Clash of cultures

I crack the window slightly and drink in the fresh Scottish air as we cross the Clyde. The long drive from Ireland via Holyhead and Yorkshire is in its final stages, and the excitement of what lies ahead wakens my motorway-weary legs. My Yorkshire-born passenger Pete Carr, another highland addict, wakens from his uncomfortable slumber against a rolled-up Harkila jacket. The signposts bear familiar names as the roads narrow and the highlands appear before us. This is a drive I’ve made countless time since my first excursion to the west coast back in 2004 and my love for the stalking here has only grown since then – indeed, this is my fourth trip this season.

Progress fades to a crawl along the winding western side of Loch Lomond but the highlands rising in front have distracted me from such minor inconveniences as weekend traffic. The first