Hello from the UK!

[MorkC68]

[NASkeet]

[MorkC68]

As I've mentioned a few times, we did another tour of Scotland & this time we had brilliant weather, met some great people and experienced yet more of what Scotland has to offer.

The route:

Alnwick > Luss > Ardfern > Arisaig > Shieldaig > Gruinard Bay > Fortrose > Portsoy > Alnwick (then home)

Miles: 1340
Fuel used: £310.00
Major has another water leak around the wiper spindle holes (the new rubber grommet's have perished after 1 year), the breather hoses need replacing as one cracked & leaked fuel when brimmed & the battery is on its way out.
He drove really well with no issues at all aside to the above mentioned.

First stop was Coast & Castles in Boulmer for a rest heading north
https://coastandcastles.com/

Then onto the shores of Loch Lomond in Luss, which was very peaceful and our pitch overlooked the Loch & all we could hear was the water lapping the shore!
https://www.lusscampsite.co.uk/

Our views:

This very nice early was on site too, didn't see the owner mind.

Around Loch Lomond:

_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[MorkC68]

Whilst Luss was great, it was full of day trippers / city dwellers escaping from Glasgow for a day out, which is fair enough but it got a bit too chaotic. Our journey then took us on to Ardfern via Loch Fyne..

Ardfern was recommended in Martin Doreys book, Take the Slow Road Scotland & we was not dissapointed, a quiet little campsite by the side of Loch Craignish. We enjoyed it here.

https://www.ardfernmotorhomepark.com/

The view from the bottom of the campsite looking to the Loch.

There was a superb walk along a single track, rarely used road down to Kirkton which I thoroughly enjoyed.

_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[MorkC68]

Last few of Ardfern.

Next up, Silver Sands of Arisaig..
_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[Shonandb]

Looks like a another great trip! Thanks for sharing. Was there much traffic to deal with?
_________________
*******************************
76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
Build & Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758760
Previous 1973 Panel Bus:
Click to view image

[MorkC68]

[MorkC68]

Next up was the Silver Sands of Arisaig, we knew the area and it had high expectations...with views out to the Isle of Muck, Eigg, Rum and the Isle of Skye we knew it was going to be nice!

https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=5162

the pictures don't do it justice (okay, I didnt want to bore you all with the same ones time over).

The sands clean and almost white, the sea was cool but inviting, sunsets amazing and Douglas loved running on the beach and having a paddle!
_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[MorkC68]

Our run up to the next stop was via Loch Clunie and Eilean Donan Castle running down the magnificent Great Glen looping around to Shieldaig.

Shieldaig was a great, welcoming village with a small community, friendly local pub which did great food and again, stunning views.

https://www.shieldaigcampingandcabins.co.uk/

Mountains, Loch Shieldaig, peace and quiet...I could be back there now.

We saw a couple of Sea Eagles, which was amazing...
_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[dodger tom]

thanks for the ride through the other side of the pond.
_________________
1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[MorkC68]

yet more amazing sunsets..

Moody fishing shots, just beacuse!!

Gruinard Bay was our last stop on the western side and we arrived there in rather windy conditions, so much so, we didn't put the awning up else it would have been blown to Ullapool..luckily the next day, sun came out and we enjoyed the location.

http://www.gruinardbay.co.uk/

_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[MorkC68]

Lurkers on'th beach

Next door to the campsite is an old churchyard, a memorial to the local war heroes, the church was in ruins but the graves well kept. I took a moment to sit, think about lost family and friends. Not a bad place to rest.

and another cracking sunset!

_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[MorkC68]

[Shonandb]

The views are spectacular! I'm sure it's pretty rare to see it so sunny and calm.

I'll have to tag along the next time my Son needs to fly to Aberdeen on business and rent a car and go exploring.
_________________
*******************************
76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
Build & Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758760
Previous 1973 Panel Bus:
Click to view image

[MorkC68]

Sadly our time on the west came to an end for now.

Moving over to the east coast in Fortrose, we went over via Garve and Dingwall, and we bumped into the one and only Mr Simon Friend, Levellers legendary guitarist. What a pleasure!

Douglas was exited (ok more for his bonio??) and I was gobsmacked!

https://www.fortrosebaycampsite.co.uk/

We love Fortrose and again, when we walked into the town for a meal and a few drinks, we felt welcomed and the locals chatted to us.

_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[MorkC68]

One thing we did feel quite honoured to see was a family of Seals basking on some rocks and a pod of Dolphins going back out to the Moray Firth.

Although Chanonry Point is renowned for watching Dolphins, I think they avoided us and we fell lucky as this was one in six times to go see them!!

The lighthouse did make a good black and white photo subject!

_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[MorkC68]

By now we was thinking about our time coming to an end in Scotland but we had one more stay and that was in Portsoy. We had never been before and as we drove over, the landscape wasn't the same (obviously) and we preferred the western side. However, when we explored and met a few locals, what a place, we was quite taken by it and got welcomed by the locals in The Shore Inn.

https://portsoylinks.org/

Another campsite overlooking the ocean, nice site but a bit busy for us. That said, we would stay there again but midweek.

And this is the view..

Around the harbour.

_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[MorkC68]

As we explored more, we found out that some of the old buildings around the harbour had been used in Peaky Blinders, the scenes where Michael Gray gets killed and the car explodes.

Hopefully these capture the essence?

And that was the end, time for home..
_________________
Major; 1977 Westfalia Campmobile
- Subaru EJ20
- Koni Classic adjustable dampers & Empi Heavy Duty Anti Roll Bar
- 180W Solar System
www.markcheluphotography.com
My photography work : https://lencilcreations.picfair.com/

[NASkeet]

North of the central lowlands, Scotland is very sparsely populated, so mobile telephone coverage is probably rather patchy, especially in the wilder areas away from the coast, so I hope you took your AA or RAC telephone-box key with you, assuming they are still being maintained by British Telecom as an essential telecommunications service.

https://www.caradviser.co.uk/breakdown-cover/the-aa/the-aa-call-boxes/

https://www.britishtelephones.com/kioskinfo/aaboxes.htm

Public telephone boxes also seem to be in decline, so one might need to invest in a satellite telephone, when touring in remote areas, in case of medical or mechanical-failure emergency.

Back in the late-1950s & early-1960s, when we lived in Dundee, we used to tour parts of Scotland in my father's late-1940s vintage, second-hand, two-door, Morris 8 Series E saloon (i.e. sedan). This is the car which immediately preceded his new 1964 VW 1200 Type 1 Beetle, purchased for circa £500 from SMT - Scottish Motor Traders in Dundee.

The bridge in the photograph of my father’s Morris 8 Series E, is probably Creagan Railway Viaduct in western Scotland, which in the late 1990s was radically re-engineered as a road bridge for the A828, reusing the original stone support columns; the railway branch line having been closed in 1966, following the “Beeching Cuts”.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creagan_Bridge

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2715257
_________________
Regards.

Nigel A. Skeet

Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.

Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper

Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)

https://vwt2oc.co.uk

[MorkC68]