Day 37: Cairnbaan - Oban - Luss

This morning we started at a relaxed pace because we wanted to see the glorious moment when boats passed through the lock. I went into supervisor mode again, just in case a sailboat didn't know how to maneuver well. Around eleven o'clock, three sailboats arrived in procession, as if they were going to a nautical parade. They passed together through the lock where we had slept. Daddy Edu set up his action camera, put it in time-lapse mode, and recorded the whole procedure.
A single lock already takes about thirty minutes to pass... and there are fifteen locks along the Crinan Canal! So, if you do the math, the boats spend about seven or eight hours to cross it completely. A peaceful walk for those who are not in a hurry, and a nightmare if you have to pee urgently.

When the last mast disappeared from sight, we also set off, on solid ground, of course. We drove north and stopped in Oban, a fairly lively coastal city. We parked in a paid spot right in front of the sea, put in a pound and a half (well, Daddy put in the card), and went up to see the famous McCaig's Tower. Although it's called a tower, I warn you that it's as much a tower as I am a cat. It's more like a Roman coliseum without Romans. We went up stairs and ramps, through a rather pretty neighborhood. And when we got to the top... surprise: there was free parking right next door. But Google didn't say that!

The tower (or coliseum or whatever it is) was ordered to be built by a certain John McCaig to give work to the local stonemasons and, incidentally, leave a family monument. They never finished it, but it was very photogenic. From up there there are cool views of Oban, the harbor and the bay with all the small islands scattered in the water. I sniffed the grass, took a photo and went down again.

Then we took a walk through the city and the harbor, which is quite lively: boats, people with ice cream, seagulls organizing their union. When we ran out of time on the parking meter, we left.

We stopped to eat at a lay-by, those parking lots on the side of the road that are sometimes more pleasant than many campsites. We ate, rested a little and continued on our way. Later, Daddy Edu stopped briefly at a place called St. Conan's Kirk. I stayed in the car, acting as a doggy watchman, while he visited the church.

As he told me, St. Conan's Kirk is a weird church, one of those that looks like an enchanted castle. It was built in the 19th century, a mixture of styles and with many Gothic corners. They say that inside there are even the bones of Robert the Bruce (a very famous Scottish king, not a cartoon character). The church gives a bit of a Dracula movie atmosphere, like many things in Scotland, but Daddy liked it.

We continued north with the intention of sleeping in a place that was marked as "4x4" in Park4night. But when we arrived there was mud up to our ears and an army of midges ready for the attack. We didn't hesitate: strategic escape. Because it's no use being in a beautiful place if you have to live locked inside as if we were in doggy quarantine.

So we kept driving and arrived at the Loch Lomond area, which is a huge lake with many lay-bys to park. We chose one that is a little bigger, without views but well sheltered from the wind. We're going to sleep here tonight: there are no mosquitoes, no mud, you can only hear the road a little in the background. It's quiet, flat and comfortable to rest after the day's walk. Now it's time to have a delicious dinner, snuggle up and prepare for another day of adventures.