Greenock – in search of the Loch Ness monster, but alas we were at Loch Lomond

A second visit to Greenock was for us…. Overcast and cold… but that is the charm of Scotland, well maybe not for the people who live there.

This gentleman has been playing the bagpipes at some of our arrivals and departures from port.

Hello Greenock

The New Cruise Terminal

Walking off the ship humming the tune of Mull of Kintyre in my head, I was drowned out by the real thing, a lone piper welcoming us to this bonny port of call.

Finding our driver, we were soon winding our way through the Scottish rolling hills heading towards Inveraray.

Incorporating a comfort stop with a scenic view of the lovely Loch Lomond, we stopped on the outskirts of Tarbet. There stood the majestic Tarbet Hotel, where many of the tourist buses were stopping to deliver their guests to the Scenic Ferries that cruise up and down the loch.

We drove further up into the mountains to the famous “Rest and be Thankful” lookout. A stunning mountain pass viewpoint that divides Glen Kinglas from Glen Croe. Named appropriately, as it was once a place where people traveling the country would stop, rest, and be thankful that they had reached the top of their climb.

The upper road you can see is the new A road... the lower is the old Military route.

Eventually reaching Inveraray, we spent some time wandering the main street visiting the many beautiful white-washed buildings and the shops they accommodated. 

Waterfront

there is a pride to everyones backyard here

 Of course, we enjoyed the obligatory sausage roll and cream tea for lunch.

Home of the Chief of Clan Campbell, Inveraray Castle is a classic example of a stunning and impressive stately home in Scotland. Beautifully maintained by the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, it is one of the most popular castles to visit. 

One of its claims to fame was that the castle was used as the location for the mythical “Duneagle Castle” in the Downton Abbey Christmas 2012 episode.

Our final stop was the lovely little village of Luss, regarded as one the prettiest Scottish villages that sits on the banks of Loch Lomond. Luss is famous for its quaint slate cottages and beautiful hanging flower baskets.

After our full day of sightseeing, we caught up with wonderful friends that we had made on previous cruises. And what is even more wonderful now is that these two groups of friends have established a friendship and now keep in contact with each other….. 

We continued our party on the back of deck 11 after we staggered back onto the ship.  Waving enthusiastically to our Scottish friends shoreside, we continued with our celebrations into the night… all I can say is “What happens on the ship, stays on the ship”

our friends had a drone!

Belfast - sure to be sure

We are really liking all these new ports and the United Kingdom is definitely well-represented on this world cruise...

Heading down the Channel towards our Dock

Once on land, our tour whisked us out into the countryside to visit one of Belfast's greatest highlights “The Giants Causeway”.  Here is where myth meets science, and it is up to you to decide which you prefer to believe.

The following information is from the Giants Causeway Tour Website

The Myth

As legend has it, Northern Ireland was once home to a giant named Finn McCool (also called Fionn Mac Cumhaill). When another giant – Benandonner, across the Irish Sea in Scotland – threatened Ireland, Finn retaliated by tearing up great chunks of the Antrim coastline and hurling them into the sea. The newly-created path – the Giant’s Causeway – paved a route over the sea for Finn to reach Benandonner.

However, this turns out to be a bad idea as Benandonner is a massive giant, much bigger than Finn! In order to save himself, Finn retreats to Ireland and is disguised as a baby by his quick-thinking wife. When Benandonner arrives, he sees Finn disguised as a baby and realizes that if a mere baby is that big, the father must be far larger than Benandonner himself!

Following this realization, Benandonner rushes back to Scotland, tearing away as much of the Causeway as he can in his haste to put as much distance between Ireland and himself as possible. And thus, the myth of the Giant’s Causeway was born.

The Scientific Explanation

Perhaps a less interesting explanation, the scientific approach dictates that the Giant’s Causeway was first formed over 60 million years ago. The science says that the Causeway was created following a period of volcanic activity, where the lava cooled and formed these incredible interlocking basalt columns. Each column is near-perfectly hexagonal in shape; a lasting reminder of the power of the world’s natural beauty.

No matter which you choose, it does not take away from the beauty of this phenomenon.  A very popular tourist attraction with so many visiting scampering over the rocks.  But watch your step as you need to plan your route so you don’t run out of stepping stones.

Entrance to the Giants Causeway

amazing formations

I climbed up high .... bit of a challenge working out how to get back down

Driving around the coast we had amazing views of the coastline, with another quick stop in the picturesque Ballintoy Harbour.  Of course, its biggest claim to fame was that it was yet another famous filming location for Game of Thrones…. Actually, our driver was the private driver to none other than Jon Snow when he was in town for filming… Yes, we saw the pictures. 

Ballingtoy Harbour

Morning Tea

Our next stop was the Carrick a Rede rope bridge, which links the mainland to the island of Carraig-a-Rade, which means “The Rock in the Road” an obstacle for the migrating salmon as they searched for the river where they were born.

The history of the rope bridge dates back to 1755 when it was first erected by the salmon fishermen... Since then it has taken many forms…  today it is a much sturdier but still swaying bridge that you can cross.

We stopped a the Carrick-A-Rede Bar in Ballintoy for a typical Irish lunch.  Remembering yesterdays large meal, we decided to share… big mistakes because those pork and leek sausages were yummy and the traditional Irish Champ (mashed potato) was to die for….

We stopped for some magnificent views of the remains of Dunluce Castle, perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

 And a quick stop was made at the Bushmans Distillery where the boys enjoyed a small tasting of whiskey.

Maybe we had one too many quick stops or maybe there was just too much to see, as it resulted in us having a quick drive-by of the highlights of Belfast.  Thwarted by drizzling rain and the lack of visibility out of the windows, it was not even worth getting the camera out to try and take any type of photo.  Oh well, I guess it justifies another visit in the future….