SCOTLAND IN SEPTEMBER: Glasgow to Stirling to Crianlarich

Scotland in September is cold, dreary, wet--and fabulous! Ron and I crossed the Atlantic with friends Larry and Joyce Horne, and spent 10 days seeing much of what Scotland had to offer. Flying there tried our patience; flying home did the same. But we didn't crash, and the trip was definitely worth the inconvenience and discomfort. We flew into Glasgow, picked up our rental car, and headed toward Stirling.

We toured numerous castles, spent most nights in B&Bs, two nights in castles. I snapped so many pictures that my beloved Kodak often refused to turn off. Guess it figured I'd just turn it back on again. Larry, who doesn't mind driving on the left side of the road, is a camera nut, too, so when any of us hollered "Picture!" he pulled off the road when possible.We hollered "Picture!" a lot.

I took the above photo through the side window of our moving car. The countryside is littered with huge rocks, so stone houses like this one are common. Storm clouds like those in the picture are common, too!

Larry, Joyce and Ron in front of the Filling Station 
Restaurant in Stirling. I'm taking the picture.

Lunch at the Filling Station was excellent, as were most of the meals we had in Scotland. The soups were outstanding; I ordered soup often.

A distant view of Stirling Castle. Click on picture to enlarge.

Stirling Castle, a home for Scottish kings and queens in the 12th century, was also one of the most besieged castles in Scotland, and in the 17th century was adapted to become a garrisoned fortress.
 

Below is a statue of Robert the Bruce, one of my ancestors. That's me in the purple raincoat pointing to the statue. When I was five years old, Grandmother told me we were related to Robert the Bruce. Even though I had no clue who he was, I was impressed. After all, he was family.

I took the below photo through a window at Stirling Castle. Don't know why, but I like taking pictures through windows.

From Stirling we headed toward Crianlarich, where we spent the night at Ewich House, a converted farmhouse dating from 1811, and located not too far from Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. The bedrooms were small, but clean and comfortable with a private bath. Hosts Ian and Deb were friendly and jolly, as were most of the Scots we met.

Ewich House

Strathfillan, Crianlarich, Perthshire, FK20 8RU

Phone: 01838 300300     www.ewich.co.uk

Ian and Deb served a delicious and hearty Scottish breakfast, as did most of the places we stayed.

A typical breakfast consisted of eggs, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes and bacon. This one at Ewich House also offered beans and a type of toast. A few establishments also served kippers (fried salt fish).

If you're interested in contacting Ewich House, you'll need to get the telephone code to dial from the U.S. And if you go, be sure to take a raincoat and an umbrella. And lots of money!