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UK Tour
  • Wayne Stollery

UK Tour

A 56-day adventure by Wayne Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 22, 2024
    Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    Auckland to London

    April 22, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    We were originally due to depart Auckland with Emirates on 19 April 2024 but flooding at Dubai meant our flight was canceled. Jeannie at Fine Travel was quickly on the job and arranged flights with Cathay Pacific leaving on Monday 22 April 2024. Our incoming aircraft was late arriving due to head winds but we caught up the time on the way to Hong Kong. Quick transit and we were on our way to London. Had great flights. The food and service was excellent and we managed to get quite a bit of rest.

    We passed through customs at Heathrow and were quickly aboard the Heathrow Express train to Paddington Station in London where we transferred to a London taxi to Waterloo Station rather than fight the early morning commuters with our suitcases. We parked up in Waterloo for an hour with a coffee and then walked to our flat where we are staying for the next 2 nights. The owner was good enough to meet us there and let us in at 9 am so we could leave our bags before heading out sightseeing.

    First stop was the graffiti tunnel followed by the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and then onto Westminister Abbey. We then wandered up past Downing Street but because it was St Georges day the street was closed and there was a huge police presence in the area. Next stop was Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square followed by lunch on the way to St Pauls Cathedral. By then we had more than doubled out steps target for the day so we wandered down to the Thames and caught an Uber ferry down to Greenwich and then back up to Westminster where we bought a few supplies and settled in for an early night.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    April 24 London

    April 24, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We both slept well but woke a bit stiff and sore after our exercise the previous day. The day dawned sunny but the temperature never got above 10 degrees and with the wind chill it felt considerably colder.

    First stop of the day was Buckingham Palace which was impressive but standing for over an hour to watch the changing of the guards was a bit underwhelming. After that we walked a couple of kms before catching a taxi to the Tower of London. We did a tour with a Beefeater which was very informative and entertaining. We then looked around the grounds taking the history before walking up to the Sky Garden for a late lunch. The view was great and we both enjoyed the experience although we felt the food perhaps did not match the price.

    After our late lunch we walked across London Bridge to Hayes Market and the Borough Markets for a look around before walking back to our flat and crashing.

    A big couple of days to start our trip. London is fabulous and exceeded my expectations. It is very walkable and there is just so much history and architecture to take in. The squirrel in the last photo was sitting in a barbers chair before being given a peanut and exiting the shop with his prize.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    April 25 Oxford

    April 25, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We were awake at 5 am so had a cuppa and breakfast and then packed. Our Uber arrived just before 9 am and took us to Rainham to pick up our motorhome. The handover took longer than expected but we were surprised by how much storage there was in the van. We eventually got away and headed to the nearest Esso station to fill up with diesel before heading off up the M 25 to Aylesbury where stocked up at Tescos. After that we headed on to Oxford where pulled up at the Red Fox pub for the night. The day started fine but we had a couple of light showers in the afternoon so decided to sort out the motorhome and have a look around Oxford tomorrow.Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    April 26 Oxford to Weymouth

    April 26, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    I had to get up at 5.30 this morning to change the gas bottle because the heater had stopped and it was very cold outside. Gaye has come down with a cold or worse so after a coffee I got my bike down off the rack and headed into Oxford for a look around as the city woke up. It was a beautiful morning and Oxford looked stunning. After a look around I headed back to the motorhome where we got ready for the day and eventually headed off at about 9 am.
    We planned to stop at the Stonehenge carpark for a coffee and keep going but decided once we arrived to go and check out the stones. Very impressive. I have no idea how they could get the top stones up on the supporting ones.
    After a bite of lunch in the van we headed off to Durdle Door on the Jurassic Coast. Because of a road closure we ended up on some narrow and at times one way roads which was interesting but we saw some lovely villages along the way.
    At Durdle Door we clambered down the steep track to see the rock formation and then crawled back up. A bit too much for Gaye.
    We then travelled past the Ormiston White Horse before a quick look at Weymouth and then on to our camp for the night at Higher Moor Farm Campsite. A very nice camp.
    Gaye is shattered so an early night is on the cards.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    April 29 Tintagel

    April 29, 2024 in England ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    We woke to rain and that persisted for the day. Gaye was starting to feel a bit better and I wasn't. We packed up and said our farewells to St Ives and headed back towards the A39 to get some supplies in Camden. Then we headed off towards Port Isaac but a wrong turn getting back on to the A39 took us down a back farm goat track with stone walls and hedges brushing both mirrors for about 6 miles. With rain all the way we decided to give Port Isaac and Doc Martin a miss as I wasn't feeling up to the walk down from the carpark and back up again. We decided to carry on to Tintagel Castle and when we got there the rain had eased a bit but it was blowing a gale and freezing cold. Adopting the Billy Connelly saying of there being no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing we layered up and headed out. The castle is reportedly the place where King Arthur was conceived thanks to a spell by Merlin who lived in a cave below the castle. The spell made Arthur's father look like the Duke of Cornwall to his wife the Duchess. Anyway long story short the bridge to the castle was closed and so we took a few photos bought a bottle of mead and caught a 4x4 shuttle back up the hill. Google Maps is a brilliant piece of software except when you are in a large vehicle and it just wants to tell you the fastest route somewhere and where you can shop on the way. The way it selected to get to our campsite for the night might have been fast for Valentino Rossi on a motorbike but we were quickly down a road with hedges touching both mirrors and no way of returning. After half an hour of heated discussion and much abusing of Microsoft we manged to turn around squeeze past a Ford Transit van in an are that 2 mobility scooters would struggle to get past and find our way back to where we started. Fastest route my arse. We then followed some B roads to the camp where we crashed for the night.
    The photo of Marlin's cave is stolen from the internet. The one I took was blurred and clearly the weather was a lot better.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    April 30 Tintagel to Bath

    April 30, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We woke to another shitty cold morning. It blew a gale all night and I did wonder whether we would be travelling anywhere today. However the wind died down a bit and we were off for another adventure. Gaye was feeling quite a bit better. Me, not so much. I had done my research and selected a Park n Ride station to the south of Bath as our destination to then catch a bus into Bath but on arrival there was, for no reason that anyone could explain, a height restriction barrier into the carpark. We parked in an area for buses which I had seen on Google Earth had motorhomes in it but one of the bus drivers was a bit difficult and said we would be fined despite there plenty of parks. Discretion being the better part of valour we decided to move on to a Park n Ride on the north of Bath which appeared to not have a height restriction. Off we went and within a mile I saw a sign saying we would be entering a congestion tax zone. We knew that in London that meant something like a charge of 200 plus pounds a day for taking a diesel motorhome into the zone so we baled out into a Sainsburys carpark to regroup, recover and reset.
    We then decided on a plan that would take us around Bath and out to the North but it was already 3pm and our plan to bus into Bath for a walk around the sites was a bit behind time, although it had by now stopped raining! We headed off towards Bristol in heavy traffic and just as we came down a hill to a busy roundabout I saw on the left The Globe pub which was one of my possible sites for the night. They have a very large carpark at the rear of the pub and motorhomes can stay free for 1 night. Needless to say we roared right in and took up station at the rear of the carpark. We then went in and made ourselves known and ordered drinks. We had dinner in the pub and retired for a good night's rest. The pub was great. The main floor was on about 10 different levels with different floor coverings depending on the time of the renovation for that area. The ceilings were low and supported by twisted old oak posts and tortured beams. You don't know how much you have had to drink as you cannot walk without at least a slight stagger up and down all the different levels.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    April 27 Weymouth to St Ives

    April 30, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today was a big travelling day. We got away about 9 am and trundled southwest. Apart from major roadworks on the A30 which diverted all traffic in both directions off onto some narrow B roads the journey was uneventful. We arrived in St Ives mid afternoon and went for a walk into town. It is very steep going down and even steeper coming back up which was a bit of a test for Gaye with her cold.
    We had dinner at the camp restaurant. We both had catch of the day which was superb.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    Apr 28 St Ives

    April 30, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    The morning dawned a beautiful day although the wind was still cold. It was certainly nice to see the sun. We wandered back down the hill to the bustling town of St Ives. St Ives is a haven for artists so there are galleries everywhere. We had the obligatory cornish pastie for lunch which was very filing but nothing to write home about. We had a beer in the sun on the edge of the harbour and then staggered back up the hill to our motorhome.Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 1 Bath to Stratford upon Avon

    May 1, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    And just like that it is the first of May. We set the alarm for 7 am and both woke feeling decidedly more human. Onwards and upwards. We set course for the Park n Ride to the north of Bath and apart from driving 2 miles up a road which was limited to vehicles of less than 6 feet 6 inches (we are 2.5 metres with mirrors in) all went well. A few commuters may have been later to work than they intended but they should have left home earlier and avoided us. The Park n Ride was brilliant with a designated area for motorhomes and we could have even stayed the night there. For £5 we could park for half a day and both travel by bus to Bath and return. Plus free use of the port a loos!!

    We spent 3 hours or so firstly having a coffee to warm up and then wandering the streets to see the Abbey, the Roman baths and the the Royal Crescent. Beautiful place.

    We then returned to the motorhome and plotted our course north to Stratford upon Avon. Because we were a bit behind schedule we decided to skip the stress of the drive through the small Cotswold villages that we had planned and head on the motorway to Stratford upon Avon which is still in the Cotswolds and has the same style of housing so a good compromise.

    After doing 2 laps of a 10 mile circuit to the south of the town because we missed a turn twice we eventually made it to our camp where it was actually nice enough to sit outside for half a drink before having to move inside.

    We had a quiet dinner in the motorhome and an early night. The forecast for tomorrow is sunny and 18 degrees in the morning and thunderstorms in the afternoon.

    We then returned to the motorhome    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 2 Stratford upon Avon

    May 2, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    A day without driving! We had a leisurely start to the day. Our camp is on the banks of the Avon River so we wandered down to the river and caught a water taxi into town. Funnily enough it was neither sunny nor 18 degrees as predicted. More like 9 degrees and very low cloud. We decided to do the Hop On Hop Off bus which was not busy - particularly upstairs up in the open air where we sat.

    It was a good way to see the sights including Shakespeare's birthplace, his first school, his statue, his wife Anne Hathaway's house (wasn't she in the Princess Diaries?) and all other things Shakespeare.

    By the time we finished the loop we were frozen so headed to the nearest pub to thaw out and consume a hearty lunch. I had a Steak n Ale pie with mash and mushy peas accompanied by a particularly fine Shiraz. Damn fine.

    We then wandered the town a bit more but mindful of the predicted thunderstorms headed back to the camp on our wee water taxi.

    Having dodged the bullet of the thunderstorms we stopped for a drink in the Muddy Oar bar at the camp which has an amazing restaurant/bar/conference facility. In talking to people we discovered that this weekend is a "Bank Holiday" and that every Pom and his 2 dogs with a motorhome or caravan is on the move celebrating the first long weekend of Spring. God bless them. So we headed back to the motorhome to get the computer out. We had planned on heading into North Wales for the next 3 nights and basing ourselves in one place. Well, when I opened up the websites for the Motorhome and Caravan Club and the for Caravan and Camping club it quickly became apparent that everywhere was booked out and the farm campsites were all phone bookings only and it was too late to ring them. On the upside it wasn't raining but a weather warning flashed up on my computer for extreme thunderstorms overnight. Would we bogged on our grass pitch in the morning? Would we have anywhere to go tomorrow in any event? Everything will look better after a Jamieson's. Time to open the bottle.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 3 Stratford upon Avon to Liverpool?

    May 3, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Set the alarm for 7 am and we were up and motivated. No thunderstorms overnight but it was raining lightly. We got organised and then drove straight off the levelling blocks and headed for terra firma like an old man heading for the toilet - slowly but without stopping. We hade it to the roadway and stopped to empty and fill all the appropriate tanks before heading away.
    We headed north past Birmingham which forever to get around because it so large and because the traffic was building up. Apparently it is a Bank Holiday weekend coming up - whatever that means. At Telford we made out to Ironbridge to see the first iron made bridge in the world. It was here that some chap in the 1770s thought why don't I use coal/coke to run my furnace instead of charcoal like everyone else is using. As a result of that inspired thought furnaces could be run at a higher temperature and produce commercial grade quantities of iron. Hence the construction of the bridge and the coming of the use of iron as a commercial building material.

    Per usual it was cold and cloudy so after a wander around the beautiful village we headed into a cafe for a coffee and a very fine Penang red curry to warm the inner person.

    While at Ironbridge I made about 10 calls to different camps in North Wales and they were all full but managed to secure 2 nights at a camp near Liverpool from which it looks to be a relatively easy drive to Conwy in North Wales for a day trip. Not quite how we planned it but there ya go.

    From Ironbridge we headed to into Wales to Pontcysyllte Aquaduct. Back in the good old days of the Empire commercial transportation within the UK was by barge pulled by a horse or 2. Obviously there was an issue when the waterway came to a valley. While the water would happily flow downhill it would refuse to go up the other side. The answer to the problem was based on the Roman aquaduct and hundreds of them were constructed throughout the country so barges could happily move from one valley to the next. We walked down the valley and across a beautiful old stone bridge and up the other side to the aquaduct where we walked back over it and to the motorhome. The towpath for the horses was only a metre or so and I have no idea what weight in water and barges the aquaduct was supporting but I didn't mention it to Gaye as we made our way across it. It was a long way down.

    From there we made our way further north to our campsite for the night which proved to be a wee gem. When we picked up the motorhome we bought a bottle of bubbles and a bottle of red. Tonight we finished the red. The bubbles remains in the fridge. Did I mention we have been a bit poorly?

    We have finished a small bottle of rum though in fairness.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    4 May Conwy

    May 4, 2024 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We woke to another grey day but no rain. We got away from the camp and headed towards Conwy in North Wales in pretty heavy traffic. It was just over an hour to Conwy where good old Mr Google tried to take us through an arch in the old town walls which I thought was too narrow and met some new friends by backing up into an intersection while the traffic parted like the Red Sea behind me. After a couple more turns I came to another arch the same as the first and it turned out that if I pulled one mirror in and closed my eyes we could fit through. We then found a suitable park for the motorhome and walked back to the castle.

    The castle was one of 4 built in North Wales by Edward I back in 1287 to station his troops and try to quell the pesky Welch rebels. It is a massive structure and was completed in 4 years. The cost of the castles almost bankrupted Edward. The castle has the original wall of over 1.3 km still intact which encompasses the beautiful town of Conwy. We walked the remains of the castle which is 5 storeys to the top of the towers. The stairs are the tightest and narrowest circular staircase you can find. Gaye did very well on them and by the time I got to the top of the tallest towers I had had the most cardio exercise in some time.

    After leaving the castle we checked out the smallest house in the UK and had a wander around the town and both bought shoes for when we are on the River Cruise. We then ordered fish n chips and returned to the motorhome to eat them. I am still enjoying them 4 hours later (not).

    We had originally planned to have 3 nights staying at a camp near Conwy and had planned 9 activities for the 3 days but the Holiday Weekend caught us out and with the nearest place we could stay on the outskirts of Liverpool it is too much to drive back and forth each day. We have been lucky enough that the camp we are staying in has had a cancellation for tomorrow night so we are able to stay on as I have been unable to find any accommodation in the Lake District for tomorrow night either.

    On the way back to Liverpool we stopped at Tescos and restocked our supplies and then went for a drive along the foreshore at Llandudno which looked lovely but was overflowing with people and not a park to be seen anywhere. We got back to our camp where there is a pop up pizza place operating tonight so it looks like the option to top up on the carbs.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 5 Wirrel Campsite

    May 5, 2024 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We woke to a beautiful morning and broke out the shorts and tees shirts for the first time on the trip. We had a very relaxing day catching up on washing and doing a few chores around the motorhome before going for a walk out to the beach and finding a little cafe for lunch. After lunch we walked down to the local sailing club but the tide goes out for miles here so there was not much going on in the way of action there. After returning to the camp we sat outside reading and enjoying the sun for the afternoon. The temperature had to be over 20 degrees so we went from 4 layers to one in a day. Will it last?

    We had a quiet evening in the motorhome    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 6 Lake Windermere

    May 6, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We were up early this morning and on the road before 9 am heading north. Google maps led us on a "shortcut" through Liverpool. On the map it looked like a ring road but after having to pay a toll to go through a tunnel under the Mersey River we then limped along from one suburb to another until we made our way to the M6 heading north. There was a lot of traffic heading south with it being the last day of the Bank Holiday weekend. I would not have liked heading that way towards Manchester and Birmingham later in the day.
    After a stop for a coffee on the way we arrived at Bowness on Lake Windermere about midday and even found a carpark relatively easily.
    We had a quick sandwich in the van and then took a ferry ride to the top of the lake which was a pleasant way to pass a couple of hours. The scenery is lovely although it is quite noticeable that there are mountains suddenly appearing on the horizon to the north instead of the rolling hills we have experienced so far on the trip. Tomorrow we venture into Scotland.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 7 Loch Lomond

    May 7, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Another beautiful morning this morning. We left Windermere and followed the A roads north passing several other lakes and some beautiful scenery before heading east and back out to the M6 and the motorways north. We entered Scotland at Carlisle and Gaye saw several paddocks of Highland Coos but I was a bit busy navigating us through all of the trucks. We passed through Glasgow and carried on north for another 30 minutes or so to the village of Luss on the shores of Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond is the largest fresh water lake in the UK.
    After a late lunch in the motorhome we wandered around the village and had a beer at a cafe before heading back to the motorhome to try and organise the next few days of our trip. The ferry to Skye is running a reduced service at the moment and looks to be booked out so we have decided to stay the next 2 nights at Fort William and skip Skye which will give us more options down the track.
    Dinner was heated up roasts from Tesco with a cheeky Argentinian red that I picked up at the service station today. Both were bloody good.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 8 Fort William

    May 8, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We were a bit slow to get started this morning after Gaye's phone rang at 4.45 am this morning. We headed north up the remainder of Lock Lomond and into the Highlands. The Highlands scenery is like the Desert Road on steroids with huge towering mountains and beautiful Lochs surrounded by a mixture of trees and tussock areas.
    We stopped in Glencoe for a break which is where the final scenes of the James Bond movie Skyfall?? was filmed. There is so much history here with the clan wars and the wars against the British. The Scots are certainly a feisty breed.
    From Glencoe we continued on to Fort William and to our campsite for the next 2 nights. We encountered the worst traffic so far which we later found was due to the road bridge being closed at the bottom of Neptune's Staircase to allow boats to pass. Neptune's Staircase is a staircase of 8 canals built between 1802 and 1822. It is all hydraulic now but originally the locks were all opened manually.
    After finding our camp and doing a load of washing we ventured back out to check out Neptune's Staircase. We were fortunate in that a huge riverboat The Lord of the Highlands was about to pass out of the last lock when we arrived and the Jacobite Steamtrain of Harry Potter fame was also returning into Fort William. The road and rail bridges at the bottom of the locks have to be closed and swung out of the way to enable large vessels to move out of the locks. Quite an impressive of engineering.
    Today was a red letter day in that we managed to buy Ad-blue for the motorhome and to swap a bottle of gas. A bit over $100NZ for a 6kg bottle. We might have to go easy on the cups of coffee!
    Dinner was a chicken pasta in the motorhome. Loving these pre-cooked meals from the supermarket.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 9 Glenfinnan & Mallaig

    May 9, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ 🌫 11 °C

    Leisurely start to the day. After overnight rain we woke to low cloud and a bit of drizzle. We drove the short distance from the camp to the Glenfinnan Viaduct arriving about 9.30 am. The Jacobite steam train also known as the Hogwarts Express from when it featured in the Harry Potter movies is scheduled to cross the viaduct at 10.45 am each morning. Although we were early it wasn't long before the carpark was full and people were walking miles to get back to the viaduct in time. Unfortunately the steam engine which we saw yesterday was out of action for the day and was replaced by a dirty old diesel engine. However it was still a great sight and worth the effort in clambering up the hill to the viaduct.
    After a coffee back in the motorhome we trundled on out to the seaside port of Mallaig which is the base for ferries to the outer islands and where we had originally planned to cross to Skye today. There was a very log sea fog which we meant that we couldn't even see across to Skye. We wandered around town and bought a wee highland coo named Finlay before enjoying a very nice lunch of fish and chips with a glass of Rose.
    In the harbour at Mallaig we saw a Cavalier 32 looking right at home even though it was built at Salthouse Brothers in Greenhithe. Bought back some very fond memories.
    We then trundled back to our camp in Fort William for a bit of a catch up on emails, bills etc.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 10 Inverness

    May 10, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We set the alarm for 7 am and were on the road before 9 am which was quite good going for us. It is light until after 10 pm and then light again in the mornings before 5. We seem to be going to bed late and sleeping in which is not like me.
    As we left Fort William Ben Nevis poked it's head through the clouds.
    We travelled up the shores of Loch Lochy and then through Fort Augusta where the Caledonian Canal joins Loch Lochy to Loch Ness by a series of Locks. (Way too many Lochs/locks in that sentence.)
    From there we stopped at Invermoriston to see the beautiful old stone bridge and then carried on up the shores of Loch Ness to Inverness. No sign of Nessie. We tried to stop and get a photo of Urquhart Castle but it seems that if you don't have a ticket you can't even get into the carpark.
    We were able to get into our camp early so set up and the wandered along the banks of the River Ness into town for a late lunch and a look around. On the way back we stopped for a drink and a cheese board and then wandered slowly back to the camp for an earlier night in preparation for a big day tomorrow.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 11 Skye

    May 11, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The alarm was set for 6 am but we were both awake before then. I was lying there working out a plan for getting an Uber into Inverness but we were so well organised that we decided to walk.
    We had booked tickets with Timberbush Tours for a full day tour to Eilean Donan Castle and the Isle of Skye departing at 8 am from Inverness and returning 8 pm.
    There were 3 buses altogether. The weather was stunning and we got away just after 8 am. First stop was to see some Hairy Coos. They are beautiful creatures. We had managed to get photos of them on our travels but this was the first time we had been able to get up close to some. The next stop was the carpark at Urquhart Castle where if you are a bus you can park whether you have tickets or not so we managed to get a few photos from the road of the ruins of the castle.
    We got to know our driver Andy and his wife Wendy quite well. They were very entertaining. The Scots love to have a laugh particularly at themselves.
    The next stop was Eilean Donan Castle. This is the most photographed castle in Scotland and on this particular day it was impossible to take a bad photo. It is the home of the Macrae clan and has so much history. We paid the money and did the tour which was great although you can't take photos inside.
    From there we crossed the Skye Bridge and on into Skye where we stopped at Sligachan before stopping for lunch at Portree.
    After lunch it was on to the Old Man of Storr rock formation and a couple of other stops including Kilt Rock.
    We covered all of the sights I had wanted to see in 1 day whereas I had allowed 2 days and I didn't have to drive. I even managed a Grandad nap on the bus.
    Because we were on the Mommy Bear sized bus we went a different way back to Inverness over some of the narrow back roads and past some beautiful scenery including the smallest railway station in Scotland. You wouldn't want to blink.
    We finally arrived back in Inverness about 8.40 pm and went to a little hole in the wall bar called the Malt Room where they have over 350 scotches. Gaye had a cocktail and I had a slider of 5 scotches called the NC 500. The NC 500 is an iconic road around the top of Scotland which we had looked at doing but much of it is pretty rugged and single lane with passing bays every four hundred metres or so. It looked a bit much for us old folks but at least I can say that I have done it even if it was only 5 whiskys from the region.
    We staggered out of the bar and found our way to the restaurant that we had stopped at for a drink and a cheese board the day before and had a very nice dinner before wandering home about 11.30 pm.
    We had hoped to see the Northern Lights which were in full force the night before as was the Southern Aurora but either the whisky was comprising our eyesight or it was not the right night. Either way we were buggered and about mid-night called it a day    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 12 Dunrobin Castle

    May 12, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    In talking with Andy & Wendy on our Skye tour Wendy mentioned that her favourite castle in Scotland was Dunrobin Castle. We had been thinking of heading north for a night or two because we were ahead of the itinerary so north we went.
    It was another lovely day and once out of Inverness the traffic was light. We arrived at the castle late morning on a Sunday and the carpark was packed. After a bit of creative parking with the motorhome we wandered down the grand drive to the castle. Although parts of the castle date back to the 13th century it was extensively renovated and extended in the 16th and 17th centuries and is more like a French Chateau. A beautiful place that gives you a real insight into how the privileged lived back in the day. It is one of the oldest continuously occupied castles in Scotland.
    After viewing the castle and having a late lunch with most of the population of America we wandered back to Dornoch where we stayed in a camp in the middle of a links golf course and next to beach. Did we play golf and go to the beach? No. We caught up on laundry and emails and had an early night.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 13 Elgin

    May 13, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We headed away from Dornoch on our way south towards Inverness. First stop was to get a photo at Glenmorangie Distillery. It was my favourite from the whisky tasting in Inverness. I had tried to book a tour there but left it a bit late.
    It was then on to Inverness where we turned to head east along the Moray Coast. About 30 minutes later we arrived at Elgin which is our destination for the night. Elgin is a lovely town with 3 supermarkets all next to each other and a motorhome friendly carpark around the corner. We parked up there and restocked supplies before a little bit of shopping in Marks & Spencer. We then wandered across town to find the ruins of the old cathedral. It must have been a massive building. Very impressive.
    After that we headed out to our camp beside the River Lossie for a little quiet time and dinner in the motorhome.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 14 Fraserburgh

    May 14, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    In looking at today's drive the night before we were a bit concerned that several of the roads were single lane and may not be that suitable for us so we modified the itinerary a bit.
    The day was a meander along the lovely fishing villages of the Moray Coast heading east to Fraserburgh. First stop was Buckie where we filled up with diesel and coffee, followed by Portknockie where we stopped to see Bow Fiddle Rock and then on to Cullen which is a beautiful town with two train viaducts. We had a wander around there for an hour and admired all the beautifully maintained cottages.
    We then proceeded to Portsoy, Banff and finally to Fraserburgh. There are very few tourists in this part of Scotland which is their loss but it means that the traffic was light and the driving easy.
    We arrived in Fraserburgh and parked in a supermarket carpark to have some lunch before heading along the road to a "Motorhome Aire" which is someone's property where self-contained motorhomes can stay overnight. We met the owner Greg who showed us around and gave us directions into town. Boy could that man talk. We eventually made a beak for it and walked the 3 km or so into town. We opted to give the Scottish Lighthouse Museum a miss even though it is Fraserburgh's main claim to fame and wandered down to the port to find some serious fishing vessels that are obviously very capable of handling the North Sea conditions. From Fraserburgh it is less than 200 miles to Norway.
    From there we had a wander around the town and ended up in the pub about 2.30 pm where we had a few beers that turned into a few more beers and then entrees of Popcorn Haggis and Jalapeno Chedder chips. By then it was after 5 pm so we had sticky toffee and custard puddings each and I had a very nice glass of Shiraz.
    By then it was time to up anchor and stagger back to the motorhome. Fortunately it was down hill and down wind all the way back.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 15 Stonehaven

    May 15, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We were a little slow to get underway this morning but it was a nice morning in Fraserburgh. We headed off trundling down our old friend the A92 which is fine as far as roads go but it is not wide and there are next to no places to pull over and let people pass. As a result progress is not fast. As we headed south towards Aberdeen a sea fog began to roll in off the Atlantic and the temperature dropped quite noticeably. We took the ring road around Aberdeen which was a great expressway with hardly any traffic on it.
    Not long after that we arrived in Stonehaven which is a beautiful fishing village. We were too early to check-in so parked up and went for a wander around the town before having a coffee. We headed back to the camp to catch up on chores and have a quiet evening in the motorhome    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler

    May 16 Dunnottar Castle

    May 16, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We prepared ourselves for a big day. The plan for the day is to walk to Dunnottar Castle from Stonehaven and all going well back again. It is a 5 km walk each way with a good bit of climbing from Stonehaven up to the cliff tops. Fortunately the sea fog had cleared overnight and it was a lovely day although the breeze was a bit cool.
    We made our way along the foreshore as far as the port and had a stop for coffee before tackling the path up to the clifftops. We made it with a couple of short stops and within a short distance the remains of Dunnottar castle came into view in the distance.
    The castle was built on a rocky headland surrounded on 3 sides by the North Sea. There is steep path down to the base of the headland and up to the top of the headland making it easily defensible.
    The headland has been inhabited since before Christ and the main castle was built in the 15th and 16th centuries although the chapel dates back to the 12th century. In the 17th century the "Honours of Scotland" being the Scottish Crown Jewels were hidden in the castle from the invading armies of Oliver Cromwell. Throughout history the castle has been occupied variously by the Scots and the English.
    It was relatively quiet at the castle so we were able to have a good look around before making our way back to the port for a well earned couple of beers and a late lunch at the pub.
    After that we headed back to the motorhome for a lie down and a quiet night.    Read more

  • Wayne StolleryUK TourTraveler
    1

    May 17 Dundee

    May 17, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We followed the coast down from Stonehaven stopping briefly in Carnoustie to see the golf course and arrived at Monifieth Beach on the outskirts of Dundee about lunchtime. At that point we discovered that our camp was on the beach side of the railway line and that there were only 2 tunnels to get vehicles to the camp. One was 1.8 metres high and google maps was quite insistent that we should go through it. Our motorhome is 3.2 metres high. We eventually found the second tunnel which was 3.2 metres high. We did a few more laps of the area with the woman on google maps nagging in my hearing aids and some discussion going on in the cab as to our best option. We eventually found our way back to the second tunnel and parked down the road. I got out of the motorhome and went to examine the tunnel. It looked higher than 3.2 metres but there were plenty of scars evident on the roof of the tunnel. After more discussion we decided to give it a go. I mean that is why you have insurance right? I asked Gaye to stand opposite the tunnel which was also only 2.8 metres wide and to wave hysterically if it looked like I needed to back out of the tunnel. By the time I nosed into the tunnel a van had come up behind me which would have made a strategic retreat difficult. The driver leaned out his window and yelled something in Scottish which sounded encouraging and Gaye was giving me the thumbs up so through we went. Having filled in 45 mins trying to get into the camp it was time for a sandwich in the motorhome. I could have done with a Scotch!
    After lunch we headed over to the train station and bought return tickets into Dundee which was only a 10 minute ride away. We wandered the streets of Dundee in the sunshine. We have been blessed with the weather. About 4 pm we decided it was time to head back to the camp and get ready to go out for dinner. The day lost its shape a bit at the point because the next train was not until 5.25 pm. We wasted a bit of time wandering around aimlessly and in the end decided to get a taxi back to the camp which didn't cost much anyway. After refreshments we wandered up to town only to find that the kitchen in the local pub was closed. We looked at a couple of Chinese takeaways but they didn't accept credit and debit cards so I walked out in a huff. We ended up going to the local Tescos and getting heat n eat roasts and a bottle of wine and wandering back to the motorhome. It can be quite difficult to go out for dinner over here as there are very few actual restaurants and most people go to the pubs which are great but all serve the usual pub grub. It makes you appreciate how spoilt for choice we are in NZ with the variety of eating out options. On the upside the Tesco heat n eat roast meals are a great backup plan.    Read more

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