After a 05:30 alarm, I hopped out of bed and hurriedly brewed a strong cup of coffee. As I stuffed the last remaining items into my van, it was hard to believe departure day was finally here! A quick check of Google Maps revealed that the drive from Salisbury to Loch Lomond would take at least 8 hours. Full of excitement, with the engine fired up, I began heading north to the starting point.
Me, ready to set off for Scotland.
The route from Salisbury to Loch Lomond
This lengthy pre-stage journey consisted of three stints up the M42, M6 and M74. Despite being fairly run-of-the-mill until Leicester, driving through the Lake District was spectacular. After deciding against a detour to the beautiful Kendal, I pushed on passed the Low Gill Viaduct (a stunning sight from the motorway) and on to Tebay Services – a contender for the most beautiful service station in the UK!?
The View from Tebay Services
After hours of driving (12 to be exact), I finally entered Scotland – a first for me! I bypassed Glasgow and commenced my final approach. On arrival at Loch Lomond, I wasn’t really sure what to expect and didn’t know where to start. Pulling into Balloch McDonald’s car park, I checked the map and decided I wanted a west-facing shore for the evening’s sunset. With this goal in mind, I began heading along the A811, taking me closer to the eastern shore and Ben Lomond. I ducked and dived into multiple car parks, inspected viewing platforms and roamed beaches. After a couple of hours of exploring, I finally settled on my location for the evening: the beautiful Milarrochy Bay.
My view of Milarrochy Bay
After a quick 5 km run up and down the coastline to the North and South of the Bay, I jumped into the lake for a cool down and pondered dinner options.
Burgers and sausages selected, I relaxed and chatted to some fellow visitors whilst taking in the sights. All in all, Loch Lomond is definitely worth a visit. The scenery, sunset and sky were spectacular. What a fitting backdrop to start this epic adventure.
Belly full, mind recharged, I decided to start the Tour there and then. The first stage comprised of a short 3 hour drive back down towards to the Port of Stranraer (my springboard to Northern Ireland). As dusk turned to night, with my van rumbling through those first few miles, it was time to check the GPS tracker. The letter S had begun.
T O P | B R E X I T
Magnificent craziness! (And nice pics.)
I wish you good luck – take care.