Saturday 14th September 2013
Well we have emptied as much as we can from the caravan and car so that we can accommodate our guests and shuffled 80 odd miles up the M6 to site 52 - Wood View. We will stay here until our guests arrive on Monday and then head off to site 58 - Bunree CC Site, this time though we are going there in one hop, and although it is a total distance of over 200 miles, it should not be too onerous as the first 100 plus are on motorway, but first lots of cleaning, vacuuming and cooking to be done.
Monday 16th September 2013
Our guests, Paul and Carol, arrived today, getting to the rendezvous just minutes after we did. Their car was parked up near our container and we moved on to Penrith ready for the journey to the Western Highlands of Scotland tomorrow.
Tuesday 17th September 2013
We have arrived at Bunree Caravan Club Site after a pleasant and uneventful journey, the weather is cloudy but dry so the awning goes up quickly and easily and we sit and admire the absolutely stunning scenery.
Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th, Friday 20th September 2013
Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. Does the rain ever stop? It has been constant for the last four days. We have driven the best part of 1000 miles around the Ardnemachen peninsular, around The Isle of Sky - all sorts of places, all beautiful and well worthy of a visit but all a little desolate in the rain. Trying to cut the journey time back from Sky we caught the Caledonian-McBrain ferry from Armadale to Mallaig, the rain rained and the wind blew as the ferry rolled its way in a most disturbing manner.
Saturday 21st September 2013
More rain and another drive today but by the time we had got to Fort Augustus Locks where the Caledonian Canal enters Loch Ness the rain had stopped although the sun was a long way from making an appearance, it remained dry for the whole of our visit. Taking a chance we continued on to Foyers Falls, listed in the 1800’s as third most popular tourist attraction in Scotland, said to be such an awesome sight that people peeked at it sideways through raised hands.
We almost got back to the van before the rain started again - in earnest.
Sunday 22nd September 2013
It rained all night. The forecast was for more rain today and then more tomorrow. We accepted defeat and by 11.00am the awning was down, we were packed, we were moving.
Heading east.
When we arrived at Yellowcraig Caravan Club Site early afternoon the sun shone from a clear blue sky and with a dry for the rest of the week forecast we feel we have made the right decision.
Monday 23rd September 2013
Awoke this morning to a clear blue sky so we decided to have a shuffty at the highlights of the city of Edinburgh. We went to the Wallyford park and ride, one of many around the city, and caught a bus into the centre. You would think we had learned from our last experience of a bus to Edinburgh, they seem to go round the houses for an age before getting to the destination. We had our wander round the city saw lots of interesting sights, the castle, the spot where Maggie Dickenson died the first time, Greyfriars Bobby, etc., etc. then did we look for a bus back? Not on your life we took a taxi, OK its more expensive but the journey took ten or fifteen minutes not an hour or more as on the bus.
Tuesday 24th September 2013.
It was still dry today, but rather misty. We plan to have a run (in the car, not on our legs) up the coast where the scenery is absolutely great and having a coffee at St Abbs Head before returning to the van to pack up ready for our move back to England tomorrow. On the way we went to Tantallon Castle it was well worth the visit although it would have been better if we could have seen more from the battlements than fog but at least we were out in the fresh air. We had spent so long at Tantallon Castle that the trip to St Abbs was cancelled, visibility was so poor that the scenery could not have been appreciated anyway, and we returned to the van for our last evening in Scotland.
Wednesday 25th September 2013.
Back into England today at the end of our Scottish tour and the end of Carol and Paul’s holiday. We stayed the night at the Birley Alms CL, had a nice meal in the pub restaurant, a drive along Blackpool’s “Golden Mile” to see the world famous “Blackpool Illuminations” going to bed tired but sad that our Scottish Tour was behind us; but HEY another European tour starts in two weeks :-)