Travels with Bertie are now travels with Bruno, son on Bertie. We sold Bertie, our WV Crafter conversion, in the autumn and during the winter started looking for a new campervan. Bertie was a good introduction into campervaning. After days online Bill found Bruno, an 18 month old WV California Coast. Bayleaf green. The price and colour were right. At the time we were in Finland for a three month stay, so we flew into Scotland, took a train to Penrith in England and drove up the next day. (Second hand cars don't wait for your return a month later.) Bill drove Bruno and I followed in Fifi, a ten year old Fiesta we bought to use as a shopping bag and for other shorter drives. We then flew back to Finland. On our first camping trip we had difficulties in remembering where things were packed as we were looking in places they were in Bertie. The bed is 5 cm more narrow than in Bertie, but what’s 5 cm. Bertie had better lighting. Bertie had a front attic above the wind screen and a decent size glove compartment. In Bruno we can stand up straight as the roof goes up and that’s a big, big bonus. However, our muscle memory still has us stooping… Bertie’s doorway was taller than Bruno’s as Bill found out when he bashed his head coming in. Blood. Bertie had an amazing sound system. We haven’t yet figured out the radio in Bruno but you can’t play cd’s on it. The bed is easier to take down and put back up in Bruno. Driving Bruno is more comfortable than driving Bertie was says the chauffeur. All in all, looking forward to many happy days and miles on Bruno. Fort William/Glen Nevis – Portavadie – Arran/Lochranza – Gigha – Bunree 24 March – 7 April On our first trip with Bruno we drove down to Fort William along the by now very familiar route via Drumnadrochit and along Loch Ness stopping for coffee at Loch Oich. At the campsite we spent time getting to know Bruno a bit better and went for a walk along River Nevis. On our way back we stopped for a drink in the local bar. It was very quiet this time of the year but soon it would be very, very busy. On Sunday we drove to Glenfinnan and got some nice pictures of The Viaduct. On our way back we stopped for lunch parked on a side road and got an amazing view of Ben Nevis. Monday morning was bitterly cold after a -4C night. The day was sunny and it got quite warm inside. An afternoon walk by the river again. I walked a bit up the Ben Nevis walk but a) didn’t have the proper footwear and b) not wise to do it on your own. Our drive to Portavadie was lo-ong and it rained for most of the time. Portavadie is a marina for some very nice motor boats and sailing boats. There is a hotel, a restaurant and a spa. Lots of Money. It’s the spa that drew us to this place. Their camping site for tenters wasn’t open yet so we campervaners got to use the marina’s facilities. The shower block is, well, something a camper can only dream of. To begin with, the space is heated! They are quite a trek from the where we are parked, but worth it. We had a nice walk this morning and booked a 90 min slot at the spa. They have a swimming pool, infinity pool, and hot tubs. The sauna was closed. A bench needs replacing. Cameras are not allowed in the spa, hence pictures through windows and further away. The spa experience was so lovely we went back the following day. So lovely that we booked a whole week at the end of April on our next trip. Turns out the fancy shower block we use is ours to use out of season. Apparently, on our next visit we will have to use the campers’ barracks. Well, we’ll just be using the spa. We had lunch in the marina restaurant. Bill had fish and chips. I had seatrout with lemon butter sauce, new potatoes, broccoli and kale. A pint of lager. On the last of March we moved to Arran, to the campsite of Lochranza. That is two ferries away. We needed to fill up with diesel after the first ferry. There is no service station in Tarbert, had to drive to Clachan some 10 miles away. Quite a drive but I’m sure it’s the same in rural areas everywhere. In Lochranza we’re back to campsite normal in facilities: the shower blocks are cold, windows open even through the night, no heating. They are very clean though. And the water’s hot. Another castle, the castle of Lochranza. It was originally built in the late 13th or early 14th century. During the 18th century it fell into disuse and was abandoned. On first of April we drove to see the gardens of the Brodick Castle. The castle itself is being restored, covered in scaffolding. The scaffolding makes it look like a block of flats. The garden was still mostly asleep but there were, however, big rhodies, magnolias and camellias flowering. I have never seen camellias before. It is believed that the castle was built on the site of a Viking fortress. The earliest parts date back to the 13th century but the majority of the present castle is from the 18th century. We found the Bavarian Summerhouse fascinating. The inside walls and ceiling are decorated with pine and other cones. It was built in 1845 as a wedding present for Princess Marie of Baden. Please note, the ceiling is still the original! (The pictures below nts.org.uk) In the afternoon I went exploring. I walked across the campsite, across the golf course, climbed a fence, then walked to the end of Newton Road and a bit of the Newton Point Coastal Path. 30 min there and 30 min back. The path is easy to walk. We drove down the other side of Arran’s coast. According to the map the road was meant to be not as good as the road to Brodick as far as road classification goes. It was, in fact, a lot better. The road to Brodick was terrible. We stopped at a layby next to the beach for coffee. There appeared to be two pairs of guillemots nesting. A seagull came to disturb them for a while but flew off. A lonely cormorant stood watch higher up. Two swans swam by, a parent and a young one. Had lovely toasties with ham and cheese and gherkins. On our way back we stopped to take pictures of twelve houses, all identical except for the upstairs window. There the fisherman’s wife would light a candle in the upstairs window and the fisherman would know his way home with his boat. This is in a tiny village called Catacol. Back in Lochranza we drove to the campsite for tea, watching new arrivals settling down. The next morning was bitterly cold, so were the shower blocks. We left after our morning routines to catch the 9:30 ferry to the mainland. We were in no hurry to catch the ferry to the Isle of Gigha so we drove over to see the Skipness castle. This castle dates to the early 13th century. As we missed the car park and the castle is a ruin we turned around to look for a nice layby where we could have coffee. On our way we saw a spectacular display of daffodils. On Gigha we took the road – the almost only road – to the north end of the island. It is an ideal spot for stargazing and, if you’re lucky, even Northern lights gazing. There is no light pollution. The challenge is getting there as the road is very narrow and in a poor condition. A nice path has been laid there, seems it hasn’t quite been finished. We had our lunch up there and were planning what to have for a meal later on. On our way back we noticed a little fish and chips place and changed our menu. We like to support local businesses. The campsite is right next to the ferry port. A bit of noise during the day but once the ferries stop for the night it’s very quiet. The facilities are good. You can switch on a heating fan in the showers. A big change to Lochranza. 4th April a lazy morning with a bit of rain. After rain we drove to Achamore Gardens. Created in 1944, 54 acres, a renowned collection of rhodies and camellias. The warm micro climate of Gigha makes these plants flourish as well as many other unusual plants and trees from around the world. Apparently, there is no frost on Gigha. We covered a fraction of those 54 acres. Back tomorrow. There is a big house in the garden. Private. Achamore House. According to what I found online it’s the Scottish home of a Swedish couple and their family. There was a Rolls Royce parked outside the house, foreign register according to Bill’s eagle eyes. The house was built in 1884, later damaged by fire and rebuilt in 1900. The following day we went back to the garden and had a longer walk. Lovely. Bird song. Flowers. The smell of manure. We thought we’d drive to the north of the island for coffee but the roads were so muddy after the night’s rain we drove back to the campsite for lunch. More rain in the afternoon. On 6th April we left on the first ferry. We were driving to Bunree for an overnight stay to break the long drive home. On our way we stopped at Arduine Gardens to use our National Trust cards. The location of the Bunree campsite is lovely on the shore of Lich Linnhe overlooking Ardnamurchan. The facilities are a bit dated but functional. Returning home on 7th April we planned to stop for a coffee and a walk at Craig Meagaidh (pronounced Meggie) but the car park was full. Easter Friday, everyone was out. We drove on and stopped at Laggan Dam for the coffee and cake. The weather was lovely.
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AuthorI'm Piisa and I will be sharing with you my thoughts on this and that, maybe even on whatever. Archives
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