Two days ago, hoping for a spot of sunshine, I checked the BBC weather website and discovered that the town of Callander was going to be bathed in sunshine all afternoon.
The forecast promised me a high of 5 degrees C, soaring above the 3s and 4s of further north.
Somehow I got it into my head that this equated to a fine summer’s day, and I scooped up delightful assistant no.1 and sped off towards the Trossachs*.
On the way we stopped at the splendid Gloagburn Farm Shop and Cafe for a little sustenance.
Gloagburn is home to some of the finest scones to be found anywhere on Earth (I admit I haven’t tested this terribly extensively in global terms, but all the same I feel quite confident about my assertion).
We both chose fruit scones (the delightful assistant requesting one with a ‘shiny top’), I had tea and the delightful assistant had coffee:
I could not have been more pleased with my scone’s stretch marks:
Or, indeed, the frolicsome crockery:
Refreshed and completely satisfied by our repast we tootled off Trossachswards, arriving in Callander in time for a health giving stroll before luncheon.
The sun, which had shone for a while on the journey just before Callander, had retreated behind cloud when we arrived, but nonetheless there were plenty of people out and about taking the air and enjoying riverside walks:
My glamorous assistant and I wrapped up in our woolly hats and scarves, and loped off in a westerly direction along the banks of the River Teith.
A short way along the path, a signpost indicated that if we were considering taking a dip, this would be the ideal spot in which to do it:
Despite the encouragement, there were no bathers present.
A little further on there were no pipers either:
