F is for...

... Loch Fyne

Loch

Argyll

Anyone journeying to Campbeltown or Kintyre by road will know Loch Fyne well, indeed the traveller may well be sick of it by the time they have travelled thirty miles down its length. The most beautiful parts are at the head around Cairndow and beside Inverary before the sea-loch widens. Inverary Castle is glimpsed from the roadside just outside the town. The loch is famous for its herring, and a fine restaurant, shop and visitor centre are worth a visit as is the Argyll Wildlife Park with its wide range of birds and indigenous species such as fox and owl. Strangely the park also features some foreign species such as monkeys and wallabies.

... Falkirk

Settlement

Falkirk

20

Pop: 35610

Meaning "speckled church", Falkirk, which lies close to the roman Antonine Wall, is a translation of the town's original Gaelic name, Egglesbreth. Two major battles were fought nearby - the first in 1298 saw the defaet of William Wallaceat the hands of Edward I. The second in 1746 saw Prince Charles Edward Stuart defeat General Hawly. The parish church which was founded in 1080 and rebuilt in 1811 has monuments to the fallen of both battles. The city centre is a busy shopping area in the streets around the impressive 146ft town Steeple, built in 1813 and scene of many a local new year party. Callendar House, refashioned and extended many times in the last 800 years, lies in extensive grounds close to the town and was the home of one of the "Marys" who attended Mary Queen of Scots.