Our Scottish Tour - Part 7

Scotland Day 25
Saturday 18th June 2016

George showing off his new hairstyle!

Today was a day that we'd been excitedly looking forward to for ages - we were meeting Cath and George, and the destination for our day out was going to be Glasgow.

But before that it was all exuberant greetings, hugs and a few tears as we met up in Asda's car park which is just outside the ferry terminal at Ardrosson.   Then we soon had T4rdis2 stowed in the terminal's long stay car park and we all jumped into George's car to be chauffeur driven to our destination!  And that wasn't to be his only 'role' for the day!  He turned out to be a very informative 'tour guide'  as he showed us around the city that he used to call 'home' when he was 'a wee lad'!




First we explored the main shopping areas of Buchanan Street, Sauchiehall Street and Argyle Street, and all the while George was pointing out interesting features such as The Chamber of Commerce - where the statue on the horse wore a funny hat; the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall where a lady was singing on the steps, and The Sir Walter Scott column on George Square.





And in addition to all that there were buskers every few yards - and really, your days entertainment could just of been made up watching them!  However, there was lots more to do, but before we did, we paused for coffee in a street cafe, a break which gave us time to soak up a bit more of the atmosphere.






After our little rest we had another meander along Sauchiehall street and then found our way to the Counting House where we ate our lunch behind bars!


The building is now a 'Weatherspoons' Establishment, but many of its lovely architectural features remain for visitors to admire and the 'vault' was one of them.




Once tucked away inside we were sheltered from the noise and bustle of the busy pub and we thought we were free to explore the many steel draws and cupboards where untold fortunes must once of been stored.  However, as I was nosing my way round I got 'done' by one of the bar staff - maybe she thought I might find a jewel or something similar left behind from times gone by.

Anyway, once our energy levels were restored, we tipsily (5 pints of cider between 3 of us - and Cath sat on a Puff!), left our watering hole and made our way towards Glasgow's subway, and from there a train whisked us off towards our next destination - The Botanical Gardens.


Here we found several huge greenhouses full of tropical plants, and at one stage, George and I seemed to be lost in the steaming jungle!











But Cath and John came to our rescue when they'd finished hugging!








And after that we explored a 'shed' exhibition within the park......









.......before setting off to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, another breathtaking building, and where George introduced us to the very fine art works of Rembrant and Van Gogh.









We could have spent all day just in that building because there was so much to see, but by now it was nearly closing time and we were all getting a bit tired, so it was back to the subway which we caught backwards!  Apparently two trains run in a circle - one clockwise and one anticlockwise - and whichever one we caught it was the wrong one so we almost did a complete circuit to get to our FINAL (next) DESTINATION, which was the Princess Square shopping centre, another of George's old haunts, and a place where we were going to put our feet up for a while and enjoy a little top up for our tipsiness (George and me excluded)!

By now it was getting on towards 5.30pm and we decided unanimously that there really is only so much of Glasgow you can do in one day, so we headed back to the car with a plan to go to Nardini's (Established in 1890) at Largs for a fish & chip supper with  ice cream for afters.  However, before we could escape from the car park it charged us £14.50 - ouch! 




But then Nardini's turned out to be a lovely end to a fantastic day with our very dear little 'sis' and George. The sun was dipping towards the sea and we had  lovely views from the restaurant over the isles of Cumbrae and Bute as we ate our meal, and by the time we'd done we just had time to nip back to Ardrosson so that Cath and George could catch the last ferry back to Arran, and John and I cheekily stopped over in the Ardrosson long stay car park for the night.








Finally,  I just need to have a quick rant!   George brought us over a copy of The Arran Banner - the Island newspaper.  The headline was 'Action planned on the Motorhome Menace'.  In really saddened us to read, that since the ferry company 'CalMac' has reduced the fares to take motorhomes over to the Scottish Islands people are indiscriminately 'parking' and taking advantage of 'services' not intended for them.  This is understandably upsetting for  'locals' and causing feelings of animosity, against people who live like we do.  It is, I'm sure, only a few irresponsible individuals who  are spoiling it for the majority!


Scotland Day 26
Sunday 19th June 2016

Not much to report today except maybe about my awful nights sleep!  It probably wasn't a good idea to park right next to a ferry - it's generators droned all night long, and when I got used to that, about half a dozen seagulls came and did a tap dance while they had a natter on our roof!.  We/I  left Ardrosson quite bleary eyed, and headed towards our next destination which was to be Innerleithen, a small town that is found in the Scottish Borders.  John was particularly keen to revisit this area because he wanted to repeat part of a bike ride that we had done a couple of years ago with our friends Sharon and Paul when we completed a chunk (220 miles ish in 7 days) of the Coast and Castle Cycle Way. However, the ride was to be tomorrows outing, so for today we stopped off  at Glentress which is renowned as one of the best mountain biking areas in The Tweed Valley Forest Park.

We ate our late lunch in the car park and briefly considered getting our bikes out, but the skies were grey and threatening rain, so instead we settled for one of several way marked walks.  We followed the short Glen Trail that led us past towering 100 year old Douglas Firs, and we watched several mountain bikers fly past us on some of the more difficult trails that crossed our path.  But in the end we were quite glad we hadn't gone further because just as we stepped back into T4rdis2 the heavens opened, and for the rest of the day the rain mizzeled down without much respite.

However, it didn't much matter because we were soon installed in Tweedside Caravan Park where we plan to make our home for the next few days.


Scotland Day 27
Monday 20th June 2016

Well, I really shouldn't have bragged about us not having much rain during this tour!  It continued to patter on our roof for a good part of the night, but the morning did dawn with some sunshine.  Then, up till about 11am it was showery, but after that both John and the BBC weatherman said we wouldn't have any more wet stuff until much later in the day!

Therefore, quite confidently we packed our flask and picnic and set our bikes off in the direction of the moors, and as we went we remmanised about our previous journey with Sharon and Paul.  First we passed through the golf course, and then the very quiet road gently rose up as it took us for about 12 miles over The Moorfoot Hills.







By the time we got to the top we were both quite hungry, and having spent quite a bit of energy getting there I desperately wanted my  lunch, and I wasn't going to be deterred.   However, setting our picnic out at that stage was a bit of a gamble because behind us we could see the pouring rain racing up the valley towards us, but needs must, so out came our food just as the horizontal rain hit!  Maybe that wouldn't have been so bad but the gusting wind made the raindrops feel like ice pellets as they hit our backs and cascaded down our necks and legs resulting in soggy socks and shoes. Therefore, we were forced to stand with our backs to the howling wind while we munched our sandwiches, and our meal was completed in double quick time,  but we did see the funny side, and as we zoomed downhill after lunch we soon dried out!  By the time we got home we had only done about 30 miles but I was flagging - I'm not sure how we managed nearly twice as far with heavy panniers strapped on the back a couple of years ago!


Scotland Day 28
Tuesday 21st June 2016

Today is our last full day in Scotland, and as the sun had got it's hat on we definitely needed to go out to play. So out came our bikes again and we headed off towards Peebles, a little town about 10 miles away by quite country roads, or as we later found out, only 5 miles by cycle track!

Never  mind, our way was very scenic and early on in the ride we had the pleasure of 'sailing' along beside the babbling Tweed River on one side, while the majestic Douglas Firs towered over us on the other.  The Tweed has it's source in the Southern uplands of Scotland and is approximately 97 miles long, and it's main claim to fame is it's international status for it's salmon stock.  We also passed near to Drumeizier - allegedly the burial place of Merlin the Wizard - but we didn't actually go and investigate further because it would have added quite a few miles to our ride - which in the end turned out to be another 30 anyway.

Eventually, we rolled into the town of Peebles which straddles the River Tweed, and as we sat and sipped our morning coffee we pondered on what might be going on in the town, because it was quite obvious that they were gearing up for some sort of event!  There was a huge fair just setting up in the park, and there was red and white bunting, along with several pictorial displays festooning most of the town and many of it's buildings.  We soon learnt that they were preparing for The Beltane Festival - an ancient celebration that was resurrected in 1988 as a celebration where people could get together and revel in the birth of Summer.




Following our coffee break we left Peebles and rode a little further into the hills and moor lands, but when a little babbling brook with picnic benches beside it presented itself, we decided lunch was in order.  After that it  was time for our return journey which was completed uneventfully, but the peaceful tranquillity where we could watch birds fluttering and calling, and all completed in warm sunshine made the ride very worthwhile, and a lovely end to our tour in Scotland.


Scotland Day 29 (The End of the Tour)
Wednesday 22nd June 2016

Today is the day we're going to start our journey back to the Midlands, and although our Scottish tour has been fantastic, we're glad to be going because we're very much looking forward to seeing all our family and friends.   We plan to spend about week near our old home, and in that time we'll be doing lots of family things, but also preparing for another long tour over to France, Germany, Belgium Czech Republic and possibly Austria.  Im writing this as we're travelling - we've recently passed through the Cheviot Hills, and then over the Scottish/English boarder into Northumbria, and our destination for today is Whitby where we plan to break our journey and enjoy a fish and chip supper on the pier.  We've passed this way many times before and we know off a little spot where hopefully we'll be able to wild camp for the night, but if that doesn't work out there are plenty of little camp sites round and about - anyway, where nearly there, so for now I'll sign off.  Take care xx

Our Scottish Tour - Part 6

Scotland Day 21
Tuesday 14th June 2016

This morning found us parked up on Glen Nevis Campsite which will be our home for the next few days. The morning was warm and sunny, so it didn't take us long to be ready to go out on our planned walk along the Glen to the lower and upper waterfalls of the River Nevis.  However, the start of the walk was about two and a half miles from the campsite, but we couldn't take T4rdis2 because of weight restrictions on the road. Therefore, it was Shank's Pony all the way, which made our walk about 12 miles, and initially we had to walk on the road, but the stunning scenery, much of which was sculpted by glaciers made for many interesting views all the way.

After about 3 miles we arrived at the Lower Falls, which were very picturesque, with small pools and many separate water flows dropping several metres, and the smooth sculpting of the rocks gave you an idea of how it would maybe look when full spate.  From here we continued along the river side path from were we had views of Polldubh crags where we could see several people kitted out in climbing gear scrambling up the almost sheer face.




Our journey continued along another short road section and then we came to what was to be the highlight of our walk - a very steep sided gorge where the rocky rough path clings to one side and far below the churning waters of the river rush through deep pools and over huge rocks that have obviously fallen from high above.  As we entered we spotted this sign which seemed a bit ominous, but we weren't going to be deterred at this stage!






After about a mile and a half the path opened up into a meadow, and the huge Steall Falls presented themselves directly in front of us.  The fall is about 350 metres high, but to get to it's base you need to cross the river, and the only way to do this is via a  wire rope bridge that remains in place from an old settlement.   I did try to persuade John to climb up and pose for a photo, but he declined, and after my fall the other day, he wouldn't let me do it either!










However, not going across didn't detract from our pleasure or view, we had the pleasure of sitting directly opposite while we ate our lunch and sipped our coffee.

Then all to soon it was time to start our return journey back the way we had come, but by changing direction new vistas kept opening up before us, so our trek continued to maintain it's high level of interest.  However, we did wonder, if on the way back, we could miss some of the road section out, and instead walk by the river.  Unfortunately, the track was so rough and indistinct it looked hardly passable so it was going to have to be back the way we had come, but before we set off again a break seemed like a good idea.  Therefore, we found a  comfy rock and unpacked a snack, only to quickly change out minds when the midges descended in great numbers!  So then plan B emerged, and we thought we would buy an ice cream from the van in the car park - but when we saw the unusual black wriggling sprinkles on other peoples cones we soon changed our minds!

Maybe plan C was better - a nice cool beer when we got back to the midge free confines of T4rdis2!


Scotland Day 22
Wednesday 15th June 2016

Rain stopped play today - but we can't really complain because this is only the 2nd time in 22 days that the weather has put us off going out!  The rain had started some time during the night, and when our alarm went off at 8am it was banging on T4rdis2's roof - so we snuggled down and had an extra half an hour!  Then we had a slow get up and a full English (whoops Scottish but with black pudding instead of haggis), before we even considered venturing out.

But we didn't want to let the whole day pass us by, so in the early afternoon, when the rain has slowed to a fine drizzle, we donned out walking gear and set of up the West Highland Way to find 'Dun Deardail'  which is a 7th century vitrified fort ruin that is set high on a lofty knoll and provides 360 degree views of the glen and surrounding lands.  To start with our walk was mostly uphill and along a track that led through deep dark pine forests, and it would be here, that in the Forts hey day, that bears, wolves and wild boar would have roamed.

To find the fort we needed to leave the West Highland Way and follow a path that heaved up very steeply, and then became steeper still and required us to climb a narrow little staircase that is set into the hillside. Then, when we reached the top - there really was nothing left of the fort except an outline around a crater like basin where the vitrified walls have grassed over with time.



However, we had done the work of getting there so we were determined to enjoy our little outing and explore what was left to the full.  So with this in mind, we circumnavigated the walls - a jaunt that at times was quite challenging, because by now the winds had picked up and they were trying to hurl us off of our lofty place, and  along with that, my hair was trying to blindfold me, and there were lots of stones  scattered about forming trip traps thus making our little trek slightly hazardous!  However, we got home safe and sound and we were very glad we'd been out and blown the cob-webs away.  And we only just got back in time before the rain started again - oh well, fingers crossed for tomorrow!


Scotland Day 23 and 24
Thursday and Friday 16th and 17th June 2016

Thursday nights home!

On Thursday we had planned to go cycling, but sadly I still wasn't feeling 100% since my little trip a few days ago (painful ribs) - so we changed our plan towards having a more restful day, and moved further South instead. And really, there isn't much more to say about it, we had a pleasant walk along the banks of Loch Linnhe where we found some lovely cycling tracks, and promised ourselves we'll return to them sometime in the near future!  And then it was on to the other side of Oban where we found a convenient (free) parking spot for the night with views over Loch Feochan.

On Friday we moved further south still, initially following the coast road, but we hadn't gone far when we stopped of at Kilmartin Glen to see  The Slockavullin Standing Stones and the 3500 year old cairns.  From a distance the stones really don't look much, but apparently they line up at the midwinter sunrise and the autumn and spring equinox sunset!   Next came a really pretty meadow with 2 stone circles - again thought to be connected with rituals connected to  the passing seasons and the movement of the sun and moon riding through the heavens. And finally we visited a Neolithic chamber tomb that was reused and rebuilt at least twice by ancient people.



Now, in most of the photos I took a strange figure kept appearing in the distance.  At first I thought it was a little pixie or a gremlin - but when I looked closely I recognised him!

The information boards invited you to step between two portal stones to explore a once-sacred place - but I thought the ghosties might get me so I didn't bother - it was a bit of a creepy place really, especially as we were disturbing the resting place of very ancient beings - but John emerged safe and sound!

Once back in T4rdis2 we had our regulation cuppa, and then set off once again following the main road, first around  Lochgilphead, then  Loch Fyne and eventually on to Loch Lomond  and Port Glasgow, and by that time we were on the lookout for our nights stopover.  At that stage we weren't sure if we would find another 'wild-camp' spot, or if we would have to nip into a proper campsite - but then Lunderston Bay presented itself with it's huge lay-by parking area just above the beach.  Apparently, in times gone by, this area would become a tent city in the summer and people would stay to enjoy all that the bay had to offer - so why should we break with tradition!

And it's very conveniently situated for tomorrow's event!  We're meeting John's little sister Cath and her husband George who are nipping over from their home on Arran to spend the day with us.  We're not sure what we're going to do yet but that will be in the next story.

Our Scottish Tour - Part 5

Scotland Day 17

Friday 10th June 2016

We didn’t really have a very good day today!  We left Durness and headed for Kinlochbervie with the intention of walking to Sandwood Bay, but to get there we needed to follow a 4.5 mile track that passed over rough hilly terrain with small lochs scattered throughout.   Our journey started by  following the main A383 that  passes through magnificent mountains and glens, and then we turned off onto the B801 which proved to be the better road of the two!  However, it is a dead end, so eventually it deteriorated into another narrow track that terminated at Sheigra, but we stopped off in a small car park just before that.

Then it was boots on, and off we marched along the track - but it turned out to be a little uninspiring, with very little variation over the bare  moorland, except occasional patches of bog cotton or small bodies of water.  Also, the path itself was rough with loose stones that threatened to trip you up if you didn’t keep a constant eye on where you were putting your feet. But having said all that, we kept going because we knew our reward would come at the end when the vista opened up over Sandwood Bay itself.

And that’s what caused the problem!  As we rounded the last bend in the path the view was stunning and demanded out full attention - and then - BANG - I tripped, flew through the air and my left side made a rather painful impact with the ground - an impact that seemed to knock every puff of breath out of my lungs.  As I landed I let out a scream that alerted John to my plight, and he came rushing back letting out a few expletives of his own.  For a few minutes I just lay in the dirt with him bending over me cradling my head and looking very worried, but once I’d glupped in a little oxygen, we did a quick survey to see if any real damage had been done, and happily we thought maybe not!   Then between us, with a bit of huffing and puffing, I was  soon back on my feet, and apart from a few bumps and grazes, everything seemed to be in  working order.  However, now we had the long trek back which proved to be no more inspiring and a good bit more uncomfortable after my little mishap.

All in all, we were both very pleased to see the welcome sight of T4rdis2, but we were also very keen to find a parking spot for the night so that I could sit and ‘feel sorry for myself’ in comfort. With that in mind, on the way back to the main road, we explored the possibility of staying at Oldshoremore (as suggested by John’s sister Cath), but the car park was on a bit of a wonk, so we continued on our way until we eventually found a lovely spot at Kylestrome - we’re overlooking Lochar Charin Bhain to the seaward side and Loch Glendhu heading inland, and spanning them both is the relatively new Kylesku Bridge.  



Apparently, the bridge replaced a ferry which only ran in daylight hours, so if you missed it you faced a 110 mile detour to Kylestrome via Lairg!  

The main industry in the area seems to be salmon fishing and holding cages in the loch are easy to spot - apparently they produce 1,000 tonnes of fish a year, or if you like, about 3 tonnes a day!

Scotland Day 18

Saturday 11th June 2016

This morning, because I was still feeling a little delicate and very stiff, rather than doing anything strenuous, we decided to go on a little tour! Our first stop was Lochinver - a pretty little town with a few gift shops, a Spar Supermarket and a Butcher - from where I brought some very nice looking steak. And then it was on to the yellow road that is edged with green indicating 'a narrow road with passing places'

It was very narrow - even by Scottish standards - in places the width barely accommodated our big bus, and with it's many steep hills and blind bends we were very lucky not to come unstuck - must be down to the skill of T4rdis2's excellent driver!

We stopped off at The Bay of Clachtoll for lunch and a little walk on it's pristine beach and learnt about the sea monsters that sometimes visit the bay to feed - the basking sharks - who are over 7 metres long and can weigh over 7 tonnes - that's about the same length as T4rdis2 but twice as heavy!

Then we continued our circuit towards Drumbeg where we thought we might be able to spend the night overlooking more splendid ocean views, but it wasn’t really a suitable spot because it was too near the village and we certainly didn't want to upset anyone by parking inappropriately!

So we put our thinking caps on, and as last night’s parking place wasn’t too far to backtrack to, we decided to return there to enjoy some more of the spectacular views over the lochs, and as a bonus we spotted a seal fishing for his supper.

Scotland Day 19

Sunday 12th June 2016

Oh dear, I think I'm going to have to moan! Today, I was still feeling very stiff and sore, and because my ribs were painful, the act of breathing was making me wince and disturbing my sleep - but I do plan to carry on doing the former! Anyway, moan over, but we decided it was going to have to be another day of taking it fairly easy, so with that in mind, we thought we may as well put a few miles under our belts and head back south - possibly ending up at Lairg for the night.  

But we did break our journey in a couple of interesting places. The first was to see the 16th century Ardvreck Castle, the ruins of which overlook Loch Assynt, and which can be found near the village of Inchnadamp. However, there wasn't really much left to explore, so after a quick look we decided to explore the path of the waterfall below.

The little burn twisted and tumbled it's way down from the high hills, and it's water's were clear but peat stained - it almost looked good enough to drink - but we decided we would only do that if it had found it's way through a distillery further down stream!




Our next visit required us to deviate a little from our planned route, but Knockan Crag Nature Reserve looked quite interesting - and we were very glad we didn't miss it out. The vistas we saw there were stunning in their beauty, but we were also treated to a history lesson that went back many millions of years, and mostly concerned the geology of the area.( knockan-crag.co.uk ).  

Apparently these two chaps are called Peach and Homes, two geologists who in 1882 solved many puzzles concerning how the earth was formed, and provided new knowledge concerning how huge land masses were moved about as the result of the Earth's enormous pressure, and violent upheavals and collisions over many millennia. After a visit to this place you find yourself looking at rock formations in a completely different light, and you not only get a history lesson, but a work out as well.

We couldn't quite work out the relevance of this
so John was going to push it down the hill but
luckily he couldn't budge it!

The site is set out with lots of information that is presented in quite imaginative ways, but to be able to access it all you need to follow a very precipitous, steep trail that covers about 2 kilometres. The paths are often less than a metre wide and have no safety rail as they wend their way up the craggy hillside. However, there are additional rewards at the top from view points that allow you to gaze down over the ancient landscape.

The View from the Top

After we had finished our exploration of this fascinating place we jumped back into T4rdis2 and headed on to a campsite at Lairg, but only to be told we could stay the night, but would have to leave early in the morning as they were fully booked for the next day - and they wanted 20 quid. So, we quickly reversed of their drive and followed the route to our second choice - Woodend Caravan Site - which was about 5 miles away, and mostly down more narrow farm trails. But all ended mostly well, they had plenty of room for us, they had everything we needed, they had fantastic views of Loch Shin and they only wanted £12 - however, the only down side was the vast number of tiny little bitey things that were clever enough to crawl through our mosquito nets and nip us while we slept! We did wonder if this privilege was just set aside for visitors to Scotland, but apparently midges aren't the least bit patriotic and anybody will do!

Scotland Day 20
Monday 13th June 2016

Today it was forwards and onwards towards Fort William where we planned to do some walking in the lovely Glen that sits below Benn Nevis, but to get there we had another long drive to complete. However, we cheered ourselves with the prospect of stopping off at several places along the way, but sadly this didn't provide much distraction, mostly due to lack of parking for T4rdis2.

Our first stop was at Tain to refill our fuel tanks (LPG - gas and diesel), but once the tanks were full their machine declined our cards - good job we'd got enough cash! And then it was on to Lidl to restock our food cupboards - and there our card worked perfectly - phew - that was a relief!

Then we had a quick lunch stop before heading for the iconic Loch Ness where we planned to stop and do a bit of monster spotting. Unfortunately, all the lay-bys were either full or just too narrow for us, so really, we only caught glimpses of the becalmed water as we whizzed by, but at 23 miles long there would be plenty of room for even a big monster to hide!  




We were even thwarted when we pulled into Urquhart Castle which stands on a rocky promontory that overlooks Loch Ness - we had already decided we wouldn't go into the castle grounds because, by now it was 4pm and they closed at 5, but we did want to park up, have a cuppa and take a couple of pics. Se were quite disgruntled when, as we drove in, to spot a sign saying 'NO PARKING FOR MOTORHOMES' in their coach parking area, and car bays were just too small! 





Eventually however, we did find somewhere to pull off the road for a drink - it was The Commando Memorial View Point - an area that is dedicated to the memory of Commando's who gave their lives in The Second World War. We were even tempted to stop for the night but a sign requested that we didn't, and we already had a target campsite for today.



We finally arrived at Glen Nevis Campsite at a bout 7pm, and we're very much looking forward to staying put for a few days. Hopefully, it will give us chance to stretch our legs and explore some of this lovely region that lies in the shadow of the majestic Benn Nevis which we climbed a couple of years ago. So I'll close for now and nip and get my walking boots out ready for tomorrow's challenge - and luckily I'm feeling much better, so we're very much looking forward to our trip to Steall Falls! Take care x

Our Scottish Tour - Part 3

Scotland Day 8
Wednesday 1st June 2016

We've had a wonderful day today!  We left Wick campsite by the same long rough single track that we'd entered on, and luck was with us again because we didn't meet anything coming the other way!  For our first port of call we needed to backtrack for about 6 miles south down the A99 because we'd realised we'd missed a spectacular sight - the magical inlet of Whaligoe.
To actually get into the bay we needed to negotiate 365 ancient steps but it was well worth the effort.



Once we reached the bottom we were able to sit on a precarious rocky outcrop and watch nesting shags caring for and feeding their chicks (usually 3) in nests that were parked on small ledges above the crashing waves below.  We stayed put for quite a while, but eventually we couldn't put our ascent off any longer - we set to and re-climbed the precipitous grassy cliff, but as we did we spared a thought for how things would have been in times gone by. Apparently, catches of cod and haddock would be gutted by crews of local women and then carried up the steps in baskets!


Later, we retraced our tracks back to Wick and stopped off to refuel at their huge Tesco, and it was there that I had a little accident.  Those of you who read my previous post will know that we missed out on being able to make a purchase at the Pulteney Distillery, so while I was collecting one or two essentials from the store, a bottle of their 12 year old good stuff just happened to slip into my basket - we'll be enjoying a wee dram tonight!




Anyway, after that we were soon back on the road and on route for Duncansby Head where we planned to 'wild-camp' for the night.  Our journey was uneventful, but again, we had to negotiate about 2 miles of single track road before we were able to park up on the most north easterly point of mainland Scotland.  Our perch was high up above the ocean and allowed us far reaching views over to the Orkney Islands, but that was not all that this little gem had to offer.  Following a quick lunch we set off to walk towards the Stacks of Duncansby, and the further we went, the more magnificent the vistas became.

The above formations are called Thirl Door (left), Tom Thumb, Peedie Stack and Muckle Stack (right)

From our high vantage point on the coastal footpath we were able to easily spot numerous sea birds as well as seals as they basked on the rocks in the afternoon sunshine.  But then came a strange and eerie sound - it was the song of the seals as they called to each other, or maybe it was the mother seals telling their young not to get their feet wet -






-however, that was something that John managed to do!  The ground on which we were walking was very springy and peaty with occasional boggy areas in the dips.  In some of these areas it was possible to just nip across  very quickly to avoid sinking, but John trod more slowly and  found an area  that was wetter than most, thus resulting in him paddling with the water lapping around his ankles - I think he thought he could walk on water!



Once back in T4rdis2 he was soon dried out, and despite the wind howling around us, we stayed for the night as planned, but when we nipped out about 9.30 for another little walk  we were quite amused to find lambs sheltering under the front end of T4rdis2.

Also, we were quite amazed at how light it remained late into the evening - the picture to the left was taken at about 10.30, but this maybe hindered our ability to count the number of flashing lighthouses we could see from our windows.  There are 11 in the area but we could only spot 4!








Scotland Day 9
Thursday 2nd June 2016

Well, I'm not quite sure how to describe last night - the wind howled and the van rocked for most of the night, but we love our wild unofficial camp-site - probably so much that we'll stop for a repeat performance!


The morning dawned cold and damp, but actual rain wasn't forecast until about mid-day, so with that in mind we nipped off down to John O'Groats for a quick look around.








We couldn't resist taking the usual tourist pics - the End to Enders sign and the finger board indicating how far we'd have to travel to reach Land's End (amongst other places)






But our visit also provided  an interesting lesson about the dynamics of the ocean and it's effects within this stretch of water that is called Pentland Firth.  The information boards told us that the water here travels at some of the fastest speeds to be found anywhere in the world, pinched between the north-eastern tip of the Scottish mainland and the coast of the Orkney's, with the Pentland Skerries strewn in between.  Indeed, tidal rapids are often visible on the surface of Portland Firth, but less well known is the resulting activities beneath the sea.  Apparently,  large rolling boulders of up to 1.5 tonnes (about the weight of an average car) are regularly moved great distances across the seabed!

And the above facts inspired  2 Scottish environmental artists to create the sculpture to the right. The artists (Daiziel and Scullon) relocated three similar sized boulders that had appeared on a local beach after a fierce winter storm, and mounted them on a series of arching beams - maybe a replication of the massive waves that are so common in this area.
We also learnt that it isn't unusual to be able to spot killer and minky whales in this area, along with seals who often have their pups with them at this time of year.

We would maybe have explored more but then the rain started - and it didn't just come in a downward direction!  Therefore, we scurried back home and returned up the little winding road to Duncansby head to spend the rest of the day and another night in our perfect but windy spot!


Scotland Day 10
Friday 3rd June 2016

The morning dawned wet and cold with several vicious downpours washing over T4rdis2 - but to be honest we were quite glad of that, because being on the coast as we have for the last few days, the seagulls had left us little pressies on our roof and sky lights, and happily, the rain washed it all away!

Because of the rain we dawdled over our breakfast and we weren't ready to move off until about 11am, but then we had decided we would head for The Castle of Mey, which was not quite what we expected.

The Castle used to be the property of The Queen Mother until 1996 when she gifted it, along with an endowment, to The Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust.  When we arrived the choice was to either just buy tickets for the garden and animal centre, or you could opt for the slightly more expensive version and visit several rooms inside the castle as well.  We decided we would just settle for the garden, but this only really consisted of a walled area that was pretty but not exceptional, and a grassed area in front of the castle where a couple of cannons stood.

Therefore, it only took us about 30 minutes to complete this part of our visit, and to say the least, we were a little disappointed.  However, then we spotted the animal centre which didn't look overly interesting, but as we thought we needed to make the most of our visit, so we wandered over - and this was were John practised lots of new languages - I think he thought his name was Doolittle!




He spoke to the pigs in 'oink oink oink' and the donkey in 'bray', (he-aw, he-aw, he-awt to know better),



and the geese in 'honk, honk, honk'


he mooed at the cows and he baaaa-rd at the lambs, and he even went as far as to sing Baa Baa Black Sheep, Have You Any Wool  - to which Mummy sheep replied Nahhhh -

It was very funny, but by this time he was becoming a 'little horse', however, it  made our visit well worth while, but maybe you had to be there to share the joke!!






Eventually, I managed to drag him away, (just before the man  in his little white coat turned up from the 'funny farm')!  And from there we headed on our way to The Caravan Club Site at Dunnet where we plan to stay for a couple of days so that I can get our washing done.  Again, we're right on the sea front, but this time surrounded by dunes and a huge stretch of sandy beach - where we passed the afternoon strolling in the warm sunshine.

Scotland Day 11
Saturday 4th June 2016

This morning we overslept - it was 8.45 when John woke me - and he hadn't even made me a cuppa!  Our goal this morning was Dunnet head, and as we wanted to do a bit more
bird spotting, we decided to walk - it was only about 11 miles return journey.

As usual we packed our picnic and filled our flask, and then off we set along the single track road that leads to the headland, but walking on the road wasn't a problem at all - the road only had very minimal traffic so for most of the time we had it entirely to ourselves.

And it was really lovely, much of it bypassed peat bogs where you could see both recent and ancient workings to remove the peat,  we passed numerous small lochs, and all this was made more splendid by the addition of numerous wild flowers and yellow gorse that filled the air with it's vanilla aroma.



In all it took us about two hours to get to the headland where there is another of this areas many lighthouses that were designed by Robert Stevenson, but we didn't linger long to look at that, because by now we were starving, so lunch was high on our agenda.



However, once that was consumed we were keen to pursue our main aim of the day, so with that in mind, we meandered down onto the cliffs to see what we could spot - and we were very quickly rewarded with sightings of puffins flitting through the blue skies as they headed out to sea to find food to  feed too their pufflings.  Then we walked a bit further and managed to spot several more puffins doing a bit of sun bathing on the cliff face - it really made our long walk worthwhile.

We watched the birds for quite a while, but eventually we decided we needed to head back, and it was a good job we left ourselves plenty of time because there was more to see and do on our homeward trek.

Our next stop was at Brough Bay - a little gem that is almost invisible from the road, but by following a track down you arrive at a slipway that was built in 1830 to provide a landing area for provisions needed to build the Dunnet lighthouse.  








More recently fishermen used it, but today it seems to stand deserted (but well cared for) except as another domain for sea birds.  However it provided a lovely coffee stop for us, and it even encouraged John to go foraging.

A Gulls leavings!

Then our final stop was at St John's Pool Hide, where there seemed to be quite a commotion going on.  The hide was renovated in 1992 when floating islands and nesting platforms were installed, along with a predator proof fence.   Since then it has become the home to a huge number of black headed gulls that had previously almost become extinct in this area.  From the hide we were able to watch the noisy gulls and their chicks, along with quite a few other water foul.



And from their we were soon back home in T4rdis2 for a very pleasant evening watching the final of Strictly! We both thought Kelly and Kevin should have won!



Scotland Day 12
Sunday 5th June 2016

We've been very lucky with the weather so far - only one wet day out of 12, and today is another corker with hardly a cloud in the sky!  We've decided to have an easy day today, and because we are heading further west into the 'wilderness' that are the Scottish Highlands, we've decided to stock up at the last Lidl in this area - and what a place that turned out to be.  It is located just outside Thurso, and has stupendous uninterrupted views over craggy coast line and out to sea!


Once the shopping was done and stowed away we continued out along the coast road where fantastic coastal vistas reviled themselves as we headed first past Dounreay Power Station, and then on towards Strathy Point with it's obligatory lighthouse, and where we thought we might be able to pinch another cheeky night 'wild-camping'.




To get there we negotiated another narrow single track road, but alas it wasn't a suitable spot  for us to spend the night, however, we while we were there we did enjoy another magnificent walk along the craggy cliffs.  And all was not lost, because a little earlier we had spotted a lovely parking area that we planned to return to if plan A failed.

So as I type this we're once again overlooking a magnificent coastal view and we're just about ready to sip a nice cool cider in this evenings sunshine xx