October 6, Whisky, Loch Ness and Luss

Thursday, October 6

We are beginning today with a visit to Ben Nevis Distillery in Fort William.   Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Great Britain, at 1345 meters (just over 4400 ft),  and the distillery uses water from the nearby mountain.  It is one of the oldest whisky distilleries, though not very large.

We begin with smelling some of the ingredients, including barley and peat.  The tour goes through the processes and shows a mash tun (filled with the foaming mash) and washbacks. It is a mix of old wooden and new stainless steel equipment.  

Then you go to another building where you can see four large stills. These are two stories high!

Depending on the type of barrel the whisky is stored in and for how long, the end results vary quite a bit!

I believe what they said was that many of the barrels come from the US because distilleries here are not allowed to re-use their barrels.  They also use wine barrels.

The product is tested throughout the process.

  Then back to the main building for a tasting.  Some of the folks are knowledgeable and appreciative. I take a sip and give the rest to Greg.

From here we head farther north, once again traveling along Loch Lomond, with a stop at the quaint town of Luss.  Stone cottages and lovely flowers lead down to the lake.

Greg goes with a few of the group to an old church  with a Viking grave marker.  Unfortunately there is a funeral with lone piper going on, so they don't see the inside.  Some heavy rains arrive near the end of the visit, so we move on. 

 Back on the bus, David plays a traditional song called Loch Lomond, which you would recognize.  It is about two Scottish soldiers who went off to war and were captured.  One was executed and the other set free.  The one who was executed sings the song, saying "You take the high road and I'll take the low road, and I'll be in Scotland afore ye, but me and my true love will never meet again On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond."  Check it out on UTube!

The roads have gotten exceedingly narrow and winding in spots and we're continually amazed at Neal's ability to fit on a one-and-a-half lane road with another vehicle! I am on the right side of the bus and I swear the clearance in some situations is less than 3"!

David has called ahead and arranged a boat ride on Loch Ness, our next destination. Throughout the trip he has arranged a few little "extras" which we pay a minimum fee for.  (Had they been arranged through GoAhead tours, I'm sure the fee would be much higher!) 

One of the shops is closed with the sign below.  This is one of the few mentions of Covid and masks are few and far between.

There are a series of locks at Loch Ness and the sun makes an appearance as we explore the area and try a place called The Lock Inn for lunch.  We just order a snack which is chips (french fries) covered with a meaty gravy.  (Reminds us of Canadian Poutine). 

We meet the group when it is time for the boat tour.  There really isn't much said about "Nessie", though they do mention that the Lake is very deep, nearly 790 feet,  and parts of it have not yet been explored. It is the largest lake by volume.  The shores are mostly wooded, with many rocky outcroppings and we see a few red deer. Though all of the boat is at least covered overhead, it gets a bit chilly when the rain begins again.  Where did that sunny sky go?

A quick stop for those of us who have been looking for the Highland cows - or Hairy Coos, as they say here.  They still are a little ways away, so this is my best shot.

Quick glimpse of yet another castle,

We head south again and stop to admire the beautiful highland hills with a little better weather.

The thistle is a symbol of Scotland!

Neal makes a quick stop and after a bit of a climb, we see  a view of the Glenfinnan Viaduct which appeared in Harry Potter.  There have been many references to Harry Potter (which was mainly written in Edinburgh and has many film sites around the countryside). Downtown Abby, Game of Thrones, and numerous movies have been filmed in Scotland as well.  It's a big foggy and misty, but a pretty site nonetheless.  

Back to the Caledonian for a lovely included dinner - Greg has fish and I have chicken, plus veggies and a tasty lemon pie dessert.

 We'll be off to Glasgow tomorrow.