Stewby's 2014 Travels...

[stewby]

The plan is to update this thread with our travelling tales throughout 2014.

I love taking pictures so there will definitely be lots of pictures and you can all laugh at my inability to get very much right and our tales on bongo-ing madness.


First trip of the year was to Roybridge... Bunroy Caravan Site.

[stewby]

We left on Friday to spend the weekend up in the West of Scotland with not really much planning considering I normally love to plan. We had sorted out the bongo the day before and packed our bags, all I had to do was sort the shopping out as we had stuff in the fridge.

So, whoopsie right before we left the house. I packed bread, butter and tomato sauce... exactly what you need for sausage butties in the morning... but forgot the sausages.


I think we are going to plan better next time. It was a hard lesson for OH to learn.


Anyways, on to the pictures. Hope you enjoy them.


This is the long and winding road we took to get up to Roybridge. Took a bit longer than planned as the navigator (not me) forgot to turn off somewhere and we ended up in the wrong direction.



The view from our bongo windows were amazing. Especially as Scotland had decided to be sunny this weekend.



Our bongo having a rest in the sunshine.



Ended up at the top of Anoch Mor (might not be the right spelling) by gondola. Most of our time up there was spent trying to send postcards and trying to spot the bongo which were both equally difficult. We gave up on the postcards at the end.



Got the train from Fort William to Mallaig and took one of the most common pictures in the West of Scotland... yep the Glenfinnan Viaduct.



Mallaig harbour. We spent 3 hours in Mallaig (one hour of it in the pub). It was a beautiful wee town and one we intend to return to, even if it is just to catch the ferry.



Spent our Sunday at the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig and ended up with another Bongo right beside us. We decided that the owners had raised the roof as a form of greeting so counted it in our counting friendly bongos game. Some didn't wave which was a bit sad.



Couldn't resist this picture. This little beauty of a cattle grid set off our window wipers so we looked like complete eejits to the ranger's jeep driving in the opposite direction just at that moment. So we took a picture when we went round a second time.


Sorry, the pictures look a bit huge. Hope they don't cause too much havoc.


Hope you enjoy the pictures. I am not sure where our next trip is to be but it is going to happen the first weekend in May (which will probably be another bank holiday I imagine, knowing our luck).

[Muzorewa]

Looks like a good trip - in surprisingly good weather

The train trip from Fort William to Mallaig is superb plus there's a good chippy just by the station Next time, catch the train heading south from Fort William and get off at Corrour for a stunning meal (but book first)

[dunslair]

Great Picts! Thanks for sharing.

[stewby]

We didn't go to the chippy (despite it being attached to the train station and very tempting), we wandered up the hill and found the Chlachain Inn Restaurant. It was number 2 on tripadvisor (I had reasearched Mallaig on the Friday befroe we left).
It was absolutely amazing. We walked in and the woman behind the bar greeted us and seemed really friendly, asked if we wanted food or just a drink then invited us to sit anywhere.
She came over really quick and offered us menus and something to drink. A good selection of "local" real ales (I had cola as I was in charge of driving home from Fort William). The meal was beautiful. OH had Mallaig haddock in a lemon and pepper batter whilst I had a Lochaber beef burger with mull cheese (I think it was mull cheese).
Came to about £27 which was really good considering we had a beer and two cokes.


Corrour is the one with nothing there apart from the pub isn't it?? Or is that Rannoch Mor??


We were originally going to head south but then I decided that we should go over the Glenfinnan Viaduct instead. Sadly the steam train didn't run until two days after we were there. Still an amazing trip. They should have one of those open carriages so that my pictures don't have relections in them.


OH has decided that he really likes the look of Aviemore so we might be heading in that direction again at some point. I did try to explain it is basically a tourist trap but apparently he is a tourist who would like to be trapped. (I think it was because of all the camping shops there, looks like his kinda shopping trip).


Not sure where the next weekend will take us... OH won't finish until 17:00 then rush hour traffic home so will need to think of a plan. Will have a nosey and see what is on the go. He quite likes the idea of wildcamping so we might try that at some point too.

[dave_aber]

Aviemore is good if you like browsing through outdoor shops etc. It's only any good for actually buying if you have lots of money! (Unless you get lucky in the sales etc)

That said, there's a lot more going on in Aviemore than the shopping.

Head up the hill for a paddle round Loch Morlich, or take some bikes and explore the area (I hear the Abernethy forest is great, no relation!)

Also good pubs etc.

DA

Edit - And a couple of decent chippys too!

[Muzorewa]

Yes, Corrour is the one with only the Station House Restaurant / Hotel unless you walk east to Loch Ossian and there's not much there either. But the food at the Station House is very good. If you stay on the train for one more stop to Rannoch station, the Moor of Rannoch hotel is supposed to be good too but we haven't been there. Yet

You were probably lucky that the steam train wasn't on, when we went on it (which was a great experience) it was rammed with tourists

Or drive through Glen Coe and stop at the King's House Hotel, either in the hotel or you can wild-camp just over the bridge

And don't forget the Lochleven Seafood Cafe between Fort Bill and the King's House Hotel, perfect (if you like shellfish).

[Bob]

Wonderful.

[Jillygumbo]

Great pics

[stewby]

Can't edit the first post so adding on our new trips (I'm an eejit and thought I could edit it, hope people find this new section).


Two night tour on the way down to our flights to Greece. We were going to Download Festival straight after the holiday so took the bongo with us. We stayed at Threlkeld campsite for the first night which was amazing then Elms Beds near Manchester the second night which was not so great for us. So... pictures:


First campsite - Look at that view... beautiful and like that for 360 degrees.



Threlkeld campsite is on a real working farm and very close to a couple of lovely pubs.


OH at the second campsite. It wasn't that great. No clear designated pitches and toilets weren't very clean. Based on the reviews I had seen, I expected more I suppose.


We stayed at the Threlkeld campsite so we could go nosey at our wedding venue (it is stunning) and we stayed in Elm Beds so that I could treat OH to a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manchester for his bday.


Anyways... that is the latest update in the world of stewby's bongoing travels for 2014. Hope we have a few more before the end of the year.

[Muzorewa]

Looks nice, shame about the Elm Beds site.

Posting as an additional post does have the advantage of people seeing that something's been added. If you just edit the first post, unless someone had cause to look it wouldn't be noticed. Editing posts is disabled after 60 minutes which gives people chance to correct typos etc, from a good while back we had a spate of people posting stuff to get a reaction and then editing the controversial bits later, this way only Mods can edit posts after an hour

[stewby]

Good point about making it so people know when I have added stuff. I never think things through properly.


So.... Last week was my first weekend off since download but we had a wedding. I also have this weekend off so we are bongo-ing.


First thought was Stirling but that is quite close to the commonwealth games so that has gone on the back burner.
Then I had hoped to go to Aberlour Gardens campsite as the reviews looked brilliant. However... turns out it is the Aberlour Highland Games this weekend so the campsite is (of course) full.
So had a nosey around the ukcampsite website, a couple of phone calls later and we are now heading to Grantown-on-Spey. It looks like a nice site.

Any suggestions on nice things to do nearby would be great.
Right now, I think we are going to the Glenlivet distillery/estate for a tour and walking. Yep, I have seen the weather.

[dave_aber]

Grantown - Distilleries (various) are a good bet. If you fancy putting the van through its paces, head North out of Grantown towards Forres on the B939 and A940. Turn left onto the B9007 at Logie, and follow that all the way back towards Carrbridge. At the end of the B9007, turn Left on the B938 back to Grantown - or take a wee trip into Carrbridge first. There's not much on that road itself, other than the open moorland section of the B9007 which is one of the best driving roads in the country. Half way over it (or half way over the section towards Forres, you can detour to Lochindorb. The island in it has a ruined castle which was the abode of "The Wolf of Badenoch" who was the nasty bugger who burned down Elgin Cathedral in 1390.

[stewby]

Oooooooooooooh. thanks very much for the reply dave. That sounds like a great trip for the Sunday. OH loves his castles and stuff so he will be thrilled at the idea of the island.

[dave_aber]

You can get over to the island various ways - my personal favourite is inflatable canoe!

If it's warm enough, swim - you can almost walk if you are taller than me, as it's pretty shallow all the way over.