Durness it is, decision made (1 Viewer)

[Debs]

Just seen the weather
Hope your hatches are battened

 

[camocam1]

Mine are well battened down as its blowing a gale !!!!

 

[Granjan]

Hi David, glad to see you are still a brave sole battling to see the Northern Lights, haven't been tuning in to fun much as we haven't been able to go anywhere since we came back from France end of August, still bogged down with family medical problems here. We are poised though and if a window of opportunity arrives we might just dash up there for a few days. But only if weather improves.

Have a good trip stay safe and give our love to Bev and Lola, beautiful grandson!

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[DavidG58]

@Granjan Hello, I was only thinking about you this weekend, being as I am sat back where we met this time last year

Got an amber alert by email the day I left, nothing since, but too cloudy to se anything anyway, next weekend is looking cold and frosty, hope to be up at Durness by then

Looking at a few nights in Lossiemouth on way back down as well, looks a nice place and good viewing opportunities if things develop solar wise

Take care

 

[camocam1]

David
Most locals go to the West Beach to view and you can wild overnight but if a member of britstops I would go to the Brach Bar as you park in the car park at the rear and could be s good view point
Never yet seen them but loads of people I know have

 

[mjltigger]

As a child I saw the lights more than once on the coast road between Portgordon and Buckie. Just along the coast from Spey Bay.

Really enjoying reading about your trip and dead jealous I have to be in work again tomorrow

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[Madwife]

Just seen your thread this evening and enjoyed reading it. Although I promised that I would do a frequent update on our travels south (with a working fridge door!) we have had limited internet access and I haven't posted anything about our adventures I was thinking of your fridge thread one day as we were driving through France - glancing back I realised that the fridge had not been locked after our lunch stop so I was sent back to fix it while Howie drove on - of course the thing jammed and would neither lock or unlock so after much yelling at Howie he eventually found somewhere to pull in while I travelled sitting on the floor with my back against the fridge to stop it flying open - once stopped of course the lock un jammed itself and worked perfectly!


The highlands are fantastic and I hope that Bev can make it up to join you there. I could picture the scene with the midwife (and probably know her) - they are all a bit anxious when it comes to travelling in bad weather as there was a fatal accident some years back where the midwife was killed and the woman seriously injured when an ambulance transporting them to the hospital crashed due to very bad weather

Hope you see the northern lights and look forward to reading more of your adventures. No chance of seeing the lights here in the Algarve but we have had very clear nights and great for seeing the stars! As we are away from the coast and in the hills it's been very cold at night with it being below zero every night and frost and ice on the windscreen

Kath and Howie

 

[DBK]

Just finished watching the sky at night on the beeb, wonderful programme, still looks as if it was made in someone's living room with people pulled off the street at random.

But I did learn there is a major difference in what we see of the milky way according to the time of year. In the summer we look at the galactic centre but in winter we look outwards, the centre being behind you. Learn something every day.

May the dark skies be with you!

 

[DavidG58]

Right then, just finished third cup of coffee and still haven't made up my mind

Site is paid for up to last night, option to stay no problem, place is virtually empty

Wind forecast may now being slightly over done by BBC, they are on a bit of a roll and it makes the news sound exciting, that said I don't want to be the one they drive out to film laid on my side in some remote spot

Today is forecast gusty and wet, we have some gusts here but blue skies at the moment

Tomorrow is forecast less windy but significant risk of snow

I am bored being sat in same place and really want to move, MH needs water and dump anyway, so got to move 20 yds, figure I might as well keep on going

So while typing I have convinced myself, today I will set off towards Ullapool at least, planning to get to Durness, it is only 140 miles from here and going round the coast route is virtually all 2 lanes (not single track) there are no dual carriageways!!

Hopefully I will be reporting in before 6 tonight, do not send out search parties if I don't post internet is not brilliant up there

Till later ........

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[CWH]

Fingers crossed for Durness then (mine, not yours - it would make driving a tad difficult) & also still hoping for the Northern Lights for you

 

[TheCaller]

Good luck.

The Beeb have to err on the cautious side. They get less stick for being wrong in that direction! The Michael Fish debacle still hangs heavy over them, I suspect.

The Met Office (from whom the Beeb get their data) tend to give a slightly more realistic outlook from the same raw data, although they too usually call it a bit worse than the actual outcome.

 

[DBK]

I think the only thing you need be worried about is wind - and I am not talking about the effects of Jerusalem Artichokes, which I tried for the first time last week and could talk at length about.

Rain, assuming the road isn't flooded shouldn't be a problem and if you get stuck in snow, put the kettle on and wait to be rescued. But wind could blow you off the road and flying branches don't do a lot for windscreens and bodywork.

Drive safe.

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[camocam1]

You should be okay David as gusts not as strong as yesterday
Take care and hopefully hear that you got to Durness safely

 

[Cinderz]

..and avoided the earthquakes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30777469

 

[DavidG58]

..and avoided the earthquakes
Broken Link Removed

If I knew that before I parked I might be further back from the edge

Here safely by the way, journey following

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[DavidG58]

So, left Grantown at about 11:00 in some half decent weather, blue skies, hardly any wind, had about 10 miles to get back to the A9 by which time it had changed, as I approached the A9 junction at which you have to cross the carriageway it was snowing hard and the road including the A9 was white over

A9 luckily was completely clear although that meant making my own tracks, only about an inch deep though so not too much trouble

I was just thinking about how Bev would be fretting and telling me to slow down, (now that would apply to any speed we were doing other than parked), just then Lola came and sat between the two front seats and gave my arm a huge nudge, now I wonder if I was talking what I was thinking, or are dogs that intuitive that they can detect somethings wrong

Anyway, just as I reassured her we were quite safe the road suddenly cleared, almost as though it had under tarmac heating, literally a straight line across the road, one side white over 1" deep the other side wet tarmac

Then a nice run down into Inverness to refuel, had heard the bridge was closed to high siders, but was going round via Beauly anyway, but the bridge was open to all anyway. Infact the wind seemed pretty light

 

[DP+JAY]

Glad you have arrived safely. Looking forward to further installments of your trip. We were supposed to be going up to Grantown ourselves last week but sons car decided to break down on M6 going home to Falkirk so David has spent the last few days putting in a new gear box, clutch etc - no rest for the wicked!!!

 

[DavidG58]

As we left Inverness around Beauly I could not believe how many trees were down, some huge, all cleared off the road but only just in many cases, there must have been some serious gusts up the valley that never made it through to Grantown

Some of the branches would have done major damage if they hit anything, let alone the trunks

Then rejoined the Ullapool road, all looking pretty good, weather OK, that was until I reached the 'SNOW GATES' where did they come from, I have only been to Ullapool in the summer before today, never realised quite how high that road actually goes anyway temperature goes down to 1C, first sign says road liable to freezing, within 1/2 mile another warning about cross winds and by now the road looks icy with a bit of snow

Even the flat be pick up has dropped back (must be bad), pulled into lay by to let him and another car go by so I can follow them, wind had picked back up again and every slight bend felt like a hair pin as I convinced myself I was driving on sheet ice

Stopped to take the photo and soon after that it became a lot easier, dropped down to the sea loch side and wet roads again

It is beautiful up here though

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[CWH]

@DavidG58 this is a fascinating & really enjoyable thread - thank you for continuing to take the time & make the effort. Fantastic pictures as well.
Sound like Lola's taking good care of you.

 

[camocam1]

Glad you made it to Ullapool and hope the weather stays good for you

 

[DavidG58]

Turn right at Ullapool, wet roads 6C bit breezy but all looking good

Views are still amazing, but I am biased and love Scotland

The light is not good for photos, nor is taking them through the windscreen!!

About 5 miles north of Ullapool I was suddenly aware of a couple, of empty huge cable reels on the roadside, then they just kept coming, roughly every half mile, I guess that is how much cable is on them and it must relate to emergency repairs. The new cables are running along the road side I guess the poles are down or inaccessible, I must have passed at least 50 empty reels

Just then met just about the only car I saw coming towards me all day, on my side of the road, middle of nowhere, luckily I was going slow and stopped, he came at me till about 50 yds away then suddenly realised he was wrong not me and swung in panic back to the other side. I presume he was a foreigner but in a UK hire car so no clues from the outside, odd thing was I had just noticed that the road there has direction arrows painted every mile or so, including one he had just driven over, so they don't work very well. But we were miles from anywhere, the ferry from Ullapool only goes to the Western Isles who still drive on the left, the nearest point of entry for a foreigner even flying would be Edinburgh or possibly Inverness / Aberdeen, still miles away

Anyway no harm done, will see if I can download my dash cam before it over writes, will be good practice in case I need to

So continue journey slight cross wind issues, but not going fast so no problem, just love the views

Then I saw my first stag of the trip, they are far from rare, but still make an amazing site when so close, well 200 yds close, but following taken with zoom lens, through windscreen, in failing light, but wanted to share my pleasure

Then arrive at Durness, going dark, well nearly, noticed very few lights on, pulled on to site which is unmanned and drove to 'my pitch' we have only been three times but feel we know it well by now

Quick photo of the beach

It really was nearly dark now

Then saw the street light come on, must need the timers adjusting

The site owner came over for a chat, he remembers us, not many daft enough to come up in January I guess, tells me the power has just come back on after three days down

Never thought to check this, anyway, hooked up £7 night, no charge to use the site

Internet via Highland Wifi £20 for a week, sorted

Oh and it's blowing a gale, but much less than when I arrived and has just started snowing

More updates and better photos of here to follow tomorrow

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[camocam1]

You got there !!! Great

 

[CWH]

Congrats on your arrival - excellent timing! Fate was obviously on your side

the power has just come back on after three days down

Just need to catch the aurora now

 

[golly]

Thanks for this excellent thread, I wish I had the Bottle to do the journey this time of year.

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[hilldweller]

Then arrive at Durness,

"Your task now, should you choose to accept it, is to turn round and reach Derbyshire, this post will self destruct in 15 seconds".

 

[Cal54]

David, I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts and the photos. You deserve to see the arora b for having the bottle to undertake the journey. Enjoy the rest of your trip and keep the photos coming. Thanks for taking the time to keep us all enthralled with your trip.

 

[Neilfg]

David, thanks for the update, I shall be taking a moment out in a bit to savour a wee dram and ponder the depths of my envy.

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[DBK]

..and avoided the earthquakes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30777469

Could be someone has been eating Jerusalem Artichokes....
I'm sure one of mine was a magnitude 2.0 at least.

 

[Carol]

David thank you for taking the time to share your journey with us, think a few of us are doing a virtual journey with you.

 

[camocam1]

Carol

Make it a real journey !!!

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