Scottishclover

I think the Trossachs is definitely worth it. You could easily do Queen Elizabeth Forest Park and Callander, they are very close. There is also a scenic drive called the Duke’s Pass. A private tour would include all of these places, I’m sure. There are also a few smaller lochs in the area, e.g. Loch Achray. If you go to Stirling Castle, definitely do a guided tour. Pre-pandemic they offered free tours, every half hour. We went with our daughter in 2019 and were the only people doing the guided tour. it was fabulous, well worth it for a Scottish history lesson. Not sure what the boat ride on Loch Lomond would include? I think the hour may be better spent touring but I’m sure you would enjoy the experience of being on the loch, either way. One word of warning - midges! They can be infuriating and you will definitely encounter them in the Trossachs.

Ok , at the risk of offending any Glaswegians, it would not be my priority if I had a day in Scotland. Of course, you may have a particular reason for wanting to visit. I went to university there and my daughter currently studies there and it is hands down one of the friendliest cities in the world. The city’s slogan is “ People Make Glasgow”. The area around the university is really pretty and there’s some great free museums but a lot of it is quite rough around the edges. Glasgow is more about the atmosphere, rather than the view. It’s not the most scenic of places. If it were me I would do Stirling Castle and the Trossachs. To combine Glasgow, Loch Lomond and Stirling Castle would be quite a whirlwind tour. You can spend a whole morning at Stirling Castle, then tour the Trossachs. On the way back you would likely take the route which passes by Loch Lomond. The scenery in/near the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in the Trossachs is especially stunning. I prefer it to Loch Lomond. I also like Loch Tay, which is a wee bit further north but a visit there would depend on timing. If you do decide to visit Glasgow and have specific questions, please ask away. I hope this helps and have a great trip.

An alternative would be to buy a day ticket for the local busses. We plan to do that on our cruise. I am all for using public transport when I travel rather than taxis or car rentals. We like to try and counteract our cruising carbon footprint by being as eco conscious as possible when we are in port. I have worked out a route where we can do a morning hike, visit Hammerhus, then visit some of the fishing villages on the east coast before heading back to Ronne. We are in port from 8am - 8pm so are not restricted by time. There are lots of different routes across the island and you can find info on https://www.bat.dk/ Out of interest, I did look into car hire and the day bus tickets are much more economical.

Before getting in, completely smother your hair in the conditioner provided and tie it up to keep it out the water. Also be aware you need to shower naked then put your swimming costume on. There’s not a whole lot of privacy. I was worried how my teens would react but they just got on with it. When in Iceland……