15 February - Glengoyne Distillery & Loch Lomond

Sunday morning saw us on the road with three tasks - find a geocache and visit Glengoyne, a distillery near Glasgow, and see some of the country north and east of Glasgow.
The first task proved to be difficult. The location of the cache required us to travel on private property, something that is usually avoided when placing a cache. We travelled back and forth on the road adjacent to the cache, trying to find a route to the cache that would not involve trespassing. Jeff finally inquired at a property that was close to the final destination and was told that we could follow a particular trail but it did involve walking on private property.
We headed out, felling uneasy about meeting a property owner armed with a shotgun. That unease finally got the best of us and we headed back to the car.
On the return trip Alexander spotted an unusual pine tree that started out very wide at the base and tapered very abruptly. Being the affectionate boy that he is, he just had to give that tree a hug!!



Our second task was easier as we found Glengoyne Distillery. We were a wee bit early so we wander up past the distillery buildings to view the source of their water, a very important part of making scotch. Their source is a spring in a volcanic vent called Dumgoyne, found on the Campsie Fells.


Our tour began in the Visitor's centre with a wee dram to set us up. I was too slow to catch Louise's full reaction to a small amount of single malt scotch touching her lip. The only words I can use to describe her look seconds before the photo was taken are that she seemed to have tasted the most vile liquid she has ever put to her lips. No amount of coaxing would get her to try another sip for the camera. Alexander found it rather amusing, but Jeff seemed rather hurt that his wife could not join him in his enjoyment of scotch. For my part, I was selfish, Jeff and I shared her dram.
For reasons, not fully explained, we were not allowed to take photos inside the distillery; although I did sneak one photo on a bathroom break. I must point out that I am not in the habit of entering a public washroom (or private ones for that matter) with a loaded camera; but this one shot I had to take. The inscription on the blue-enameled water tank proudly reads "CRAPPER'S VALVELESS WASTE PREVENTER No. 814"

At a later time we visited another distillery that did allow photos and a discussion of the process for both distilleries can be found in that post.

One interesting fact was pointed out by our tour guide. The English, for what ever reason, decided to tax scotch aged and bottled in the Highlands at a different rate that that in the Lowlands. At the time of that decision English cartographers were reluctant to venture very far into a hostile Scotland. They set an arbitaruy line demacrcating the division between the Highlands and Lowlands. This line was the road that separted the Glengoyne Distillery's still's to the north of the road from their warehouses to the south. So Glengoyne has the distintion of distilling their scotch in the Highlands and aging it in the lowlands, even though the true Highlands are many miles north of Glengoyne.


There he goes again; this time it his mom. With Alexander if you stand still long enough you are liable to be hugged; although that does not hold true for unrelated girls his age or "slightly older."




The country park at Balloch, at the southern end of Loch Lomand, has a visitor centre in Balloch Castle. This is a modern version, built in 1808. The original castle was built in 1238 by the Earls of Lennox (before they built a more secure stronghold on Inchmurrin Island on the loch.) There is now only a mound and a depression which used to form the moat surviving from the original castle.
The country park itself is 200 acres of woodland, parkland and ornamental gardens with pathways which go down to the shores of Loch Lomand. The visitor centre has a small exhibtion on the plants and animals which can be seen in the area.


Our next stop along the shores of Loch Lomand was the small, picturesque village of Luss, on the eastern shore of the loch. A nice shingle beach to walk along, a warm snug cottage - I could happily spend a few days there enjoying the solitude of the winter season. I am sure it is much busier in the summer.



From Loch Lomand we ventured cross country to follow Long Loch to the coast. It wasn't until we came upon this naval supply ship that I realized that Long Loch was actually a fjord. A bit farther along we found the supply depot with a large tank farm on the slopes above.
From there we made our way back to Glasgow for a dinner and a good night's sleep. As the photo below shows, Louise does definitely steal the covers at night. Poor Jeff.