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Outlander meets Monty Python in showdoune!

27/8/2017

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Visit to Doune Castle - 26 Aug 2017



​Another lovely day at ​Appletree Cottage.
Appletree Cottage luxury self catering
Appletree Luxury Self Catering Cottage
We decide to head off to vistit DOUNE CASTLE about half an hour’s drive away.  A favourite stop on the filming locations trail for the hit TV series Outlander the castle was also the set for many scenes of the 1974 hit film Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Leaving Appletree Cottage we head west along the A811 stopping briefly at east end of the village of Bucklyvie for some excellent refreshment at the newly opened roadside café.
​
Flanders Rest Bucklyvie
Flanders Rest Cafe, Bucklyvie

​From Bucklyvie we continue along the A811.  We see Gargunnock village some distance away on the hill to the right.  Then we turn left by Gargunnock Sawmill  (B8075 signposted Doune)
We continue along this road for a mile or so and turn left at the end onto the A84. 

Just after turning left there is a great new Farm Shop by the roadside which is worth a visit.  

We continue along the last couple of miles and cross the bridge over the Teith River into Doune village following the signs to Doune Castle
Doune Village
Mercat Cross and Doune village Main Street
To get to the castle we drove through the village and turned right (signposted Doune Castle) at the end of the main street.

We made our way along the single track road and soon the castle came into sight.  It was a Saturday and parking was tight but we managed to find a space in the small carpark.
 
The exterior of the castle was clearly recognisable both as the factional Leoch Castle, the seat of the McKenzie clan in the Outlander TV series and multiple locations from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
​
Outlander filming location
Exterior Doune Castle

​We entered through the huge open oak doors and bought our tickets.  (£6 for Adults and £3.50 for children at time of writing.
 
Free with each ticket is a headset guide to the castle narrated mostly by Python Terry Jones with a couple of notes form Sam Heughan who plays Jamie Fraser in Outlander.
Terry Jones’ notes are particularly interesting.

A brief history...

Doune Castle is situated on high ground and defended by rivers on two sides where the Ardoch Burn meets the River Teith.  It is thought that the Castle was built in the thirteenth century on a site previously occupied by some other fortification.  Following damage in the Wars of Independence the castle was rebuilt by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany sometime in the late 14th century.  Albany who was Regent of Scotland (1388 - 1420) and was the son of Robert the Second of Scotland.had great plans for the enhancement of the castle but did not survive to see them through.
​Occupying one of the main routes to the highlands the castle was of strategic importance.

There is a good story of how, after the Battle of Falkirk in 1746 (part of the Jacobite uprising) the Jacobites took several prisoners back to Doune Castle and incarcerated them in the upper storey of the Castle's kitchen block.   Among the prisoners was a minister calledJohn Witherspoon and being a young (23) and enterprising chap tore up some material and knotted it together to use as a rope and escape to the ground.    Shortly after this Witherspoon emigrated to the America and became the only clergy member to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Inside Doune Castle

Monty Python and Outlander setting
Castle courtyard and well
Monty Python Setting
Wall of the courtyard over which livestock was hurled at holy grail seekers.
Monty Python Holy Grail setting
Courtyard from the top of the steps leading to the kitchen
After passing through the entrance tunnel we were in the courtyard withi its well in the centre.  The courtyard was used as the interior of Swamp Castle for the wedding massacre scene (the exterior was Bodiam Castle in East Sussex)   The large wall of the courtyard (the one without any windows) was used as Guy de Loimbard’s Castle from which livestock was catapulted onto the unsuspecting seekers of the Holy Grail.
​

​A flight of steps from the courtyard leads up to the Kitchens, Servery and the Great Hall.
The kitchen has a hugely impressive seventeen foot wide fireplace – large enough to roast an entire ox.  Serving hatches allowed food to be passed to servants who would distribute it to those feasting in the main hall.
In The Holy Grail the kitchens were used as Castle Anthax where Sir Gallahad is unwillingly rescued from Zoot and her girlfriends.  The Great Hall was the location of the Knights of the round table song and dance routine.
Doune Castle Kitchen
The Castle Kitchen served as Castle Anthrax in Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Outlander setting - Doune Castle Servery
The Servery - seen frequently in Outlander
Doune Castle Great Hall
The Great Hall is large and impressive
Doune Castle is a fantastic castle to explore.  A medieval labyrinth. There are lots of narrow passages, stairways where you least expect them, many bedrooms, halls, cellars, minstrels galleries, nooks and crannies.  

​Most of the castle is open to the public so you are free to roam as you wish.  The height of the doorways serve as a reminder as to how much smaller the human form was four hundred years ago! 
Monty Python at Doune Castle
The Duchess Hall was once Swamp Castle.. "One day lad, all this will be yours...."
Upstairs in the Duchess' hall is the setting for a famous scene from Swamp Castle in the Holy Grail -  "One day lad, all this will be yours....!"
Outlander characters?
Two escapees from Outlander?
A gift shop in one of the cellars of the castle sells both OUTLANDER and MONTY PYTHON souvenirs including Outlander Tartan Shawls, Outlander Cookbook and half coconut shells for the Python fans!
Doune Castle on the River Teith
Doune Castle from the bridge over the River Teith
Doune Castle
Doune Castle and the River Teith showing the curtain wall and the living quarters.
As well as Outlander and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Doune Castle has been used by other productions as a filming location including Game of Thrones (Winterfell) and 
Ivanhoe (BBC) as well as featuring in Sir Walter Scott's novel Waverley (1814)
​ 
After two very satisfying hours we returned our guide headsets and left through the entrance through which a Trojan Rabbit was once dragged!

Conclusion:  A great family day out and well worth the money.   
Route from Appletree Cottage to Doune Castle
Route from Appletree Cottage (A) to Doune Castle (B)
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August 22nd, 2017

22/8/2017

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Another fine day at Appletree Cottage and today we explore the peninsula immediately north of Sallochy Bay on the east side of Loch Lomond (about 15 minutes drive away)
 
Sallochy Bay is a beach with a Forestry Commission run campsite beside it.  It is clean, the water clear and the beach fine white pebbles where it cost us £3 to park the car for the day.
Sallochy Bay on a day out from Appletree Cottage
Sallochy Bay with the campsite in the trees

Setting out across the bridge

Bridge across the burn at Sallochy
Bridge across the burn at Sallochy
 
Leaving the car we headed north across the sturdy wooden pedestrian bridge which crosses the burn at the north end of Salloch car park and forms part of the West Highland Way

​(The West Highland Way is a hugely popular hiking track running over 100 miles from Milngavie in the north of Glasgow to Fort William on the west coast)
 
​The path, which runs along the loch side is well made and easy.  We pass a series of pretty little bays as we walk along the tree lined shore, taking in the majestic oaks of the woodland.
It is very peaceful apart from the occasional footfall of West Highland Way walkers.
 
Rowan trees are in full fruit, their bright red berries hanging in clusters from the tips of branches.  The berries although poisonous to eat are used for making Rowan Jelly and just as importantly Rowanberry Wine.
Path along the shore of Loch Lomond
Path along the shore of Loch Lomond
Rowan Tree with berries
Rowan Berries
Blaeberry plant
Blueberries are sometimes hard to spot on the plant
Blueberries
Blaeberries
Bracket or shelf fungus
Bracket or Shelf fungus
Fork in the road...
​Also out at this time of year are the blaeberries (or wild blueberries) which grow in abundance by the side of the path.  Our fingers are soon a deep red colour from the juice as we pick them.
 
The heathers are also in full bloom in shades of purple.
 
After a while the path splits.  The West Highland Way route is to the right, up a series of steps climbing the hill.  We opt to continue straight ahead on the level.
Picture
West Highland Way
West Highland Way to the right, we took the path to the left.
Picture
​Soon our path too begins to rise, over a hill and then fall again back town towards the water.  The air is still, the water like glass and there is not a sound. 
 
We take a little track from the main path and descend to one of the many little beaches. 
After watching the ducks – in particular one very tame one, we continue our way along the shore for some time. 
 
The tree roots by the shore, where the water has eroded the soil are fascinating contorted shapes.
Day out from Appletree Cottage
Friendly duck!
Tree roots on the shore of Loch Lomond
Tree roots on the shore of Loch Lomond
 There is also a good selection of attractive flora still out at this time of year

Picture
Picture
Yellow Loosestrife
Yellow Loosestrife
​We continue along the shoreline, climbing over fallen branches, ducking under low boughs until eventually we reach a little rocky promontory.   Bog Myrtle abounds – a shrub like green plant with a fantastic smell if you rub the leaves – fragrant with a hint of eucalyptus.
Loch Lomond day out from Appletree Cottage
Rocky island end to our walk along the shore
Bog Myrtle on Loch Lomond
Beautifully fragrant Bog Myrtle
, 
Unable to follow the shore any further round we head inland following another very rough path through high bracken and heather.  The path leads us quite a distance inland and up hill to the centre of a coppice and then disappears.  We are now lost, without a path to follow. 

 As it is near the end of a damp August, come across a few interesting fungi..

Picture
Do not eat!
Fly Agaric
Fly Agaric
Picture
Unknown
Picture
Young bracket fungus
​Spotting the sun and keeping the hills to the east in view we make a direct line, or as direct as we can, through quite rough undergrowth and young birch trees until we eventually (and happily) join the West Highland Way again.
 
We’ve rejoined the West Highland Way at the top of a hill and follow the path downwards until we reach the flight of steps we saw earlier in our walk.  We descend to the shore line and once again follow the path, this time back to the car park.
 
This walk would have been a lot easier if we’d stuck to the paths!
Picture
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Excellent walk to Loch Sloy Dam – 25 July 2017

20/8/2017

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​A lovely day with a little bit of a breeze and occasional cloud.  Perfect for walking.
 
The plan was to walk from Arrochar at the head of Loch Long and follow the northern end of the Cowal Way up to Loch Sloy
 
Leaving Appletree Cottage we drove to Balloch and then up the western shore of Loch Lomond.   At Tarbert, about half way up Loch Lomond we continued straight on towards Arrochar and Invararay.
 
Arrochar was only a couple of miles further on and we drove through the village and parked in the car park immediately before the bridge at the head of the loch.
 
There was a sign saying there was a charge of £1 per day for parking at the time of our visit  (although the machines were still being installed and were wrapped in plastic bags - hooray!)
Part of the Cowal Way near Arrochar
The path not far from Arrochar

Walking out from Arrochar

​From the car park we crossed the main road and followed a narrow road up the south side of the river (we did not ever cross the river)  After about quarter of a mile (1/2km) there was a sign to the right saying “Cowal Way” .   We followed the track up  about 100 yards and turned left, away from the loch and continued along this for about a mile when it eventually became a path.
 
The walk was relatively easy, very peaceful and unspoilt.  Mostly on the level there was the occasional small hill or mound which the path would contour up.  It was easy to see where we were going and the path, though rutted in places with some loose rocks on the inclines, was generally well maintained.
 
After about 4 miles (6.5 km we skirted round the side of and entered a wood of tall handsome trees.  Emerging eventually in open country and through a gate at the end of the path.
 
We had a choice to turn left or right (as signposted) across a small wooden bridge and up onto there dam service road (tarmac) where we turned left.  
 
It was only about another mile to Loch Sloy Dam as the road climbed gently up the hillside.
Loch Sloy Dam service road
The long gentle climb to Loch Sloy Dam (taken from the dam)
Picture

About Loch Sloy Dam

​Loch Sloy is the largest conventional hydroelectric plant in Britain.   Its water flows from Loch Sloy along  3km tunnels cut through Ben Vorlich, to power the station on the shore of Loch Lomond below.  Four huge pipes are clearly visible from the Loch Lomond shore carrying the water on its final journey to the generating station next to the main road.
 
Construction on the Dam commenced in May 1945 and was completed in 1949, the official opening ceremony being on 18 Oct 1950.   Initially prisoners worked on the construction but when the war finished workers came from as far away as Cornwall to join the project.  At its
peak the workforce exceed 2,200 men.    The tunnelling was hard and 21 men lost their lives during construction.
 
The dam doubled the lengh of Loch Sloy and raised its water level by 47 meters. 
The complex is used as stand-by power to the national grid and can be at full capacity (152mw) from a standing start in only five minutes.
For more detailed information about Loch Sloy Dam visit http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=1014
 
Loch Sloy Dam looking west
Loch Sloy Dam looking West
Top of Loch Sloy Dam looking East
Top of Loch Sloy Dam looking East
Picture

At the Dam

The road had been gently climbing since we joined it and after about half a mile we got our first glimpses of the dam.  Looking dark, menacing and somewhat satanic in the day’s light.
 
It grew larger and larger as we approached and the bold designs of architect Harold Ogle Tarbolton’s now A listed structure became clearer.
 
As we arrived at the foot of the dam the stillness of the air and the silence in the hills, with not another person in sight served to exaggerate the presence of this enormous structure.
 
We walked up the road to the west end of the top of the dam and through the short tunnel which obviously serves as a shelter for sheep on the wilder days.  We were free to walk across the top of the dam and through the gate at the eastern end.   From there led a set of stones set in the hillside as a staircase.  The interesting thing about this staircase was that it could only be seen from above as not clue to its existence could be discerned from below.

Picture
Loch Sloy Dam looking south
Loch Sloy Dam looking South
View from Loch Sloy Dam
The route home - note the steps bottom right

End of a great day


​​After exploring the dam and taking in the surrounding views we made our way back along the route from which we’d come to return to our car.
 
As an alternative we did consider walking up to the dam from Inveruglas (where the four huge pipes come out the hill down to the generating station on the shore of Loch Lomond.
We decided not to do this as the parking in Inveruglas car park was £4 and there was quite a long walk (about ½ mile) beside the main road before beginning to ascend the service road to
 
Our route was moderate, about 10.5miles in lengh (17km) and thoroughly enjoyable.
Car journey – about 50 minutes from Appletree Cottage
Walking duration – about 5 hours with lots of stops.
 
One of the best walks we’ve had this year!
Cowal Way from Arrochar to Loch Sloy
Route: From Arrochar (A) to Loch Sloy Dam (B)
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