Balloch/Loch Lomond – Updated

Rain gone, sun out. Hair cut.  Time to wander.

The River Leven runs out of the Loch to the Clyde.  There is a nice walk along it’s banks to Loch Lomand.With a length of 24 miles and a width of 5, it has the largest surface area of any body of water in Britain. It has a maximum depth of 620 feet and, after Loch Ness, has the second most volume of water.  I sits on the Highland Boundary Fault, the divide between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland.  It also is home to the largest freshwater island in Britain, Inchmurrin.

Also on the Loch is the Maid of the Loch.  Built in 1816 it is the last paddle steamer built in the UK.

Whilst it no longer is in operation, one can visit it.

As  I continued my wander I came across the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Center.  Here are a few of the residents.

This owl is sitting on unfertilized eggs.  If they are removed she would produce new ones adding great stress.  Eventually she will abandon them.

There were many more but you get the idea.

These birds are almost always tethered since fledge.  Apparently this does them no harm because they only fly to hunt.  Since they are fed regularly, they have no need to fly.  The raptors do get to fly free occasionally as they have been trained to return.

There is also a large Sea Life aquarium.  Since it was filled with kids whose parents were on bank holiday, and the fact I’ve been to the Boston Aquarium a few times, I saw no need to visit.  There is also a shopping mall with Jenners etc.

I took an hour’s boat trip on the loch in the afternoon.

It was a nice day for a boat ride.  Especially with no luggage to haul!

Balloch Castle

Inchmurrin Island

I’ve been on a lot of big boats but as we were returning to the dock I felt something different.  Or rather smelt.  No salt sea smell!

And finally, after a week in Scotland, Haggis, neeps & taties

Good, but I doubt it was MacSweens’.

 

Since sleep had been hard to find the night before what with the late bar and subsequent outdoor ruckus, I  stayed in my room not tempting fate again in the pub watching some British TV. I just love the ads and the reduced censorship compared to US TV.