Greenock and Inveraray Castle

 July 31, 2024

We got docked in Greenock this morning as we were waiting in the theater for them to lower the gangway. We were on a pier, so we just had to walk off the ship and to our waiting buses. 

Our bus and narrator took us on a beautiful drive through the mountains and the valleys on our way to Inveraray Castle. We first stopped at the village of Luss where we took a short walk to the shore of Loch Lomond. As we had been hearing all along from our other tour guides, the weather up until the day before was “winter.” They say they haven’t had spring/summer, but the days we have been out have been glorious. Today was sunny with no rain in sight. We had a great day weather-wise. We were able to get very pretty pictures of Loch Lomond and the countryside/mountains around it. Loch Lomond is the second largest Loch (lake) in Scotland with Loch Ness being the largest. They are lakes formed during the glacial age and they are all very deep. No matter the time of the year, they are very cold, even in the summer. We were there a short time, then re-boarded the bus for the next stop.

The countryside in Scotland is unrivaled anywhere I think. It is breathtaking no matter where you look. As we drove on to Castle Inveraray, we stopped at a waypoint called “Rest and Be Thankful.” It was located at a higher elevation and you could look through the valley to view a very old road called the “military” road. It was built for soldiers to traverse the area. While we were there I spotted two Westies with their owner sitting outside their little motorhome. So sweet. Same setup as mine. I talked to the owners a bit and they let me pet their sweet dogs, Isla and Cooper. I showed them a picture of my dog and the man said, “Oh, you’ve got a Scottie!” I said yes and his name is Brrrendon! I rolled the r’s to try and sound Scottish! LOL The owner let me take a pictures of them!

Our next stop was Inveraray Castle, which is the home of the Duke of Argyll. I think the guide pronounced it “air-gill.” It dates from 1770 and took 40 years to build. It was beautiful inside and out and had actually been visited by Queen Victoria. There is a lot of artwork, 18th century furnishings, china, and family artifacts. The current Duke and his family still live there, but due to the expense of keeping up the property, they have allowed visitors to come on certain days to help with the expenses. It was a truly beautiful home. Our guide said that sometimes the Duke himself works in the gift shop and he wears an apron that says “The Duke.” I thought that was amazing and I really wanted to see him, but he wasn’t in the shop today. They live in half the castle and the other half is open for tours. 

After our visit to this stunning castle, we went into the town of Inveraray and had a lunch at the Brambles bistro. This had been all pre-arranged and they were all ready for us. The service was very quick and very good. Our lunch was very interesting and tasty, although I am not a couscous lover, so I picked out the chicken and left the rest. Our dessert was Queen Victoria’s sponge cake. It is a cake made famous by the late queen and it was very good. 

We did have some time after lunch to do a little shopping, so I tried to make good use of that time. But I would have liked a lot more time. They just don’t give you enough time on these excursions.

The trip back was on a different , longer route and included a ferry ride, bus and all! We crossed the Firth of Clyde on the ferry and made our way back to port. After a quick stop at our room, we all went down to the dining room for dinner. I sprung a little extra to get the lobster. I wasn’t thrilled about the other choices, so I got the lobster. It was delicious. As usual, I couldn’t eat everything, but the food is really good. We left the dining room and had a nightcap at one of the bars, then called it a night. Today’s excursion was an all-day affair, so we were ready for a little R&R. Tomorrow is a “sea day” and we will be sailing up to Invergordon where we will see Loch Ness and Culloden Moor on Friday.

Till next time. . .

Dale