Big Waters & Big Scenery

 It was time to get away from work for a wee while & also the house as we have been living in an upside down state for a few months with renovations & upgrades happening so time away was desperately needed.

We decided to head back north to Scotland to visit family & friends we hadn't seen in almost a year and just chill out. 

Chilling out for me these days is either two things...Fly rod in hand or camera in hand and sometimes its both.

Unfortunately on this occasion the fly rod had to stay at home after the 2 week long period of heavy rain in Scotland, meant that the rivers were unfishable BUT they made good for photography.

I returned to the the UNESCO world heritage site of New Lanark which is on my doorstep when I return home & the last time I visited I was 15 years old so a lot had happened in the 40 years of my absence & I was very pleasantly surprised at how well the full site & nature trails are cared for.

                An angry river at the falls of Clyde

And a time delay made things a bit smoother but non less dramatic

A house with a view for sure..

A couple of days later I ventured a few miles north to the banks of Loch Lomond and decided to get the boots on and climb to the top of Beinn Dubh (2106ft) & complete the horseshoe  around Glen Striddle onto Mid Hill (2043ft) before descending steeply back down into Glen Luss & the walk back out to Luss itself.

The view looking back over Loch Lomond from the halfway point.

Just after summiting Beinn Dubh I came across this composition crying out to be photographed, Gateway to the Highlands, I call it.

Looking across the top of Glen Douglas to Ben Lomond on the other side of the Loch.

Now thats a view over Glen Douglas & across out to the Arrochar Alps.

Across & onto the slopes of Beinn Eich

And the view from the top of Glen Striddle back down over Loch Lomond.

After descending back down to where the car was parked a short drive down the side of the Loch for a backwards shot of where I had just come from.

Beinn Dubh on the left with Ben Lomond in the centre. A great day's walking in peace & tranquillity with some stunning scenery.