I have driven through Dumbartonshire on a few occasions and passed through on a train on one vehicle collection. My first time was on a trip with my daughter when researching universities for her. She had picked out Lancaster, Stirling and Exeter as her favoured options so she arranged visits to each over a 10 day period. Day 2 was Lancaster, day 5 was Stirling and day 9 was Exeter. So on day 1 I drove her up to Lancaster where we stayed the first night. On to the Uni tour and then up to Windermere where we stayed in Bowness on night 2.
We had 2 days to kill before Stirling so we elected to do some sightseeing and headed for Oban. Night three was spent at a delightful B&B in Alexandria at the southern end of Loch Lomond in Dumbartonshire.
- BFTW
Day 4 saw us on the move up to Oban
- BFTW
and then after lunch we headed across towards Stirling. We found a roadside hotel that night about 25 miles short of Stirling and had a jolly night in the bar with some locals.
Day 5 was on to Stirling for the exceedingly long talk and tour which had us there until 2pm
That put pay to our initial plan to call in to see my sister's training college at Alnwick castle on our way south, so instead we headed straight down to the Yorkshire Dales where we stayed in a very classical hotel on the road west out of Hawes. A converted mansion we have never forgotten the huge open staircase which led up to a gallery around the top of the main reception and bar area. A tremendous feeling of power over all you surveyed as you took the first step down from the gallery!
Day 6 was a pleasant drive down through the peak district to Bath where we stayed for two nights while I took her round Bath Uni in my failed attempt to pursuade her to add it to her list. Day 8 and we headed down to Exeter stopping overnight in the student accomodation before the tour. It was love at first sight for her and I knew straight away that the only benefit from our tour of Scotland would be our memories and the few photos which she had taken.
So it came to pass that in September I drove her down to Exeter to begin her Uni education and she has never lived in Watford since that day!! But that's another story for another day.
