Scotland, Spring 2019. Day 8

Finally an improvement in the weather today.  As we had a long drive home the next day, Heather and I decided on a walk up Glen Fyne from the head of the Loch.  We donned water proofs to begin with but as the day went on the weather improved.  A splendid river runs through the glen and we enjoyed watching dippers busily feeding.  The path led past a hydroelectric power station, like the one at Cruachan, built into the mountain.  There is a lochan at the 5oom contour which presumable drives the turbine.  After passing through some gravel workings the valley became quieter and much more remote with excellent views up the glen to Beinn Bhuidhe at 948m and 216 in the munro hierarchy and the Arrochar Alps on the other.  We soon reached a point where the river narrowed and there was a fine bridge crossing it.  We started to notice people on the track crossing the river and when we reached it there was a constant stream of people.  We knew that there was a large beer festival back down at the Fyne Ales Brewery by the main road.  At first we though it was people out the stretch their legs; but this many?  We discovered that as part of the beer festival there was a walkers' bar 3 miles up the valley from the festival.  Good thinking!!!  We continued as far as Glen Fyne Lodge and then retraced our steps to the bridge before returning on the opposite side of the valley past the brewery.

After our walk we drove over and down to Lochgoilhead through some wonderful oak woods and on alongside the loch to have a look at Carrick Castle which stands impressively on the loch side.

Soon it was time to return as I needed to buy the ingredients for our final evening meal together before heading home the next day.  I prepared steak and chips with a whiskey, cream sauce followed by the piece de resistance, the scottish specialty of cranachan: layers of toasted oatmeal(I used granola), fresh raspberries and whipped double cream blended with heather honey and whiskey.