by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: September 03, 2008

I vividly recall the occasion of my first bus trip from Glasgow to Campbeltown, Argyll. My brother had moved there due to a change in job some weeks previously and a friend and I were heading down to visit him. I had travelled to Argyll many times before but Campbeltown - almost at the southernmost tip of the peninsula - was further by some way than I had previously ventured.

We were booked on to the Citylink service bus number 926, leaving Buchanan Street Bus Station in Glasgow City Centre at 9am one sunny morning and due to arrive in Campbeltown approximately four and a half hours later. The first hour or so of the journey was through very familiar territory to me, with little of interest to see, but when we left the town of Dumbarton behind and approached the banks of Loch Lomond, although I was still on familiar ground, the scenery improved dramatically and it was time to put the newspaper away and watch the world go by.

As the weather was so fair, we soon saw the waters of Loch Lomond sparkling through the trees to our right and traversed the banks of the famous loch for some miles, before leaving it at Tarbet and seeing the sea for the first time in the form of the sea loch that is Loch Long. This road then took us towards, up and over the "Rest and be Thankful," where the gradient is so steep at certain points of the road, my ears actually "pop" more often than not, as in an aeroplane climbing to altitude. The scenery here is very different in that it is largely rugged and bleak, if just as awesome in its own special way. One can almost imagine the prehistoric glaciers carving the shape of the land for millennia yet to come.

Approaching sea level again, we can see Scotland's largest sea loch, Loch Fyne, in the distance. Passing the village of Cairndow, we round the head of the loch, where sits the famous Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, a seafood lover's paradise. There is both a shop and restaurant here but be warned that prices are not the cheapest in the world and the restaurant often requires to be booked in advance. The freshness and quality of the produce, however, can never be called in to question. The Oyster Bar also sells game, a range of meats and lots more besides what is its traditional fayre.

Inveraray is where the bus stops to allow a short comfort break of up to twenty minutes for the driver and passengers alike. It is possible to disembark and take a short stroll, smoke a cigarette, or simply admire the incredible views. This little town is one of

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