The 'Magic' Gas and the A82

Just back from a week in Scotland with my family on our first long distance trip.

The trip was organised around my wife’s plan to walk the West Highland Way with two of her friends while the husbands looked after the kids and provided support to them along the route.

Day 1
Everything checked and double checked, we set off for the 07:30 ferry (in the rain) last Thursday from Belfast.

Arriving in Cairnryan I’d realised I’d forgotten to attach my mirror extenders so a quick stop in the next lay-by and we were on our way.

My new Dacia Duster (1.5 Diesel) chugged out around 90 miles of smooth driving with little traffic all the way to Milngavie and to our first overnight stop at the local Scout Centre.

Our pitch (read: path) was sloping down and to the left.  This was going to be a new challenge for me as I’d only ever stopped on flat sites before.  I got the ramps out, dragged the van onto it, handbrake on both my car and caravan and went to unhitch.  This is where things went a bit wrong.  The front of my car was pointing uphill and the rear of the caravan also pointing uphill meaning that the hitch was the low point.  A bit of jiggling and I got it unhitched but then the caravan jerked to the side and rolled of the ramp.  

Then I remembered wheel chocks…!!

Re-hitched, back up the ramp, chocked the wheels with two concrete blocks that were lying beside the path and we started again.

Second time lucky we’d managed to successfully set up the caravan and got a brew on.

No electric at the Scout Camp, we were relying totally on gas for everything.  The caravan came with around half a 4.5kg bottle of butane with it and I’d bought a 6kg Propane as I hadn’t expected the butane to last long in the Scottish cold.

I cooked pasta, boiled a few kettles used the oven for around 30mins, had the water heater on for around an hour and ran the heater and fridge all night on it’s lowest gas setting.

Day 2

Kettle on, heater on, fridge still on and I went to light the grill to make some toast for the girls and although the grill lit, it wouldn’t stay lit.  I assumed gas bottle was running low so went to change it to the propane bottle.  Ahh… Different regulator… Oops…

Ah well, never mind, I’ve just discovered youngest daughter has came out in a rash covering most of her body.  A quick trip to out of hours doctor and some anti-histamines later I was now on a search for the nearest Calor centre to purchase a Propane regulator.

Back at site, fridge is still on, heater still works, kettle boils and guess what I also made some toast… Still on butane…?

I drop my wife off at the start of the WHW in Milngavie and I head back to the Scout site to move the caravan to our next overnight.

North on the A809 to Drymen then on the B837 to Cashel Campsite near Rowardennan.

Despite a small hiccup on arrival (they hadn’t a ticket prepared for me) I was shown to my site, again non-electric, and set up for the night.

This site for me was the best of all we stayed in.  A well stocked shop, friendly and accommodating staff and a toilet block that was spotlessly clean, warm and fresh smelling.  Even in the very heavy rain the hard standing was doing it’s job and remained puddle free and clean.

Anyway, I still hadn’t got around to changing the regulator to the new propane one, but still cooked and kept the fridge and heater on all night… Still on BUTANE..!!

Day 3

Fridge still lit, heater still on, kettle boiled (albeit slower than yesterday morning) and I still haven’t changed the bottle…

Wife back on her walk it was time to move again.

South to Balloch then up the West side of Loch Lomond on the notorious A82

Pulled off the road around Inverbeg to feed some grumpy small children who were complaining of being hungry in the back of the car.  Jumped into the caravan, turned the gas on, lit the heater and stuck a kettle on to boil. Gas was back to normal pressure again.

Fed and watered, we were back on the A82 to our pitch at Ardlui Hotel.

This ‘pitch’ was horrible, it was little more than carpark, in fact it was a car park, with cars parked all night, all around the caravan and still there in the morning when I wanted to leave but couldn’t as I was boxed in.

Another point worth noting is that when we returned from dinner at   the Drovers Inn (worth a visit) the gates to the caravan park were closed.  You needed a key card to access, which we weren’t given, and now being after hours we were effectively locked out.  Thankfully someone was leaving which triggered the sensor to open the gates and we drove in.

Finally the cars cleared enough for me to manually push the caravan around and get it hitched.

Onwards up the A82 to Glencoe Mountain Resort.

The booked hardstanding was still occupied on arrival, so I unhitched in the far corner of the carpark and left it there until I returned later to claim our pitch.

Spent the afternoon in the Ice Factor at Kinlochleven where the kids enjoyed the free soft play area and I got myself a new coat which was reduced from £280 to £120… Bargain….!!

Dinner of bacon, spuds and veg was cooked (STILL ON BUTANE) and we all went to bed.

Day 4

Snowed overnight, temperature down to around -4c but still there was enough gas to boil a kettle.

Hitched up as soon as I’d reckoned the snow had cleared enough from the carpark and access road and headed off down to Glencoe and then onto Kinlochleven to visit the soft play area again and get breakfast.

Met up with the girls on their walk and then headed on to Lochy Caravan Park near Fortwilliam.

Lochy was our second favourite site, with our only major complaint being the small shower cubicles and total lack of any heating in the toilet/shower block.

Cooked (STILL ON BUTANE) and it was now that I’d decided our butane bottle was indeed everlasting and possibly ’magic’

Day 5-7

A mix of family and friend time around Fortwilliam. Visited Neptune’s Staircase, Bought some Whisky, Obligatory trip to NeviSport, Gondola up Annoch Mor to play in the snow, Watched our 4yr old ski for the first time, 10-pin bowling all rounded off with a Celebration dinner in Brewer’s Fayre on the last night.

Oh, the Butane is still going strong…

Day 8

Time for home, all packed up and on the road for 10:30.  Back up the A82 with a stop in the Green Welly for fuel and a cup of horrible coffee.  I also totally misjudged the length of my outfit and squeezed into the pumps with around 3mm to spare.

On down the road again with another lay-by stop to feed the children again we eventually reached Loch Lomond Shores where we stopped to visit the Aquarium.  This my kids loved, especially the otters and the underwater tunnel.

Back on the road again and once we cleared the Erskine Bridge we had a straight run to the ferry arriving at 18:55.  Five minutes before they closed officially closed check-in.

Home for around 22:30


Observations

The A82, although tight in places, I feel doesn’t deserve it’s “Avoid if Towing a Caravan” badge which it’s been given by a lot of people.  It was a lovely drive, very pretty with loads of stopping/passing points and one that should be on everyone’s bucket list to drive.

A Dacia Duster is a fantastic tow car, completing around 600 miles (400 of which was towing a 5 berth van, 2 adults, 2 kids and a bike on the roof) faultlessly for around £100 fuel.

We packed too much.

It takes a long time to do the laundry after a week away with two small kids.
I need some wheel chocks.
I’m also going to check my caravan brakes.

4.5kgs of Butane Gas does in fact last for ever… Unless it’s cold.