On the bonnie, bonnie banks...

...O' Loch Lomond! 

Today, we drove up through Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, to have a meal on the water's edge. Loch Lomond is considered to mark the border between the lowlands and the highlands. You can see the start of the highland landscape in the distance. It was a nice preview for me, as I know in a little bit over a month I'll be crossing this "border" and travelling up into the northern part of the county. 

I haven't been into Glasgow yet, but my impressions driving through it were very different than the one I had initially driving through Edinburgh. While Edinburgh's historical buildings are made of a light sandstone, Glasgow's are much darker, and have a reddish tone to them. Another aspect of this city that struck me was the amount of high-rise apartment complexes. The color-block painting schemes of these buildings provided a stark contrast to the very obvious historical structures. Overall, Glasgow seems very much more industrial and much newer. Even the buildings in New Town Edinburgh have an older feel. I've been told this story a few times to compare the two cities: "If you hear a gunshot in Edinburgh, you know what time it is. If you hear a gun in Glasgow, you better run the other way." In Edinburgh everyday at 1pm (well actually 8 seconds to 1pm to allow the sound to reach the other side of the city by 1pm exactly), a gunshot is fired from the Castle ramparts. As mentioned previously, private gun ownership is very strict here, so any violence using these weapons is really rare. However, Glasgow apparently has a bit of a gang culture, and in recent years especially there have been incidences of gun violence. However, these numbers are minuscule compared to the States. In 2010, 150 people were killed as a result of a firearm injury in the WHOLE United Kingdom. This 0.25 deaths for every 100,000 people, compared to 5.1 deaths per 100,000 in the States. Interestingly enough, there was a horrendous shooting in a Scottish primary school in 1996, eerily similar to the Sandy Hook shooting. After this happened, these rigid firearms laws were put into place. Police do not even carry guns in Scotland. Just an interesting comparison...but enough about guns! You can check more figues out here if you are interested.

The place we went was called "Loch Lomond Shores," a shopping center set up on the banks. There was also a Sunday Market set up, with local vendors selling their fish, meat, eggs, baked goods, and beer. We had lunch at a restaurant called "The Kilted Skirlie." We sat upstairs on a terrace overlooking the water. It was about 70 degrees out today, and for once, I was actually warm! A little bit too warm, maybe. I have a headache now, the first one I have had since I got here. I've spent the better part of the last two days out in the sun, so I think I maybe worn out from that. I am trying to drink a lot of water now, to see if that will help. 

At the end of the day, we grabbed a coffee in one of the cafes. We watched Andy Murray, professional tennis player from Scotland, win Wimbledon...the first time in 77 years Britain has been able to claim this title! I thought that was pretty neat - a bit of history being made. Next big event is Kate Middleton's baby!

I also wanted to share this picture that I was able to snap last night of the sunset. I haven't altered the picture at all - this was really the color of the sky. It is a shame I could not have gotten a better picture without houses in the way, but it is pretty late when the sun sets here! 

I cannot believe tomorrow is Monday already. It's going to be a busy week!