The Hunterian and Loch Lomond

This past week I didn't really do much besides classes. We did, however do our first dark room/developing session in my photography class. That was super neat and since the developer machine is broken we got to do it the old fashioned way which I was even more excited about. Anyway, by the time Saturday rolled around I was sick of being cooped up in my room. I get into the habit of watching TV on my computer or reading for long periods of time and I forget to go out and do things and since the museums here have free entrance I decided to take advantage of it. By the time I actually got up and ready for the day it was about 2. I dropped of books for class with Becca (we're sharing since she found a set in her kitchen and we didn't want to waste money) and headed over to the Hunterian Museum. The main part of the museum is located in the main building on campus (the Gothic one) and there is a corresponding art gallery that is right next to our library. I had heard great things about the museum and was really excited to go. The Hunterian is named after a man named William Hunter who was a renowned medical man and collector in London. He had attended the University of Glasgow and after his death, when his nephew couldn't take care of the museum he had erected in London, his collection was sent to the University. The museum holds many things from Hunter's personal collection as well as some additional things. The bugs, coins, and medical oddities I saw all came from Hunter himself, but there was also an exhibit on the Antonine Wall. The Antonine was basically like Hadrian's wall but farther north, running just north of Glasgow. It was not in use for an incredibly long time and when the Roman's retreated back to Hadrian's wall they buried most of the evidence. There are 13 recovered distance markers and The Hunterian has 9 of them. I spent over 2 hours in The Hunterian and I only managed to make it through 2 rooms. This is perfectly acceptable pace for me and thus I am definitely going to be going back. After wandering through the museum and around campus a little bit I headed back to my room to rest up for the next day.

Uterus with a 5 month fetus

I woke up bright and early on Sunday because I was off to Loch Lomond with Gary and Student Tours Scotland. Loch Lomond is the largest loch in Scotland and is only about an hour north of Glasgow on the Highland boundary. It is a very popular vacation destination and is even featured in a song. There were three stops included in the trip, the first of which was Balmaha. We took a wee hike up the Millennium Path which was absolutely gorgeous! Gary shared some stories about the faeries on the way up in order to warn us of the dangers of dealing with them. Once we reached about half way up we were free to either continue the climb or make our way down. Becca and I chose the leisurely stroll down since the wind was crazy and we were afraid of being blown away. Plus this gave us a chance to take tons of beautiful pictures of the forest and the view from the hill.

sheep proof gate

Yeah, we climbed lots of stairs

The next stop on the itinerary was Balloch Town. This was a relatively short stop intended to give people a chance to get lunch if they didn't bring any (which we of course did). Becca, our friend Corinna and I headed on a path through the woods which took us up close and personal with a side of the lake. We also passed some modern art installments and thus had a discussion about whether they should count as art. After this we walked through the little mall located on the pier for a bathroom break and to get out of the rain. Then it was back on the bus for our final stop.

it was cold, and windy

Our last stop was the Village of Luss. Luss is a teeny tiny little town right on the shore of Loch Lomond. Gary took us on a path around the village called the Quary Path. Rightfully named because most of the slate shingles were once mined in this area. Along the path we stopped by a beautiful river and waterfall. It was pretty muddy/slippery and a long way down so we basically risked our lives to take some pictures (even though STS's golden rule is "Just don't die." Sorry Gary!). We lagged behind a bit in the area, which we were allowed to do, then finished the path and took another one that lead us to a quaint little church and graveyard. Past that we found a beach area on the Loch. The perfect spot for some jumping pictures. We then headed out onto the pier for some landscape-type pictures of the Loch. After that we wandered back through the village to the bus, stopping in a shop for a postcard along the way. It was a long day but it sure was gorgeous. I did slip and fall once but I was only with Becca and she missed it so I was safe from ridicule. It was quite graceful if I do say so myself. We finally made it back to Glasgow, managed the chilly walk back to our apartments then I put on pjs, made some tea, and cuddled in bed. All in all I would say a very successful day indeed.

Got it on the first try