Scotland in 14 nights

[peterc10]

I am taking notes of all this young David. I will soon be as old as your FIL and I want to make sure I do a proper job of winding up my SIL like his admirable efforts.

 

[Carol]

David your priceless sorry

 

[MattR]

I hope the sun is shining in the morning, we are on another of West Harris Trust camping spots, they ask for a voluntary £5 / night, tonight we are right on the sin=de of Luskintyre beach, hope to provide a sunny photo in the morning, only very small negative is the A road is only about 10yds behind us

that and the 50mph winds and horizontal rain

ferry tomorrow

Aren't you parked in a place advised by Captain Ahab so as to give you shelter? I wonder if the other side of the island is experiencing hurricane or perfectly calm conditions.

 

[DavidG58]

morning, a few more shots of our night before last, it is a car park right at the end of the road from Stornoway to Coll, go through village and just keep going to end, well worth it

This was the beach within 50m of the car park

My favourite birds, Oystercatchers, with one showing off on one leg

Then I thought someone had thrown a load of plastic pots on the grass at the end of the beach, turned out to be a load of roosting gulls (kitiwakes maybe?)

Then, as so often, there was also a fresh water pond or loch right alongside the sea, complete with water lilies

Then later in the day we had a random interaction while sat outside the Harris Wool shop in Tarbert, with a lady driving a Berlingo day van, who we had seen drive down to the same car park we had overnighted in, telling us she was wild camping, but had no idea how MH's as big as 'that thing over there' get on, the roads are far too small and the car parks too small

After a few more minutes moaning about that over sized MH, I told her it was ours, conversation stopped she sloped away , same lady has just arrived for the ferry we are going on (or were) 11:40 cancelled, some confusion whether due to tides or weather, but whichever we now have to wait till 14:00 , but Bev doesn't mind it is really windy and we have just had an almighty rain storm that would have started just after we left, just thinking about offering the 'lady in the Berlingo' a coffee while she waits, we could continue the wild camping debate

 

[CWH]

That's a stunning location.
At risk of upsetting you though - did FIL like it? and what did he think (say) to Mrs Berlingo? (in a way I sort of agree with her, only because I don't like driving the moho anywhere I might end up squished or might have to go back'ards) - or has he been a little more subdued since the Curious Incident of the Door Pocket?

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[DavidG58]

back to today, arrived in plenty of time for the 11:40 crossing to North Uist, to find it is not running, as above, so decide we maybe ought to book the 14:00, to find on telephone that is already full, so book the 17:00 and are told to get ready as standby for the 14:00, although she didn't expect any real chance for 2 x MH due the cancellation of the morning crossing

Now here comes the ideal time for the marshall of the fleet to take control, we are neatly parked up alongside the queueing lanes, having some lunch passing the time of day, now expecting to wait till 17:00, not so Alpha 1

he cuts short his lunch and goes off to discuss with the booking office, before we have chance to tell him there is only a waiting room and toilets he is off , he is soon back announcing there is nobody there, but then decies to do traffic marshalling instead

There are already quite a few turning up and queuing, how do we know if they are booked or standby, asks the admiral of parking, to me that is, not to anybody that might know the answer, how do I know? so off he goes to ask them all, returning to say one of the MH's says you cant book you just turn up. There then follows a near argument, as only half an hour before we rang and booked, but no the total stranger in the MH must be right.

For anybody that knows and for those that don't, the queue here is only for about 6 vehilcles in each lane, lane 3 being for commercials, motorhomes and unbooked, by now there are three cars in unbooked, so given the phone discussion we had had, there was now virtually no chance of us getting on, but undeterred Alpha 1++ returns to interrogating the queue.

Comes back to tell us that the 'haven't and cant book' say what a waste of a days holiday sat here going nowhere, well we know that already, but moaning about it wont change a thing

FIL then announces / instructs Bev to join the back of the queue, Bev says 'but if we do we will then block the road', FIL replies 'well if we don't block the road someone else will and they might get on' , they then go for a reccae where Bev explains the road block potential in more detail, we agree to join the queue when the boat docks in a few minutes. This we did and nobody else had joined but we still managed to completely block a bus for a few minutes who I think must be used to it and didn't seem at all bothered

FIL now decides his next role in life, he will walk to the front of the queue inspect how full the boat is and 'tell' the loading man if there is room for us or not, he wanders around for a bit then returns, says nothing, even he realises that might be above his knowledge

As it turns out, the unbooked ones have actually got on as last to board, a very tight fit, but we are now first in line and booked for sure on the 17:00, giving the winds time to hopefully drop

I don't really mind the wait, it is the extra 4 hours chuntering I am not looking forwards to

 

[Figaro]

I feel your pain

Perhaps once on board your FIL would like to offer the Captain the benefit of his obvious sea fareing knowledge for what might be a choppy crossing ?

 

[ColinandDawn]

@DavidG58

David, David, David,
(please read that as spoken slowly - with a shake of the head and breathing out)

I am so enjoying reading your posts and, I do hope you understand, not taking an evil pleasure in your trials. You do appear to have found a way of dealing with The Admiral which works well for you. I hope Bev noticed - it's your holiday too.

You may have read somewhere; this summer I am very much at home, holidaying on the posts of others. Next week we were due to set sail for Twin Lakes, but that was cancelled some time ago.
Dawn says there is always next year - I say not as many as we've had!

Anyway, I have arranged for my good friend and neighbour to tow our caravan ten miles up the road to Ashurst New Forest campsite for the two weeks. Pub, railway and bus stop at the campsite entrance so it may not be so bad.

Please keep posting, internet permitting, and regards to Bev from us.

An old RAF pal of mine.....

 

[DavidG58]

I have discovered a little trick to amuse me when he starts to get to me.

You may recall that every time we start the engine the radio thing squawks, resulting every time in him picking it up and giving it 'are you calling?' no reply of course. This is despite me telling him every time for the first few days it always happens when we start the engine, stopped telling him now.

My discovery is that a quick flick off and on of the reversing camera does the same. The distraction of are you calling, out and the ensuing crossnes as he tell mil off from our MH is sort of worth it

Only another 6 nights

 

[Anthea M]

Ho

@DavidG58

David, David, David,
(please read that as spoken slowly - with a shake of the head and breathing out)

I am so enjoying reading your posts and, I do hope you understand, not taking an evil pleasure in your trials. You do appear to have found a way of dealing with The Admiral which works well for you. I hope Bev noticed - it's your holiday too.

You may have read somewhere; this summer I am very much at home, holidaying on the posts of others. Next week we were due to set sail for Twin Lakes, but that was cancelled some time ago.
Dawn says there is always next year - I say not as many as we've had!

Anyway, I have arranged for my good friend and neighbour to tow our caravan ten miles up the road to Ashurst New Forest campsite for the two weeks. Pub, railway and bus stop at the campsite entrance so it may not be so bad.

Please keep posting, internet permitting, and regards to Bev from us.

An old RAF pal of mine.....

Hope you have a lovely break. Enjoy

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[Garfields]

We gave up going on holidays with other folk a long time ago.
Difficult with friends nevermind family.
Enjoying your posts though

 

[Wendo55]

Morning David. Sounds like you're having fun! Would love to do that route, maybe next year. The scenery looks wonderful. Keep posting the pics! (Love the one with the boat and rainbow a few pages back ). You sound very patient with the ils!

 

[DavidG58]

morning all

this was us waiting for the ferry to the Uists after all the delays, but at least the sun was shining again, we were technically first in the queue

then bye to Harris for another year

Having been delayed till 17:10 leaving we have possibly the fastest ever run down through the Uists in a pair of MH's, arriving at our overnight stop (a Brit Stop, the Polochar Inn, South Uist) 60 miles away in an hour and a half, pulled up at 8, sat in dining room at booked table by 8:15

Great views over sea towards Barra, but weather not as good as have had and would have liked, still good enough for breezy walk with Lola on beach

note the dry area behind our MH's, shows how strong the wind was last night that no rain landed behind us

 

[CWH]

note the dry area behind our MH's, shows how strong the wind was last night that no rain landed behind us

Fits with your signature: 'we can't control the wind, but we can adjust our sails'

 

[Barge Safran]

This has inspired me, such a great itinerary. Thanks

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[Puddleduck]

err... why not?
if not you, it could be me, and I have enough of the same grief with my own dad, don't need your FIL as well thanks

but reading your stories does help me to think how I could manage myself better when I'm faced with my dad's pronouncements, so thanks for the laughs and the opportunity to reflect

@DavidG58 's FIL is soooooo like my Dad. Do you know which year he was born? Just wondering .... odes your MIL kowtow to him? Again just wondering.

 

[Allan & Loren]

Great photos and very entertaining account of your travels.

 

[scousebird]

Just found this thread today, kept me amused and giggling on a very boring afternoon at work. Just finished reading it now. I'm afraid I have no real desire to go to Scotland but I love your pics. Keep your cool if you can, I know it's hard - I have a very exasperating MIL

 

[Stagman]

@DavidG58 I hope you realise that you will have to take the FIL away with you every year in order to keep us all entertained as you have.
Really enjoyed your rants

 

[peterc10]

David, not heard much about the FIL for a couple of days. Has he not been playing up lately, or are you now immune?

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[Mousy]

David. We have been sat in glorious sunshine on the Ile de Rey following your holiday with much amusement. Glad you enjoyed the gin but if we'd realised how challenging your FIL was we would of given you more! Keep up the good work. Hope your mum is better, 2016 the year of the wrinkles.

 

[DavidG58]

@DavidG58 's FIL is soooooo like my Dad. Do you know which year he was born? Just wondering .... odes your MIL kowtow to him? Again just wondering.

March 39 and yes, although this last 10 days she has started answering back

 

[DavidG58]

Found a new site for us on Skye, Torvaig, on the road to Staffin, from Portree, nice site very friendly, another £20 / pitch, seems to be about the norm for site fees, didn't need facilities, although we filled up and dumped

Anybody coming here prepare to be shocked at the drive in, you cross a bridge that appears to be 6" narrower than our MH, made of sleepers that look to be suitable for car weight only, we have now gone in and out without any more 'grazes' so all OK but it did look tight

Raining as we arrived, rained all night, but a nice start to today

Set off for the ferry to Mallaig, stopped off here for coffee

Got to Armadale to find the tides have revised the listed ferry times, reducing crossings, so we have another 2 hour wait, just time for a relaxed crab salad at the café next to the ferry

Just on ferry to Mallaig now


As for FIL he is no better

 

[Langtoftlad]

March 39 and yes, although this last 10 days she has started answering back

Careful - she'll be giving your Bev ideas... [above her station ...did I really say that ]

 

[peterc10]

just time for a relaxed crab salad at the café next to the ferry

In the circumstances how did they get the crab to relax?

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[DavidG58]

Just realised tonight is the 13th night, therefore the 13th day, should have reckoned things wouldn't go as well they could / should, we set off for an unbooked ferry crossing to Mallaig from Skye, no problem though there are loads of crossings and 2 crossings close together at 12:30 and 13:00, we get there for about 12:00, pull into lanes to be told if not booked you have no chance thats OK can we book for the 13:00? that's not running due to tide conditions, (well the bloody web site could do with knowing)

I ask if we can park in the lane for the next ferry to be told no, so about turn, luckily find a little pull off just big enough for 2 MH's, go back, book for the next crossing which luckily has room and is at least only 14:30 to wait for so now ask again if we can park in the lanes to be told it is up to the guys outside. Apparently they lock it off and if anybody is inside they have to monitor it I don't get it either

So out we go, all four of us stood together, I suggest to Bev that she asks the bloke with the clip board, with her smile we couldn't go wrong, she agrees and says as soon as the last car goes on the ferry we have missed she will ask. So with that Admiral of the car park walks off briskly towards a man at the other end of the car park we can only presume because he thinks his authority will out trump Bevs smile. We ignore him and Bev goes on her mission, returning to say he has said you can for me. but be quick we lock the barrier while we go to lunch, we then beckon BrYan over, he announces we cant park in here, I ask why did you ask? Bev has just been told we can, so now what do you propose we do (you total birk). no option but to stay where we are and find some lunch

A little café alongside the ferry terminal, Karma takes over , Bev orders a salad bowl, I order crab salad, MIL fish and chips, FIL pepperoni pizza, Bevs and mine come out first, looking fab, in laws come out looking like school dinners no idea what happened there but although I felt sorry for MIL, I couldn't have wished for more for FIL

We then go off and browse the shops, on our own , bump into them and remind them 1/2 hour till back at MH, so half n hour later the ferry is just docking, no sign of them, then Bev spots MIL, beckons her over, asks where dad is to be told on the pier fishing , now by that I now know the three poor sods who walked down with all their kit had the misfortune to bump jnto my FIL, who then took it upon himself to tell them what they have been doing wrong all of their lives and was still there

So I give MIL her passenger ticket and one for FIL and say we will have to board in a couple of minutes, if FIL doesn't reappear try and come on as foot passengers then find us on board, if you miss it get the next ferry we will pick you up in Mallaig later

With which FIL reappears

So over to Mallaig, on board we say we have to park about 600 yds from Malllaig hows your knee to FIL, (another much too long a story, but all of a sudden, prompted by asking, it is bad again, so we agree to dump (I mean drop them off) as we disembark and meet them in Mallaig

Even though they have had 15 minutes warning it still takes them another 10 minutes to get what they need and get out, we go and park and regrettably despite making no plans bump into them on our return. We have coffees then move on, FIL wants to buy some Scottish stuff, I don't ask and leave him to it and wander over to and agree to meet him at an outdoor clothes shop, the one with the pirate outside for those that know Mallaig

I browse, then try on a Weird Fish jumper, just as FIL appears in shop, now in some small defence of him I was being ambitious with an XL and it was a tadge snug, but he announces across the shop you need a couple of sizes bigger, then as I remove same garment reveal some belly and get another witticism, well he thought so anyway

I put it back and try a full zipped XXL, , oh are you not buying the other one FIL asks, no, why, bause you announced to half of Mallaig that it was far too small, now go away

We make him walk back to MH's having seen no evidence of a struggle in his walking, he beats us back by 5 minutes

Our next route was going to be down to Lochaline to overnight then pop through Mull just so they had seen it, my mother now has a small hand in changing plans, she does not appear to be coping well in our absence and it is not fair on our daughter who has just had her own second son, so we are trying to shorten the trip anyway and agree to miss off Mull

The journey involved a new road for me, down from Mallaig, through Salen then on to Strontian, quite nice but few stopping options and a long stretch of twisty single track and in heavy rain, so not fun, we eventually pop back out at Connan Ferry and cross having agreed to stop at the CC site North Ledaig

Now it gets tricky, are you still with me??

TT puts North Ledaig about 6 miles south of the ferry crossing, rather than as I now know about 20 miles, as we leave the ferry we pass the CC site Bunree, the radio squawks a few miles later, why don't we go to Bunree not North Ledaig, asks MIL to FIL but must be Bevs question, we are now about 3 miles past Bunree and I mistakenly trust TT saying it is about the same further on as back to Bunree, also knowing Bunree is CC members only and it is midge heaven

So on we go, now FIL is in his element, we must have done 6 miles by now, is this the site, is that the site, is it too late to go back this seems a very long way, I by now had realised TT's error and knew we still had another 10 miles having done at least 10 miles

We have now arrived at North Ledaig, the place is stuffed full, we have poor pitches at top of slope, not the loch side I hoped for, Bev is tired and fed up, FIL is gloating, but the only good bit is they fed themselves in the Terryvan for the first time in 13 nights

Only one more night to go, tempted to get them all up early and drive straight home

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

Nearly over , I don't know how you've managed it.
I think you both will need a holiday by the time you get home. Though I've really enjoyed reading about your experiences .
We stayed at that site above over the little wooden bridge. We walked into town and had a lovely meal.

 

[DavidG58]

just had this by email from our youngest, Matthew our first grandson now rapidly approaching 2, lifes troubles in the adult world seem irrelevant

now need to get my mother sorted, hopefully while we have been away a lot of work should have taken place making the house next ours suitable for Mum to move in to next month, she has said she hopes we don't go away for so long again to family who have been round, its going to be a tough few months, the last 2 weeks will seem a breeze I fear

but grandson no. 3 due next week, life is clever at keeping things in some kind of balance

 

[Debs]

Chin up David, nearly there..........and you've made me laugh as usual, thankyou

Gorgeous pic of your grandson
X

 

[DavidG58]

rethought my maths and realised that my 13th was actually the 14th day / night. so clearly just a bad day

we started for home for real today via a grey and moody Glencoe

later stopped off at a favourite for us

stood outside the dreaded shop waiting to see what tat we are taking home, saw this through the window, not sure if the models were ever due to be full size and budget restricted it, but boy would these have been impressive if made in the same scale

overnighting tonight on the Hawick 'aire' the official area is cordoned off for river work, but the car park is huge, a good few MH's spread all around the car park, no funsters though or if there are they are badgeless

Home tomorrow, a good time really has been had, a few low points but mostly fun, will summarise when home

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