My tour of Scotland (+a spotted)

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:11 pm

Spotted someone in Dunbeath? Taylormade possibly? pretty sure I recognised the car. Green S2 coupe, debadged, black grill and nouvolari wheels.

I am doing a tour of Scotland just now in a Motor home Stayed just outside Aviemore on friday night, on a beach at the edge of a river, it was lovely. Last night we stayed in Dornoch on a camp site. Tonight we will probably "wild camp" at John O'Groats. Currently in Tesco car park at Wick, stocking up on food ,fuel and fags.

Gutted that im not in the Audi as it really is quattro country up here.

Plenty pics when I get home in 2 weeks

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 6:15 pm

Hope to do the same next year in my 80Q

Site Moderator Joined: Aug 11, 2008 Posts: 1652

sounds like yer having a ball m8, love to do it in the quattro too, shove a tent in the boot and buigger off for a few weeks.

MMmm maybe we can organise a group tour???

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 8:47 pm

That's the plan Smile

Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:17 pm

aye it is bloody amazing.decided to come over to Orkney on the catamaran ferry tonight as John O'Groats was a bit of a disapointment. Currently sitting at Kirkwall harbour chilling.

Already spotted a ur a coupe and an 80 outside someones house. So if ye see someone in a hoose with wheels lurking around invite me in for a cuppa thumbleft

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 5:39 pm

ah hibby, you passed my part of the world!
Aviemore sounds like you were just near loch morlich. Dornoch or granny's healen hame? Embo and all the parts round there are nice, Skebo castle is close also worth a look see.

Kirkwall, try Wymms he has a 90 2.05 pot and an S6 (blue i think) And bigliks is up there too.

Scara Brae and Scapa Flow worth a look. can be quite baron but loads of heritage and bloody windy generally speaking!

if/when you head back smoo caves up near cape wrath is nice, MOD territory there so you might not get to the north west tip.I wil shut up now.. well nearly.

You must stop by applecross and Torridon as for me having been brought up with all that, its the prettiest part of the country. Plus the Belach Na Ba is a peach of a drivers road and will make you want to come back.

Hows the escapism tour going? Any itinery or are you just randomly driving!

Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 9:19 am

We stayed in Dornoch caravan site as it was closer than the heilan hame and i was puggled after changing from nightshift to normal time

No real set in stone itinery though had places on my list to go to.

Smoo cave and Cape Wrath are both amazing, the red flag was up at the Bombardment range but we still got through. Never heard any firing but seen a crew doing some ops and could smell they had been firing. We camped on a beach at Faraid head and watched the stunning sunset whilst having a bbq.

We then camped at Ullapool, ferry over to Lewis and couldnt get on a campsite to recharge the van (and empty the jobbies) so headed down to Harris to get the ferry over to Skye last night. Currently on a campsite in Uig.

And im just going to kick back and relax today. Plan the next few days a bit too

And dont worry I will be back up here, just me and my car though Wink

Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:56 am

just since you mentioned wemyss and bigliks on Orkney i spotted a J reg S2 at the garage in Finnstown and a URS6 somewhere, near the tesco in Kirkwall IIRC.

Checked the gallery and was indeed parked outside Taylormades house. What a lovely place to live, I was very tempted to camp near you but wanted to put in some miles. Next time I am there expect a chap at the door for a coffee Smile

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 3:10 pm

hope you have managed a jobby empty! genuinely priceless. the urS6 a dark met saloon is Weymss.

My brother used to go and blow sh*t up at cape warth, smoo is special, did you do the boat trip in? its almost a forgetten part of our past. Guessing your heading well down now, got to spend some time in torridon/applecross. Try Eilean Donan right beside Kyle of Lochalsh, erm what alse, Arisaig? Cambletown? Never been down kintyre myself.

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:36 pm

We passed the 1000 mile mark on the trip meter today

Never knew there was a boat trip at Smoo, the wee ferry over to Cape Wrath was hilarious though, the "captain" was very laid back and cast a line out the back of the boat whilst going over to catch his dinner, unfortunately for him it was chips and chips for him that night.

Any idea what MoD Vulcan is for? no doubt i shall research that when im home anyway.

We "wild camped" the last 2 nights, 1st night overlooking Uig Harbour and last night at a wee community centre car park about a mile from Eillean Donnan.

Tonight we are on http://www.lochnesscaravanpark.co.uk about 10 metres away from the water, already been buzzed by some sort of very low flying fighter jet. The chalets and Hobbits cave things here look great and we may well come back for a wee break.

Tomorow it is tourist stuff around here, Urquhart Castle etc and then camp in a layby on the south side of the loch as i hear it is quieter over there.

been using a site www.wildcamping.co.uk to get tips for where to park for the night.

Gutted that i have to hand the van back on friday morning though Sad

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:38 am

aye you can get a boat in to the caves from the sea. i did that when i was a nipper with my dad, still a clear memory as it was stunning ,woudl love to go back.

vulcan is an old RAF long range bomber, hugely noisy but they are decommissioned now i think, they recommissioned them for a few wars as they have a huge range. There is also a vulcan cannon which is on the front of the tornados BIG scary gun that fires metal coke bottles.

Your a stones throw from my sisters house outside Drumnadrochit right now Smile

I like that part of the world, take a wander up to Cannich and Dog falls, its worth it for the scenery.

Low flying Jets is normal, wait until there is a NATO exercise on you will sh*t your pants. jets at 200ft in the middle of the night, its LOUD.

South side lochness is much quieter, head by Foyers etc, Rock Ness was there last weekend so it will be a bit of a mess i guess. Abriachan also nice a bit further up. Suggest stopping at culloden, the atomsphere of the place sets me off, can really get a feel for what happened there.

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 5:48 pm

sorry for the late reply,i think thats the first time i`ve been spotted.the girlfriend stays in Dunbeath and i take the s2 up the road every other weekend (great driving road).

have a safe one Wink

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 6:34 pm

That must have been her Polo parked next to your s2 then mate.

Plans have changed again, it is what i like about not having set in stone plans. We went to Urquhart Castle and the guy told us some hoohah was on at Fort George, so we came up to see. Turns out it was just a tourism exhibition. Not a wasted journey though as The Fort was impressive and now sat at Chanory point having dinner.

During typing this I heard the shout of DOLHPIN so im going to stroll round to the main point facing over to Fort |George and have a watch for a while Smile

Been advised theres a nice spot to park up for a sleep at Cromarty so will head up there tonight.

Culloden in the morning......

oh and we got a chipped windscreen, gonna have to try and get it fixed before we hand the van back Sad

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:10 pm

Black Isle is where i was brought up, lived in Cromarty till i was 9, pretty place. Loads of camping spots, the sutors is a great place for a stretch of the legs. Stooped in history

Channonry is cracking. If you go to cromarty got to go see hugh millars cottage then wander over the hill to eathie and check out the fossils and caves. Remeber Darwin is famous for his theory of evolution, well Hugh Millar predated Darwin by 15 years.

Then you will see al teh rigs in the Firth and the reminants of the oil base at Nigg.

I am 99% autoglass will repair chipped windscreens FOC

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:35 pm

yeah had to steer her away from the french stuff.

might see you buzzing about tomorrow as i stay in culloden

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:42 pm

Hibby I know how scottish you are, got to go to Culloden. Does nothign for some people but i get a real sense of what happened when i stand there. Plus the new visitors centre is pretty good too.

Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:12 pm

I'm not scottish but Culloden does have a dark feeling about it. Read several historical accounts before I visited so was aware of what happened - awesome place but sad too.

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 6:25 am

Ma hoose for the fortnight

Spotted this fleet on Orkney

and also this

Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 10:10 am

Nice - sound great those Healey's Very Happy

Site Moderator Joined: Aug 11, 2008 Posts: 1652

wanted a healey 3000 for years just love em!