by special request from the birthday boy

Dad suggested I share these pictures from a bike ride we took together around Loch Katrine in The Trossachs, Scotland on May 2004. It was at the tail end of a trip during which we had gorgeous weather. I'm not complaining about that, since it allowed us to complete the West Highland Way on foot without getting drenched. But the rain caught up with us on this particular day.

Loch Katrine is a water source for the city of Glasgow, so the only
boat allowed on the lake is the Sir Walter Scott steam launch.

It's eerily quiet, whether you are riding it or watching from the shore.

You rent cycles and can ride the ferry across the loch,
then cycle back to where you started.

This is where the rain caught up with us.

You can see, if you look closely, the raindrops on the surface of the loch.

We made it back in time for afternoon tea,
and to watch the launch return!

And a lovely couple who worked at the site gave us a ride back to Stirling, saving us the cost of a cab fare.