Day 9 (Monday, 26th September): Through the Highlands and along Loch Lomond to Glasgow

By Léandre and Nikolai

Most of today’s schedule was filled by our trip from Oban to Glasgow. Some started the day with a refreshing swim in the frigid waters of the harbour basin, but most chose a more relaxing morning routine. After all things were packed and lunch was prepared in the shared kitchen, we hopped into our tour busses.

Our two bus drivers, Dave and Garry, who were also our tour guides, welcomed us with their friendly smiles and supposedly homemade shortbread. We drove off at about 11am, but we took lots of sightseeing breaks, catching impressions of the native culture and nature. One very dominant aspect of Scottish nature we were lucky enough to experience was the strong wind, who loyally accompanied us throughout our entire journey. Our first big stop was at Glencoe, a Highland valley, where we had a lunch break and some time for ourselves. Some visited the site of the old village where the infamous “Glencoe Massacre” is said to have taken place. On a stormy winter night around 1692, about 30 members of a local Highlands clan have been slaughtered by English soldiers there.

Others took a walk up a nearby hill to experience the lush, green nature with its diverse flora and atmospheric waterfalls. Then we drove along to some Harry Potter movie-set locations, and later to the barren, but beautifully shaped mountains. Our guides took a quick break and so our class was allowed to enjoy the coast of the large Loch Lomond. Back we went into our busses with most of the class taking naps during the last part of the ride. 

We then finally arrived at our next youth hostel near the center of Glasgow. We were all collectively taken aback by the somewhat unsettling and disorienting atmosphere of the building. Some people had the pleasure of going outside to get something to eat while others had to face the challenge of cooking in the subterranean kitchen of the establishment.

We all went to bed hoping that the residing ghosts wouldn’t pay us a visit.