Day 1 Afternoon "Always Argyll"

Leaving Loch Lomond, it becomes obvious that autumn in Scotland is far different to Australia.
We have trees whose leaves change colour, but not masses of them and nothing like the variety of rich colours.
The weather closed in again and visibility was only a couple of hundred metres and very grey.

A pause at Arrochar at the top of Loch Long for coffee.

My intention had been to stop at "Rest and Be Thankful".
I'm still not sure why but its' poetic name had somehow made it significant.
I must have missed it!
The first of the "legendary" landmarks that I passed - a practice I was to become proficient at.

The drive down the sea loch of Loch Fyne was a completely unexpected delight.
From 12,000 miles away I'd looked at a map and determined to go straight from Loch Lomomd to Tarbert. I knew Inverary Castle was on the way but had decided to ignore it.

I found I couldn't ignore Inverary!

Coming around a bend I'm confronted with a set
of traffic lights in the middle of nowhere, guarding
a quaint single lane stone bridge.
I had to stop at the red light.
At a standstill my eyes drift to the left and there is Inverary township, bright white in the grey gloom.

Every building is white-washed.
The setting, even on a gloomy day, is picturesque.

I had to stop and take a stroll.

First day and Scotland and I can hear bagpipes!
I try to find where they are coming from but the piper seems to play a short piece then stop.

It turns out he pipes the tourists out of their bus at the Inverary Woollen Mills.


Just as every Australian town has a War Memorial to its fallen in World War 1, so does Inverary.
The difference is that their's wears a balmoral instead of a slouch hat, and a kilt.
Few in Australia are in such a setting :

The remainder of the day is the drive through several more white-washed towns and villages to Tarbert to find the Glenorchy B&B.

Thrilled but exhausted after 40 hours of travel, sleep is not a problem.