13.15
Just to say that I am in Dumfries and have found a pub with WiFi, however the stupid content blocker they have doesn't allow me to view my own blog - I can write entries but not view them. So I hope they have come out ok ;) Oh and you will be glad to know that I managed to find some more gas - it did take me 4 different camping shops though weirdly.
Monday 17 August 2009
Day 16
Date: 16/08/09
Time: 20:15
Miles Travelled Today: 40
Location: Powfoot Holiday Park
Weather: Variable
After a good nights sleep, I awoke to find that the sun had gone again and grey clouds were back. The weather stayed variable all day, always pretty windy with occasional showers. A lot of driving again today without too much reward, the scenery is nice without being spectacular and the beaches ok without being inspiring. This area doesn't seem to have the amazing white sandy, clear blue water and sweeps of sand that have characterised other parts; it seems to be more muddy and rocky. There was another seemingly endless search for a campsite again today; this area is also characterised by having 'Holday Parks' as opposed to just campsites. This means that they are all up to twice as expensive as other sites I have stayed in. After rejecting one that was £21.50 (for a patch of grass and shared use of some toilets FFS – cool random plane though) and a few others around that mark, I finally settled on my current location due mostly to tiredness – although the initial cost of £16 actually turned out to be £12.50 as there is only one of me, so not too horrendous. I have felt very tired today, the kind of tired that seems to come from your bones. Whether it is the driving, the camping or a combination of the two I don't know. Although I have loved the trip, I can't say that I won't be happy to stay in a proper bed again and not drive for a bit. I am also really looking forward to meeting up with some uni friends on Wednesday, a couple I haven't seen for a year.
I am actually not that far from my destination on Wednesday (St. Bees) and so am not sure what I will do tomorrow. If I move on, I will leave Scotland as I am very close to the border. It may well depend on the weather. I also need to find a) a WiFi connection and b) a gas canister as my last one is almost empty and cooking will be a bit tricky without it.
Time: 20:15
Miles Travelled Today: 40
Location: Powfoot Holiday Park
Weather: Variable
After a good nights sleep, I awoke to find that the sun had gone again and grey clouds were back. The weather stayed variable all day, always pretty windy with occasional showers. A lot of driving again today without too much reward, the scenery is nice without being spectacular and the beaches ok without being inspiring. This area doesn't seem to have the amazing white sandy, clear blue water and sweeps of sand that have characterised other parts; it seems to be more muddy and rocky. There was another seemingly endless search for a campsite again today; this area is also characterised by having 'Holday Parks' as opposed to just campsites. This means that they are all up to twice as expensive as other sites I have stayed in. After rejecting one that was £21.50 (for a patch of grass and shared use of some toilets FFS – cool random plane though) and a few others around that mark, I finally settled on my current location due mostly to tiredness – although the initial cost of £16 actually turned out to be £12.50 as there is only one of me, so not too horrendous. I have felt very tired today, the kind of tired that seems to come from your bones. Whether it is the driving, the camping or a combination of the two I don't know. Although I have loved the trip, I can't say that I won't be happy to stay in a proper bed again and not drive for a bit. I am also really looking forward to meeting up with some uni friends on Wednesday, a couple I haven't seen for a year.
I am actually not that far from my destination on Wednesday (St. Bees) and so am not sure what I will do tomorrow. If I move on, I will leave Scotland as I am very close to the border. It may well depend on the weather. I also need to find a) a WiFi connection and b) a gas canister as my last one is almost empty and cooking will be a bit tricky without it.
Day 15
Date: 15/08/09
Time: 20:00
Miles Travelled Today: 113
Location: Campsite in Glenluce
Weather: Raining this morning then sunny
When I was thinking about undertaking this trip, my original plan was go to around the whole coastline of Scotland. Then I did a rough and ready roadmap using Google Maps and it came to 2000 miles which I thought was way too much to do in 3-4 weeks so I narrowed it down to just he North and West coasts. Well, today I broke the 2000 mile mark. When I decided to just do the two coasts, I didn't replan the trip, just though 'well that will be less miles'. But, of course, I still had to get to John o'Groats and, even taking the direct route, that is still a lot of miles which I don't think I really factored in. Ah well, no matter. It has meant that I haven't really stayed at one place more than a couple of days which, perhaps with more time or less travelling, I may have done. I haven't helped myself by wanting to travel up and down every little road looking at things, but then that was the point of the trip in the end...
Today was a much much better day than yesterday. It started badly with me still being awake at 2am last night thanks to two sets of noisy neighbours; one set who were camped 6 feet away and and just kept on moaning at each other (no not in that way) for what seemed like hours – do people not understand that there is someone 6 feet away and only two very thin bits of material between us? Added to that was the party caravan a bit further away who seemed to having a great time, lots of laughs and Scottish music. Really loud laughs. At 1.30am. I went through a range of responses up to and including firebombing the caravan, but it was throwing it down and I was warm and comfy so I just stayed where I was and swore to myself. Eventually they got tired and went to bed. This morning I awoke to yet more rain. Eventually, at about 9.30, it seemed to slacken off so I took the opportunity to pack the car (I LOVE my tent), get washed and go. Indeed, as I went further south, the clouds broke up and the sun arrived again and then stayed all day. I headed down to Stranraer and a couple of beaches that I had identified as possibly interesting. The first was in the middle of nowhere to the point where it didn't even justify a name on the map. It was lovely, remote, secluded with only a couple of other people there. To add to that it not only had it's own lighthouse, it had it's own waterfall, gratuitous and over-ambitious shots of which you will find in the photos. The was my second favourite beach on this trip, only beaten by Talin. After a few hours pretending I knew what I was doing with my camera plus lunch spent on this beach, I went to Portpatrick which was only just down the road and I am glad that I did. Finally, a nice little Scottish town, like the other couple that I have liked, this one was a port/harbour. Little brightly coloured houses, several pubs, a harbour, very nice. I then went over to Sandhead which seems like a promising name for someone in search of beaches. There was indeed a long beach there but it was a bit uninteresting, much like the town. Time was marching on and I started to look for a campsite. After rejecting another 'Holiday Park' (15 quid, I don't think so), I ended up driving to the Mull of Galloway, the most southerly point of Scotland to yet another lighthouse (these pictures are for you Emma ;) ). Then it was back past Sandhead, past a random MOD signed bit of coastline and eventually to Glenluce and my current location. It is quite a nice site, mostly static caravans with a 'walled garden' for campers complete with stream. Sleeping near a stream didn't go well last time, lets see...
Time: 20:00
Miles Travelled Today: 113
Location: Campsite in Glenluce
Weather: Raining this morning then sunny
When I was thinking about undertaking this trip, my original plan was go to around the whole coastline of Scotland. Then I did a rough and ready roadmap using Google Maps and it came to 2000 miles which I thought was way too much to do in 3-4 weeks so I narrowed it down to just he North and West coasts. Well, today I broke the 2000 mile mark. When I decided to just do the two coasts, I didn't replan the trip, just though 'well that will be less miles'. But, of course, I still had to get to John o'Groats and, even taking the direct route, that is still a lot of miles which I don't think I really factored in. Ah well, no matter. It has meant that I haven't really stayed at one place more than a couple of days which, perhaps with more time or less travelling, I may have done. I haven't helped myself by wanting to travel up and down every little road looking at things, but then that was the point of the trip in the end...
Today was a much much better day than yesterday. It started badly with me still being awake at 2am last night thanks to two sets of noisy neighbours; one set who were camped 6 feet away and and just kept on moaning at each other (no not in that way) for what seemed like hours – do people not understand that there is someone 6 feet away and only two very thin bits of material between us? Added to that was the party caravan a bit further away who seemed to having a great time, lots of laughs and Scottish music. Really loud laughs. At 1.30am. I went through a range of responses up to and including firebombing the caravan, but it was throwing it down and I was warm and comfy so I just stayed where I was and swore to myself. Eventually they got tired and went to bed. This morning I awoke to yet more rain. Eventually, at about 9.30, it seemed to slacken off so I took the opportunity to pack the car (I LOVE my tent), get washed and go. Indeed, as I went further south, the clouds broke up and the sun arrived again and then stayed all day. I headed down to Stranraer and a couple of beaches that I had identified as possibly interesting. The first was in the middle of nowhere to the point where it didn't even justify a name on the map. It was lovely, remote, secluded with only a couple of other people there. To add to that it not only had it's own lighthouse, it had it's own waterfall, gratuitous and over-ambitious shots of which you will find in the photos. The was my second favourite beach on this trip, only beaten by Talin. After a few hours pretending I knew what I was doing with my camera plus lunch spent on this beach, I went to Portpatrick which was only just down the road and I am glad that I did. Finally, a nice little Scottish town, like the other couple that I have liked, this one was a port/harbour. Little brightly coloured houses, several pubs, a harbour, very nice. I then went over to Sandhead which seems like a promising name for someone in search of beaches. There was indeed a long beach there but it was a bit uninteresting, much like the town. Time was marching on and I started to look for a campsite. After rejecting another 'Holiday Park' (15 quid, I don't think so), I ended up driving to the Mull of Galloway, the most southerly point of Scotland to yet another lighthouse (these pictures are for you Emma ;) ). Then it was back past Sandhead, past a random MOD signed bit of coastline and eventually to Glenluce and my current location. It is quite a nice site, mostly static caravans with a 'walled garden' for campers complete with stream. Sleeping near a stream didn't go well last time, lets see...
Day 14
Date: 14/08/09
Time: 19:30
Miles Travelled Today: 211
Location: Heads of Ayr Holiday Park
Weather: Throwing it down all day
£16.50. £16.50!!!!! That is how much tonight's pitch has cost. Shocking. I am on a 'holiday park' which seems to mean it is biased towards caravans and is expensive. I am pitched (along with a few other tents) in what seems to be the playing field complete with children's play area. Not that any children are playing on it now as it is throwing it down as it has been all day. And not just a little bit of rain, this has been proper go-outside-for-a-minute-and-get-soaked rain, constantly, pretty much from the moment I got up. Ah well, I can't say it wasn't predicted. I have done a lot of driving in these conditions today which wasn't fun but it was more fun than walking around in it! I did get out of the car a few times, once to take a walk through a wood down to the sea shore and also to look at Skipness castle which was quite impressive. With my coat and waterproof trousers on I was pretty dry but, thanks to the wind combined with the rain, it wasn't great. A flavour of what could have been weather-wise, another reason to be thankful for the lovely weather in the first week. Tomorrow is set to be the same, oh what fun.
Scenary-wise, today started well as I came back up towards Tarbert via a B road. I then came across towards Glasgow, skirted around the West side and came down towards Ayr. It was obvious that I was back more in 'civilisation' and that meant the view deteriorated and got lot more built up. The traffic also increased. I am hoping as I head away from this area that things will improve. Although the random Navy warship (no idea what, perhaps a troop carrier?) moored on Gare Loch and then the subsequent Navy base was quite interesting, although they don't exactly invite you to stand around and take photos; so I didn't.
Time: 19:30
Miles Travelled Today: 211
Location: Heads of Ayr Holiday Park
Weather: Throwing it down all day
£16.50. £16.50!!!!! That is how much tonight's pitch has cost. Shocking. I am on a 'holiday park' which seems to mean it is biased towards caravans and is expensive. I am pitched (along with a few other tents) in what seems to be the playing field complete with children's play area. Not that any children are playing on it now as it is throwing it down as it has been all day. And not just a little bit of rain, this has been proper go-outside-for-a-minute-and-get-soaked rain, constantly, pretty much from the moment I got up. Ah well, I can't say it wasn't predicted. I have done a lot of driving in these conditions today which wasn't fun but it was more fun than walking around in it! I did get out of the car a few times, once to take a walk through a wood down to the sea shore and also to look at Skipness castle which was quite impressive. With my coat and waterproof trousers on I was pretty dry but, thanks to the wind combined with the rain, it wasn't great. A flavour of what could have been weather-wise, another reason to be thankful for the lovely weather in the first week. Tomorrow is set to be the same, oh what fun.
Scenary-wise, today started well as I came back up towards Tarbert via a B road. I then came across towards Glasgow, skirted around the West side and came down towards Ayr. It was obvious that I was back more in 'civilisation' and that meant the view deteriorated and got lot more built up. The traffic also increased. I am hoping as I head away from this area that things will improve. Although the random Navy warship (no idea what, perhaps a troop carrier?) moored on Gare Loch and then the subsequent Navy base was quite interesting, although they don't exactly invite you to stand around and take photos; so I didn't.
Friday 14 August 2009
Day 13
Date: 13/08/09
Time: 21:00
Miles Travelled Today: 72
Location: Machrihanish Campsite
Weather: Mostly cloudy but dry all day
After a beer, a nice dinner, too long spent on the internet chatting to friends and then a good sleep, I woke up this morning ready to get going again. It was great to stay at the B&B and I certainly enjoyed my shower again this morning; it was also good to be able to charge up my camera batteries since I was about half way through my and last second one. After a good breakfast, I packed up and made my way back to Ardrishaig where the owner of the B&B had told me I could find a laundrette. After a little look around, I located it and then spent the next couple of hours washing all of, and then drying most of, my clothes; hopefully this should be the last time before going home.
After looking at timetables, ferry prices (how much to take a car across!) and the weather for Friday and Saturday, I decided to give Islay a miss this time and put it on the list of things to see when I come back. There is a 4 mile walk from the port to the campsite and although today was promised to be at least dry, the next couple of days are supposed to be horrible – I didn't fancy the walk back. So, it was off towards Campbelltown, the coastline was again superb; Scotland just doesn't let up. I stopped at a beach near Kilkenzie, a lovely sweep of sand and enough waves to attract surfers. There were quite a lot of people on the beach, mostly families and, as I sat and watched the surfers, a little girl of no more than 4, came and sat beside me. She was very pretty, red haired and fearless in the way that small children can be. She told me about her dad who was surfing, her brother who was nearby and her mum who was back up the beach, probably wondering who this strange man was who was talking to her daughter, such are the times we live in. Indeed, dad eventually appeared from the surf and had a brief chat with me, very friendly but probably getting a feel for whether I was likely to run off with his daughter. She went back and forward as she played and then came to chat to me again. In the end I actually got quite upset as she reminded me of the two children that I had come to know and love and then loose over the last year; I said goodbye and left before I lost it completely. She gave me a feather which will hopefully stay with me for the rest of the trip. Campbelltown itself was another disappointment, what is it with Scotland and horrible towns? I assume there are some nice places but, apart from Applecross, I have yet to see them, they seem to be uniformly grey and dull. After a quick stop for some fresh food, I made my way out to Machrihanish which is the other end of the beach I had been at earlier. After some time on the beach having a very late lunch and reading, I noticed clouds coming in and, fearing rain, I went back to the campsite I had noticed earlier which was only five minutes away. It is very nice and cheap with all the facilities required (including a cheaper laundrette gah!) and the sound of the sea in the distance. I set about drying the clothes that are not supposed to go in a dryer and organising the back of the car which, after 13 days on the road, had got a little mixed up.
A good day with warm, if a little cloudy, weather and a couple of lovely beaches. I can only hope that the impending weather doesn't arrive tomorrow but we will see. More driving is intended tomorrow, heading back up along a little B road on the other side of this 'spit' of land (see a map for what I mean), I have no idea how far I will get.
Time: 21:00
Miles Travelled Today: 72
Location: Machrihanish Campsite
Weather: Mostly cloudy but dry all day
After a beer, a nice dinner, too long spent on the internet chatting to friends and then a good sleep, I woke up this morning ready to get going again. It was great to stay at the B&B and I certainly enjoyed my shower again this morning; it was also good to be able to charge up my camera batteries since I was about half way through my and last second one. After a good breakfast, I packed up and made my way back to Ardrishaig where the owner of the B&B had told me I could find a laundrette. After a little look around, I located it and then spent the next couple of hours washing all of, and then drying most of, my clothes; hopefully this should be the last time before going home.
After looking at timetables, ferry prices (how much to take a car across!) and the weather for Friday and Saturday, I decided to give Islay a miss this time and put it on the list of things to see when I come back. There is a 4 mile walk from the port to the campsite and although today was promised to be at least dry, the next couple of days are supposed to be horrible – I didn't fancy the walk back. So, it was off towards Campbelltown, the coastline was again superb; Scotland just doesn't let up. I stopped at a beach near Kilkenzie, a lovely sweep of sand and enough waves to attract surfers. There were quite a lot of people on the beach, mostly families and, as I sat and watched the surfers, a little girl of no more than 4, came and sat beside me. She was very pretty, red haired and fearless in the way that small children can be. She told me about her dad who was surfing, her brother who was nearby and her mum who was back up the beach, probably wondering who this strange man was who was talking to her daughter, such are the times we live in. Indeed, dad eventually appeared from the surf and had a brief chat with me, very friendly but probably getting a feel for whether I was likely to run off with his daughter. She went back and forward as she played and then came to chat to me again. In the end I actually got quite upset as she reminded me of the two children that I had come to know and love and then loose over the last year; I said goodbye and left before I lost it completely. She gave me a feather which will hopefully stay with me for the rest of the trip. Campbelltown itself was another disappointment, what is it with Scotland and horrible towns? I assume there are some nice places but, apart from Applecross, I have yet to see them, they seem to be uniformly grey and dull. After a quick stop for some fresh food, I made my way out to Machrihanish which is the other end of the beach I had been at earlier. After some time on the beach having a very late lunch and reading, I noticed clouds coming in and, fearing rain, I went back to the campsite I had noticed earlier which was only five minutes away. It is very nice and cheap with all the facilities required (including a cheaper laundrette gah!) and the sound of the sea in the distance. I set about drying the clothes that are not supposed to go in a dryer and organising the back of the car which, after 13 days on the road, had got a little mixed up.
A good day with warm, if a little cloudy, weather and a couple of lovely beaches. I can only hope that the impending weather doesn't arrive tomorrow but we will see. More driving is intended tomorrow, heading back up along a little B road on the other side of this 'spit' of land (see a map for what I mean), I have no idea how far I will get.
Thursday 13 August 2009
Day 12
Date: 12/08/09
Time: 19:30
Miles Travelled Today: 137
Location: Struan House B&B in Tarbert
Weather: Sunny with clouds
16:45
How difficult can it be to get a bed for the night in Scotland? It turns out to be very stupidly difficult if you are in Fort William or Oban. There isn't a single room to be found, its utterly insane. For gods sake, I could be home in 5 hours and sleep in my own bed, something I am very tempted to do right now.
Some birthday this is turning out to be.
19:30
Well, that was fun. It seems that everyone in Scotland is staying on a B&B! After failing to find anything in both Fort William and Oban, I drove and drove heading towards Cambeltown, continously searching for B&Bs (or even campsites!). Eventually, I came to Tarbert and had a little drive around and found this B&B. It is a bit more expensive than I wanted but at that point I didn't care. It turned out to be lovely with internet access and an amazing shower, the Niagra falls of the shower world. It was fantastic to have a shower that lasted longer than 5 minutes, was more than a dribble and that was lovely and clean. A beer in a local pub and then a meal out will be followed by an internet fix and then, hopefully, a nice sleep.
Fort William itself was unimpressive and Oban was not much better. Beautiful scenary (there is a surprise) on the route down towards Tarbert but I was too hacked off to stop and take pictures so no photos on this post. Hopefully tomorrow will be an easier day.
Time: 19:30
Miles Travelled Today: 137
Location: Struan House B&B in Tarbert
Weather: Sunny with clouds
16:45
How difficult can it be to get a bed for the night in Scotland? It turns out to be very stupidly difficult if you are in Fort William or Oban. There isn't a single room to be found, its utterly insane. For gods sake, I could be home in 5 hours and sleep in my own bed, something I am very tempted to do right now.
Some birthday this is turning out to be.
19:30
Well, that was fun. It seems that everyone in Scotland is staying on a B&B! After failing to find anything in both Fort William and Oban, I drove and drove heading towards Cambeltown, continously searching for B&Bs (or even campsites!). Eventually, I came to Tarbert and had a little drive around and found this B&B. It is a bit more expensive than I wanted but at that point I didn't care. It turned out to be lovely with internet access and an amazing shower, the Niagra falls of the shower world. It was fantastic to have a shower that lasted longer than 5 minutes, was more than a dribble and that was lovely and clean. A beer in a local pub and then a meal out will be followed by an internet fix and then, hopefully, a nice sleep.
Fort William itself was unimpressive and Oban was not much better. Beautiful scenary (there is a surprise) on the route down towards Tarbert but I was too hacked off to stop and take pictures so no photos on this post. Hopefully tomorrow will be an easier day.
Wednesday 12 August 2009
Day 11
Date: 11/08/09
Time: 20:30
Miles Travelled Today:
Location: Silversands campsite near Mallaig
Weather: Rainy all day but has stopped now
What a difference a few hours makes. I went to bed with a classic sunset with clear skies and woke to rain and dark grey clouds which basically stayed until about 5pm. I had decided to stay more or less in the area today before moving on tomorrow. After exploring Mallaig, which took about 10 minutes - it is basically a port with a few B&Bs, a couple of seafood restaurants and a tourist information place – I decided to head down towards Strontium as I had spotted a couple of potential beaches. To cut a long story short, the drive was lovely again but the beaches themselves where disappointing, not helped by the continuous rain. After a delicious mini mushroom quiche from a random little bakery, I headed back towards Mallaig and had a look at Morar and Morar loch which was, again, beautiful. By this time I was knackered and headed back to the tent. The rain had finally stopped and so I was able to take a walk along the beach. It is truely lovely here and I just wish the sun had stayed.
The plan for tomorrow is to head back to Fort William. It is my birthday and I intend to treat myself to a real bed, cooked breakfast and, possibly, a bath. I am also going to go out for dinner and so would like to find a B&B near a restaurant so I can walk there and back. The Scottish tourist industry seems to be doing fine as almost all the B&Bs I pass are full. So, in order to find as many as possible in one place and near restaurants, I have decided to go to the nearest biggest place which is Fort William. I also hope to find somewhere, anywhere (!) with WiFi so I can upload the last few days worth of entries and photos. Here's hoping!
Time: 20:30
Miles Travelled Today:
Location: Silversands campsite near Mallaig
Weather: Rainy all day but has stopped now
What a difference a few hours makes. I went to bed with a classic sunset with clear skies and woke to rain and dark grey clouds which basically stayed until about 5pm. I had decided to stay more or less in the area today before moving on tomorrow. After exploring Mallaig, which took about 10 minutes - it is basically a port with a few B&Bs, a couple of seafood restaurants and a tourist information place – I decided to head down towards Strontium as I had spotted a couple of potential beaches. To cut a long story short, the drive was lovely again but the beaches themselves where disappointing, not helped by the continuous rain. After a delicious mini mushroom quiche from a random little bakery, I headed back towards Mallaig and had a look at Morar and Morar loch which was, again, beautiful. By this time I was knackered and headed back to the tent. The rain had finally stopped and so I was able to take a walk along the beach. It is truely lovely here and I just wish the sun had stayed.
The plan for tomorrow is to head back to Fort William. It is my birthday and I intend to treat myself to a real bed, cooked breakfast and, possibly, a bath. I am also going to go out for dinner and so would like to find a B&B near a restaurant so I can walk there and back. The Scottish tourist industry seems to be doing fine as almost all the B&Bs I pass are full. So, in order to find as many as possible in one place and near restaurants, I have decided to go to the nearest biggest place which is Fort William. I also hope to find somewhere, anywhere (!) with WiFi so I can upload the last few days worth of entries and photos. Here's hoping!
Day 10
Date: 10/08/09
Time: 20:00
Miles Travelled Today: 142
Location: Silversands campsite near Mallaig
Weather: Sunny with clouds
After another indifferent nights sleep, I got up to find a vaguely grey day but with what looked like potential weather-wise. After a quick wash, I put the camping stuff back in the car and had breakfast. The plan was to go on a 3 hour boat trip from 11am but, after looking at the map, I figured that I still had a long way to travel and if I really wanted to go to places like Islay, I had better move on. I took the ferry from Glenelg as advised by the nice man yesterday and it proved great advice with a lovely drive, some time spent at an otter hide where I didn't see any otters but did see about 15 seals, a trip across the river in the last ferry of its type still running, another drive through spectacular scenery to a hill so steep that, after stopping to let someone go past in the opposite direction, I smelt something burning and found that my brakes were smoking. This seemed to be a good point to have lunch! After eating and letting the car cool down, it was onwards to Neptunes Staircase, an impressive bit of engineering that enables boats on the canal to rise 60 odd feet through a sequence of locks. Unfortunately, no boats were transversing it at the time but it was still impressive. Onwards afterwards to Mallaig along a road I had been promised was not to be missed and indeed, it was good although slightly spoilt by people who though the speed limit was 40 all the way. After a stop a Rhu to take in the scenary, I went along the coast road towards Mallaig and was rewarded by sandy beaches and spectacular coastline. It was getting on a bit so I stopped at a campsite (5 quid but a quid to take a shower! A quid! Bloody rip-off! And there is only one blokes shower!) right on the coast; I am currently writing this looking out over the sea after witnessing an amazing sunset of which I may have taken a couple of photos ;) This was after taking my BBQ kit and food to the rocks and having dinner surrounded by the sea watching the sun go down – heaven. The weather has gone back into hot and sunny mode and I hope this continues; frankly if it does I may not move from this bit of Scotland until it is time to meet up with my friends, it is that good.
Hopefully at some point I will find somewhere with WiFi to upload the last few days entries and photos. No real plan for tomorrow, head towards Mallaig and see what happens.
Time: 20:00
Miles Travelled Today: 142
Location: Silversands campsite near Mallaig
Weather: Sunny with clouds
After another indifferent nights sleep, I got up to find a vaguely grey day but with what looked like potential weather-wise. After a quick wash, I put the camping stuff back in the car and had breakfast. The plan was to go on a 3 hour boat trip from 11am but, after looking at the map, I figured that I still had a long way to travel and if I really wanted to go to places like Islay, I had better move on. I took the ferry from Glenelg as advised by the nice man yesterday and it proved great advice with a lovely drive, some time spent at an otter hide where I didn't see any otters but did see about 15 seals, a trip across the river in the last ferry of its type still running, another drive through spectacular scenery to a hill so steep that, after stopping to let someone go past in the opposite direction, I smelt something burning and found that my brakes were smoking. This seemed to be a good point to have lunch! After eating and letting the car cool down, it was onwards to Neptunes Staircase, an impressive bit of engineering that enables boats on the canal to rise 60 odd feet through a sequence of locks. Unfortunately, no boats were transversing it at the time but it was still impressive. Onwards afterwards to Mallaig along a road I had been promised was not to be missed and indeed, it was good although slightly spoilt by people who though the speed limit was 40 all the way. After a stop a Rhu to take in the scenary, I went along the coast road towards Mallaig and was rewarded by sandy beaches and spectacular coastline. It was getting on a bit so I stopped at a campsite (5 quid but a quid to take a shower! A quid! Bloody rip-off! And there is only one blokes shower!) right on the coast; I am currently writing this looking out over the sea after witnessing an amazing sunset of which I may have taken a couple of photos ;) This was after taking my BBQ kit and food to the rocks and having dinner surrounded by the sea watching the sun go down – heaven. The weather has gone back into hot and sunny mode and I hope this continues; frankly if it does I may not move from this bit of Scotland until it is time to meet up with my friends, it is that good.
Hopefully at some point I will find somewhere with WiFi to upload the last few days entries and photos. No real plan for tomorrow, head towards Mallaig and see what happens.
Day 9
Date: 09/08/09
Time: 20:00
Miles Travelled Today: 79
Location: Wild camping in Elgol
Weather: Cloudy with intermittent rain, raining right now
Yes, you read that correctly, I am wild camping! Well, if you define wild camping as not camping at a camp site then that is what I am doing. If you mean camping without facilities, then perhaps not....
As decided yesterday, I drove to Elgol today intending to camp nearby and get a boat trip tomorrow. When I got here, via a little cafe in the middle of nowhere and some very nice homemade carrot and coriander soup, I discovered that it is tiny and there are no campsites. As I was pondering what to do, I noticed a couple of tents on a level patch of grass and got thinking. After a conversation with a very nice guy who happened to own one of the tents, I decided to camp there that evening. The reason I am hesitant to call it 'full' wild camping is because there is a public toilet (with hot water!) nearby so am not completely without modern day conveniences. Still, it means no shower tomorrow; mmm that will be nice for everyone and will remind me of festivals. After being advised that the camp area was quite still and so heavy with midges, together with the fact that, after being ok most of the day, it started raining at about 5pm, I cooked and ate dinner by the car which is parked just above the area. I am now in my tent with the rain still pitter-patter'ing down, this is the weather I had been told to expect!
Skye continued to be beautiful if stark and, with the rain easing up during the day, a little less depressing. I am leaving Skye tomorrow, the original plan was to go back over the bridge but the friendly man told me another way involving a short ferry ride and then a lovely drive through a mountain pass that I might try...
Day 8
Date: 08/08/09
Time: 21:00
Miles Travelled Today: 151
Location: Campsite near Dunvegan
Weather: Rain :(
Today was my first day in Skye and my first day of rain. Yes, the rain has finally arrived and with a vengeance, it only let up for short intervals all day. Skye is beautiful but somehow depressing, although that might be the rain. It is full of stark mountains, empty heathland and un-inspiring villages/towns. The scenary in general is still very impressive however. I did a fair amount of driving with some walking inbetween including a walk to a 'coral beach' which didn't seem to have any coral on it; I am guessing the tide was in and covering the coral – the beach, although small, was very nice and the water amazingly clear; a feature I am finding all the way through the trip.
During my travels I came across a big Co-op and so was able to stock up on some provisions which was welcome. After quite a lot of driving, I ended up in Dunvegan and found a campsite which turned out to be cheap but has everything that I need. All of the campsites so far have been fine; what has made me laugh a little is the variety in the rules and regulations in force. For instance, todays compsite is refreshingly free of notices and rules; indeed the little tag that you put on your tent has a section called 'Rules and regulations' on which it says 'Have a lovely time'. Some of the other campsites have had great boards full of things you may, or more usually may not, do. I almost expected men with clipboards to be patrolling the site checking up on everyone! However, generally everyone has been friendly enough and, to be fair, all the rules have been pretty much common sense.
I found a leaflet when I was in Applecross about a boat trip that operates out of Elgol but not on Sundays so my intention is to get there tomorrow, find a campsite and then go on a boat trip on Monday. That should keep down the number of miles I have to travel tomorrow which will be good.
Friday 7 August 2009
Day 7
Date: 07/08/09
Time: 21:50
Miles Travelled Today: 0!
Location: Campsite in Applecross
Weather: Again. amazing all day
What a lovely relaxing day, just what the brain ordered. I have done exactly no miles in the car today which was sooo nice. I have done some walking, washed my clothes, done a lot of sunbathing and not a lot else. I have also discovered that this campsite actually does have WiFi and so I am finally able to upload the photos from the last few days. Today I took a lot of photos of the sunset for which I am unapologetic, it was very beautiful and I hope I captured some of that. I also got eaten alive my midges for the first time – there have been a few over the last few days and I have been bitten but outside the pub was insane particularly as the sun went down. The joys of the West coast of Scotland ;)
Not a lot else to say really, it has been a very lazy day which was very much required. I am a big people watcher (that is I am big into watching people, not just watching big people) and it was interesting to watch the campsite empty and then fill again as existing campers left and new ones arrived. I walked over to the 'local producers market' at the village hall which I hoped would be full of jams and chutneys and the like but had one cake/bread stall and the rest were stuff like friendship bracelets, paintings, cards, drying up cloths, etc., a bit disappointing; I bought some home made, over priced but very nice cheese and tomato bread anyway and resisted the over priced, very fattening but lovely brownies. I managed to miss the queues for the showers by being lazy and not going until about 10am, good plan.
Time: 21:50
Miles Travelled Today: 0!
Location: Campsite in Applecross
Weather: Again. amazing all day
What a lovely relaxing day, just what the brain ordered. I have done exactly no miles in the car today which was sooo nice. I have done some walking, washed my clothes, done a lot of sunbathing and not a lot else. I have also discovered that this campsite actually does have WiFi and so I am finally able to upload the photos from the last few days. Today I took a lot of photos of the sunset for which I am unapologetic, it was very beautiful and I hope I captured some of that. I also got eaten alive my midges for the first time – there have been a few over the last few days and I have been bitten but outside the pub was insane particularly as the sun went down. The joys of the West coast of Scotland ;)
Not a lot else to say really, it has been a very lazy day which was very much required. I am a big people watcher (that is I am big into watching people, not just watching big people) and it was interesting to watch the campsite empty and then fill again as existing campers left and new ones arrived. I walked over to the 'local producers market' at the village hall which I hoped would be full of jams and chutneys and the like but had one cake/bread stall and the rest were stuff like friendship bracelets, paintings, cards, drying up cloths, etc., a bit disappointing; I bought some home made, over priced but very nice cheese and tomato bread anyway and resisted the over priced, very fattening but lovely brownies. I managed to miss the queues for the showers by being lazy and not going until about 10am, good plan.
Tomorrow I hit the road again. I will miss this place, I love its laid back and relaxed attitude (apart from in the pub which was utterly manic, apparently it has a reputation for good food and was heaving when I went), its beauty and its charm. I aim to get to Skye tomorrow and we will see what that brings....
Day 6
Date: 06/08/09
Time: 21:30
Miles Travelled Today: 140
Location: Campsite in Applecross
Weather: Again. amazing all day
Time: 21:30
Miles Travelled Today: 140
Location: Campsite in Applecross
Weather: Again. amazing all day
Today has been the first day that I have felt lonely on this trip. It hasn't helped that I am, once again, very tired thanks to the noisy neighbours not shutting up for a while, Ullapool harbour continuing to be noisy into the night and the rats with wings screaming in the campsite at about 5am. It took a coffee in the morning and another during lunch at The Torridon (best pub in Scotland 08-09 and I can see why) to get me through the day. I don't have a problem with my own company and don't mind being on my own at all, however a combination of the sight of lots of happy couples and families at each campsite I stop at together with the amazing sights that I am witnessing and wanting to share them with someone, has lead to a slight feeling on loneliness. It doesn't help that I am not one of those people who can randomly strike up conversations with people I don't know. I am rubbish at parties, I am not the man charming everyone, I am the one in the corner watching that man. In the end it was my decision to do this trip on my own so I have no one else to blame. Still, it would be nice to have someone to say 'look at that' and 'look at THAT' to on occasion.
I would have had plenty of opportunities to do that again today and Scotland continued to bombard me with beauty. Every turn in the road brings more sights to behold, this country is stuffed full of delights and, even with the amount I am travelling, I am only really scratching the surface. Talking about the travelling, today took me over the 1000 mile mark which is a lot in 6 days. It is not easy driving either (ignoring the first couple of days), this is full on, total concentration driving with a high proportion of single track roads, loose sheep, slow campervans, etc., not helped by constant distractions through every window. Looking back, I have made a mistake with my choice of transport. If you get nothing else from reading this blog, take the following two things:
2) Either bring a campervan with at least a toilet so you can take advantage of the opportunities to wild camp (turns out to be not so easy in a tent although it could just be me being a girl) or, if you like driving, bring a decent car (oh, how I long for my Lotus Elise) so you can enjoy the roads which, surprise surprise, are amazing. I have done neither, although faithful and dependable, my Almera is not an entertaining drive and I long for something that would extract the maximum out of the roads
There you go, you knew there was a reason you were reading this.
Due to the tiredness and the concentration required for the driving, I have decided to stay in Applecross tomorrow too and do some walking. It is a rather lovely little village on the coast with a beach, a few houses, a pub, a community hall, a campsite (which is cheap but, with only four showers, could result in queues) and not much else. Apart from the views of course which, true to form, are to die for. So, no driving at all tomorrow to give my brain and my car a rest and then probably onto Sky on Saturday. Unless I decide to stay here longer, who knows. The only thing it doesn't seem to have is WiFi so, by the time you read this, I will probably have left anyway. It feels odd to write a blog but not be able to post it until sometime after writing it but I am enjoying putting down what has happened during the day so as to aid my crappy memory when I get back home, if nothing else
Day 5
Date: 05/08/09
Time: 22:20
Miles Travelled Today: 88
Location: Campsite in Ullapool
Weather: Again. amazing all day but now raining
Time: 22:20
Miles Travelled Today: 88
Location: Campsite in Ullapool
Weather: Again. amazing all day but now raining
I have fallen completely in love with Scotland and am looking meaningfully at any houses that I pass that are for sale. I have run out of words to describe what I am seeing, I guess you are sick of seeing the words amazing, beautiful, etc. come up again and again but they are all I have.
Day 4
Date: 04/08/09
Time: 22:00
Miles Travelled Today: 65
Location: Campsite in Scourie
Weather: Amazing during the day before raining towards the end
Another night with little sleep left my very tired today. The scenary and the beauty, however, was unrelenting, just as I got over one view I would turn a corner and be presented with another. This included one of the most perfect beaches I have ever come across. It was in Talin and required a few hundred metre walk from the road. As you hopefully can see from the pictures, it was a sweep of sand framed by cliffs with crystal blue water (still unbelievably cold) and, best of all, only two other people on it. It was truely amazing. After a coffee and a sandwich at a lovely little restuarant in Tarbet, I continued on. However, I was still very tired and as soon as I saw the campsite in Scourie, I decided that I would stop despite it only being about 1.30. I was lucky enough to bag a pitch over looking a lovely bay with a small beach on one side; crystal blue waters again. I crashed out for a while, wiped out from the driving and the lack of sleep. Later on I had a little wander around and visited the local shop to stock up on rolls for the enusing BBQ. The weather had been lovely again all day but as the evening drew in, ominous looking rain clouds started appearing. I had just enough time to cook my burgers before having to dive into the tent to eat them as the rain fell. The shower didn't last very long however it was to be the pattern for the rest of the evening.
A highlight of the day was watching two seperate seals play in the bay; popping up, having a little look and swim around before disappearing down again; it was a privileged moment to experience. I tried to get a couple of photos but the light was rapidly disappearing and they didn't come out; I did get a couple of the sunset however.
I am experimenting with a new bed setup tonight: fake-thermarest with duvet and then sleeping bag on top, I am hoping that this will enable me to sleep better....
Time: 22:00
Miles Travelled Today: 65
Location: Campsite in Scourie
Weather: Amazing during the day before raining towards the end
Another night with little sleep left my very tired today. The scenary and the beauty, however, was unrelenting, just as I got over one view I would turn a corner and be presented with another. This included one of the most perfect beaches I have ever come across. It was in Talin and required a few hundred metre walk from the road. As you hopefully can see from the pictures, it was a sweep of sand framed by cliffs with crystal blue water (still unbelievably cold) and, best of all, only two other people on it. It was truely amazing. After a coffee and a sandwich at a lovely little restuarant in Tarbet, I continued on. However, I was still very tired and as soon as I saw the campsite in Scourie, I decided that I would stop despite it only being about 1.30. I was lucky enough to bag a pitch over looking a lovely bay with a small beach on one side; crystal blue waters again. I crashed out for a while, wiped out from the driving and the lack of sleep. Later on I had a little wander around and visited the local shop to stock up on rolls for the enusing BBQ. The weather had been lovely again all day but as the evening drew in, ominous looking rain clouds started appearing. I had just enough time to cook my burgers before having to dive into the tent to eat them as the rain fell. The shower didn't last very long however it was to be the pattern for the rest of the evening.
A highlight of the day was watching two seperate seals play in the bay; popping up, having a little look and swim around before disappearing down again; it was a privileged moment to experience. I tried to get a couple of photos but the light was rapidly disappearing and they didn't come out; I did get a couple of the sunset however.
I am experimenting with a new bed setup tonight: fake-thermarest with duvet and then sleeping bag on top, I am hoping that this will enable me to sleep better....
Wednesday 5 August 2009
Photos
You may notice that the blog posts now have a photo slideshow at the bottom of each one, this is linked to a Picasa Web Album of photos that I have been taking. Apart from some that I deleted straight away after taking them, these have not been edited or changed in any way, as you will tell as quite a few need it! Over time I may go back and fix some and delete others but at the moment you are getting the raw unedited versions, for better or worse.
Oh, and I have finally found somewhere in Scotland with WiFi. Its a pub, what a shame, I mean it would be rude to sit here without drinking anything...
Day 3
Date: 03/08/09
Time: 22:00
Miles Travelled Today: 140
Location: Campsite in Durness
Weather: Amazing all day
If it rains for the entire rest of the trip, it will still have been worth it for today, that's how good it has been.
The day actually started with me a bit nervous. Last night the air bed epically failed and had mostly deflated before I tried going to sleep – its not that it ripped, just gradually let air out until it was useless. That necessitated a trip out of the tent and over to the car to get the fake-thermarest where I discovered, to my horror, that I had left the passenger door slightly ajar and the interior light was on It must have been on for hours.... Come the next day, I had no idea whether the car would start. I have jump leads with me and it wouldn't really have been a problem but it was faff I could do without. Luckily it started first time and I could relax. The weather today has been nothing short of amazing, particularly given the woeful forecasts we have been getting. Blue sky, bright sunshine and temperatures into the high 20s have meant that I, in typical British person on holiday fashion, have managed to get burnt. Only a bit on my leg but still – burnt! In Scotland! In this crappy summer!
I have spent the day wandering from one beautiful place to the next. I started with watching seals, how about that as the first thing to find. Amusingly I was actually parked up looking at a lovely bit of coastline when an old man came up to me and started chatting. “Looking at the seals are you?” he said. “What seals?” was my less than impressive reply. In my defense, they are supurbly camoflaged but really I have no excuse. I then had some time watching them through my binoculars and zoom lense on my camera; a quick look at the ensuing photos this evening has indicated that my photo taking skills need a bit of, uh, polishing but perhaps one will come out ok. A lovely beach in Dunnet then followed where I was able to get the kite out for the first time. If anything, it was a bit too windy but it was great to finally have a fly. Then on around the coast, diverting onto small side roads if anything interesting seemed to be there. This included a walk to a derelict chapel right next to some massive wind turbines. The walk included a bridge over a lovely river, so lovely in fact that after I got back to the car, I made some sandwiches, packed my kettle and my gas burner and walked right back to it to have lunch. The countryside and coastline that I have driven and walked through today has been some of the most amazing I have ever seen, and I have seen a few/over the years. The scale, the emptiness, the sheer majesty of it all is beyond description and I fear that my photos will no do it justice. The end of the day was a little nerve wracking as I attempted to find a campsite for the night. After dismissing one, I then spent the next hour driving through extremely empty moorland getting increasingly worried. I did look at wild camping but any potential places already had someone on them, including what looked like the side of a cliff impressively. Eventually I decided to stop for some food and managed to find a parking place overlooking a loch. Out came the trusty burner and a few minutes later I was enjoying some pasta and salad with a view to die for. Apart from a few Germans who randomly stopped, got out, walked around a bit and then left again, I was on my own with perhaps one car every five minutes passing by. Lovely. However, it was soon time to leave again as it was starting to get late. After quite a bit more driving and at least one full campsite, I finally arrived at this one. It was cheap, has all the amenties you could need (except WiFi!) and is right next to not one but two lovely sandy beaches. What more could you ask for?
I have no idea whether the weather will continue tomorrow, I guess I will find out. I know that the scenary will continue though and that is the main thing.
Time: 22:00
Miles Travelled Today: 140
Location: Campsite in Durness
Weather: Amazing all day
If it rains for the entire rest of the trip, it will still have been worth it for today, that's how good it has been.
The day actually started with me a bit nervous. Last night the air bed epically failed and had mostly deflated before I tried going to sleep – its not that it ripped, just gradually let air out until it was useless. That necessitated a trip out of the tent and over to the car to get the fake-thermarest where I discovered, to my horror, that I had left the passenger door slightly ajar and the interior light was on It must have been on for hours.... Come the next day, I had no idea whether the car would start. I have jump leads with me and it wouldn't really have been a problem but it was faff I could do without. Luckily it started first time and I could relax. The weather today has been nothing short of amazing, particularly given the woeful forecasts we have been getting. Blue sky, bright sunshine and temperatures into the high 20s have meant that I, in typical British person on holiday fashion, have managed to get burnt. Only a bit on my leg but still – burnt! In Scotland! In this crappy summer!
I have spent the day wandering from one beautiful place to the next. I started with watching seals, how about that as the first thing to find. Amusingly I was actually parked up looking at a lovely bit of coastline when an old man came up to me and started chatting. “Looking at the seals are you?” he said. “What seals?” was my less than impressive reply. In my defense, they are supurbly camoflaged but really I have no excuse. I then had some time watching them through my binoculars and zoom lense on my camera; a quick look at the ensuing photos this evening has indicated that my photo taking skills need a bit of, uh, polishing but perhaps one will come out ok. A lovely beach in Dunnet then followed where I was able to get the kite out for the first time. If anything, it was a bit too windy but it was great to finally have a fly. Then on around the coast, diverting onto small side roads if anything interesting seemed to be there. This included a walk to a derelict chapel right next to some massive wind turbines. The walk included a bridge over a lovely river, so lovely in fact that after I got back to the car, I made some sandwiches, packed my kettle and my gas burner and walked right back to it to have lunch. The countryside and coastline that I have driven and walked through today has been some of the most amazing I have ever seen, and I have seen a few/over the years. The scale, the emptiness, the sheer majesty of it all is beyond description and I fear that my photos will no do it justice. The end of the day was a little nerve wracking as I attempted to find a campsite for the night. After dismissing one, I then spent the next hour driving through extremely empty moorland getting increasingly worried. I did look at wild camping but any potential places already had someone on them, including what looked like the side of a cliff impressively. Eventually I decided to stop for some food and managed to find a parking place overlooking a loch. Out came the trusty burner and a few minutes later I was enjoying some pasta and salad with a view to die for. Apart from a few Germans who randomly stopped, got out, walked around a bit and then left again, I was on my own with perhaps one car every five minutes passing by. Lovely. However, it was soon time to leave again as it was starting to get late. After quite a bit more driving and at least one full campsite, I finally arrived at this one. It was cheap, has all the amenties you could need (except WiFi!) and is right next to not one but two lovely sandy beaches. What more could you ask for?
I have no idea whether the weather will continue tomorrow, I guess I will find out. I know that the scenary will continue though and that is the main thing.
Day 2
Date: 02/08/09
Time: 21:00
Miles Travelled Today: 255
Location: John o'Groats Campsite
Weather: Was sunny, now clouding over a bit
What a difference a day makes. Although the first day was fine, it was mostly motorway driving and then camping in the rain. It did let up long enough for me to cook dinner and then came back with a vengeance. I didn't get much sleep, I don't sleep that well anyhow and a combination of being on a roll mat, although it was that uncomfortable, the noise of the stream and the heavy rain storms was enough to ensure that I was awake or dozing most of the night. That did mean that I was up early and didn't have to queue for a shower though. Another bit of good news was that I managed to put the tent away, still not sure if I did exactly by the book but it fitted inside the bag and that is all that counts!
So, after packing up, I was on my way to John 'oGroats. The sat nav reckoned on about 4.5 hours which would get me in at about 2.30ish. To cut a long story short, the drive up was stunning, my god what a beautiful place Scotland is. I know you will have heard it before but believe me, it is all true. Lochs, rivers, mountains, heather, view galore, it is all here. It helped that my sat nav did it's usual thing of choosing random tiny roads to go down rather than sticking to A roads. Normally this is very annoying as it assumes you can do 60 mph down a tiny road which, unless you are suicidal, you can't However today it took me through some utterly beautiful scenery and so I forgave it. After stopping for supplies at Wick (I was strangely amazed to find Argos and Lidl, as well as Tescos etc, 20 miles from John o'Groats) I arrived at John o'Groats. The campsite is right on the coastline and my pitch is about 20m from the sea, perfect. The campsite itself is fine, not too expensive and all the facilities are there. After putting the tent up (which still worked after me packing it away) and having a bit of lunch, I went for a wander. JoG (can't be bother to keep writing it) is, predictably, a bit of a dump with a few tat shops, cafes and burger vans. Why is it that places like this tend to be either dumps or some horrible over touristy parody of themselves? The famous signpost is actually privately owned and you aren't allowed to photograph yourself, you have to pay for them to do it... After exploring the 'town', such that it is, I had a walk up the coastline a bit towards a white sandy beach that I had spotted. This was a good start to my exploration of Scottish beaches, nice white sand, very few people and lots of things to look at and try out my new toy, a Cannon 300D. I love this camera, it may be the low end model in the range but even after only a couple of weeks I can already see that it is far more capable that I am. I went on a very good one day course (http://www.photographymadesimple.co.uk/) to at least get an idea of what it can do – it was very helpful and I at least have some idea about what I am doing. I am looking at the photos on my little Aspire One at the end of the day and some of them seem ok so far – I am at least thinking about the photo composition and not just 'snapping'. I particularly like the 75-300mm zoom lense that I have, it makes a big difference.
So here I am, back in my tent after a BBQ and sitting enjoying the view an the sunshine. I am using my air mattress today and, as predicted, it only just fits in the tent, however the combination of that, pillows and duvet should mean that tonight is a little more comfortable than last night – we shall see if that means I get some sleep.
I am tempted to stay here for another night but, after looking at the map and the distance I need to cover, have decided to move on tomorrow – not sure where but then the plan was always not to have a plan and see where I end up!
Time: 21:00
Miles Travelled Today: 255
Location: John o'Groats Campsite
Weather: Was sunny, now clouding over a bit
What a difference a day makes. Although the first day was fine, it was mostly motorway driving and then camping in the rain. It did let up long enough for me to cook dinner and then came back with a vengeance. I didn't get much sleep, I don't sleep that well anyhow and a combination of being on a roll mat, although it was that uncomfortable, the noise of the stream and the heavy rain storms was enough to ensure that I was awake or dozing most of the night. That did mean that I was up early and didn't have to queue for a shower though. Another bit of good news was that I managed to put the tent away, still not sure if I did exactly by the book but it fitted inside the bag and that is all that counts!
So, after packing up, I was on my way to John 'oGroats. The sat nav reckoned on about 4.5 hours which would get me in at about 2.30ish. To cut a long story short, the drive up was stunning, my god what a beautiful place Scotland is. I know you will have heard it before but believe me, it is all true. Lochs, rivers, mountains, heather, view galore, it is all here. It helped that my sat nav did it's usual thing of choosing random tiny roads to go down rather than sticking to A roads. Normally this is very annoying as it assumes you can do 60 mph down a tiny road which, unless you are suicidal, you can't However today it took me through some utterly beautiful scenery and so I forgave it. After stopping for supplies at Wick (I was strangely amazed to find Argos and Lidl, as well as Tescos etc, 20 miles from John o'Groats) I arrived at John o'Groats. The campsite is right on the coastline and my pitch is about 20m from the sea, perfect. The campsite itself is fine, not too expensive and all the facilities are there. After putting the tent up (which still worked after me packing it away) and having a bit of lunch, I went for a wander. JoG (can't be bother to keep writing it) is, predictably, a bit of a dump with a few tat shops, cafes and burger vans. Why is it that places like this tend to be either dumps or some horrible over touristy parody of themselves? The famous signpost is actually privately owned and you aren't allowed to photograph yourself, you have to pay for them to do it... After exploring the 'town', such that it is, I had a walk up the coastline a bit towards a white sandy beach that I had spotted. This was a good start to my exploration of Scottish beaches, nice white sand, very few people and lots of things to look at and try out my new toy, a Cannon 300D. I love this camera, it may be the low end model in the range but even after only a couple of weeks I can already see that it is far more capable that I am. I went on a very good one day course (http://www.photographymadesimple.co.uk/) to at least get an idea of what it can do – it was very helpful and I at least have some idea about what I am doing. I am looking at the photos on my little Aspire One at the end of the day and some of them seem ok so far – I am at least thinking about the photo composition and not just 'snapping'. I particularly like the 75-300mm zoom lense that I have, it makes a big difference.
So here I am, back in my tent after a BBQ and sitting enjoying the view an the sunshine. I am using my air mattress today and, as predicted, it only just fits in the tent, however the combination of that, pillows and duvet should mean that tonight is a little more comfortable than last night – we shall see if that means I get some sleep.
I am tempted to stay here for another night but, after looking at the map and the distance I need to cover, have decided to move on tomorrow – not sure where but then the plan was always not to have a plan and see where I end up!
Sunday 2 August 2009
First Day
Date: 01/08/09
Time: 21:15
Miles travelled today: 380
Location: Beinglas Farm Campsite, just north of Loch Lomond
Weather: Throwing it down with no end in sight
So, here I am at the end of the first day of my trip. I have managed to get to the campsite that I was aiming for – one that had been recommended by a friend and it is quite nice and in a spectactular location just north of Loch Lomond, surrounded by steep hillsides complete with waterfalls, trees and general greenary. It also has a river running by the side of it on 2 sides and you need to cross a very rickety looking wooden bridge to get to it. Facilities look good although with only 3 male showers, there could be a bit of a queue tomorrow. The day went fine, I left a little later than planned and the trip to Merryhill to buy a popup tent and supplies was predictably hideous with lots of traffic and people. Why people find going to these types of places fun I will never understand. I um'ed and ah'ed about the size of tent to get but in the end went for a 2 man, something I am now slightly regretting. How exactly two men plus stuff is supposed to fit in here I am not quite sure, big it is not. However, the fact that I could put it up in a few seconds, plus a bit of time to peg it down, was highly appreciated in the rain. Putting it away tomorrow might be slightly less fun, I have only tried to put one of these away once and it took 2 hours and a phone call to my brother....
Time: 21:15
Miles travelled today: 380
Location: Beinglas Farm Campsite, just north of Loch Lomond
Weather: Throwing it down with no end in sight
So, here I am at the end of the first day of my trip. I have managed to get to the campsite that I was aiming for – one that had been recommended by a friend and it is quite nice and in a spectactular location just north of Loch Lomond, surrounded by steep hillsides complete with waterfalls, trees and general greenary. It also has a river running by the side of it on 2 sides and you need to cross a very rickety looking wooden bridge to get to it. Facilities look good although with only 3 male showers, there could be a bit of a queue tomorrow. The day went fine, I left a little later than planned and the trip to Merryhill to buy a popup tent and supplies was predictably hideous with lots of traffic and people. Why people find going to these types of places fun I will never understand. I um'ed and ah'ed about the size of tent to get but in the end went for a 2 man, something I am now slightly regretting. How exactly two men plus stuff is supposed to fit in here I am not quite sure, big it is not. However, the fact that I could put it up in a few seconds, plus a bit of time to peg it down, was highly appreciated in the rain. Putting it away tomorrow might be slightly less fun, I have only tried to put one of these away once and it took 2 hours and a phone call to my brother....
Due to the campsite being a bit soggy, I couldn't park the car next to the tent and so had to ferry all my stuff over in the rain – however I have a waterproof jacket, overtrousers and wellies so it wasn't that much of a problem. However, it does mean that I am using my roll mat and sleeping bag rather than air bed – in fact, I am wondering if the air bed is going to fit in here at all! Hopefully I will get to find out sometime soon.
So here I am, in my tent listening to the rain and hoping that I haven't put the tent up wrong/it is broken and so I get wet – seems ok so far.
The actual trip up was predictably dull as it was 90% motorway. The scenery around the Lake District was amazing and once I got to Loch Lomond it got a lot more interesting and beautiful. Tomorrow should be a lot more picturesque as I head up to John o'Groats and a campsite there.
I would really like to have some dinner but it is throwing it down so I cannot cook. There is no porch in this tent so it is outside or nothing. I will wait for a while and, if it doesn't let up, I will head over to the camp restaurant/bar and see what they have. The midges have already made their presence felt and there was a brief panic as I couldn't find the Skin-so-Soft I had been promised would keep them at bay – luckily it was located and I am now dosed in the stuff; seems to be working. If nothing else I will have great skin by the time I get back!
That's it so far, a dullish day but necessary to get to John o'Groats in two days. I still have no idea when I will be able to actually post this as I doubt that there is much WiFi in Scotland, however I can but hope.
So here I am, in my tent listening to the rain and hoping that I haven't put the tent up wrong/it is broken and so I get wet – seems ok so far.
The actual trip up was predictably dull as it was 90% motorway. The scenery around the Lake District was amazing and once I got to Loch Lomond it got a lot more interesting and beautiful. Tomorrow should be a lot more picturesque as I head up to John o'Groats and a campsite there.
I would really like to have some dinner but it is throwing it down so I cannot cook. There is no porch in this tent so it is outside or nothing. I will wait for a while and, if it doesn't let up, I will head over to the camp restaurant/bar and see what they have. The midges have already made their presence felt and there was a brief panic as I couldn't find the Skin-so-Soft I had been promised would keep them at bay – luckily it was located and I am now dosed in the stuff; seems to be working. If nothing else I will have great skin by the time I get back!
That's it so far, a dullish day but necessary to get to John o'Groats in two days. I still have no idea when I will be able to actually post this as I doubt that there is much WiFi in Scotland, however I can but hope.
Until next time...
Thursday 30 July 2009
D-Day minus 2 (or what is this all about?)
The What and The Why
I work in the education sector (specifically Conductive Education but I am not going into that here) and therefore get summer holidays. This summer I decided to explore part of the UK that I have only really had a little taste of: Scotland or, more specifically, the coast line of Scotland. I spent a week in Ardnamurchan a few years ago and thought it was beautiful and wanted to explore more. I grew up by the sea in North Wales and went to Uni the first time on the West coast of Wales so have a natural affinity for the sea and coasts. I gave myself the month of August to do this trip which, after some um'ing and ah'ing, I decided to do by car and camp most of the time (a mixture of wild camping and campsites) and then B&B's if camping got a bit much! It was this or getting a campervan but the additional stress and cost of this put me off in the end - we will see if I regret this.
I originally wanted to do the whole coastline of Scotland but, after discovering that it was about a 2000 mile round trip, I decided to concentrate on the North and West coasts. This was becuase, although 2000 miles is doable in a month, the whole point of the trip was to find beautiful beaches and spend 1 or more days there with no stress before moving on. Trying to do 2000 miles would mean a constant urge to move on, not what I wanted. I also arranged to meet some ex-uni friends in the North-West of England around the 19th of August for a couple of days which cut down my time somewhat. I may go across to the East coast after this, not sure yet.
The Route
So, what is the route? Well, there really isn't one beyond the first couple of days. Basically, I will try to get to John o'Groats in two days with a stop near the very top of Loch Lomond at the end of the first day. From John o'Groats, I will head East and then South, hugging the coast and looking out for beaches, cliffs and generally interesting and beautiful places, stopping as required and getting to my meeting place in North-West England on the 19th of August.
The Weather
When I had this plan, it was when we were being promised a high likelyhood of a 'BBQ summer'. As of a couple of days ago, the Met Office have admitted that, really, that have no bloody clue when it comes to long term forcasting; indeed they can barely do more than a couple of days as far as I can tell. So, it looks like I am in for a lot of rain - not that I didn't expect a fair amount as it was Scotland I was going to in the end. However, some sunny days would be nice!
D-Day minus 2
So, here we are, 30th of July with about 36 hours before I go. I am mostly prepared, although not packed, that fun comes tomorrow. The list of equipment I have so far, some of which I already had and some of which is newly purchased, is as follows:
The Blog
So, why do a blog? It serves two purposes really apart from being the 'cool' thing to do nowadays (if you know me, you will know how 'cool' I am). The first is to keep those who are interested, most probably my close family and perhaps a few friends, updated with where I am and what I am doing. The other is as a diary/reminder for me about what happened, where and on which days. I hope to take lots of good photos, some of which I will try to upload here. I have no idea of the availablity of Wifi/Internet access where I will be so it might be that the blog is updated about twice in the whole trip, but the theory is good ;)
Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow when I attempt to sort out the equipment and pack the car. Could be fun.
I work in the education sector (specifically Conductive Education but I am not going into that here) and therefore get summer holidays. This summer I decided to explore part of the UK that I have only really had a little taste of: Scotland or, more specifically, the coast line of Scotland. I spent a week in Ardnamurchan a few years ago and thought it was beautiful and wanted to explore more. I grew up by the sea in North Wales and went to Uni the first time on the West coast of Wales so have a natural affinity for the sea and coasts. I gave myself the month of August to do this trip which, after some um'ing and ah'ing, I decided to do by car and camp most of the time (a mixture of wild camping and campsites) and then B&B's if camping got a bit much! It was this or getting a campervan but the additional stress and cost of this put me off in the end - we will see if I regret this.
I originally wanted to do the whole coastline of Scotland but, after discovering that it was about a 2000 mile round trip, I decided to concentrate on the North and West coasts. This was becuase, although 2000 miles is doable in a month, the whole point of the trip was to find beautiful beaches and spend 1 or more days there with no stress before moving on. Trying to do 2000 miles would mean a constant urge to move on, not what I wanted. I also arranged to meet some ex-uni friends in the North-West of England around the 19th of August for a couple of days which cut down my time somewhat. I may go across to the East coast after this, not sure yet.
The Route
So, what is the route? Well, there really isn't one beyond the first couple of days. Basically, I will try to get to John o'Groats in two days with a stop near the very top of Loch Lomond at the end of the first day. From John o'Groats, I will head East and then South, hugging the coast and looking out for beaches, cliffs and generally interesting and beautiful places, stopping as required and getting to my meeting place in North-West England on the 19th of August.
The Weather
When I had this plan, it was when we were being promised a high likelyhood of a 'BBQ summer'. As of a couple of days ago, the Met Office have admitted that, really, that have no bloody clue when it comes to long term forcasting; indeed they can barely do more than a couple of days as far as I can tell. So, it looks like I am in for a lot of rain - not that I didn't expect a fair amount as it was Scotland I was going to in the end. However, some sunny days would be nice!
D-Day minus 2
So, here we are, 30th of July with about 36 hours before I go. I am mostly prepared, although not packed, that fun comes tomorrow. The list of equipment I have so far, some of which I already had and some of which is newly purchased, is as follows:
- 1 car (Nissan Almera 1.4 3 door for those who care)
- 1 Sat Nav
- 1 map
- 1 tent (originally I was going to take my standard 2 man tent but now have decided to get a 2 second popup tent to make things easier)
- 1 single air mattress
- 1 battery powered pump
- 2 pillows + 1 duvet
- 1 sleeping bag + sleeping roll (incase I go too far away from the car to be bothered to carry the mattress and duvet)
- 1 car battery powered coolbox which, although small, allegedely is capable of making ice, can you say G&T on the beach ;)
- 2 coolbags and ice packs
- 1 portable BBQ (made up of a 'fire bowl' and a grill with legs, pointless, overpriced but shiny)
- 1 gas burner with 3 gas canisters
- Various camping cooking equipment, plate, bowl, etc.
- 1 Acer Aspire One netbook on which will be various films, TV programmes and MP3 collection with cigarette lighter powerpack and seperate speakers
- 1 Cannon 300D with a standard and a 75-300 lense
- 1 bag of kiting equipment including a Revolution 1.5 SLE (very into my kiting and intend to do a lot of it on beaches)
- Foldable carriable chair
- Clothes including full waterproofs, shorts, swimming stuff, etc. etc.
- Waterproof hiking boots, comfortable casual shoes, sandals
- BBQ brickettes, food, water, torch, etc.
The Blog
So, why do a blog? It serves two purposes really apart from being the 'cool' thing to do nowadays (if you know me, you will know how 'cool' I am). The first is to keep those who are interested, most probably my close family and perhaps a few friends, updated with where I am and what I am doing. The other is as a diary/reminder for me about what happened, where and on which days. I hope to take lots of good photos, some of which I will try to upload here. I have no idea of the availablity of Wifi/Internet access where I will be so it might be that the blog is updated about twice in the whole trip, but the theory is good ;)
Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow when I attempt to sort out the equipment and pack the car. Could be fun.
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