A hasty trip up North

[Kannon Fodda]

So being the proud owner of my Autotrail V-Line 540Se for just over a month it was time for a road trip. But I only have from Thursday 17th Sept and absolutely must be back for the following weekend. So If you live in Surrey it makes sense to point Northwards, perhaps very Northwards (or as my friends said stop before you start swimming) .....

I'll apologise now for the lack of photography skills (and if you are driving taking a photo isn't a good idea), but I thought I'd share some of my more impromptu experiences....

Day one - a charge around the M25 and up the M1/A1(m) towards Newcastle - inevitably the worst part of this is the first 2 miles just trying to join the M25 at junction 11, with the stretch towards the M40 a close run second place. But there really must be a North - South divide as to how any peception of traffic dissapeared after Sheffield and particularly Leeds.

After a 30 minute stop at my van dealer for a pre-arranged minor adjustment to the bathroom door, onwards (with a quick refuel at a suitable supermarket offering Clubcard points) ....

Into slightly more windy A roads, I cross the border with out realisation and find myself in Jedburgh. It's getting dark and although after hours at 6:30ish the C&CC warden shows me to the last overnight standby pitch. Plug in the EHU, raid the fridge and it's time for a few zzz s

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Day two (Friday). Plans are a little more leisurely as I have the perception of crossing the border. Didn't set off too early until after 10:00 is (there is a bit of a theme here). But I point northwards, setting the sat nav towards Inverness. Also slighty horrified at how much diesel I've used I've set the speed limiter to 55mph (was 65mph on motorway), and still think that could be painful

Finding that the air is a bit thinner up here pull over to look for suitable stopping points, realising the impulsiveness (luck) of last night might not bne sensible for a stopping point. C&CC campsites north of inverness are either fully booked online or don't allow a one night online booking stay. But Loch Ness Shores site has space.

Sat Nag suggests I turn left off the A9 a few miles short of Inverness. That's OK It's a B road? two miles in my first experience of the single track passing lane roads. Somehow escape unscathed

The C&CC site is on the Foyers village. It seems well set up. Quite well spread out with a lower hardstanding pitch, and upper mixed grass and some hardstandings. You may not have a data signal but wi-fi in the main building that has a small shop and they will pre-order stuff like bread. There is a takeaway diner but post main season it may not always open. Toilet shower block was modern and good, with a small "wigloo" hut as added wc for those on the upper grass pitches to save that looong walk. The site overlooked Loch Ness, but largely hidden by trees. Around 1/2 mile from a hotel/pub (think of it as seeming more like a large house but basic reasonble food) that took a bit of finding up climbing hills.

Time for some zzzzs

 

[TinaLes]

We live in Surrey and go to Scotland and now we have the moho will go as often as we can either side of the main season to avoid other camper vans and the notorious midges as they really can spoil a holiday especially on the west coast and in the middle around the lochs.
We also have family in Ayrshire, so used to having to pop up for family events.
One rule I made to myself many years ago was always do the trip either way at night as hopefully most people are in bed and you miss any rush hour traffic.
I know many people dont like driving through the night, but I prefer it with time for coffee rest stops and leg stretches.
We last did the NC 500 ish trip last two weeks in April, first in May and it wasn't long enough to do a lot of the middle parts. We ended up putting 2200 miles on the clock of our newish van and it sung along all the way
We used the free parking Aire in Hawick also on night one arriving at 4.30AM.
Enjoy your trip (memories for life)although you wont have time to see it all, start planning your next trip as you go, thats what we ended up doing.
Best wishes.
Les

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Day Three, Saturday 14 Sept. I have the idea I want to get onto the Orkneys! I'd been there 15 years ago but Scuba Diving so never got the chance to actually look around the other stuff that was there.

A quick look for ferry options. The website, viewed on an iphone 5 is pants. I can't work out if, or if not there are sailings for my size vehicle. OK I'm short 5.4m plus a cycle carrier (that's been a waste of space so far), but I its still also needing height? But they keep giving warnings that if in grey it's not available? Yet every pull down option even for your name is in grey? Take the gamble, and a return booking is confirmed for £150 Scrabster to Stromness at 5:30 Sat evening return Tuesday 4:30 (that gives a good 2.5 days to look around the main island - they can't be that big can they?).

But it is getting windy. I can see proper waves on Loch Ness, it's trying to rain

So another refuel at a certain supermarket in Inverness, another single track road from the campsite, and then turn right and somehow manage to steer in an almost straight line across an extremely windy Moray Firth. Wend my way up the A9 and am in Scrabster well before the ferry time.

And then the ferry is late on it's arrival and departure. A 90 minute schedule becomes over 2 hours. The captain re-routes instead of the usual outside of the Island of Hoy, he heads towards the relative shelter (relative is not appropriate) of Scapa Flow. Even the tying up of the ferry takes a loooong time. Get back to my van to see it surrounded by wheel chocks - never seen any ferry bother with those on any vehicle before.

It's late, and getting dark. The wind is blowing it's **** off. I did online book ahead the quickest campsite on the edge of Stromness at Point of Ness. Ominously I'd had a phone call from the site saying the pitch I'd selected wasn't available due to flooding but they could give me another normally for those wanting EHU., but the warden had to go now to sort out the many other campers who needed to be moved ...

After hours, so no warden, but I knew my pitch. A simple site, older facilites run on behalf of the local council. Sufficient, but 20p for around 10 minute in the showers. In fine weather it could be very pleasant about 1/2 mile from Stromness Centre on foot. But as the photo taken on the return ferry shows, there is no shelter whatsover. In the gales of Saturday night I probably got less than 2 hours sleep the van was moving more than it would be when being driven.

 

[Grianan]

Don’t stop there ... I’m enjoying your thread! Haven’t been to Orkney yet but it’s on the bucket list ... a lost that gets longer as I read more threads ??

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[Kannon Fodda]

Don’t stop there ... I’m enjoying your thread! Haven’t been to Orkney yet but it’s on the bucket list ... a lost that gets longer as I read more threads ??

Patience is a vitue ...

So Day Four. Sunday. A Rest Day. No chance.

I've booked for a couple of days onto the PickaQuoy Centre site at Kirkwall. But, having somehow survived everything the wind couldn't do, and with the van now absolutely smothered from top to toe with salt (not good when it's brand spanking new) to the extent the reversing camera prives to be blinded, lets see the sights ...

I dunno, the word Island, implies small. Rubbish. There is a lot of ground to cover. Over the next couple of days I'll chew through a quarter of a tank. The main A roads between Stromness, Kirkwall and towards the Southern Isles are fine, and perfectly good for 60mph if you were willing. But generally think of the main roads as good to many Southern UK B roads. And they are well maintained, vitrually free of potholes.

So lets see how far I get, Stromness past Kirkwall, and head towards the Churchill Barriers - built World War II to close passages into the flow between the islands making anchorage for the British Naval fleet more secure, with the aid of Italian POW labour. These barriers now act as causeways linking southern islands to the "mainland".

Top Tip. If it's windy, and a higher tide level, the causeways get wet. With salt water. Not something you want to experience with your 6 week old van

A quick visit into the Italian Chapel. Remarkable what people can achieve in the midst of adversity. In captivity POWs convert a Nissan hut into a place of worship using salvaged materials and ingeniuity. They are still making finishing touches after three years as they are relocated ready for repatuation.

So moving on to the extremeties and as far as the road south will take me

The Tomb of The Eagles
Somehow accidendally discovered by a farmer who is thinking he is using a couple of stones in the ground to repair a wall and then realises the stones are part of something bigger.
Difficult to explain but it's an ancient stone mound where, after a body has been laid out in the open, and the remains have been picked over by birds (eagles would have been very commonplace) the remaining skeleton parts were discarded (not intact) into a mass chamber.

Quite a long walk (mile or so) from where they had an exhibition centre explaining what had been found and was understood, to the actual tomb which in windy weather was quite exposed. What I don't get is why the cows in the field next to the path were all following me?

 

[Kannon Fodda]

So It's Monday. I'm feeling sorry for my van after driving who knows how many hours over the last four days. So it can stay parked up on the Pickaquoy site which sits on the outskirts of Kirkwall.

The site itself is fine. It's quite modern, tarmac driveway and hardstandings, many with EHU. One main block for the toilets / shower, dishwash and even laundry (fee paid) with warden and a lounge area. Clean, tidy, free shower wet room style in large cubicles that also have wc and washbasins with plentify water. Keycode access given to you as you book in. Mothorhome service point. Everything you could need within a few minute walk of Tesco, Co-op and Lidl supermarkets. Kirkwall centre is about 15 minutes away. The major leisure and sports centre is next door to the site (I didn't experience any disturbance) and you get 20% off their cafeteria prices - just over £6 for a full cooked breakfast with coffee didn't seem too bad

So it was time to venture around Kirkwall. Although the capital of the Islands inevitably it's quite small. The prominent feature is the St Magnus Cathedral:

Free to enter with a visitor centre next door. Many of the tombstones within the building reflect the Norse / Viking heritage of the islands in style. Tours of the upper galleries by pre-arrangement, and those looked quite different to construction I've seen in many of these buildings.

Adjacent is the Bishops Palace (closed for lunch when I was poking around)

Kirkwall had a Castle which has long since been flattened. There is a free museum opposite the Cathedral which explained some of the historical development of the Islands, and more recent events of the war naval events.

I'd pre-booked a the Highland Park distillery tour. A bit of a hike up a hill to the outskirts of Kirkwall. One of the few distilleries that does the full process from actually malting the barley (most buy it in) through the peat kiln to distellation and finally the years of barrel storage. All they do not do on site is atually bottle. Interesting, although our guide was perhaps too interested in the branding and taste, than explaining the subtleties of the processes.

And then back to town where I found a great, but very busy, small pub / restaurant by the harbour for a nice scallps and mash dish washed down with too many pints of beer. (Don't go to the Orkneys if you want Weatherspoons )

 

[steve 6644]

That was a well writen photo read

 

[Kannon Fodda]

So my final day on the Orkneys. A little dissapointed. It would have been a challenge to get a ferry over to Hoy, but the naval museum at Lyness is closed so it can be new and improved (despite that it is 100 years since the anniversary of the German Fleet scuttling). The Orkneys for most tourists will be about WWI WWII naval activities, or the neolithic stuff that is prevalent to the islands. Many discoveries pre-date Stonehenge.

Ignoring that there are a couple of other distilleries in Kirkwall (I think one does gin), I get back on the road, this time around the north of the mainland, from Kirkwall back to Stromness. Time to bypass the beer breweries and I head towards Scara Brae. The venue is a bit too popular. Parking has designated space for cars, coaches (verbotten to anyone else and they will kick you out) and overflow for cars and campers/small motorhomes (grassy and muddy) so cars will take the motorhome space leaving you to use a public space some 1/4 mile away.

Accidentally discovered in the midst of the 1800s after a storm washed away the top cover it is the remnants of a neolithic community of houses and workshop. The stone walled structures would have been semi buried. There is a decent explanatory exhibition museum, and you also get acess to the nearby former house of the laird who discovered it. but at £9 it's a bit pricey for an adult. (an inclusive ticket with access to other island sites may be available and better value)

And back to Stromness. Clearly a lot of history as a staging port for whaling, arctic expedetions and trading to Canada. Museum, £5 entry, is perhaps dated in its presentation, fairly small. Deals with local history, a lot of taxidermery, and a couple of changing exhibits currently related to the naval stuff.

Time to depart. Back on the Hamanvoe ferry (apparently the original name of Stromness), to Srcrabster. Arriving 6 ish with no real plans I head back towards Wick, top off again with fuel at a certain supermarket, and realise I'm so close to the extremeties of the mainland a visit is in order.

My stop off for the night, indicated in another thread, my first ever wildcamp, overlooking the seas back towards Orkneys in the parking area on the headland by Duncansby Head, the most North Eastern lighthouse of the UK mainland.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Wednesday, I could retrace my tracks back south towards Inverness. That would be boring and I haven’t done enough mirage. There’s big prominent signage for a tourist route towards Ullapool so I point westwards.

Top tip. Fill up before leaving onto the A836. It gets very spartan.

Initially the road and countryside are quite open with gentle undulations following the coastline. But it becomes windier and more rugged as you move west. And then you encounter single track with passing places. This is an A road? I catch glimpses of stunning country but most is shrouded in drizzle and mist. I’ve picked the wrong day.

Miles and miles of nothing. Not even sheep.

Driving takes time. A good 4 hours to get round to Ullapool you need to be looking well ahead to work out when someone might be coming the other way to pick the passing place. It’s the locals who are the challenge as they know the road and will fly round bends with little warning.

I’ll revisit this at a better time of year so I can actually see and stop . The western corner has a lot of stuff on the clearances.

Once round the corner and across the Loch A Chain Bain the road improves to dual lanes but remains of rocky hills with steep drops ( if only I could see them.

It’s getting late but after Ullapool I turn left to the A832 signed as another Tourist route following the upper west coast just above Skye. Stop for the night is a campsite at Strath with pleasant small pub and even a chip pie nearby .

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[Khizzie]

Day two (Friday). Plans are a little more leisurely as I have the perception of crossing the border. Didn't set off too early until after 10:00 is (there is a bit of a theme here). But I point northwards, setting the sat nav towards Inverness. Also slighty horrified at how much diesel I've used I've set the speed limiter to 55mph (was 65mph on motorway), and still think that could be painful

Finding that the air is a bit thinner up here pull over to look for suitable stopping points, realising the impulsiveness (luck) of last night might not bne sensible for a stopping point. C&CC campsites north of inverness are either fully booked online or don't allow a one night online booking stay. But Loch Ness Shores site has space.

Sat Nag suggests I turn left off the A9 a few miles short of Inverness. That's OK It's a B road? two miles in my first experience of the single track passing lane roads. Somehow escape unscathed

The C&CC site is on the Foyers village. It seems well set up. Quite well spread out with a lower hardstanding pitch, and upper mixed grass and some hardstandings. You may not have a data signal but wi-fi in the main building that has a small shop and they will pre-order stuff like bread. There is a takeaway diner but post main season it may not always open. Toilet shower block was modern and good, with a small "wigloo" hut as added wc for those on the upper grass pitches to save that looong walk. The site overlooked Loch Ness, but largely hidden by trees. Around 1/2 mile from a hotel/pub (think of it as seeming more like a large house but basic reasonble food) that took a bit of finding up climbing hills.

Time for some zzzzsView attachment 332647

Been there twice. Loved it there, had a boat out to do a bit of fly fishing on the Loch as well.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Thursday, Day 8, and now it's unfortunately time to work my way southwards. But wohoo, the weather has brightened up and I can be awed by the scenery.

Rejoining the A832 I follow the road round past Loch Maree:

At Kinlochewe the A896 is signposted as a tourist route so it would be rude not to take the option. Immediately back onto those single track roads:

And getting towards Loch Torridon

Wending my way onwards the Wester Cross Trail is signposted for to turn right towards Applecross. Not Quite sure what I'm getting myself into, but it's got a big black HGV route sign so it can't be that bad?

Breathe in, there's a logging truck with trailer coming at me. On a single track road! And it's a narrow, very windy road. Discretion better part of valour is to dive into the passing place bay on the wrong side of the road, and he thunders past with a thumbs up.

This bit of coastline is definitely rugged especially as you get around the penisula:

Applecross itself is full. With nowhere to park up I abandon the idea to look around for a few minutes and grab a snack and turn back heading up a hill prominently signed "Steep Narrow Unsuitable for Caravans, and Normally Impassable in Wintry Conditions" I've stumbled upon the Bealach na Bà pass Challenge accepted.

The road starts off rather benign albeit with a steep slope but after a few sharp turns it's a lot more rugged and exposed, heading upwards. The camera flattens the angle:

Up into the clouds and the summit viewpoint is hidden in mist. Near the top, both up and down there are tight hairpins and I'm happy not to meet anyone coming the other way on these bits. I'm definitely using the van's hill climb and hill descent controls.
Downwards I break out of the clouds to see views over Loch Kishorn, but nowhere to stop on this road, other than the top viewpoint or at the bottom either end (frowned upon to use a passing place as that might affect other traffic):

The pass road comes back out further along back to the A896. It's now well past 2:00pm so I need to start making progress down south. I start following signage for Fort William, via the A890 (still a windy narrower road especially alongside the loch. I eventually pick up the A87, stick in £50 of fuel at the first decent garage I've seen opposite the Ben Nevis Distillery, before heading towards Oban. Time's marching on now early evening and I'm looking around for likely places to stop. Park4night isn't suggesting much options other than campsites but I'm drawn towards Clachan Seil if only to view the Atlantic Bridge:

But nowhere on the island area to stop, far too busy, so back on the road down the A816.

Eventually, it's getting dark and also misty. Too many of the in out type laybs especially with picnic spots have no overnight signage. My second wildcamping search is proving challenging. Finally in desperation, I spot a slightly deeper layby, and exhausted pull over.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Friday, Day 9, and I have one simple aim, homewards:

Wake up fairly early as traffic starts rumbling past, but it went quiet after around midnight save for someone at 3:00ish who thought it might be fun to beep their horn as they went past. But it's a nice little view of Loch Restil all the way down on the A83

Now it's time to get a shift on. It's about 7:30am. A82, past Loch Lomond, towards Glasgow. Replenish with Diesel at a suitable supermarket and then hit the motorways. Most run quite smoothly. Traffic the other way on the M6 is suffering as there isn't anything left of a motorhome that went up in flames. Slow as usual around Stafford and it's roadworks, and awful on the M42 Then smooth to the inevitable chaos of the M25 around Junction 13-11. And that's it. Home about 6:00pm.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

So what have I learnt?

Single track roads aren't that scary. But they aren't fast. Your brakes need to be in good order.

The comfortmatic gearbox was a godsend. A couple of times it may have been slow to change up gear and I needed to momentarily take foot off throttle so it could calm down, counterintuitive when your going up hill. But with all the windy roads it saved a lot of clutch work.

Motorhoming isn't a cheap holiday. If I count the proportionate cost of the van annually, plus the fuel, campsite fees, etc the all inclusive bucket and spadey is great value. OK I needn't have gone so far. Can't really complain though I was getting 33mpg according to the van on the final run back down not exceeding 65mph on the speed limiter.

I was possibly unlucky with some weather. I'd go back, but I've done the Orkneys now, so would stay over the western side where it's a lot more rugged. I'd also try and allow myself more time to stay in a smaller area so I could stop off rather than rushing through. Having said that I'm probably going to take 15 minutes to look at an "attraction" where others might spend 2-3 hours.

I need to do my research before setting out. Pre-plan a couple of campsites and identify potential wildcamp spots. It may remove some spontaneity but trying to do stuff on a tiny mobile phone screen isn't easy. If you are going to get on a campsite on the offchance have contingency plans nearby as they may be full, and many of the formal ones don't like you arriving late without a pre-booking. CCC may have better coverage up north than C&CC and the latter's main sites were often miles from anywhere.

 

[TinaLes]

Well done Kannon Fodda, very much enjoyed reading your thread, great descriptions and photos.
Shame you had to do it in such a rush, and the weather for you could have been better.
I would have expected,no doubt as you did also, that things would have been quieter as the main season is nearing its end.(especially the likes of Applecross)
I wont tell you how many beautiful spots you near missed, but hopefully like us you will have a plan to go back and see some of them on your next trip up there.
We have a larger coach built at 7.4mtrs long, but we had no bother in handling the narrow single track roads, they sure do keep your attention dont they

We wild camped over the three week trip, only using one CMC site in Braemar, and one CL near Durness, mainly to fill & empty, but The Breamar Site was worth the visit to see the town and to drive tom & from it using the old military road from Pitlochry through to Braemar, then next day on to Tomintoul.
The road is closed during the snow season, but the scenery is (although I do hate to use the word) Awesome! The way the sun hit the rugged hills and glens, with clouds casting their shadows upon them, made it so special.
We were so lucky with the weather being 18/21 degrees, dry every day, and no midges, but it was April/early May, and the weather gods were with us, maybe as it was our honeymoon trip
Wishing you many more happy travels in your new van.
Les & TinaL

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