Dunoon – Coastal Road Trip

Day 14 – Dunoon to Carradale

It rained much of our 149 mile journey today from Dunoon to Carradale, but we made the most of the breaks in the rain. We had stunning views of the lochs, rain or shine.

Photo of the day

Coastal Road Trip, Tarbet, Harbour, Lobster pots — Tarbet

Dunoon

Coastal Road Trip, Dunoon, wrapped bales, smiley face — Leaving Dunoon we passed a smiley face on some wrapped bales, a good start to the day!

Loch Riddon

Coastal Road Trip, Loch Riddon — Morning view down Loch Riddon.

Tighnabruaich

Coastal Road Trip, view above Tighnabruaich — The misty view from the hills above Tighnabruaich before we headed down into the village.

Coastal Road Trip, Kyles of Bute, Family fishing — A family fishing on the Kyles of Bute.

Portavadie

Coastal Road Trip, Portavadie Tarbet Ferry — The ferry leaving Portavadia for Tarbet. As we watched, a bunch of cyclists that we had overtaken earlier just miss it. Lots of cyclists in Scotland on this route, and some of those hills looked real tough, rather them than us.

Coastal Road Trip, Portavadie Tarbet Ferry Sign, Argyll's Secret Coast — It’s not really a secret then, is it?

Otter Ferry

Coastal Road Trip, Otter Ferry, Pontoon — A quiet pontoon at a very quiet Otter Ferry.

Castle Lachlan

Coastal Road Trip, Castle Lachlan — The remains of Castle Lachlan, halfway up Loch Fyne.

Inveraray

Coastal Road Trip, Inveraray Castle — We arrived at Inveraray just as a storm decided to descend on the town. So just jumped out of the car to take some quick pictures of the Castle.

Coastal Road Trip, Inveraray Jail, Jarno — Jarno looking cheerful outside the jail.

Coastal Road Trip, Inveraray, Pipe Band, Sign — What could be more Scottish?

Coastal Road Trip, Inveraray, War Memorial — The highland soldier war memorial reflected in the puddled path.

Coastal Road Trip, Inveraray, Harbour — The glowing seaweed and a freshly painted fishing boat bringing some colour to Inveraray Harbour.

Ardrishaig

Coastal Road Trip, Ardrishaig, Anchor, Lighthouse — Not much going on, just a loo break, a rusty anchor and a lighthouse.

Tarbet

Coastal Road Trip, Tarbet, Harbour, Lobster pots — Lobster pots piled on the quay at Tarbert Harbour.

Coastal Road Trip, Tarbet, Harbour, Border Force — Borderforce patrol boat at odds with the backdrop of quaint houses on the green Tarbert hillside.

Skipness

Coastal Road Trip, Skipness Castle — This was the biggest surprise of the day. Several miles down a small coastal lane we found Skipness Castle.

Coastal Road Trip, Skipness Castle, Julian, Jarno — Free to wonder around, and no one else but us there to enjoy.

Daily video

Day 13 – Greenock to Dunoon

Another 120 miles ahead of us today as we set off from Greenock to loop around the mainland, and end up only a few miles away across the Firth of Clyde at Dunoon.

Photo of the day

Coastal Road Trip, Loch Long, Arrochar, Old Pier — Loch Long.

Port Glasgow

Coastal Road Trip, Port Glasgow, Newark Castle — Our first castle of the day, Newark Castle. Quite a rabbits warren of rooms… it went on and on.

Coastal Road Trip, Port Glasgow, Newark Castle, Jarno Knight — Jarno picking a fight with the lovely lady working in the Historic Scotland castle shop.

Dumbarton

Coastal Road Trip, Dumbarton Castle, Cannon — And on to our next castle, Dumbarton Castle. The heavens opened at this point, but still we scrabbled up the many steps to the top of the castle hill. But took the best picture back down at the bottom of this cannon pointing out across the Firth of Clyde to where we’d just come from earlier in the morning.

Helensburgh

Coastal Road Trip, Helensburgh, Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Table, Chairs — One of the highlights of the day were the unmistakably Charles Rennie Mackintosh interiors of Hill House. BTW, a correction, we call it Hill Top House by mistake in the daily video (should be just Hill House) – thanks Julian’s Mum & Dad for pointing that out 😉 Living room table and chairs.

Coastal Road Trip, Helensburgh, Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Bedroom — Bedroom furniture and window. Perfect complimenting each other.

Coastal Road Trip, Helensburgh, Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Hall Light — The hall stair lighting with its rich deep purple glass.

Coastal Road Trip, Helensburgh, Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Entrance Hall — The entrance, every element Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Gare Loch

Coastal Road Trip, Gare Loch, Yellow Boat — A solitary yellow boat on Gare Loch.

Loch Long

Coastal Road Trip, Loch Long, For Fox Sake Slow Down — We slowed down…

Coastal Road Trip, Loch Long, Grey Mountains — Views up Loch Long with the mountains fading into fifty shades of grey.

Coastal Road Trip, Loch Long, Arrochar — The sun reemerged as we reached the head of the Loch near Arrochar.

Coastal Road Trip, Loch Long, Arrochar, Old Pier — And the remainders of the old Pier at Arrochar.

Glen Croe

Coastal Road Trip, Glen Croe — The bright evening sunlight highlighting the uneveness of Glen Croe.

Lochgoilhead

Coastal Road Trip, Lochgoilhead — Lochgoilhead, not surprisingly at the head of Loch Goil.

Loch Fyne

Coastal Road Trip, Loch Fyne — Loch Fyne looking mysterious as the rain sets in again.

Dunoon

Coastal Road Trip, Dunoon, Hunter's Quay Ferry Terminal — The view from our B&B bedroom window, overlooking the small ferry terminal at Hunter’s Quay.

Daily video