Loch Lomond

Last weekend, the boy and I persuaded seven fellow ThoughtWorkers and significant-others-of-ThoughtWorkers - all from Brazil - to drive up and spend a day touring Loch Lomond, the largest lake in all of Scotland. (And second-most famous, after Loch Ness)

Our initial plan was quite ambitious; we wanted to embark on the 5-hour hike up Ben Lomond, a Munro (any Scottish mountain higher than 3,000 ft) located on the eastern shore of the Loch. But as the weekend approached, and a series of realizations like a.) Ben Lomond was probably still covered in snow in February, b.) there was a high chance it was going to precipitate on Saturday, c.) the boy and I were woefully underprepared for winter hiking conditions, and d.) some of the Brazilians had never even seen snow, much less hiked in it, made us scale back to significantly milder plans. 

We got off to an early start at the car rental area. Cars in Scotland are tiny, and ours was no exception. Cars in Scotland are also mostly manual, including ours. And to seal the deal - cars in Scotland drive on the left side of the road. There was a lot of nervous laughter and chanting of "Left! Left! Left" during the boy's first few minutes of driving, but he got the swing of it pretty quickly and hey, we all survived to tell the tale. 

Here are some pictures from our walk along the lake:

The guide at the visitor center, when asked if there were castles nearby, directed us to this 'stately mansion'

Challenge: climb that tree. 

Challenge failed. 

Challenge accepted and accomplished!

He lochs to move it move it

Big grins under a cloudy sky

Playgrounds in Scotland are very different from those in the US. We watched this adorable little girl jump in the trampoline.

The group, representing the Americas!

I loved getting out of the busy city and spending time in the great outdoors with new friends. Even though by the time we got to Loch Lomond the blue skies had turned into a grey blanket of clouds (#lifeinscotland), it was still a lovely afternoon. I'd love to return on a summer's day when I imagine the lake loch would be bustling with activities on the water.

I also really enjoyed the drive. This was my first time getting a glimpse into the beautiful Scottish countryside - lush green fields, open blue sky, winding roads, dogs off the leash, and locals with accents so thick all I could do was nod, smile, and hope I wasn't agreeing to something terrible.

This trip left me itching to return and explore more of the countryside/highlands. Ben Lomond, I'll be coming back for you in a few months' time!