Carnasserie Castle nr: Kilmartin

This morning despite a light mist shrouding the Clyde the locals were out in shorts and t-shirts. Would today's weather be an improving picture perhaps.

Our route this morning took us alongside loch Lomond, the cloud hung low over the pine trees and the air felt damp. Stopping at a layby to take a photograph we were both annoyed but not surprised to see someone had emptied their toilet in the bushes.

A little further on at Tarbert we stopped to empty our toilet at the service point. What is wrong with these people?

Last year when we stopped at Tarbert the pleasure boats weren't running and there were only a few visitors, today the boats were leaving full of tourists and there seemed to be a lot of Americans around. 

From Tarbert Marge took to the hills climbing the 'Rest and be Thankful' with ease. The views of the mountains were beautiful.

We stopped alongside loch Fyne to photograph the view, but not the one we were greeted with. A Dutch van was already there and the lady with it displayed a bottom like a gouda cheese whilst she bent over to do who knows what! She looked a little taken aback to see Marge appear, and we could hear Marge saying, cover yourself up woman.

Soon we arrived at Inveraray. As Marge rolled over the hump back bridge into the town we could see the chateau like castle on the right. The small town was a real hotspot, busy with cars, vans and coaches. We parked Marge up in one of the campervan spaces, a nice idea but they are far too narrow for most vans. Shortly after the Dutch woman and her husband appeared alongside, fully clothed we were pleased to see.

After a walk around the town Angela made some lunch and we sat by loch Fyne to eat it. The weather had settled, the sun lit the loch, and warmed our bodies, We were glad of this improving picture as our next stop was to be Dunadd Fort, a hill fort dating from the iron age.

The King would put his clothed foot into this carved out footprint (equivalent to a modern size 6 shoe size).

A climb up to the fort afforded breath-taking views across the open countryside of Argylle and Bute. At the top we sat and talked a while with a couple from Penkridge in Staffordshire, a village next to Acton Trussell in Staffordshire where John's parents once lived. We chatted for quite a while about campervans (as they had one), France, Scotland and Acton Trussell where they said the 'posh' people lived.

We then drove a little further up the road to see some standing stones and a cairn before heading to tonight's stop at Carnasserie castle where Marge is tucked in the corner of the car park with the tinkling of a nearby stream to soothe her. There is one other van here with us.

Tomorrow we are travelling to the lesser-known Glen Etive (Skyfall from the James Bond film of the same name), just below Glencoe. This is god's country, leave not a trace please van owners. 

Dumbarton Castle

Last night's rain moved on in the night leaving a light mist dancing over the haunting black rocks on the beach below. The view different but still stunning. Each in turn our happy little community of four vans and a car (micro camper) woke.

Before leaving we chatted with some of our neighbours about everyone's travels and stop overs in Scotland. Then we walked up to the lighthouse. Out in the bay, a little offshore the wreck of a container ship which went down in the 1980's was visible beneath the waves. Just before we bid farewell to our beautiful overnight stop a curtain of light rain fell. Oh well this is Scotland.

Today we needed food shopping and Marge needed fuel so we set off along the coast to Girvan. Parking for vans is £5.35 overnight here and this includes use of the showers. The rain arrived on and off and the nearby mountains played hide and seek with the low cloud. When we arrived at Girvan a fun fair was in town taking up a large section of the harbour car park, so we did our shopping, sorted out Marge and drove up the coast to Ardrossan, where the ferry runs to the isle of Arran, but it was a large town and we could sense there might be aggravation during the night, so more driving this time just north of Glasgow to Dumbarton which lies on the north bank of the river Clyde.

In 1869 the British clipper ship the Cutty Sark was built in a shipyard on the river Leven just opposite.

Marge once again has company. She is parked opposite Dumbarton castle which sits high on a plug of volcanic rock. Behind her is the river Clyde foreshore.

A walk before dinner along the foreshore through the fairy garden gave us a chance to stretch our legs and wind down after a not very enjoyable day.

You can't win them all can you? Tonight, we need to plan the next few days carefully as we head up the west coast. 

Killantringan Bay

As we and our fellow nomads prepared for a new day, we enjoyed the warm sunshine in our beautiful setting amongst the trees. Prosecco lady appeared and as predicted looked a little worse for wear. On throwing a second bowl of water into the hedge behind her van John pointed out the waste water area behind Marge. She knew it was there but was only throwing away clean water. Oh well we hope you like flies because they will love your clean water!

Whilst we waited to top up Marges water tank some newbies were struggling with their hosepipe, they had just the one tap connector, the wrong one. Angela offered to help, as we soon learnt whilst in Europe you need a selection which we now have. Whilst the wife was appreciative the husband was determined to persist. Oh well the offer was there. Leaving him to struggle Angela offered some advice to the wife. Don't feel you have to fill your water tank right up, water is available at some garages, especially Asda and Morrisons in Scotland or by five litre containers from a supermarket, so carry a funnel to make pouring it in your water tank easier. and wash your smalls every day. leave them on the dashboard and they will dry during the day (she didn't say make sure you bring your beat pants as everyone will get to see them). Drive over a drain to empty grey water, don't cart it around with you, adopt a his and her toilet regime and use wash powder tablets not chemical in your loo, for easier emptying. In four days', time they were booked on a camp site the husband said to address all these issues. That was Angela told. Bet he thought she was a right no all!

Our journey today took us along a fast road which headed to Stranraer which at times hugged the coast. As Marge bowled happily along, we saw a brown tourist sign for Cairn Holy Cairn. A quick google by John resulted in Marge being turned around and driven back to take a look. The road up to the cairn was steep and narrow but it didn't faze Marge. This was the joy of our travels we could visit, stop or change our itinerary at any time.

Cairn Holy is the site of two Neolithic chambered tombs enjoying views across the mull of Galloway. Besides us there were one other couple visiting. How many people we wondered just drove by, this really was secret Scotland.

Our late lunch stop was Port Patrick, a small picturesque coastal village with a wrap around harbour which in the 18th and 19th century was an important ferry port to northern Ireland. We had come here as it featured in our 100 best places to visit in Scotland book, an alternative to the regular guide books. All car parks clearly stated No Overnight Camping, Sleeping or Cooking.

Yet a poster by the harbour asked visitors to spend in the local shops and businesses. Well let the vans stay overnight then! Ousted from Port Patrick we moved a few miles along the coast to Killantringan Bay where we are parked on the cliff top with a few other vans.

All afternoon Marge has been much admired and the same happened here as soon as she arrived. After settling in we walked along the sands on the beach below. Yet another secret Scotland location.

This evening the rain has arrived, our first of the trip, let's hope it clears by the morning. Tomorrow morning, we will check our map and decide where we want to visit next, but we're sure it will change as the day progresses.