UK Roadtrip - Glasgow to Nairn

26th September

Our day begun with a full homemade breakfast served in the front room of our hotel. A typical English set up with personal service, it was a lovely way to start our day!

 

After eating our fill, we packed up the car (it was a little bit of a tetris game to fit three big suitcases and three hand luggage bags into the car whilst still being able to get in and out easily!) and headed off.  First was a little taste of Glasgow, as you can't say you have been somewhere and haven't looked around!

We drove around Glasgow, getting used to the different signals and style of driving... we didn't realise what the zig-zag lines on the side of the road at random intervals meant until we had a hurried discussion with a taxi driver at the traffic lights! For reference, they mean that you can't park on the road there. 

We found The Metropolitan Cathedral of St Andrew to walk through.  Stunning stained glass windows as with pretty much every church in Europe, we drove through the Glasgow SSE Hydro and the SSE, and along the River Clyde.  We finished up with some shopping in the charity shops along Byres Street before setting off on our journey to Nairn.









We headed out along the M8 heading north, and our first stop was Bannockburn. Here we visited the Scotland National Trust exhibition of the Battle of Bannockburn.  The battle, fought on 23 Jun 1314 – 24 Jun 1314, was a significant Scottish victory in the First War of Scottish Independence, and a landmark in Scottish history. Stirling Castle, a Scots royal fortress, occupied by the English, was under siege by the Scottish army.  The English king, Edward II assembled a formidable force to relieve it. This attempt failed, and his army was defeated in a pitched battle, by a smaller army commanded by the King of Scots, Robert the Bruce. 


  




The simulation game of the Battle, it was like one big game of D n D

After walking through the exhibition and walking to the monument, we drove to Stirling Castle.  High on the hillside, we didn't walk through however still managed to get some impressive shots of the castle and of some Highland Coows!

Stirling Castle

We left Stirling and headed north again on the A873 through Thornhill to Callander on the A84.  We pulled over off the A84 next to Loch Lubnaig, because if the local Ranger is taking photos you know the sights are good. 

We continued on the A84 to the A827, to drive along the Loch Tay.  Each little town had a collection of little shops that we had to stop and have a look through, which made our progress a little slow. 




 

Loch Lubnaig

Eventually we made it to the A9, back onto a semi major road, until we veered off on the A95 to the B9007.  Mum and I were quite grateful Nan was asleep in the back by this point, as the single lane road with 'passing points' was quite narrow, windy and really quite concerning to drive on.  However the views as we drove through the heights of the Highlands were incredible.  As the sun was setting it left us with some magical sights that looked like they had come straight out of a Harry Potter film. 











We were onto the A939, a double lane road (Yay!), and into Nairn by 7.30pm.  Here we had fish and chips for dinner at the local pub, before finding our apartment on the Harbour side and crashing into bed!