What are you all up to
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Lazy start to the day for us today, we had rain so no rush to get up.
Went for a bike ride after lunch and git a good soaking on the way back. Forecast wasn't for rain until later, they got it wrong
why am I surprised.Moving day tomorrow off up to Poolewe, thanks KJ for the info, will trust you and go up the coast rather than across to Inverness.
NTH, if you do the train trip I'm sure you won't be disappointed, as long as you get the weather on side.
WN, your CL sounds nice, have a good trip.
Millie, Oban doesn't have a lot to do but its a place we always visit when over here. Bit of shopping, nice walk along the front and harbour eating fish and chips of course
Rain stopped, bikes all wiped down and back in their bags in the car. Clothes are just about dry, that's the first time we have had a soaking like that, I hope its the last.
DSB, happy belated birthday, what a lovely surprise for you too, bet they have been bursting to tell you.
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JVB We stayed at Ashridge Farm a few years ago. Such a lovely little site. We met up with some MH friends there for a few days and visited Duxford and also Shuttleworth. We also found time to sample meals in all 3 pubs in the village so had a thoroughly good time.
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As posted it was one our bolt holes as FM ,when we were working, as we could catch train from local stations into London,
Ashwell is a very active village with plenty going on,
Did you know the lane to and past the site ,is the Roman Road the Icknield Way
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We have stayed at Ashridge Farm many times. Usually when we were babysitting and the grandchildren came to stay in the caravan with us. They live in Hitchin. Haven’t been for a couple of years now as grandchildren don’t think the caravan is ‘cool’ enough now they are early teens!!😄
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No I didn't know that JVB. Thanks for the info.
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We are going to be in Oban in September, hopefully the weather will be decent, we hope we can take a day trip to Mull, never been there,
No doubt there are other places to visit in the area.
DD and her children are hoping to join us there for a few nights, will need to check whether an additional car is allowed on the (CCC) site .
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The rain stopped, started and finally stopped just after 11 this morning so took ourselves off to a bird reserve, Valley Wetlands, near RAF Valley. Nice place but not when RAF trainees practising taking off and landing. The NOISE
. Coming into land about 50 feet above your head and the smell of kerosene. Yuk. So birds had to be passed over.Drove to a CP a couple of miles outside Rhosneigor, a pretty seaside place and walked in over the dunes and back along the beach as the tide was ebbing. A nice sunny afternoon but a bit of a breeze. Followed by a visit to a 4,000 year old burial chamber, Barclodiad y Gawres, nearby.
Just back from an evening walk along the cycle path above Malltreath Sands. Lots of singing birds and wonderful views.
Hope everyone else away are trouble free and enjoying the touring.
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As some will know we are Tolkien lovers ( our 3 previous Springers had names associated with him and his characters ) so it is appropriate that we include a connection on this trip. Today we arrived at Rivendell, a refurbished and renamed CL south of Narberth in Pembrokeshire.
We had sunshine for most of the day, with just an odd spot of rain, and have a red sky at the moment so prospects seem good for tomorrow. The site is well laid out, easily access, quiet and there are numerous walks direct from it.
Good to hear that those that are away are managing to get out and about.
Kjell, there are lots of interesting places to visit around Oban, and the sail across to Mull is well worth it. We did it a few years ago, without the car, and walked to a couple of castles. I think that one can catch a bus from the quay for a trip round the island, but I could be wrong.
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Years ago, in my old Sherpa, I had the pleasure of going over to Mull for a couple of weeks. I went and returned via the Fishnish ~~ Lochaline Ferry. Coming back I had to wait on the down slope, close against the wall when the ferry arrived . First vehicle off could not turn round so it was quite quickly reversed up the ramp between us all waiting and the drop down into the sea. The lady driver waiting in the car in front, emerged, having a severe case of the screaming ab-dabs, ran round her car and commenced hammering on the roof. Somehow I got the feeling that she was defo NOT going to be driving anywhere near that simple little ferry, no matter WHO gave her calming advice, pills and guidance. The gentleman passenger swapped seats, did the loading/unloading and spent the short crossing talking , calmly enough, but gave the rest of us a smile and a wink whilst saving the St Andrew services a fair few calming pills
. Somehow I don't think anybody on here will need those pills anyway.Oh how the memories roll around
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Yes heddlo we have grandchildren of a similar age and with a similar attitude 😁. Our eldest grand-daughter on the other hand ,(now in her 20s) always loved the caravan and sometimes joined us in France up until she went to Uni. Times have changed.😒
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We did a day trip package to Mull which took in Iona and Staffa some years back. Well worth it.
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It’s a long time ago, but we did the CalMac trip to Mull and Iona as well. Memorable, and not just for the fact the crossing didn’t affect me. We took our dogs with us, they were allowed up on the deck, and we spent a good deal of the journey out to Mull conversing with a French lady doing the same. She was interested in dogs as she had a Fox Terrier back home and was missing him. We did a breakneck drive across Mull to get foot ferry to Iona, spent a good few hours on there, fabulous beaches, very interesting Abbey, and then even had tenough time to drive round a good bit of Mull, before getting last CalMac back to Oban. We like Oban, lots of interesting places around for us, Castles, Churches, and North Ledaig Site is lovely (nicer than Bunree we thought).
Another nice Scottish trip a bit off the now all too heavily done tourist routes is to get the Cal Mac from Gourock to Dunoon, drive across the peninsular and then do the little ferry from Portavardie to Tarbert on Kintyre. We stayed with family at Carradale Site, in the log cabins, right on the beach. Lots of stunningly beautiful bays (McRahanish), good walks, interesting small castles, and you can get transport to Ireland from Campbeltown. We drove back all the way round rather than do the ferries again, so much to see, and the Autumn colours were stunning. Arran is another route out there....
ABM’s post has reminded me......you do need to be able to reverse to get on and off some of the CalMac ferries😂
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Just reading the posts on grandchildren and caravanning. We have 6, five of them from 15 to 20 and an 8 year old. They have very frequently caravaned with us in the past and often talk of their happy memories. They now love going to the static van, they can't wait to go, admittedly more so when the WIFI is working! We love having their company. However, we are now getting to the next stage, " do you think we could borrow the caravan to stop there with some friends Nan?" I have managed to sidestep this question so far.
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Don't put them off too much, DEBSC, it is, as the world knows only too well, the intermediate step before they take YOU, park you under the awning, sustenance in reach, then return (much) later to ask what sort of day you had, before regaling you all with the tales of (
---> ) from points various !!Brian
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No ABM, I've told them since they were little, " when you are all old enough, you can pick me up and drive me to the pub, and pay for the drinks". This was in return for all the treats they got when small. It's nearly got to that stage, but I expect the drinks will still be on me.
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Another dull and damp day here but we had a new bathroom cupboard to pick up from our local Brico Depot much the same as B&Q same owner Kingfisher, the cupboard was ordered online as only 2 left, but as the road down was next to the Autoroute and it was very busy as Ascension here so a long weekend holiday away motorhomes caravans and a lot of packed cars all heading south probably hoping for some sun further south but forecast not too warm there either 21C and should be 25C plus here about 16/17C more like March/April.
Have noticed a lot of trees are not in full leaf yet so a lot later this year even with the rain this month, April was cold and dry.
No bars or restaurants open until next Wednesday and we have noticed a few have closed and are up for sale which is a shame as the tourists are starting to come out now.
Our 2nd jab next Tuesday and the health staff say 15 days after 2nd jab and you should be able to go away, we are still wearing masks here and so far not seen many folk without, just wish folk would throw them away properly not on the roads and pavements.
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Had a smashing day today. Forecast was for a fine morning then rain from lunchtime but it stayed dry until we got back to the caravan late afternoon.
Spent the morning at a local nature reserve, Cors Ddyga (correct spelling
), which is a large reserve about 4 miles away using the old open cast mining and farming areas so plenty of wetlands and scrubby Willow and Carr. Plus once away from the car park virtually no-one to bother you. There's no centre as such and the C.P.is free. You can walk for miles on good paths and cycle on excellent surfaces.After lunch we drove the 3 mies to Llangefni in the centre of the island and had a lovely riverside walk through "The Dingle" to a reservoir and back plus we popped into a caravan store shop as we needed a few things.
Nice weather all round today. Warm but not much breeze. A day for shorts and short sleeve top and gilet.
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Thank you all so much for your earlier birthday wishes and congratulations for Ruth and Wayne, our daughter and son-in-law. Hopefully we'll have a scottish grandson in October!
We've only been to Lewis & Harris once, Takethedogalong, but I can't remember having to reverse of the CalMac ferry. We travelled from Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris, just a few months after Ruth & Wayne bought the cottage on Lewis. They've been living up there permanently for around 14 months now - just at the start of the pandemic, when Ruth got the job at Stornaway hospital.
I remember sitting outside the Harris Gin Company having a hot drink and cake on arrival - one of the nicest hot chocolates I have ever had. Sadly, Wayne tells me they have now closed the cafe. Hopefully they will open it again when the Islands open up a little more.
David
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It was dry and quite warm here this morning so popped home to check all is well and pick up mail grass now getting very meadow looking one bright point acorns I planted and thought were not going to do anything have germinated and we now have 24oak saplings growing in a trough
Just managed walk with Rosa before rain came about 1630 and has not stopped
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Nice day here at Morvich, no rain and plenty of sunny intervals and reached about 14C. Decided on a walk up Glen Lichd on the Affric Kintail Way. The Five Sisters of Kintail ridge rising to over 1000 metres on one side and similar peaks of 900 metres on the other, makes for seriously impressive scenery. It’s just about our level these days, a gently undulating track along the river takes you for some 4 miles to a bothy, before ascending into the mountains. After a stop for lunch, we turned round at this point.😂 We only passed a dozen folk all day, plus lots of sheep / lambs and one deer.
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Never been to Lewis or Harris either DSB😁 It’s a good few years ago now, a big vessel, and I seem to recall you went on over the side rather than through the stern. Hence the shuffling and shunting to get off😂 Think it was Dunoon back to Gourock, because we drove back scenic route through Dumfries and Galloway, down to Penrith, and then across country using A66. We drove straight through ship going to Mull, that one was easy on, easy off.
Portavardie to Tarbert was “interesting”. A real gale blowing, just one of those topless long platforms really. Staff asked us not to get out of car, and the whole shebang was fighting the winds and strong currents. It was the last ferry for a few days, weather was appalling.
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My guess is that they have possibly updated the CalMac ferries these days. The Uig-Tarbert was certainly like a much smaller version of the Dover-Calais ferries when we went. If I remember, I'll ask them if different routes have different types of ferry. Ruth will know as she has to 'Island Hop' as part of her job.... she provides training for NHS Doctors/ Nurses throughout the Western Isles.... mind you after saying that, she was in Manchester this week... 😃😃
Unlike the Dover-Calais ferries, at least you can keep the dog with you on CalMac as there are dog areas on deck. 👍👍
David
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Not sure which furries you good folk have been on, but wrt driving on and reversing off scenarios, I was purely thinking of Fishnish to Lochaline. The Other teeny job that I had to use was the seasonal from Kylerhea to Bernera across Glenelg Bay. On that one I drove on and parked with a fine view of the middle of the wee boat. Then by the time we had left Port ( pulled away from jetty actually
) the gubbins had turned us round nicely and Brian found himself on a simple rotating disc, hanging out over the cold & briny -- got great views over to the wild life on the Skye Shore tho' Heading from Orkney to Shetland some years earlier I was 2nd in the Q at Stromness when I parked. Went for a coffee, strolled back watching the CAlMac being readied and found I was removed to about 2002th - and had to make my way thru' a fine lot of nicely sheared sheep going on holiday !
Truly, tis a different world up there in Wee Burney's Land or it was in those long distant days when she would be but a wee bairn
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We're sitting in the sunshine in Keswick today, yesterday we were canal side in Worcs and the day before OH remembered he had left all the chargers at home....the skies looked slightly darker on that discovery!
(Motorway services solved the problem en route to the Lakes.)0 -
Is or was there a problem with the "New Ferries?" that were ordered and sponsored? by the Scots government, ,have yet to try Cal Mac ferries as I get free foot passenger passage on any and quite big discounts with car/caravan
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I think all the longer CalMac routes use Ro-Ro ferries much as you describe, David. The inter island Hebridean ferries are more akin to the Torpoint ferry but the crossings are short and they're still Ro-Ro. The CalMac website describes each ferry in detail.
The NorthLink ferries to Orkney and Shetland are superbly fitted out and, unlike the Pentland Ferry, are also Ro-Ro.
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Is that the canal side at Wolverley, brue? Lovely spot.
Last night we booked a farm cottage near Ashford in the Water, which we walked past last week, ready for, hopefully, next year's Setter Rescue walk, assuming it takes place! The owner wasn't at all surprised and said they were way ahead with bookings for next year already.
After our (just less than a) week at home we're now ensconced back down in Cornwall.
Just about to listen to what our great leader has to say before phoning down for a takeaway curry - it's a hard life but someone undoubtedly has to do it, so it might as well be us!
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