Bonnie bonnie banks.

Ever felt like a tourist in your own country?

I might be a bit of an expert on European travel by now, but when it comes to my own country that's another thing entirely. So it's about time I checked out some new places...!

Yesterday, faithful travelling companion and myself "took the high road" and headed for Balloch, a village on the south banks of Loch Lomond.

Of course the main obstacle stopping you from discovering this country will always be our horrible, wet weather but if you wait for a dry day you'll probably wait forever. So, umbrellas at the ready, we arrived in a wet (but mild) Balloch, a nice little place with more than enough dining options but not much else really. (Although there is a shopping centre called Loch Lomond Shores, but that's for another visit).

The prime draw here is of course Loch Lomond itself, and we took the opportunity to take a one hour cruise which takes you as far as Inchmurrin (the largest island on the loch) and then back. It was all very lovely and scenic and serene, which was just what I needed after a turbulent week! We also took a little stroll through a woodland trail down to the edge of the loch, where we dipped our toes in the water.

The rain went off, the sun came out later on, but by that time we had to make our way back for our connections home. As you know, my definition of the great outdoors is usually the bit between the restaurant and the shopping mall, so this was a nice new experience for us. We really enjoyed our day out, and would like to do something similar again in the future!