The Journey North. Day 24.  Tuesday 15th May 2018

From: Loch Lomond               To:  78 @ Plymouth  GR:                  Mileage:

We had a leisurely start to the day. We wandered around the old steam paddle wheeler that was being renovated on the Loch. This was a huge labour of love. As usual this was being conducted by volunteers with some European or Lottery funding.

We strolled, in no immediate hurry. Once finished we loaded up and started South. The real South. Towards Plymouth. We thought we would probably stop overnight somewhere in the vicinity of Birmingham but Jackie behind the wheel was in charge. We departed at 1045hrs and before we knew it were stopping outside no 78 at 2045hrs. She had driven the 510 miles all the way with only me assisting by feeding her with Maltesers!

A great trip. I would recommend it. The weather for us could have been a lot better but if we waited for sunny days we would never go anywhere.

Give it a go.

The Journey North. Day 23.  Monday 14th May 2018

From: Corpach              To:  Helensburgh   GR:                   Mileage:

We were now ideally positioned for a walk this morning to the Balvennie Steps at the start of the Great Glen Canoe Way. We had brought on this journey all our wild camping kit for the five day canoe up the Great Glen.  Tent, stove cooking pots dehydrated rations, sleeping bages etc but the wind and weather at the start a few weeks ago was so bad we decided against it.  Waves on Loch Ness can reach a meter high! Now, well we had run out of time. Perhaps another year. Again time is running out for me!

The best we could manage was  a walk from the campsite to the canal and a glimpse of the put in at the head of the Balvennie Steps. Oh and a coffee at the hotel that overlooks the locks. 

 Straight run headed South towards Helensburgh and an afternoon meet at Kathryn and Pat's house. here we had a beer and a Ruby Murray before driving off to the South side of Loch Lomond and a free overnight stay in the car park. There were a few other motorhomes in situ when we arrived. A short late evening walk brought a visit from the Police. Not for us but as I told the copper running towards me I always get a bit nervous around 'the old bill'. "Do you have anything to worry about then?" he asked. "No, of course not." was my reply. "That's OK then, I'll be over later to check your docs." he advised. Built like a proverbial he was  but his female police officer was blonde, petite and good looking.

Nice quiet night and free.

The Public slip on the S end of Loch Lomond.

The Journey North. Day 22.  Sunday 13th May 2018

From: Staffin Bay              To: Corpach           GR: NN 127764    Mileage: 114

Another sunny day. We watched the yacht in Staffin Bay weigh anchor and under power motor out. We had scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. Climbed the hill.

"We're not going back down that way."

We set off. We were low on fuel but I was confident we had sufficient to get us to Portree.

Passing the Old Man of Storr, the world and his Donkey were parked there. A bit like walking up Ben Nevis or Snowdon it seems. We pressed on perturbed by so much humanity.

The seagulls getting more lunch than the visitors!

Fuel and lunch at Portree. Visitors eating Fish and Chips on the pier the seagulls dive bombing them and stealing the fish.  Met up with some bikers on the ferry later whom were victims of this aerial assault. Harbour houses all painted various colours.

As it was now nearly 1400hrs most of the Restos were closing. We managed to find The Caledonian Café and had an excellent lunch. Clean place with great service. Jackie had a very nice panini. Mike had been taking the mick out of the fish and chip eaters earlier.

Portree port.

Foreigners eating Fish and Chips.

Portree coloured houses on the sea wall.

What does Mike have for lunch? Fish and Chips.

Spot the camper with the hole in the roof.

Arrive for ferry at 1600hrs. Might be full will see. I buy tickets. We get on. Alarms going off everywhere. Bikers told story about Applecross pass. Landed other side tried to find smokehouse at Mallaig. Ended up on to of the hill in a council estate a dead end. Turn off onto coast road. This took us back on ourselves to where we started.

At Corpach Camp site. Different view of Ben Nevis.

Few great looking sites on beaches but we pressed on for a wild camp no luck arrived at Corpach virtually Fort William and had to pay £20-60. Nice site though.

The Journey North. Day 21.  Saturday 12th May 2018

From: Skye-Sligachan              To: Staffin Bay          GR: NG489685    Mileage: 45

We slept on single bunks last night. The first time in the lorry. This was because in case it rained again during the night. The water should run/drip straight down between the bunks into the washing up bowl. If the bed was made into a double the chances were we wouldn’t know it was leaking until it was too late.

The sun was up this morning but the Met had promised snow showers overnight and this am. It didn’t happen. We both used the hot showers on site. A surprise in as much as the campsite itself was quite basic but the water was hot, powerful, plentiful and free. On completion of our morning ablutions we departed the site but not before I managed a quick chat with the guy who had originally booked us in. I told him that we put in a good word for him yesterday, his day off, with the boss, when he came around to collect the money. It’s all cash here. No receipt as such, just a tag to put in your windscreen. I never saw either the boss or the staff member record any details in any ledger. Even the tag numbers were not numbered. £8 a head plus £5 a night if you wanted ‘leckie’. Must be one of the most popular sites on the island. Cash is King!

As we exited the slight incline from the campsite onto the A87 towards Portree there was a deluge of water from the roof area. It once again entered the truck. We stopped and began mop up operations. It must have been sat on the roof, puddled. It was soon dealt with.

Portree and the Co-op was our next stop. Rations. We had skipped breakfast this am in an attempt to get ahead of ourselves for the Northern part of Skye. Mike’s tum tum was rumbling and he could not pass by the cooked chickens, pies or jumbo sausages. A jumbo sausage £1-00 and a baguette for £0.80 took care of breakfast on our return to the van. (I had to spice it up with some tom sauce, lettuce and sliced tomato and put it on a plate for Miss Fancy Knickers though!)

The countryside here is spectacular as would all be on this peninsular. Our next stop was Uig. Here one can catch the ferry to two other Islands. I’ve never heard of ‘em and I suspect you haven’t either so I won’t bother mentioning them. (Tarbert and Lochmaddy) We wandered into the local pottery shop of which there were two. One was selling old copper Fortic cylinders converted to lamps. Wal was doing that years ago! The other shop was the Skye Brewery. We bought nowt in either.

Driving on, our next stop was the Skye Museum of Island Life. £2-50 each. No concessions! This was set around five crofts. One was inhabited and visited by the future king and queen of England in 1933 also on 'display' was their barn and sumat else. Together with a mock up of a shop a cobblers and blacksmiths.  The other six or so buildings were reconstructions of a blacksmiths shop, weavers and cobblers cottage and a village store. Selling considerably less than you would imagine or hope. The charge for their loos here was 40p. As is seemingly common with most other places Cornwall especially the council have shed responsibility for the WCs and given them to the parish. Signs asking for 40p donations (it costs £5000 pa to run the loos) fell on deaf ears or should that be blind eyes as far as Mike was concerned. As soon as loos close people will start using lay-bys as loos as they do in France!

We were now on the Northern part of the island at Duntulm. Pulling over, we were once again on the single track road system here, to allow a red Mustang, roof down to pass, it’s reg number read Nessie, we turned a corner and there was the ruins of Castle Duntulm.

However it was not on our visitors list today. We had a slightly more adventurous route to take. We found the car park at the head of the path to Rubha Hunish. This is the old Lookout post that is now a bothy. Ben Gardiner, one of our Canoe Cornwall pals had spent a night here in Jan 2018 when he did the North Coast 500 and recommended it. It was only a three mile return walk on an easy path.

This Bothy features in The Book of Bothies. A great coffee top table book if that is your sort of thing. Bothies are great. You tab into them and spend a night or two. All free. Bringing everything you might need. Everything. The down side is you might get there and someone else has grabbed all the bunk space. You need to be prepared to bivvy outside!

There was a gaggle of walkers milling around. I hadn’t travelled 1000 miles to have them in my photo shots so waited till they vacated. One of the women came from Plymouth! I am uncertain whether there was a resident ‘guardien’ or it was just some eccentric chap carrying out painting work. Our greetings to him on entering elicited no reply in any language and my smile and hopefully encouraging remarks did nothing to resolve the situation. We merely smiled and said “Catch you soon.” His broad Scottish accent would suggest he was a local. Perhaps unofficial ‘guardienne’. He was stooped and had a gammy leg. Mine’s been playing up as well.

This was a beautiful viewpoint. Yes we have Ex Coastguard Lookouts in Devon and Cornwall as well but strewth it was a stunning view. We took photos of Ben and Jess’s entry in the visitors book for the third January 2018. Entered our own details. The Stopporton’s Journey North Day 21. 12 May 2018. And took our leave. If the old man had said “I dinna suppose you have a wee bit o’ cheese about ye lad?” I would not have been surprised. See Treasure Island!

 

We found a spot for some wild camping for the night at Staffin Bay GR NG 489685. Fantastic evening sun bright and strong with tremendous views out over the bay to the North Atlantic where one could see shipping passing by. It was an occasion to break out the bubbly. This was to be the best campsite of the whole trip and in many respects one of the better days. Of course the sun shinning helps a lot!

The Journey North. Day 20.  Friday 11th May 2018

From: Skye-Sligachan       To:   Skye-Sligachan         GR: NG405381     Mileage: 0000

The night had been pretty horrific. We were woken on several occasions with the van rocking and the wind howling down the pass. What to do today. We had thought about moving North on the island but reasoned that if it was windy here in the centre of the islands with the mountains perhaps affording some protection, what would it be like on the exposed North coast? If in doubt…brew up.

The weather was no better, the wind still blew strong but at least it was dry. We decided to stay ‘low level’ today.

The campsite early morning.

 

We're headed off up there somewhere.

 

 

Lunch stop down out of the wind.

 

 

Back just before the rain storm.

 


The old Slignachan bridge.

 
We marked out a route from the campsite at Slignachan NG 405381 away up the Glen following the river after the same name. Mike brewed up a flask and made a couple of butties.

Before long we were off. It was very windy with strong gusts. Sometimes two paces forward and one back, or sideways! We had decided that it was too easy to abandon the days exercise and so agreed we would walk out for two hours, find somewhere to hunker down for our sarnies and then head back.

There were a few people on the track we were following but soon as we moved further and further away from the road we saw less and less people. Indeed there were very few sheep about either. The rain held off but the winds never abated, almost blowing mike off some rocks as he was crossing a river.

We came upon a lake at about the two hour mark and then decided to find cover from the wind for lunch. Easier said than done. We ducked down behind some hummocks and a heather bank on the edge of a small beck. Once stretched out we had cover. Indeed it was quite cosy. After a fashion.

As I sat there munching on my sarnie I had the fright of my life. Suddenly a brown spaniel appeared through the gorse and launched himself at my sarnie. Cute little fellow full of life. I told its owner who shortly followed into view that I thought at first it was a marauding Scottish Haggis.

Lunch over we started the return journey. The wind was at our backs and within an hour and a half we were back at the Sligachan Hotel. Approx eight miles covered. The hotel sits at the junction of the A87 and the A863. Very popular with climbers and through coach trippers. This is a huge bar, modern wooden structure. It’s most redeeming features are the 400+ whiskeys it has on sale. “How many?” “Four hundred but we’re a bit low this now, normally we have about four hundred and thirty.” We had been beaten to the bar by a coach load of Americans and they were ordering ‘Hot Toddys’. Well you know how long these things take to make. Eventually I was served. I bought Jackie one of the local gins and I had a pint of Blackface ale brewed in the local brewery next door. It was very drinkable.

Spotting some rather delicious cakes under a glass dome on the bar I thought I would buy something for Jackie as a surprise. I said “I’ll have a millionaire’s shortbread.” As the barman lifted the glass dome lid he said “It’s no a millionaire’s, it’s more a kinda Mars bar cake.” “Och, forget it” I said “Mary doll wouldn’t want that.” “Well it’s a kinda Millionaire’s shortbread “ he said. “To be sure, you have a way with words about you young Liam.” I smiled at him. “How did you know I was Irish?” he asked “To be sure, you have the lilt of a fellow countryman.” I said in my best Northern Irish accent. “That’s strange” he said, “because they call me Irish.“  I bought a second pint. Well, I wasna driving. By the time we had finished the rain had started but at least we had beaten it off the hill. It was only five hundred meters to the wagon.



Strewth I look rough in this photo.

Jackie decided she would take advantage of the washing machines on site and took over a load. I put the kettle on and on her return we sat and watched as several couples fought the winds in an attempt to erect two man tents. One guy gave up, throwing his tent back into the boo of his car and driving off. To where? Who knows. Certainly if he thought he might get a bed in the local hotel he was much mistaken. I happen to know for a fact they were full.

The rain didn’t cease and after a couple of hours water started to drip heavily in through the handle/opening mechanism in the roof surround. Towels, a bowl, some masking tape and string and for a while we sat there counting the drips. Every now and then one or the other of us would say “I think it’s slowing. Do you think it’s slowing?” The Met forecast it would stop at 2100hrs and it did.

We thought it prudent not to sleep on the double bed tonight but use the singles. Needless to say we kept the bowl and towels in place. Just in case.

 



The Journey North. Day 19.  Thursday 10th May 2018

From: Beauly              To: Skye-Sligachan         GR: NG405381    Mileage:130

0830 hrs. Reveille.  Fairly bright morning for a change. We decided on a leisurely start to the day and over a bowl of porridge, fruit and nuts we sat, poring over the map and looked at our options.

In our ‘run’ from Applecross Pass to Inverness to our friends at B+Q we passed the turning to Skye. Jackie was keen on visiting Skye and I would na mind a wee taster in the Talisker Distillery at Carbost. So it was settled. Skye it was.

Jackie decided that she would drive today as that way she had control of where we went. “We had enough crazy routes driven yesterday.” She exclaimed. I kept silent.

From Beauly, which also has a strong connection with Bonnie Prince Charlie we took the A833 due S to the junction with the A831 here we turned left and onto the A82 running SW down the N side of Loch Ness. At Invermoriston we turned right onto the A887. This turns into the A87 by Loch Cluaine and this then turned into a most spectacular drive on into Glen Shiel. Another Government/ Jaccobite Battle here in 1719. This is the gorge, easily defended that opens into Loch Duich at the head of which is Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie.

Loch Duich

 

View from car park towards the peninsula then Skye.

 

Who has been off-roading then Jac?

 

 

 

 

 

The castle from the car park.
Nicely framed Mike.

 

 

 

 


 The castle, instantly recognizable from the tin of biscuits you give your aunt every Xmas was pretty busy. It is one of the most photographed locations in Scotland. Now the Castle is held in Trust. The sun was out and it was of course a must visit. A fortification has stood on this site since Viking times. Indeed the first might have been Viking. The castle was bombarded by the British Navy in May 1719 and after the castle surrendered 16 barrels of gunpowder were found within. This was duly used to blow up the castle and it remained in ruins till the castle was bought just after WW1 and rebuilt as close to the original as was possible. Occupancy being taken in the 1930’s by the MacCrae’s. There is a memorial onsite both to local men who fought and died in WW1 and a Canadian Colonel who bears the same surname and was responsible for penning that immortal poem “In Flanders Fields……”

When did the British Navy become the Royal Navy? In 1660.

When did Britain become Great Britain? In 1707 The Acts of Union.

The Skye road bridge.

On ward to the Isle of Skye. The magnificent bridge that spans the mouth of Loch Alsh, now free to cross, takes us onto the isle with a broad sweep.

Onto Sligachan then take the A863 to Carbost and the Talisker Distillery.

It was closed by the time we arrived so we thought we would continue on these narrow single track roads and find somewhere to hull down for the night. There was nowhere. Jackie drove right to the furthermost point and the only conclusion we arrived at was to make the return journey to Sligachan where there was a camp site.

Passing the Talisker Distillery Jackie stopped and took a few snaps. “We can pop back tomorrow if you like.”  We didn’t. It didn’t seem worth it to me. All these years it’s been the only distillery I wanted to get to and now I’m here…! A few days later chatting to some Americans enjoying an evening stroll at Staffin Bay they told me that a bottle of Talisker was much cheaper at home in New York. “Yes,” I said “ but don’t forget there is a minimum charge levied in Scotland now for booze. Even so.

The distances up here are not that great but the roads wind in and out up and down and a journey seems much longer than perhaps it is. We were however soon back at our proposed camp site at Sligachan. As far as campers went is seemed pretty full. The staff member on duty was English and very friendly and helpful. “Park anywhere but beware the ground is soggy.” “That’s Ok this thing gets stuck on a wet shopping bag.” “That will be £8 each and £5 if you need electricity hook up.” We paid £16 and found a spot on a recently laid out hard standing. Switched on the gas and soon had a brew on the go.

The view for tonight.
Get those campers out of our line of sight.

As Jackie had done all the driving today I was i/c the Galley. My first task though was to pour ‘Drives’ a nice Gin and Tonic.