Which was spectacular, notwithstanding scudding clouds, strong winds and some short sharp rain showers. And now we’re in Dunoon, not far from the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
We decided to shed some equipment and send it home by post. After hauling stuff up some steep hills you begin to appreciate that there’s much you can do without. So with dawning realization that the invitation for a weekend at Balmoral would not be forthcoming, out went the taffeta ball gown, the dinner jacket, Harris tweeds, and deer stalker. We still seem to have twice as much stuff as everyone else we meet. But Margaret has a well stocked first aid kit comprehensive enough for appendectomies, C-sections etc, and I carry enough bike supplies to build another complete bike should we need one.
As well as sheep, Scotland is well supplied with rhododendrons, which grow with wild abandon wherever you look. Rhododendrons are native to the Himalayas. So, with a climate similar to Mt Everest base camp (only with more rain), it’s easy to see why Scotland is a favoured habitat.
