Scotland in 14 nights

[Garfields]

David probably out searching for a gin still

 

[BreweryDave]

David probably out searching for a gin still

Nah - he's still looking for the other radio to cover his tracks...........

 

[Kim H]

This is like an episode from Fawlty Towers - I'm loving it

 

[DavidG58]

Morning all, we had a night way off any options for communication, all still alive, but the midges gave their best effort to eat us alive, this location possibly is still my favourite, although we have never been so badly affected by the midges

but the location is worth it

finished off with this

biggest disappointment so far was no deer came to the lower ground, my suspicion is they know about the midges, which would surely drive them bonkers as well

now parked up just north of the Kessock Bridge (midge free) finishing full Scottish breakfast from butchers in Grantown, the one opposite the road to the campsite for anybody else going there

 

[DavidG58]

Oh BTW, the other radio turned up, MIL had turned hers off so calling it was a waste of effort

we are now back to random interference, one way shouting and very rarely a full on conversation, that inevitably has absolutely no value

best things I have heard so far was when a couple of kids must have been using the same frequency in Grantown yesterday, conversation was no more useful, but the voices sounded much happier

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[DavidG58]

We are just about to head of to Chanonry Point, will update on the parking situation there later, we intend to abandon one MH and go down in the other, read somewhere that one of us scraped theirs down there recently, so will probably take Terry's

There we have always seen dolphins regardless of when we go, so hoping to get it right today as well

 

[Anthea M]

Glad you are having fun but sorry about the midges

 

[Allan & Loren]

You were right to avoid the woods at Grantown as they are full of ferns so no doubt midge heaven. Great campsite though and agree about a bit pricey but worth it IMHO. We stayed there last year to visit Strathdon Highland games and it was the same weekend as the Thunder in the Glens when hundreds, maybe thousands, of Harley Davidson's ride through Grantown on Spey. It's a great 2 day event. I've a feeling this years event is this bank holiday weekend, shame you just missed it, you could have enjoyed a drink in the town watching the ride and the roar of the engines might even drown out the MIL vs FIL radio contact!

 

[Allan & Loren]

Thought id add the link in case anyone interested



Strathdon Highland games is also this weekend and a fabulous day. The March of the clansmen is a great sight

 

[Popeye]

Apparently 2 bodies and a radio have been found in a loch

Police have since found another hand-held radio transceiver inserted into one of the bodies.

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[ColinandDawn]

@DavidG58

An old RAF pal of mine complained of a similar situation where his wife had invited her parents to go on holiday with them to the Yorkshire Dales.

He could only manage his in-laws in small doses and was not happy.

They had previously spent a weekend away in their respective caravans and found the in-laws' were never in their own van, always in his for every meal - every day! playing cards - every night!

I suggested his wife should tell her mother not to come calling when the awning door was zipped up because they would be having sex. This she did and they had a great holiday being able to control their visits.

When his wife's sister asked her mother how the holiday went she said they would never go on holiday with them again because they were always in their caravan "at it".

His wife did not feel the need to explain and was happy to let her sister believe the story.

 

[laird of Dunstan]

Thought id add the link in case anyone interested



Strathdon Highland games is also this weekend and a fabulous day. The March of the clansmen is a great sight

ive been invited to next years Clan Chattans gathering by the chief himself

 

[DavidG58]

Hello again, going more than slightly mad from Bolsover here reporting in

We duly did Chanonry point, more of that after I tell you about the LPG

A few days ago there was a post from a member worried about running out of gas doing the NC500, I added my bit, in saying if you start off full you would be hard pushed to use it all in a couple of weeks in summer. As I sent that I told myself don't forget we will need gas before passing Inverness (actually I should have filled before we left home then we too would have had plenty, but I forgot . Having escaped the midges before having breakfast this morning we had already passed Inverness but only by a bit when we stopped to eat. But I had always planned to fill with gas at Tore, which is a major junction on the A9 and our route to Chanonry.

So on we go post brekkie and pull into said garage at Tore, LPG pump 'out of order', we know that because it has a large sign stuck to it. 'Shall I go in and ask if it really is?' says FIL, why says I, 'in case it has been mended' offers FIL. No. says I, possibly slightly crossly. 'You sometimes are rather condescending David' says FIL actually I think that is what he said as I had switched off by now. I don't really know what that means and not completely sure he does either, but I felt I needed to explain the word no to him. 'do you really think if the pump was mended they would have left the sign on?' now technically I may now have become condescending I must look it up later

Anyway result was FIL went into full on sulk

A few miles later we come to Fortrose where we turn off for Chanonry, I say I am not totally sure where the road is, if you see a sign for Chanonry shout, he says ' we have just gone past it, it was bright yellow didn't you see it?' no, I didn't, but did then see the sign for Chanonry just ahead, no idea what he saw, so turned right, checked in mirrors for Bev who sails right by

This is never going to end well, so we pull over and FIL says 'is Bev on that dead end road you said about?' no says I we are on that it only goes to the point, well where does Bevs road go then, 'the rest of Scotland I say not really knowing what he wanted as an answer, 'there you go again he said back' I resisting the temptation to say 'go again what?'

So while we squabbled Bev has turned and now joined me on same road at least, we had agreed to park on this road to avoid the parking issues on the point

Just realised I haven't finished the LPG tale, more on that in a bit

Actually I need a beer, will return to Chanonry in a bit as well

 

[Allan & Loren]

ive been invited to next years Clan Chattans gathering by the chief himself

That will be fabulous. I'd never been to the games before and on a weekend in Kendal we got talking to a chap who recommended this one to us. He said it was the oldest gathering and the most spectacular. Having been, I have to agree. I'd definitely go again, it was a fabulous day.

 

[Mousy]

David, I think you need a swap, why not have your mother in law in with you instead....just for a change of ear bashing?

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[Allan & Loren]

Oh David ..... I feel your pain in every word you type

 

[Lisa]

I feel your pain David, but your tales are hysterical
I agree with @Mousy - you should try a swap! Could it get any worse?

 

[DavidG58]

@rosierose @Mousy

I did have a well thought out plan for me and Lola in ours and Bev with her parents, it worked for me, but the glare from Bev said it was not going to be

I did get a reprieve, today, see the LPG follow on

 

[DavidG58]

Chanonry follow on

comments made recently by @Photo4x4 about Chanonry are disappointingly accurate, having made a plan to park on the approach road, this quickly became apparent was not an option, so we ended in convoy following another MH down to the point, me not overly bothered, Bev probably confused and concerned, maybe a little angry as I had told her how bad it would be. Well the local council have made a lovely CAR park, but don't even think about even trying to park a PVC

There is however room to turn round and escape, but before we did I suggested chucking out MIL and FIL and going to park and return, hopefully on the shuttle bus that was parked down there

So dumped them, resisted the inevitable option to drive and keep driving, and found enough room for 2 MH's to park in Fortrose, which I achieved via some of the narrowest roads I have found on my own, even more fun with Bev in tow

Then we set about finding the shuttle bus, a local said sorry didn't know we had one, try the cake shop, cake shop say try the fish and chip shop they run it (now that is the chip shop we would have used if not still full of full Scottish breakfast) Bev pops in a young lad says I will go and ask and runs upstairs, Bev apologises to the queue for the disappearance of the man serving their dinner. He comes back and says he is busy for an hour and a half so it wont be running, adding 'we should have booked'. Given that we didnt even know it existed it would have been hard, but it is a free service so shouldnt really moan

So now about 1/2 hour after we dumped (dropped off in laws) we still have about a mile of separation , but Bev says we must go back and get them, that is despite FIL having his phone turned off

I kind of agree and back we go in ours, as we arrive he replies to our voice mail left on his but rings on mums phone, don't even ask, we were told she doesn't even have one now. We tell him we are 3 feet away please turn round and get in we are blocking the road

They do and we are complete, but a word of warning don't bother going to the point in a MH, unless you are desperate to dump inlaws

back to LPG, actually, need another beer, back soon

 

[Debs]

Can't have been that bad David if you are only on beer & not gin

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[DavidG58]

LPG continued

I really didn't want to go back to Inverness, so checked google and there was an option near Dingwall, put post code into Tom Tom and off we went, FIL asking where do you buy this gas stuff, me explaining it can be anything from a full garage to workshops, farms even what appear to be private houses. So now he is starts saying could it be up there, no I reply, TT says another 12 miles!! how about up there 2 miles later!! I haven't yet said Oh Please!, or I hope I haven't been repeated many times in my head though. Then we come to a round about not on TT he takes his chance and suggests it MUST have been off left there, we are at least now only half a mile away, but still not right.

However, get to the 'destination' and nothing there resembling anything possible, 'I told you it was left back there' I turn right ignoring him and TT telling me to do U Turns and head for Inverness which I probably should have done first time

Go to where I am sure there was some last time, BP on main road off A9, nothing and the forecourt is grid locked, no option to back out so sit and wait for gap big enough to get through and escape, just time to pop back to Bev and try to justify what is going on

U turn via round about to Esso opposite, still nothing, pull up at side Bev appears at door face looking like thunder, I suggest she take FIL with her and goes direct to the overnight stop. She detects my fast approaching breaking point and agrees

Off the go and I go back to google and phone hunting for LPG

First no longer does it, second pump is bust, but suggests another near Dingwall, about 2 miles from where I abandoned the last search

Find that nice and easily then get text from Bev to say 'of you are still struggling we gave just passed one'

That is my moral for today, had I adopted

'what is the worst that will happen if we run of gas?

No hot shower, use a site

No heating, no real problem

No coffee in morning, worth the hunt, but don't stress

Had I not stressed and we had stuck with pre planned route to tonights stop, we would have passed 2 options for LPG

Hey ho, now got gas, (need more diesel though) had some beer, dinner in oven and found a nice little stop over, will advise on that next

 

[Puddleduck]

FIL having his phone turned off

But it's only for emergencies David! His not yours. Didn't you know that????

(My Dad always has his turned off as it's only for emergencies - and when we complain we can't reach him because his phone is off he reminds us why it's off).

 

[DavidG58]

talking mobile phones, a note of caution when travelling in convoy, but not with your partner

when you receive and text from your partner, in my case today suggesting a possibility of LPG, I reply, but add a comment

'see you later, just enjoying my own space for a while x'

then find out the message was typed by MIL on Bev's phone and the reply was read out loud by MIL to Bev

the only blessing is it could been so much worse and luckily I was still an hour away

 

[Anthea M]

Would it be a bit tactless to ask for photos!!!?

 

[Lisa]

Would it be a bit tactless to ask for photos!!!?

Haha, yes....a family shot

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

I think your doing really great. You deserve a medal. I'm loving your blog , but hope the fil does not get wind of it....
I wouldn't have done the trip in the first place, with either of our sets! Plus if I had ( but I wouldn't , never in a month of Sunday's ) I definatly would have lost it by now ! Big style .

 

[ColinandDawn]

'see you later, just enjoying my own space for a while x'

This would be where I blame auto-correct.

I typed place not space honestly...

 

[Terry]

You could have used the shower ,cooking things in my van I made sure both bottles were full of gas Don't want inlaws getting cold or anything
terry

 

[Bobby22]

You could have used the shower ,cooking things in my van I made sure both bottles were full of gas Don't want inlaws getting cold or anything
terry

Maybe @DavidG58 was pretending he was out of gas to get his free time, hope to lose communication and head to Durness and have a night or two to himself.

 

[Puddleduck]

As if he would.

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