barbara´s image please remind me to pray at least for two hours. I will pray whatever I have to or whatever you suggest me.

Fortune, I do not know yet, because I was not able to see her but I might tell you tomorrow, whether she was wearing two beautiful white wings or on the other hand her right hand was holding a huge fork, led me to come across The West Highland Way at Rowardennan, just below Ben Lomond. As soon as the road finishes in Rowardennan a path parallel to the loch begins. To be totally honest with you, the main difference between the road and the path is that the path is not shown on GoogleMaps. My God! I am not going to speak again about this on a new post, I am telling it now The road is so nasty! All of them are nasty here.

Even if the kick off of The West Highland Way is miles away back in Milngavie, this path is the main part. It is a nice path to hike or cycle. If you are lucky enough you might meet many people: a whole Indian family, Eastern European couples (although a friend of mine carries on telling me that Eastern Europe does not start in Czech Republic, because apparently it is located in the of Europe, you might agree with me that it really does), several old couples, youngsters on a trip, young posh couple wearing moccasins or high heels and my favourite ones around here some men in their thirties, prêt-a porter-equipped to climb the Everest (Juanito Pacharan and Pasaban sin-los-dedos-de-los-pies do not carry so much material to climb the Himalaya, although maybe their sherpas do, those ones that Sebastian Alvaro pays 2$ a day and thinks is really reasonable, imagine now for him that the euro is strong against the dollar) struggling with a map and a compass. As if they were to get lost there! But you know you might like go back home all-equipped and tell your wife that you are ready to climb Annapurna next year. If he is lucky, the wife probably does not know where it is and because she knows well her husband thinks that it is a wee munro next to their summer-house.

Back to the path, it might be a doable nice trip. Following up the path northward you are able to go through The Queen Elizabeth Forest Park which is full of pines and old oaks woods, see the East bank of the Loch and the Arrochar Alps above it. It is easy to imagine Rob Roy riding fast his last purchase, brought from the Americas, an Equinus Carbonus Specialized through these Scottish places. It might not be only easy but also funny to imagine him riding and wearing the old culottes known as kilts. In fact the legend says that just off the path is Rob Roy´s prison, a large crag with a natural cell where Rob Roy is reputed to have held hostages. Forgive me please if I do not please you with pictures but I always thought that mobile phones were mobile phones and not photo camera. Besides that I could not be bothered to waste 10 pounds more.

For the moment that´s all. On the way back home you can meet again all these people having a walk, having a walk with a dog, having a walk while they eat an ice cream, selling small 2-pound-ice creams so that you do not have to work during the rest of the year, crazy ones having even a bath, driving, driving with two long canoes on the roof (not one but two! Life is not fair), camping, setting a barbecue,…

I quit, I am hungry.

P.D. One has to increase the level of bikers along this path as you might not meet anyone. Up the bikers! And if they are high class bikers like me, even upper!