Oban – and the dreich! Days 14-16

As we telephoned around the campsites that we could see on Park4Night in and around Oban (the seafood capital of Scotland apparently…) and discovered that they were all full, we spotted one that didn’t do advance bookings at all – it was first come, first served, and after chatting to the owner it seemed that there were indeed places vacant…

 

So, settling in for a drive to Oban without knowing whether we would get a pitch (we fancied somewhere with proper showers after a couple of nights without; Evie’s shower being more for acts of desperation!) we drove on with a mix of anticipation, matched by the change in the weather as the infamous Scottish dreich started to glower on the horizon…

 

Arriving at Roseview camping we were met by Mike, one of the owners, who explained that we could choose any of the dozen or so pitches that were vacant, and that the site would likely fill up quite quickly given the calls he had received – no doubt from equally hapless campers like us!

 

With enough time to get a stroll in to the nearby coastline, we ended up discovering (as we learned the next day in Oban museum) the end of the transatlantic cable hot-line that links the White House and the Kremlin; a small number of beach-side free camping spots (all in use); as well as probably the smallest CalMac ferry we are likely to see…

 

 

With the dreek hanging back for the evening, we headed back to the campsite and enjoyed our first al-fresco dinner at the van this trip, without any midges and without need for artificial light it being so much lighter, later up here. We also vowed to be more vigilant with public holidays in the future (which we are when abroad but still being in the UK must have lulled us into a false sense of security – or complacency!).

 

 

As the site filled up and we explored the (basic and faded) facilities, we settled on ‘the quirky side of weird’ to describe it, and some of its guests, with some newly arrived campers taking up pitches that were clearly occupied (the usual clues of electric cables/ tables and chairs left out being ignored); the other owner Fiona having to use her full range of Scottish expletives to explain to a camper with dog that the sign saying ‘no tying of dogs outside the amenity block’ actually applied to him; the general haplessness of many campers when it came to emptying their grey water into the drain rather than down the road; coupled with others parked in front of the ‘no parking’ sign for filling up with drinking water, all added to the charm of the site!

 

After his first (and only) Roseview shower however, Mr B decided that the state of the art laundry drying facilities, should have served as a warning for the hot but dribbly shower he was treated to!

 

 

The call of Oban was too strong to resist the next morning and, after passing an impressive bank of yet more wild garlic (something of a leitmotif on this trip!)…

 

 

…we reached the epicentre of Oban’s claim to be the seafood capital of Scotland – a Tesco and an M&S just opposite each other! After the friendly piper (who else?) had explained that we should perhaps try the harbour pier for a more authentic experience (after pausing to admire a very tasty camper en route)…

 

 

…we joined the queue at the Green Shack, as recommended in our Rough Guide. And, fighting back our desires to go for a massive sharing platter, we opted instead for a fresh crab sandwich, watched over by the circling gulls…

 

 

Clearly a popular destination for visitors from all over the world, the bustling port acts as a hub for many of the Western Isles, lending a cosmopolitan air to our second al-fresco dining in two days!

 

Sated with our foray into Scotland’s finest seafood, we made a quick stop to the helpful tourism office to get a map and recommendations, a less quick stop into the volunteer run war and peace museum, and then we girded our loins, checked our altimeters and headed off up the hill to the interestingly named McCaig’s Tower…

 

Interesting, in that it’s more like the shell of a Greco/Roman theatre than any tower we’ve ever seen.

 

 

A quick bit of research soon enlightened us though. Built by a local Banker in 1897 to provide work for local stonemasons in the winter, and as a lasting monument to his family, the cost of continuing the build when old man McCaig died, was more than his successors could countenance, so they promptly stopped it, incomplete and tower-free! The best laid plans…

 

After an enjoyable walk back to the site (it’s about 30 minutes each way) we settled in for the night, enjoying the quiet and lovely dark sky. We are still waiting for our first ‘wow’ dark sky on this trip though, and we were still waiting when we woke the next morning…

 

One of our neighbours at Roseview was a very enthusiastic geologist who waxed lyrical about nearby Seil Island and the small quarry island of Easdale just offshore (supplier of roofing slates to the world at one point, we were informed). With the weather looking like it might clear, we headed off, eager to take the short boat trip over to Easdale and maybe have a dip in one of the disused quarries.

 

However, as you can see (or not) in the next photo, although we were reassured that the island was indeed there, we couldn’t actually see it. And although the ferry was running, we decided that the experience would probably be more worthwhile with better visibility!

 

 

So instead, we wandered around the village, popped into the very interesting museum…

 

 

…admired the locals hard at work…

 

 

and headed back to Evie for lunch, hoping that maybe the fog might lift. And, just as we needed to start heading back, of course, it did. So not this time Easdale; but Mrs B intends to return with her cozzie for a quarry pool dip another day!

 

 

Passing back over the famous Clachan bridge, that joins Seil to the mainland (famous for the practice of being the boundary where the locals who worked on the mainland could change back into their kilts upon returning, apparently)…

 

 

… then hit the road North towards Port William, mindful of there still being the bank holiday Monday to accommodate!

 

Which is how, after leaving under a grey sky across the Connel bridge (it carried trains until Dr Beeching’s axe fell and it was put to use for road traffic to take the short cut across the Loch Etive estuary)…

 

 

…we ended up at Loch Leven near Glencoe, with mountains looming on both sides, and a park-up that whilst it had stunning views, was perhaps a bit too close to the road for comfort! And whilst there was not much traffic overnight, the morning brought a steady flow of vehicles, with some kindly folk giving us a wide berth, and others driving very close causing the all-too-familiar rocking from side to side as we rolled around with every buffeting! Not the most relaxed of nights!

 

The morning did however bring a change in the weather, and with spirits rising, we headed off towards Fort William for provisions and then beyond, to the Ardnamurchan peninsula, to explore some roads less travelled… hopefully!

 

S&J 12.05.24

 

 

 

 

Claonaig, and on to a fine dining adventure at Loch Fyne, Days 12-13

Landing on the Kintyre peninsula was an interesting experience, as our first reaction, knowing that we had a night of free camping to sort before we drive on for a pre-booked gastro treat up Loch Fyne for Mr B, was to make camp five minutes from the ferry terminal opposite Arran! Hardly adventurous, it was in many ways a perfect place to stop – level, fabulous views and very unlikely to be disturbed on the road that leads down to the castle at Skipness.

 

 

However, after a lazy cuppa and short stroll, we decided to move on and explore (we have, after all, visited the castle and surrounds before with our friends from Arran by car). And so, after a quick chat about best routes onwards to the north end of Loch Fyne, we opted for the short ferry hop from Port Tarbert to Portavadie. If we thought the ferry across to Claonaig was small, the marked out bays on the slip road for the ferry told us that this one was going to be even smaller, with only six bays!

 

 

Reminding us of the small ferries we had island hopped on in Croatia, (apart from the absence of blazing sun and azure sea) we disembarked next to a very plush marina and camper stop. Too early for us to pitch up and with no need for the facilities, we left the port and the nearby fish farm behind as we turned off the ‘main’ road and on to our first Scottish ‘black and yellow’ single track road.

 

Mr B had opted for this route as there were ‘bound to be’ loads of loch-side pull-ins for a cheeky sleep over…

 

Except, as the miles unfolded (very slowly on the very, very, narrow road with the ‘passing places’ well spaced and not overly big) it started to look like that the two campers we had seen not far from the port might have stopped there for a very good reason – there were no other options – eek!

 

And, with Mr B wondering whether Mrs B’s suggestion of swerving the ferry and driving up the western shore of the loch might have been the wiser choice; with nothing showing on the Park4Night app; and with our planned stopping time for our dinner in Evie of 1900 rapidly receding (but luckily, this far north, not yet dark) Mr B started to look at pull-ins that were getting more and more unfeasible…

 

And then, just a few miles short of our destination near Barnacarry, we spotted a pull in that had obviously been used by camper vans, given the tyre marks across what looked like unwelcoming soft and boggy ground… what could possibly go wrong? So, with Mrs B pacing out the ground ahead of Evie as we inched slowly and steadily away from the terra firma of the road, we came to a stop a couple of metres from the edge of the loch, adjacent to a well made and used campfire, just in time to save the day – phew! Normally we wouldn’t choose a freebie where we could be blocked in, as this one would allow, but realising that beggars can’t be choosers on this occasion, we held fast, enjoyed some delicious Loch Fyne kippers (thanks Sue!) as we looked out on Loch Fyne, and settled in for what promised to be a quiet night.

 

 

And so it was, with only one vehicle passing us between the sun going down, and us getting up after a very peaceful, quiet and dark night! As we had the whole of the next day to explore before our loch-side dinner adventure, we opted to explore on the opposite side of the loch and take a look around Inverary with its castle and picturesque village.

 

Although it would mean we would drive past the resto we were booked in and then return, the drive more that made up for that with its stunning scenery, as we traversed the head of the loch before arriving at Inverary. Except, as we neared the town, which we could see in the distance, the traffic ground to a halt, with nothing coming from the opposite direction at all – uh oh! Hemmed in by vehicles front and rear, and with the road too narrow to try a three (or five) point turn to go back to one of the many pull-ins we had passed and wait a while, we had to sit tight and wait it out. A quick scan on the interweb soon told us the story – a wide load had got wedged on the historic bridge into the village and everything in both directions was logjammed. After about 30 minutes of wondering how long we might be trapped, traffic started to flow from the opposite direction at last!

 

Even though we were moving, progress was slow, so we decided to visit the castle first, as it was before the village and we would be able to park up. We opted not to do the castle and formal gardens tour, as the weather was glorious and we fancied being outside instead. We also realised that we could walk back to the town easily as well, necessitating just the one park-up – which we swiftly turned into an impromptu picnic before heading off to the village.

 

 

The grounds of the castle were perfect to take a stroll around, if no match for the energetic walks and magical views we had back on Arran, but, with the sun shining and time on our side we had time to explore…

 

… the castle and its grand drive – it’s still the home of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll (a Campbell), who clearly manage to just scrape a living out of their 75,000 acre home, so we doffed our caps and paid the £5 parking fee with a smile on our faces, grateful that the 3^rd Duke had demolished the original village of Inverary and moved it down the loch a bit so he could have better views…

 

 

… especially by creating a watchtower at the top of nearby Dun na Cuaiche…

 

 

It is possible to walk up to the top and enjoy the view – but we opted instead to wander into the (out of sight) village, where we enjoyed a loch-side ice-cream (and where we learned to say cone, not cornet)…

 

 

…swerved being arrested or invited to join the cast of people re-enacting roles inside the infamous jail…

 

 

and finally, having clocked the local Coop for a stop-by after we leave (thanks again Sue) we made our way back over the damaged road bridge…

 

 

and headed off for our Loch Fyne fine dining experience – woohoo!

 

Taking a lot less time on the return journey than in the morning, we stopped off to explore the old castle opposite the restaurant. Old castle Lachlan, built in 1314 and now a ruin, provided a dramatic viewpoint around the bay and back to the restaurant, Inver, itself a former old crofter’s cottage…

 

 

…and was pretty impressive close up…

 

 

Mrs B had checked with the owners that it was OK to stay overnight after eating and they had kindly agreed, even though they offer accommodation in adjacent  ‘pods’. And what a stunning park-up it was and what a perfect start to a gastro adventure!

 

 

We were made very welcome by George, one of the two staff who looked after us for the evening, suggesting that we had our first course of starters on the terrace and enjoy the views; which of course we did, with a couple of glasses of Manzanilla sherry, not knowing at the time that two other different sherries would feature in the wine flight – bonus!

 

 

The rest of the evening passed way too quickly, with each course and drink being expertly explained by George and Lisa, and Mr B’s questions patiently answered, before we were invited to have our roasted barley tea in the lounge – accompanied by a bonus (and unexpected!) course of freshly-made mini doughnuts with a fabulous Dulce de Leche dipping sauce, not to mention a cheeky Hine Cognac – anther fave of ours and not often seen!

 

Waddling our way back to Evie we agreed that it was without doubt, one of the best meals we have ever had, and with a stunning view to boot! Thanking Mrs B for her amazing planning and organising for this early birthday treat, Mr B drifted off, dreaming of seafood from the loch, venison from the nearby fells and moors, and veg and flowers from the shoreline garden…what a lucky chap!

 

Waking to yet more sun the following morning, and feeling surprisingly chipper given we don’t drink that much usually, we returned without incident to Inverary where we stopped to re-provision for the next leg on our very slow drift towards Skye, and plan where we might be stopping, certain in the knowledge that we could pick and choose between camp sites or freebies as the mood took us, it being low-season after all…

 

Except, and the enormous number of campervans on the roads should have been a clue, we had totally overlooked the fact that we were just starting the early May bank holiday…

 

S&J 09.05.24

 

 

 

 

Arran - a Scottish cliché for a reason - Scotland in miniature indeed! Days 6-11

The tourist office and associated paraphernalia regularly describe Arran as ‘Scotland in Miniature’ because of the very varied scenery across the island. And how true that is, as we could see the highest peak, Goatfell at 874m, mirroring its neighbours, way back on the A76 on the mainland as we headed towards Kilmarnock – with nothing else around to match it!

 

Arriving after the drama of the rescue at sea, it was a short and reassuringly calm drive down the east coast from Brodick to our good friends Paul and Sue, who were very kindly hosting us before we set off for the final drift towards Skye. It’s not just Paul and Sue waiting to greet us of course, but their fabulous dog Clyde who always greets us like long lost friends!

 

 

With views of the Holy Isle and The Centre for World Peace, it’s hard not to start unwinding and kicking back. It’s just so tranquil here.

 

 

                                             

Coupled with Paul and Sue’s amazing hospitality, we found ourselves enjoying a regime of delicious food and drink, with regular exercise as we explored walks and views we had not yet seen, in spite of our many visits to the island!

 

Concentrating mainly on the Southeast corner of the island we explored ancient burial grounds…

 

 

                                               

                                              

 

 … some of the many glens and fells that are working forests, where we learned that what to the untrained eye might look like a careless mess left behind after logging, is actually a managed habitat that allows native foxgloves to flourish, as well as wild raspberries and blackberries, providing a natural environment for a diverse range of wildlife too… as well as some outdoor bathing for Clyde…

 

                                                   

                                                 

 

                                                         

 

 

                                                      

 

 

                                                         

 

 

… an incredibly tranquil and beautiful loch (and more bathing for Clyde!)…

 

                                                           

 

… tiny offshore islands, once for sale for the price of a flat in Brighton…

 

                                                             

 

 

… some magical walks managed by small community interest groups, that also included a ‘library’ where folk are encouraged to leave notes/poems etc…

 

                                                               

 

                                                              

 

                                                               

 

 

…some waterfalls…

 

 

                                                               

 

                                                                 

 

…and of course some mountains in the background!

 

                                                                  

 

                                                                

 

 

 

After staying with our friends for almost a week, it was time for us to head north, leaving the island by its other ferry from Lochranza to Claonaig; a much smaller boat than we had arrived on and a first for us!

 

 

Looking wistfully back at the island as we headed towards the Kintyre peninsula, we were sad to leave our friends and the very relaxing lifestyle we had slipped into, but also excited at the prospect of new adventures and exploring northwards on our journey to Skye – all of it new to us! So thank-you Paul and Sue for such a wonderful time – Gus an ath thuras!

 

S&J 03.05.24