Read about Ron & Viv's journey so far - Scotland.
Our cold but happy group at John o'Groats.
The superb coastline of the northwest of Scotland at Sheigra.
We spent a couple of days on the Isle of Skye – just a little of the rugged coastline on Skye; the delightful, colourful town of Portree.
Ben Nevis and our camp near Fort William – our camp was beside the loch, very picturesque (but midgies out in force, again!!!)
The Drovers Inn (west coast Loch Lommond) – what a place, built in mid 1600s and full of bits and pieces; Ron beside the stuffed (and a bit tatty) bear in the Inn.
Viv, once again standing out in a crowd, dressed in a traditional pheasant Scottish attire with her new beau Lake of Monteith .
28th May to 8th June 2008
SCOTLAND
We headed north on the A1 and had a good run (except for the headwind), bypassing Edinburgh pretty easily before stopping at Dundee and a camp nearby. We headed to Aberdeen , Scotland's third biggest city and ‘capital' of the North Sea oil industry. Still the main street was a lot quieter than many provincial towns south of the border, while most of the buildings are built from grey stone or rock and it gives a very somber feel to the place.
We took the A95 north and headed along the valley of the Spey River , which is a delightful stream. It was 40-70 metres wide, running fast and clear and looked relatively shallow – fishermen were casting their flies from the middle of the water in places and we were on the ‘Malt Whiskey Trail' and passed some of the world's best known distilleries including Glenfiddock, and a couple of distilleries owned by Chivas.
Got to the small village of ‘Boat of Garten' - don't you love the names - and found the local caravan park. This village lies on the River Spey and is right beside the vast Cairngorms NP – Britain's largest NP and one of its latest parks being founded in 2004. The 1500sq miles (436,000 ha) of mountainscape and high plateau country protects some moor and forest country including large tracts of sub-artic tundra – can you believe that! It is also home to a quarter of Britain's threatened wildlife species and a quarter of Scotland's native woodland.
Got to Inverness, which is like most of the Scottish towns we have been to so far – grey and drab. There were a few people around – but it was still nowhere as busy as an English town. The city is located on the banks of Moray Firth and the outlet of Loch Ness and the largish bridge crosses the interlinking connection of water.
Further north we crossed the Cromarty Firth on a long low bridge before we turned off the main road and took a Nuvi scenic detour west off the main road and then turned onto a very narrow A836 to Tain. It was still early though and pretty miserable and we couldn't see much point in stopping so we headed on. The main A9 was just a 2-lane road with a fair amount of traffic but it was enjoyable driving. Cruised through Wick , which was quite a large size town - there's a lot of B&B's around – farm houses and the like – it seems as if you have a spare room you become a B&B!
Got to John o' Groats and set up camp in the local campground which is close to the coast and is near completely unprotected from the elements. Across the channel you could see the first of the Orkney Islands but as visibility was very limited that is all we could see – by all accounts you can see 10 or 11 beacons or lighthouses from here on a good day – whenever that is! The wind was pretty strong – again - but at least the rain stopped early on in the evening but it was cold!
There seems to be a near continual stream of pushbikes, fun runners and motorbike riders, along with a steady stream of normal motor home tourists traveling between the two extremities. There's no great challenge to it all though – the roads are all bitumen, the pubs, B&B's and caravan parks common throughout the land – the most dangerous thing being the continual heavy traffic you need to battle through for the whole way!
Down at the small harbour at John o'Groats it only has a 20-foot wide entrance and is only big enough for a dozen or so smallish boats. The Orkney ferry leaves and docks here – it leaves at 9am for the run across to the islands. There's a few tourist shops located here as well as the old stark John o' Groats hotel (currently closed) with its drab grey colour, lofty churchlike spires and shuttered windows, which would look fine on a Hitchcock thriller.
We headed west along the coast, the weather improved and the sun even began to shine. Past a couple of places where there was even a bit of a beach backed by sand dunes. For the first hour or so of our trip west we continually passed scatterings of farm houses and small villages. The houses, in the main were small and snug. Out in the middle of nowhere we passed the large complex of the Dounreay Nuclear plant that has been running since 1955 but by all accounts, is being de-commissioned, but with a military establishment beside it I'm not so sure.
The coast was delightful and we cruised along here slowly just enjoying the scenery. Quite a bit of bare moor country as we headed west and in places there wasn't even a sign of a farmhouse! We found our way to Farr Bay near the small village of Bettyhill and perched above the sea with a great view we had lunch.
Just west of here as we dropped down the long hill into what they call Borgie Glen, the view was quite extensive, while there was great scenery as we drove around Loch Eriboll with its solitary fish farm and oyster or mussels racks lining sections of the loch.
Durness is the most northerly town on the British mainland – the nearby Cave of Smoo gives the place a tourist attraction and there was a bit around while the local caravan park was a little busy with vans and the like which didn't appeal to any of us. By luck our map had a camp spot marked on the west coast of the great bulk of Cape Wrath. We decided that had to be out of the way and pretty good, so we headed there via a few small villages.
Got to our camp at a small bay close to the small village of Sheigra that is unmarked on most maps and consists of a half a dozen whitewashed houses and a few farm outbuildings. It is about 4-mile past Kinlochbervie , which is a fairly large fishing port with a large wharf and processing plant. There were just a couple of other vehicles already in the camping spot – just a sheep paddock more than anything else – and we found a spot in the sheep paddock a 100 metres back from the water's edge and set up camp (GPS 58°29'28”N 05°07'08”W) . Had a beer and we enjoyed the sunshine - it was very pleasant and we decided to stay a couple of nights at what we all reckoned was the best camp we have had in Britain and even the visiting Brits and Scots reckoned that!
Ullapool was our next stop a couple of days later. This is a small fishing come tourist town on the protected shores of Loch Bloom and there were about 8-10 small fishing boats in – most would have to be out fishing in these very calm conditions we are experiencing now. The main harbour is a hundred metres or so long, with the large pier area running parallel to the sea wall that borders the main street. The outside of the pier area is for the large sea ferry that goes across to Lewis island. The shops and pub crowd around the harbour where most of the action is.
We stopped at Inverewe Gardens where Rod and Kate left us to head south to the Ilse of Mull as they had already been here. Viv, Neil & Helen wandered around these surprisingly, almost tropical gardens which were set up as the dream of one man over 100 years ago. Because of the nearby warm Gulf Stream and protected by walls the gardens are magnificent at any time of the year.
Isle of Skye
At the road junction just east of Kyle of Lochalsh we said our goodbyes to Neil &Helen who were doing the long run south to Wales for a few days looking around down there. We turned west and head for the Isle of Skye. The port village of the Kyle of Lochalsh hasn't got much going for it (as we verified on the way back) except for being the place where the bridge now joins the mainland to the Isle of Skye.
Headed to our campsite just north of the township (the only real ‘town' on the island – although there are a heap of villages) of Portree . Pretty pleasant camping area with good facilities, but it is fairly exposed. Still it gives great views to the south and of the peaks of the rugged Cuillin Hills , which the main road to Portree skirts in a couple of places.
The number of B&B's is unbelievable – it seems as if every other house on the island is a B&B. I know the island has been a tourist destination for well over 100 years but there is more B&B's here than anywhere we have been in the UK! The number of caravan and campsites number only a half dozen or so on the whole island, while there is a pub in nearly every village which offers accommodation.
After investigating the town (it didn't take long!) we headed north along the coast wich gives great views of the Trotternish peaks which are quite dramatic with their convoluted skyline. This includes the 165-foot high willow-leaf shape lump of rock that is known as the Old man of Storr. Stopped in a shallow glen where they had been digging peat and cutting it into blocks for use as fuel or for insulation, we're not sure. Once it is dry it is very light in weight, which was a bit of a surprise. Further north along the east coast we stopped at Kiff Rock, where the high Staffin Cliffs drop quite spectacularly into the sea – it was near here that dinosaur remains have been found while the name of the cliffs date back to the Viking era
Stopped near the ruins of an old Castle on the north coast where we had a glorious view of the north coast of Skye. It was a magic al spot for lunch. Headed south we passed the Skye Museum of Island life with its cluster of traditional thatched huts and wound our way past lochs and over hill and green dale to the ferry port town of Uig. From south of here we picked up the narrow access road and travelled via the village of Glendale to Neist Point. The coastline at the narrow tongue of land that is the point, is fantastic, while a steep walk leads down about 1km or so along a good path to the lighthouse.
Stopped at the camping ground at Dunvegan, which is most well known for its castle located at the western end of the village. It was a delightful evening and we picked a high point for our camp, which wasn't the best when the weather turned – as we found out next morning! The camping area has all the facilities you could wish for and is located beside the loch and has great views down the sweep of water past the village.
South to Glencoe
With wind and rain we headed off the island and stopped at Eilean Donan castle, reputedly the ‘most romantic castle in Scotland', although I have no idea why – even after visiting it! The castle which was only rebuilt between 1912 and 1930 andd the family still own it and the grandmother lives in one of the wings. It's not very big but is situated on a small island just off the shore. Joined to the mainland by a short bridge it looks great and has very nice views over the loch and surrounds. While you can go into the major rooms of the castle, which are furnished and have a few models dressed in period clothes of the 1930s in them, the kitchen and larder are by far the best detailed and laid out with food cooking, while game and other animals and vegetables are hanging from the roof and in storage.
Headed south-east along the main road thru spectacular scenery and then turned south following the edges of a long loch – part of the Great Glen, which stretches right across Scotland and almost cuts the country into two - where timber and trees were growing much more thickly than further north.
Got to Fort William, which is located on the edge of a loch with Ben Nevis , the highest peak in the UK not far away. After checking out the local Macca's restaurant and their wi-fi we headed west to a campsite on the edge of the loch just west of the village of Corpach and about 10km from Fort William. This was the most set-up caravan park we have been to with even a small playground established for kids, water on every powered hard standing site while the wash rooms were separate enclosures for showers/wash basins. But the midgies that night were something else!
Checked out the great Caledonian Canal which joins Inverness, on the North Sea, with Fort William on the Atlantic Ocean and in a great 18 th century engineering feat drops down through ‘Neptune Staircase' near Fort William. The Staircase is a series of 8 locks and we were lucky enough to be there when a very fancy yacht from Norway (many European boats use the canal as a short cut to the ocean) was being staged through them.
After spending a day exploring the Great Glen nearly as far north as Inverness we turned abck south and headed to famous Glencoe. We're camped at the Red Squirrel Campground (GPS 56°40'10”N 005°04'15W) about 2 miles out of Glencoe Village and it is an absolute beauty – the best ‘bushy type' campground so far) and while we are just 60 feet above sea level (Glencoe village is beside the sea loch) the peaks that surround us climb steeply to 3000 feet or so. Their near bare summits – 7 in all - are tinged in a thin veil of green at present, but the scree slopes of grey rocks and the bare harsh rocks themselves can't be hidden and dominate the very crests of the peaks. The tree line is only a 100' or so above the camp or floor of the river valley. The owner, who has been here all his life and is a bit of a character, can recall days in high summer that the area is covered in snow so you never really know what is in store for you here as far as the weather is concerned. A river flows past on the edge of the 20-acres of woodland that make up the camping area and fires are even allowed in the rock fireplaces scattered around the site. The toilets and showers are fine while the nearest pub is ¾ of a mile away and the nearest store is about 2 mile away – you still get full service on your mobile phone though!
As we entered the long magical glen of Glencoe we took our time and stopped a few times to take pics. There were quite a few walkers out – the old army road through the glen is the main walking trail but there are many others which take you high up the sides of the mountains that guard the glen, to waterfalls and other points of interest.
Once you climb out of the glen you come onto some high plains which are dotted with small lochs and lakes and covered in low marshy country – in fact it is sub artic tundra type vegetation and shows how harsh this place is in winter.
At Crainlarich we turned west on a lesser road and headed towards Loch Lomond. Got to the Drovers Inn and had to stop and have lunch there; inside it was a beauty – one of the early owners back at the end of the 1800s or so was obviously a keen hunter and there are stuffed birds and a whole menagerie of animals, some in glass cases, scattered around the walls of each and every bar and room. The pub dates back to the 1700s and legend has it that Rob Roy drank here.
Travelled down the western edge of Loch Lomond , which is a very enjoyable drive giving great views of the lakes and the high peaks that dominate the eastern side of the lake. It's a very picturesque lake dotted, here and there with small islands.
Stopped near the village of Arrochar, which is the closest point of the loch to the sea – a mere 1.5 miles of land separating the two. Took a few pics of the tour boats and of Ben Lomond rising high above the loch on the eastern side. By all accounts the Vikings back in their day brought their longboats overland to the loch and then plundered up and down the long lake at will. Tourists arrived this way too until the road was pushed through relatively recently.
Stopped at the village of Luss , which is a beautiful restored village on the edge of Loch Lomond and once again it has great views of the loch and of Ben Lomond
Around Stirling
Arrived at Stirling and found our way to the Witches Craig Caravan park which is located just east of town at the base of the Ochil Hills – It is very pleasant and has all the facilities we have come to expect but even has a playground for the kids. The park owes its name to the fact that the hill behind the park was where they once got any suspected witch, put her in a barrel lined with long spikes and rolled her down the hill, and then burned her.
Spent the next couple of days with our old friend Larry (a diving mate from Singapore 40 years ago!) and his wife Mari, who live nearby.
Headed to Bannockburn , passing through the village of the same name before getting to the site of where Robert the Bruce of Scotland who in 1314 led the Scots in defeating the English under King Edward 11. There's a museum – which is quite good - near the crest of the hill where Bruce reportedly stood and fought.
A short drive later we got to Falkirk and the now famous Falkirk Wheel . Built for the 2000 Millenium it was an £86 million operation that again joins the Forth and Clyde and the Union canals. Replacing the 11 locks that were shut down in the 1960s, the rotating boatlift is a unique engineering wonder that shifts boats up to 600 tonnes from one canal 35 metres to the other, to again link two of Scotland's most important historic waterways. You can now circumnavigate Scotland by sea, loch and lock once more. Watched it do its thing – it is quite impressive and there were a lot of tourists riding the boats.
Nearby is Callendar House at Falkirk and we had a bite to eat in the expansive gardens before walking through the house, which is free to visit! The kitchen was a beauty and a girl in period costume had cooked some biscuits and explained the workings of this very large kitchen. In another room a woman explained the store and goodies she had. The printing room was also good while all round the excellent displays had a heap of info which you couldn't possibly take in on just one … or even two or three visits.
Went down to the Linlithgow Loch where we were swamped by the friendly swans and ducks looking for a feed. The old Linlithgow Palace on a high hill at the edge of the loch of the same name was once the palace of the Scottish kings, the building remains being mainly of James 1, 1425 palace. It was sacked by Cromwell in the 1600s (?) and it is still in ruins but its high vantage point over the lock makes it still an imposing building with a magnificent view. Mary, Queen of the Scots was born here in 1542.
At South Queensferry where you get a great view of the two great Firth of Forth bridges . For years this was an important ferry point and the road beside the river is lined with pubs and tourist jaunts including an artist who works in sculptured metal – birds and animals - they look great but are expensive. The older cantilevered Forth Rail bridge, which was the first major steel-built bridge in the world and was opened in 1890. The more modern suspension bridge was the largest bridge of its type outside the USA when it was opened in 1964.
Visited Andrew Carnegie's birthplace – a small house in the town of Dunfermline. He was born pretty poor but rose to great wealth in the USA where he set up over 2800 libraries around the world, including Carnegie Hall. He was a great benfactor giving away most of his wealth of US$400 million (in 1901 money terms!!!) and is considered the father of modern philanthropy.
The nearby 12th Century Dunfermline Abbey recalls when this town was the capital of Scotland. The abbey houses 22 tombs of Scotland's kings and queens and stands proud above the town. The nearby Pittencrieff Gardens, which are stunning and cover a vast area - were bought by Carnegie and given to the town as a public park – he as a lad had been forbidden entry into them – sweet justice.
Next day we took a drive through delightful mountain country in the Trossachs National Park which included the David Stirling Monument ; Stirling was the founder of the SAS in 1941 and he died in 1990.
Dropped down to the Lake of Monteith where we were amongst the tourists as there is a Sir Walter Scott steam boat that plies the lake. Viv got her photo taken by a bearded and Highland clad Scotsman who was a real character. Went for a short walk along the edge of the lake – it was busy with walkers and bicyle riders
We went to the old small church where ‘ Rob Roy ' is buried – ‘A McGregor, despite them'. Pushed on to Loch Venachar and then over the Pass of Leny to the Falls of Dochart which flows through the small village of Killin. It's quite a nice little village.
From there we followed along the edge of the longish Loch Tay to Fortingall and the small church where a Yew tree reportedly 5000 years old is probably the oldest living thing on earth. The church was also were Pontius Pilot (the governor of Judea in the time of Jesus Christ and it was he who ‘washed his hands' of the crucifiction of Jesus Christ) was probably born – his father was a Roman administer visiting this far flung corner of the empire with his wife.
Passed through the town of Aberfeldy and stopped for a short walk in the nearby Aberfeldy Forest , which was a delightful patch of old forest with large trees along a babbling stream. South of Milton on the way back to Larry's place we passed through the Small Glen where a bridge crosses a narrow stream and it is a delightful place to stop.
The next day was the end of our Scottish journey – we headed south, crossing back into England and stopped for a couple of nights on a farm just outside Newcastle, where we met up with the rest of our crew. Rod and Kate had picked up our passports (still minus Russian visas) so now Norway awaits!
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Link
to Picture Gallery Page for Scotland.
The wild, wind swept, rugged moors of the Scottish highlands.
Viv & Ron at the top of the UK, in Scotland at John o'Groats.
Our idyllic camp, with wonderful weather, at Shegira.
The Inverewe Gardens are almost tropical gardens and were set up as the dream of one man over 100 years ago. Because of the nearby warm Gulf Stream the gardens are magnificent at any time of the year.
We stopped at Eilean Donan castle , reputedly the ‘most romantic castle in Scotland' – the weather had changed to cold, windy and drizzly.
The very quaint and pretty village of Luss, on the shores of Loch Lommond.
We spent a couple of days with Ron's old mate Larry and his wife Mari in Stirling – they took us all around Stirling and beyond. One place was the old Linlithgow Palace on a high hill at the edge of the loch of the same. The loch is full of white swans, who are obviously well feed.
