We took two trips with Tartan Tours. The first was on Tuesday, May 21, around Loch Lomond (and including Luss and Inverary) and the second was on Wednesday, May 22, to Ayrshire and Burns Country. Both tours lasted the entire day, with Stewart Gunn providing lively commentary about what we were seeing. On Thursday, May 23, Stewart met us again in the early evening for a complementary tour of the Greenock and Gourock area where we were staying.
We were staying in Gourock because Tartan Tours recommended the Spinnaker Hotel, where we had a sea view room. We will be forever grateful for this recommendation because it located us in the real Scotland and not in a central Glasgow hotel catering to large groups of tourists (although central Glasgow was easily accessible through the nearby ScotRail station). The staff at the Spinnaker were, very much like Stewart Gunn himself, attentive to our needs and models of Scottish hospitality.
We were fortunate to have beautiful weather for our ramble through Loch Lomond country – bright blue skies through the late afternoon. We also enjoyed the ferry ride back from Kilcreggan to Gourock. The next day we were again fortunate with the weather. The rain held off until the early afternoon. We were able to do the outside parts of our tour first in comparative comfort and then stay inside as the rain began.
Stewart Gunn was an utterly charming host. We had an immediate connection with his love of all things Scottish. The conversation never flagged. In getting to know him we felt we were getting to know – in a truly unique and compelling way – the real Scotland. Thank you, Stewart, for a marvelous beginning to what was an unforgettable two weeks traveling around Scotland!!