Glen Etive

The morning dawned bright. The grass wet with dew glistened in the early morning sun. In the stream a dipper dipped and the horses in the adjacent field stood contemplating another day. The temperature was due to hit 24c today so it was shorts and T-shirts on. We'd enjoyed our time in the 'land of kings', but it was time for Marge to experience a James Bond moment. She was going to Glen Etive one of the locations used in the Bond film Skyfall. 

The drive to Oban was pretty the water and mountains never far away. Oban being our last large town for a while we decided top up Marges fuel, and low and behold we saw the Dutch couple from yesterday doing the same, this time fully clothed thank goodness.

Our onward journey took us past Stalker castle where we stopped to take photographs as last year when we passed this way the weather wasn't so good. A coffee shop had been set up in the parking area so we took advantage of some refreshment and decided to have our lunch here. Once again Marge became the centre of attention with a lady coming over for a look at her. Marge as always loved the attention.

By the time we left Stalker castle the sun was intense lighting the mountains as we drove through Glencoe busy with traffic.

Soon we turned off the Glencoe road onto a single track road with passing places. O.K. Marge there's twelve miles of this so no stunts please. This was the road to Glen Etive, narrow and winding the scenery beautiful. The journey to get here had been long but we were glad we'd chosen this day with the weather so settled we were able to enjoy all the views clearly.

The mountains carpeted in a pallet of greens and the red granite on the dry river beds were enhanced by the sunlight. The guide book had been right, this was God's country. The parking area at the end of loch Etive was busy, but there was one space for Marge next to a small V.W. van. The couple who owned it had driven down from the Isle of Skye this morning for the day. They had a book with them called  the 100 best places to photograph in Scotland and here was one of them.

We walked down to the loch awestruck at just how beautiful it was. The water so still reflected everything around it perfectly. So beautiful was it that it attracts many visitors. Marge has five other vans with her, a couple sleeping in their car with toilet tent, and quite a few people camping on the shore of the loch. Marge had bagged the best spot in the parking area with a little side garden so this evening.

John made burgers (yes made) and we cooked them outside on our gas grill. 

Today has been a good day especially for Marge. As we drove along the single track road a young man in a V.W. transporter van stopped on his way by to admire Marge. 'Nice bus mate', he said to John. Forget Daniel Craig as James Bond, Marge is the star around here.  

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.