The excitement on the bus heightened as we drove out of Glasgow on to the Scottish Highlands for a day trip. With fellow international students I toured around to see breathtaking landscapes, historic monuments, and film locations for Harry Potter and James Bond movies. The day was picture perfect as the sun was out and the scenery was magnificent.
Loch Lomond
Our first stop was the shore of Loch Lomond, a familiar place but none the less exciting! The early morning sun was perfect for photos and capturing the breadth of the loch (lake), the largest in Scotland.
Glencoe
Passing through Glencoe was fascinating as you gaze up to the top of the highlands from the bottom of the Glenn (valley). My fascination lie not only in the beautiful scenery, but in the geology that forms the landscapes. Following the highland boundary fault many rock types, and geologic events, shape the landscapes and were highly visible along the roads. This made for a great opportunity to see and better understand some of Scotland's geology, including collecting samples.
Fort William
A quick stop for lunch in Fort William was just long enough to walk about the town center and appreciate the full day of sunshine!
Glenfinnan Viaduct
The height of the trip was the Glenfinnan Viaduct, aka. the Harry Potter Bridge, with more picture perfect scenery. The views of the area and its wildlife were accompanied by a bit of trekking through some of the forests and wetlands to better appreciate the landscape (and search for rocks).
The iconic bridge at the viaduct is just as you can imagine, huge. Here is a fun fact: it is up to 100 feet tall and 1248 feet long, with 21 arches. Most people know this bridge from the scenes where the Jacobite Steam Train, aka. Hogwarts Express, crosses the bridge in the Chamber of Secrets, among others in the series.
Our return to Glasgow was beautiful as we traveled back through the highlands to yet again be blown away by the picture perfect scenery as the sun set behind the clouds, reminding me that everyday is a gift and should be treasured, even if it isn't picture perfect!
