Cup of tea they wondered… or a celebratory glass of fizz!
We had read mixed reviews of the campervan parking area at Portavadie Marina: a soulless and windswept industrial area with pretensions, or high end yachtie bolt hole! As usual, the truth lay somewhere inbetween and depends entirely on personal preferences. But for us, the combination of fabulous views from the pitches…
... top-end amenities with showers you could run for as long as you fancied (a real treat after the £1 slot machines at Arrochar)…
... a decent restaurant
… a heated infinity pool overlooking the loch (first chance of a swim in survivable temperatures, no photos allowed inside) …
...complete with sauna, jacuzzi, swimming pool, gym and spa, all meant we felt we had been teleported into someone else’s journey and we weren’t complaining! And there were some good walks nearby too, we had read...
Having just made the journey south from our ‘hybrid’ no camping fee loch-side camp over at a fine dining restaurant, the change was intriguing, as we were very much looking forward to the idea of a ‘luxy’ campsite, but we weren’t quite sure what we would make of the rest of the offer.
We had booked ahead as there are only up to 15 pitches (not all them are always available) and it was just as well we had, with all bar one pitch full on our first night!
We had arrived with enough time to try out one of the nearby walks, this one to the community owned ‘Atlantic temperate rainforest’ at Glenan Wood. With the rain having only recently abated, we were treated to the authentic feel of water dripping from the tree canopy, and when the sun popped out, it did indeed start to feel pretty humid…
We spotted an area rich in the wood’s famous lichens and mosses…
...but with the sun about to drop over the horizon, we decided that the authentic swamp experience was probably enough for now, so we headed back…
...as we spotted the ferry about to dock at Portavadie that we would be taking over to Tarbert in a couple of days…
Our first night was calm and very quiet, and although we woke to the familiar sound of rain, we decided we would take one of the other walks over to Low Stillaig. rating only 3/5 on the Walk Highlands bog scoring…
...and a mainly flat profile, we decided that we should have enough time to complete the circular walk and return in time for a light lunch before trying out the leisure facilities as a treat! And although it was a wet and windy start…
...we soon got into our stride…
...enjoying the views back to the port…
...the bronze age standing stones…
...and the isthmus separating Port Leathan and Eilean Aoidhe (with the edge of the local Boys Brigadesailing centre just visible). Apparently Mr B was a Private in the BB when he lived in Scotland – Mrs B thinks this explains a lot of things)…
Unfortunately, we were so excited to see the farm track that would take us back to civilisation and warmth as we yomped across the boggy terrain, we completely missed taking a photo of the ruins of Low Stillaig that give the walk its name!
The afternoon turned the day into a clichéd classic game of two halves, with pampered luxury replacing the Royal Marines recruitment test of the morning. There are fabulous views from the infinity pool across the loch which was great fun, as a stiff northerly wind picked up almost enough to get Mr B body surfing in the pool! Warming up in the sauna (where Mr B got chatting to a local and learned all about the invasive Rhododendron Ponticum that can (apparently) only be killed by by injecting herbicide into the stem), we treated ourselves to another dip in the infinity pool, and a jacuzzi, before drifting dreamily back to Evie to get ready to go out for dinner.
The Marina building that houses the restaurant is impressively lit at night…
...and the food (and service) was great. Mr B couldn’t help himself from ordering the chicken with haggis, neeps and tatties, along with a pint of German beer brewed in Glasgow, whilst Mrs B enjoyed the slightly more refined slow cooked local lamb.
As we walked back up the hill to Evie, we could tell we were in for an interesting night as the wind had picked up and was blowing a hoolie. Luckily, Evie was nose into wind so we only experienced moderate rocking the whole night!
Feeling slightly more tired than usual the next morning, we were glad that we only had a 500m drive to the ferry, where a rainbow awaited us…
...before the ferry hove into view, reminding us of how small some of the inter-island ferries are…
...with some blue skies to raise our spirits half way across…
...and before long (25 minutes) it was time to disembark (no shore crew, the skipper just drops the ramp)…
We had taken this ferry in the opposite direction last May on our way to the Skye festival, but hadn’t had time to explore Tarbert. So this time, we made the most of it, enjoying a visit to a whisky shop. We should have spotted the significance of the name (Whisky West Coast) but our attempts at finding a bottle of Glengoyne single malt (a favourite from our first trip to Scotland in Evie in 2023) remained unsuccessful, as it specialised in distilleries from Islay, Arran and Campbletown only! Still, we had a great time chatting to the owner, James, with our sketchy understanding of the mysterious world of malts slightly improved!
We’d spotted the castle atop the hill on one side of Tarbert as we pulled into the port, so we thought we’d take the steps up from the harbour. With origins dating back to the 700s, and lasting until the 18thC when much of it was dismantled to build the harbour and houses below, its ruins hold a commanding view over the harbour. It’s easy to see why it was fought over during the passing centuries, and encouraging to discover that it, and the land around it are owned and managed by the local community. A very Scottish approach it seems!
Our next stop was down the coast to the slipway at Claonaig, a small hamlet we have visited before to see the castle at Skipness, and where we passed through on our way from Arran last year, heading north. We commented at the time that the coastline between the slipway and the castle looked ideal for a stop over – and now we had the chance!
It’s very, very quiet, and we found a spot right on the beach, with just the sea lapping on the shore, a few birds calling, and a cloudy sky, clearing from the west and promising a starry night …
...which we got! But it also meant that the temperature outside plummeted to 3c in the night, rising to a balmy 4c by breakfast! Luckily we had got Evie nice and toasty (25c) before we turned in, so it didn’t take long to get her nice and warm again in the morning. Mr B loves this sort of park-up for the views and isolation. Mrs B does too, but will be buying a woolly night cap for similar locations in the future!
Waking early enough to see the sunrise, we enjoyed breakfast with the local wildlife, with oyster catchers and curlews punctuating the silence. And we saw an otter close in to shore – gone before either of us could get a photo!
We pride ourselves on never leaving a trace after we have camped off grid, and we hope that the indentations of our ‘anti-sinking-into-the-soft-grass’ kit will soon disappear! It was fortunate that Mrs B had suggested using these as we pulled up, as we would have left a much more visible set of ruts otherwise!
The ferry to Lochranza is a bit bigger than the Portavadie/Tarbert one, but it still seems tiny compared to our usual Newhaven/Dieppe trips and it’s great fun just queuing to see whether or not you will get on. No advance bookings on this, or the Portavadie route.
It’s a 25 minute crossing again, and a relaxing trip, as Evie waits to drive onto Arran and a rest for a little while, parked up at our good friends Paul and Sue’s home on the east coast. The weather looks mixed (for a change!) and there might have been one or two problems with the ferries to the mainland – but we are looking forward to our little sojourn once more on Scotland in miniature. We may have been here lots, but with great company (yes Clyde, that includes you!) and such stunning scenery and walks, its always a treat!
S&J 03.11.25
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