I drove up to the Trossachs from Kirkudbright on Friday to stay at the Holiday Property Bond property called Tigh Mor which, in another life was the Trossachs Hotel, situated between Brig O’Turk and Loch Katrine. As the Trossachs Hotel it fell into disrepair and HPB developed it as their first property, about 25 years ago. Foolishly I didn’t take a photo.
As an HPB property it is not open to the public; so it was a great privilege for me to stay there with John and Mary Diggle. There is a swimming pool and an evening restaurant and, a luxury for me, a laundry. I have to admit that I haven’t been to a launderette yet but that might be a comment on my cleanliness! Talking of cleanliness, I have been quite assiduous clearing and washing up after cooking to keep smells down and so that the washing up doesn’t pile up. Imagine getting into the van after a couple of hours and noticing it was very smelly. I had cooked cabbage the night before (am very fond of cabbage) and had drained the water I had cooked it in into the grey water tank. It took a couple of days to get rid of the smell. I hope I don’t make that mistake again.
Anyway back to the Trossachs. We walked up to Loch Katrine on Saturday morning, the rain held off. Loch Katrine is a reservoir, water for Glasgow.
Queen Victoria visited - they built a cottage for her to sit down. It was also made famous by Sir Walter Scot – “The Lady of the Lake”. Brig O’Turk is where Millais painted Ruskin and ran off with Effie Ruskin. It must have been extraordinary to have been there 150 years ago.
On Sunday we went to Balquhidder to Rob Roy’s Grave. But it might not be.
Anyway it was a nice spot to be buried. Or not.
There was great lichen on the gravestones,
swallows nesting in the porch of the kirk (not the ruined kirk in the photo)
and I was taken by the gravestone of David Carnegie on which someone had left an unopened bottle of Carnegie ale.
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