June 15
Oban to Glasgow

It rained hard overnight but was dry and bright by morning. I failed to find my razor so, after breakfast, I walked briskly to Boots and bought a new one. I returned to the hotel, shaved and re-packed my back pack only to discover, in the process, my old razor hiding at the bottom.

I checked out, leaving my pack there and visited a couple of cheap shops in the quest for a new notebook. I bought a couple of tiny ones which will do for the last couple of days of the trip.

The sun shone a little but there was also a biting wind coming from round unexpected corners. I sat by the side of the harbour, watched the people and the boats and took it easy. It will be my last seaside experience for a while. Compared with yesterday, the town was relatively quiet. I took lots of photos of the pretty colours which seem to be associated with the fishing industry, then treated myself to a coffee in a deli which sold lots of Scottish produce that I would have loved to buy but couldn't carry.
	The sun came out to play
The fishing fleet at rest
Fishing is a colourful industry

My pack was awaiting me at the hotel and I returned to the fish stall on the pier that I had admired yesterday. When I was last here, I saw truck loads of fish being loaded onto the train but it was almost unobtainable in town. Now there are a couple of stalls selling everything. I bought a couple of prawn sandwiches and some prawn tails and had a long chat about mussels with the chap who was handing out free samples.

I arrived at the station about 35 minutes early. This was just as well as a large queue was developing. When they finally opened the gates, we poured aboard. The first crowded train of the trip. I did, however, manage a couple of seats to myself & room to spread.
Lots of people with lots of bags arrived ...	... and waited for the train

	I didn't bother with too many photos as I took them all yesterday. I had a go at what I assume were the Falls of Cruachan. There was a whole series of waterfalls of various sizes, rushing down the cliff towards the railway. I fired away and hope that at least one of them will be good enough to use. As we approached Tyndrum Lower, I spotted the Mallaig train on the other side of the valley heading for Tyndrum Upper. We would meet at Crianlarich and hold hands all the way to Glasgow.
The Falls of Cruachan - shaken and stirred	The train on the other line

After Crianlarich, I rather lost interest and dozed for some of the way back into Glasgow. We passed lots of scenery and lots of water - probably Loch Lomond. We finally arrived at Glasgow Queen Street on time, as usual, and I set out to find my way to Glasgow Central. This wouldn't have taken long if I had come out of Queen Street by the correct exit. Choosing the wrong one meant a huge detour.

After over a week of quietness, the crowds in Glasgow came as a bit of a shock. The city, late on a Saturday afternoon, featured the end of the shopping crowds and the beginnings of the evening drinking crowds. The pubs were all full and the drinkers were cascading onto the streets. I found Central Station, a very grand building and then the right train within it.

We left there on time and, five minutes later, I was at Dumbreck Station. I managed to work out where I was, donned my rain coat to fend off the drizzle, and walked for about ten minutes along the tree-lined streets until I reached Cameron & Bonnie's.

Dumbreck - home of stone villas	Beefsteak and buttercups
Pollok House

We settled in for a quiet evening of conversation and food until a quick burst of sunshine encouraged us out again. Bonnie drove us the short distance to Pollok House and Gardens, where there are lovely gardens, a river and lots of places to walk. There were even Highland Cattle grazing in the buttercups.

After a little exercise, we returned home to continue our quiet evening.