The Journey North. Day 18.  Wednesday 9th May 2018

From: Talladale- Opposite Victoria Falls       To: Beauly   GR:                Mileage: 139

We were awake and off site by 0800hrs. We needed to get into phone range to speak to Tracey.    

I needed my Tax Reference Number to speak to the tax office. We drove South East along Loch Maree until the road junction at Kinlochewe and turned right towards Torridon on the A832. We are now in  Glen Eighe. This is another single track road but stretches the length of the Glen about 8 miles. It is a pleasant, undulating road and has a real desolate feel to it. Quite pleasant really. We pass one potential spot for overnight camping if you were looking and who should be in it but our Dutch friends in the 4x4 Landcruiser. He was looking out as we drove slowly past. I beeped, he waved.

Now at the Torridon junction next to the National Trust for Scotland it was 0900hrs. We waited an hour for Tracey to ring but she was tied up on a business call. We drove on. Passing a look out she rang, we pulled in, during our long telephone conversation numerous others stopped and took pictures including a coach full. Out, snap, get  back in and away. ‘We’ve done Scotland’.

Misreading the signs I turned off the Applecross coast road and headed up a long valley into the hills. This was the A896, marked on the map as single track with passing places. We climbed, all seemed pretty easy, we were soon over the saddle and dropping down the other side. ‘Well if that was Applecross Pass, that was nothing I thought’ What’s all the hype about? Then it occurred to me we had not driven any of the hairpin bends the pass is infamous for. Neither had we seen the caravans and long vehicles forbidden notice. Whilst I mused over this I noticed ahead now the head of another Loch and a road crossing its head and disappearing uphill. That’s it I thought. There was ‘the sign’ We drew alongside the sign, took a snap of it and drove on. I had misgivings. I had wanted to drive the pass. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps to prove we could. Perhaps because many camper folks on Forums and those we had met said ‘No don’t do it.’

I pulled into the lay-by, switched off and pulled out binos and tracked the road disappearing into dark almost black hills and sky. Thinking to myself, I drove on a little further but still the thought of driving to the top niggled at me. I pulled over again. I turned to look at Jackie. Her face told me she knew what I was about to do. I said ”Sorry but I won’t be this way anytime soon.” I did a quick U turn in the road and headed for the pass. So to speak.

We've done the 'low level' route let's try the higher route!

 I stopped at the little bridge at the start of the road near the warning signs to check on two motor bikers. “You guys go on ahead of me I don’t want to hold you up.” “No we’re not going, it’s too windy.” “Wise decision.” I replied and drove on.



The pass starts out OK. We all say that!

Funny how some words come back to haunt you. At that point the wind was OK-ish. I can appreciate why bikes would be cautious but we are 3500kg. The road all single track was OK at first but as is the way of things got gradually narrower till the single track was ‘single track’ the edges worn away to rubble by the winter ice and storms. We now entered an area where the road switch backed it turned back upon itself continually, not hairpins these we could not see and were yet to come. Now you really had to plan your next passing place as there were long gaps between. Check ahead, check the size of the vehicle approaching and either proceed if he’s stopped or you stop if he’s rolling towards you.

Water off the waterfalls being blown uphill.

There were a few workmen on some sections trying to repair crash barriers where they existed. The wind had picked up dramatically now as we were nearing the top. To my amazement a Keuhe and Nagal Brewery lorry was headed towards us a few bends up. What the hell would happen now. We drove on and there by a miracle for us he was pulled into the only passing place suitable for his length. It would have been awkward in a car to pass, for us anywhere else and we would have to reverse a very long way back downhill!! Not an attractive proposition.

Not long after we stopped again, to allow a car pass. “Look at those waterfalls, the water is being blown back uphill.” I said. Now ‘stopped’ the van was rocking quite violently, when there was an almighty ‘bang’ and the whole van filled with a rush of wind and cold air. “What’s that?” asked Jackie. “That was the roof blowing off. Unbuckle and get back to check.” I couldn’t stay where we were and drove ever upwards. Damage Control reported “The roof’s gone.” We scanned away down into the valley we could see no sign of the roof section. This measures about 3 ft x 2ft in old money. We could do nothing for the moment but switch on the heater full blast and continue up towards the pass. We hadn’t even made the difficult hairpins yet!

The road back down.

 

One of the hairpins.

 

It's all dark and gloomy.
By now not much was being said.

It was my intention on reaching the top, where there is a small parking area, to have a brew and some lunch. Now with it raining slightly and a hole in the roof big enough to mount a Fifty calibre I merely turned the truck around and started back down the way we had come. “What are you doing?” Jackie asked incredulously. “Me, I’m driving back down, I need you to plot me a course to the nearest lumber yard, we need to seal the hole in the roof before it really starts to rain.”

“At least we needn’t worry about the drip we thought we had on the window I reckon.” said Jackie. I think that broke the ice. We decided our best option was to ring Tracey and get her on the internet at home to look for timber yards. Eventually after much thinking I came to the conclusion that our best bet was to run for Inverness. There was a B+Q there. Seventy miles away. They would have sheet timber, battens and heavy duty screw eyes to hold everything down and seal the gap. I already had on board Lidl’s finest folding saw and para cord.

 

At B+Q we selected various timber and hardware, a gimlet and retired to the truck to affect repairs. Ably assisted by Carpenters Mate First Class Jackie we soon had the Jury rigged hatch in place within a very short period of time. “I thought you were a bit quiet on the journey across to Inverness. You were mentally building the hatch weren’t you?” “Sweet heart, I’m not just a pretty face and a brilliant driver.” I replied. “No you’re not are you.” Jackie’s reply was a bit too sharp and I felt a little cutting!

We drove next door to Miso’s a camping outdoors facility, a huge outdoors shop for a coffee but ended up buying new walking boots for Mike.

Onto Beauly Caravan Park for the night. £24 for the night! I think we were both feeling a bit chin strapped.