Adventures in Alba, Part the Third
Yesterday (Saturday) we decided to take a day off from exploring and sightseeing. Since xebgoc's SD card died we first went to a photo shop to see what could be done to rescue the pictures she' taken the day before in Edinburgh. She tried quite a few things but it turns out nothing worked, so unfortunately she'll be on tenterhooks until she goes back home to have it examined properly. So we basically just had a look around Stirling, got some maps of the area and after running some errands decided to watch "How to Tame Your Dargon". I must say I'm positively surprised at how well 3D films work, and I really liked the film even though it was completely different from the book (which I know the first half of). John Powell's soundtrack is great and I'll ge that once I'm home. The evening we spent watching the New New New Doctor in "The Elventh Hour". I think it was a clever episode with a great introduction of Eleven and Amy Pond -- great for newbies. I'm very much looking forward to the next twelve weeks to see how the new team work -- and of course because there's Weeping Angels, Professor River Song and Bill Nighy.
Today was a great day. It started out quite promising, wheather-wise, so we made our way up to the castle. I had no idea how beautiful it was. The Palace and the Great Hall in particular are stunning, and they're even more impressive when you visit the exhibition that documents the Great Hall's restoration to its former Renaissance glory. The damage that has been done to it since the 1800s is unbelievable, and seeing modern-day craftsmen struggle with the challenge of building a hammerbeam roof like that (and weaving the glorious tapestries for the Chapel Royal) leaves you in awe of their predeccesors. From the castle one commands a stunning view of the surrounding area, including, of course, the Wallace Monument that we wanted to visit after a light lunch.
So back to the flat we went to take Donna out for a spin. On our way there it started to rain and we sought refuge in a coffee shop and warmed ourselves with wicked caramel latte and cappuccino. When it rains the temprature drops drastically so we really needed something warm. Once we left the shop the sun had come out again and we decided to follow through with our initial plan. Once at the Wallace Monument, however, a light rain picked up again, so it really wasn't worth paying the admission fee and we continued on our way to the Trossachs Trail. I quickly got the knack of driving on the wrong side of the road and we soon found ourselves on quiet, hedge-lined country lanes, zooming through the scenery (at sometimes breakneck speed, once I got confident enough).
The great thing about having a car is that you can just stop wherever you find something interesting, and that's what we did and followed a sign to Inchmahome Priory. The ruins are on an island in a loch which can only be reached by boat. It's a blissfully peaceful island ina quite dramatic setting. After our initial exploration of the ruins the sun came out and I went back to take some more photos -- you can see for yourself how drastic the change is. The light was gorgeous and it was all I could do to stop myself.
Once back on the road we climbed Duke's Pass to get to Loch Katrine. We arrived there shortly after five, thus beating the (Easter) Sunday afternoon crowds. We walked along the shoreline of the loch, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine, bouncing ideas off of each other and taking pictures of the Doctores going rock-climbing.
I really enjoyed driving, not only because the roads are great and the scenery is fantastic, even in between winter and spring, but also because of the fabulous company xebgoc keeps me. She's someone with whom silence is enjoyable, and it was reassuring to have her sit next to me, singing softly along to The Proclaimers she'd brough on her iPod (not only can we rely on a SatNav, but the stereo has an auxiliary input to which we hooked up our iPods). Once back at the flat we went out for a meal, neither of us in the mood for cooking.
Tomorrow we've planned to go to St Andrews and visit Castle Campbell and Linlithgow Castle on the way.
Click here for a slideshow of the pictures I've taken so far.