IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Inchfad Island, GLASGOW, G63 0JS

View from just off the west side of Inchcailloch.

Inchfad is one of the inhabited islands on Loch Lomond. View from Tom na Nigheanan on neighbouring Inchcailoch.

You may think that this just a photo of a dog. In fact it is a picture of the Royal Mail in action in the late 1970’s delivering post to the Inchfad Island on Loch Lomond. The island has been occupied and farmed for centuries. Cattle have to be ‘barged’ to Arden or Balmaha for sale. White deer have also been seen there. After the closure of illicit whisky stills around the loch at the beginning of the 19th century, Inchfad for a while, became the home of a registered distillery. Well into the 21st century, the McFarlane family at Balmaha combined their Royal Mail postal contract with passenger cruises around the inhabited islands. In the late 1970s, a resident of Inchfad had a collie. When the boatman was about 100 metres away from the jetty, he sounded his horn. The dog came running and waited at the end of the pier for the post. In this picture the postman/boatman has folded the letters into that day’s newspaper and carefully put them into the dog’s mouth. The collie is turning away and about to take the post to his/her master who can just be seen waiting at the far end of the jetty. Pure Disney! I took this sail several times more, usually in the boat “Margaret”, but never saw the collie again. There are two videos below for those wishing to share some of this experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMrxcp4Jy54 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hzldm5_Z4c

Viewed from Craigie Fort looking the loch to Inchfad island.

A view north up the length of Loch Lomond from Tom na Nigheanan on Inchcailloch. Winter is the best season on the loch if you need to cross water due to the lack of traffic. Very peaceful today in a rare conjunction of mild and sunny weather.

View up Loch Lomond from Tom na Nigheanan on Inchcailloch

Taken from the viewpoint near Balmaha Pass. On the opposite shore of Loch Lomond, Luss is recognizable.

Some say this is the best view in Scotland. Autumn favours the view, I think. While the Loch lies generally N-S, this viewpoint is off to the east of that main axis. The highest point on the skyline and to the right is Ben Lomond (974m) with a tent shaped summit section and an apparently horizontal ridge left to Ptarmigan, its peak appearing here like a little knobble (731m). Next left again is the summit of Ben Vorlich (943m) which lies on the west side of Loch Lomond in its northern section. The nearby high point on the skyline at the left of the image is Ben Dubh (642m) above the village of Luss. The island of Inchcailloch gives several interesting views although this one may have the greatest 'wow' factor when the weather allows.

Heading for my next wee hill, Creag an Eoin above Balmaha having just left Port Bawn on Inchcailloch.