Best of 2006

Second installment: all the fun we had around Scotland in 2006 ....

View from the Whangie towards Loch Lomond (picture 1)

and the Kilpatrick Hills (picture 2) - January 2006

The pictures were taken on our first visit to the Whangie, a nice little walk north of Glasgow that I should blog about actually... It was a very cold day, the paths were frozen but the light was beautiful.

Glasgow University from Kelvingrove Park - March 06

It does snow quite often in Glasgow in the winter but it's never very heavy, never lasts and the stuff normally melts away as soon as it hits the (usually wet) ground. This Sunday in March was the only time since we have been there that it snowed enough for it to stick. It actually snowed heavily overnight and loads of people coming out of pubs and clubs in the middle of the night were stranded in town. Cue loads of very funny pictures in the morning papers of Scottish lassies wearing very inappropriate footwear and freezing their butt off ! Kids were making snowmen and sledging in Kelvingrove Park and I even saw some people skiing! A great day.

Daffodils in Kelvingrove Park under the snow and the river Kelvin - March 06

Loch Ard in the Trossachs - March 06

Isle of Arran - Easter 06

We spent the whole Easter weekend in Arran with some very good friends. We spent loads of time eating and drinking, one of the food highlights being sampling the local cheese at the cheese shop near Brodick. People say Arran is a little bit like Scotland in miniature, you can judge for yourself with the following pictures!

By the way, the isle of Arran should not be confused with the islands of Aran in Ireland. That's where the knitted jumpers come from - not Arran.

Waterfalls walk above Lamlash - Arran is great for walking and we made the most of all it that weekend! It is during this precise walk that my friend Chris taught me how to use a compass and read an OS map (never too late!). The picture on the left shows a view of Holy Island.

Evening walk near Blackwaterfoot in the South West of the island which offered superb views over the Mull of Kintyre (not pictured here though!)

Standing stones still in Arran

Glen Coe - July 06

Needs no introduction, and Wikipedia will tell you everything there is to know!

Loch Awe and Kilchurn Castle (Argyll) - July 06

One of the most photographed castles in Scotland apparently. We were on our way to Oban, it was very early in the morning and the loch was eerily quiet ...

Oban (Argyll) - July 06

We spent Glasgow Fair in Oban and what a great weekend it was!

Seals, near Oban - July 06

Whilst in Oban, we went on a small boat trip and got to see loads of seals, cormorans and shags. There was a very loud American couple on board and unfortunately, the lady appears on most of my pictures ...

Culross, Fife - August 06

Another pretty village, looking over the Forth and the petrochemical plants of Grangemouth. Not the nicest setting on paper, but it makes you feel as if you've stepped back in time to the 16th century. Well worth a visit if you ever find yourself in the area!

The coast in St Andrews - August 06

Saint Andrews, home to Scotland's first university and THE place to play golf! There's a lot to see around the city: castle, cathedral and all the university buildings; but on this fine summer day, all we were interested in was a dip in the water. Needless to say that even in the height of the summer, it was freezing !

We came back here to celebrate Hogmanay and had a great time! Although on New Year's Day, the city felt like a ghost town. I guess a side effect of partying until the early hours ...

World Pipe Band Championship - Glasgow - August 06

The World Pipe Band Championship takes place every August around Glasgow. During the fortnight preceding the big competition, it's pretty commom to walk round the city and find bands practicing in the most random places. Your normally hear them before you see them though! Various events are organised during that fortnight: Scottish drummers, Highland dances and of course pipe bands demonstrations, and people come from all over the world to compete or watch the big tartan-fest. Great fun especially if you like Celtic music!

Mushrooms - October 06

I used to go foraging for mushrooms with my grand dad in the Cevennes forests - ceps rule in my family! I figured I should be able to find some in the Scottish woods, but have not been successful so far, not that I have tried very hard I have to admit! This is the results of our first (and last!) foraging expedition. Just a bunch of poisonous specimens. My Papi was not impressed.

Another visit to Inchmahome Priory - October 06

Here, views of Lake Menteith and Port of Menteith

The bonnie banks of Loch Lomond - October 2006