🏴 🏴 🏴
This was a hurriedly planned trip in and around Glasgow. We left on Saturday evening, our bus from Victoria terminus was at 10.30 PM. It was a overnight journey we reached Glasgow around 8.30 in the morning.
Our ship MV Balmoral was supposed to depart from Glasgow Science center at 10.30 AM. The weather was not great , it was cloudy and started drizzling soon after we reached Glasgow. We used rest rooms at bus terminus to freshen up and went for our ship. This was her last cruise for this session. This is an unique ship with 60+ years of history and part of British heritage fleet.
Our ship departed at 10.30 , weather was getting progressively worse. We had no option but to spend most of our time in the heated lounge of the ship. Our first stop was at Largs which is about 2.5 hrs away, however due to extreme weather and wind it took almost 3 hrs.
The Firth of Clyde is an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Scotland, named for the River Clyde which empties into it. It encloses the largest and deepest coastal waters in the British Isles, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Clyde formed an important sea route from the earliest times, and the Battle of Largs in 1263 marked the turning point for the end of Norse ambitions in Britain. Clyde in more modern times become conduit of various manufacturing industries namely coal, tobacco, shipbuilding , iron ore etc.
Our next stop was Rothesay , the principal town on the Isle of Bute.During the Victorian era, Rothesay developed as a popular tourist destination. It became hugely popular with Glaswegians going “doon the watter”.
Our next stop was Tighnabruaich , which is a pretty little village on the Kyles of Bute and is situated along east coast of Loch Fyne.
After another 45 min we reached to Tarbert which is on Loch Fyne is an attractive village which for many visitors acts as the gateway to the beautiful peninsula of Kintyre. Backed by rugged hills and fronting on to an attractive natural harbour, the village is still home to a working fishing fleet and is an increasingly popular destination for the yachting fraternity.
We spent 40 mins cursing in Loch Fyne before returning back. It means meaning Loch of the Vine or Wine, extends 65 kilometres (40 mi) inland from the Sound of Bute, making it the longest of the sea lochs. It is connected to the Sound of Jura by the Crinan Canal. Although there is no evidence that grapes have grown there.
Finally we came back via same route and reached Glasgow at 11.15 PM and then to our hotel at midnight.
How did I do it?
National Express overnight bus from London: £18 PP
MV Balmoral fuul day crise: £39 PP
http://www.heritagesteamers.co.uk/balmoral/
