First 2021 adventure – Kirkcudbright and Solway View

And slowly, steadily, we are coming back into the daylight, after a very bleak end to 2020, and a similar beginning to 2021. Covid cases are down, the all-important R-number is below 1, meaning we are seeing lowering case numbers again, and our Government has allowed us some relaxing of the strict restrictions we have all been living with for many months. Travel is allowed around the UK, and “self catering” accomodation is opened again. And so, we can get out and about in Ali Bongo once more! And I could think of no better place to start out than a weekend visit to Solway View campsite near Kirkcudbright – having been the last place we were away to in late October 2020. We knew the owners would take every precaution and everything would be kept spotless, and we were not disappointed.

Over the winter, I’ve been keeping the Bongo moving, every couple of weeks taking it a run to make sure everything is freed up. I also had some work done by Dial a Mek in East Kilbride, getting the front suspension components replaced that were worn ( which has transformed the ride and handling!), plus I have recently replaced the gearbox oil pan and flushed out the automatic gearbox fluid, fitting a brand new pan, gasket and filter. So, this would be the first really longish run, a good test for the van, and it was just great to be planning a trip away. It would also be the first outing for our new Obelink Trinity awning.

I packed the awning and driveaway kador strip etc, our clothes, food, and a few “refreshments” in our fridge. We were off!!

The Bank Holiday Friday traffic was as expected, and the queues around Ayr were pretty slow – very normal, in fact! But, we eventually got to the Castle Douglas turnoff from the A77, and the traffic eased, the sun shone, and we were finally in that holiday frame of mind again. It’s hard to beat that anticipation as you head to your weekend destination, and especially as we knew we were heading to one of our very favourite places. The journey passed without incident, a brief stop at Carsphairn for a loo break and a check of the van, and we arrived at Solway View around 2 hrs after setting off. We quickly found our pitch, a cracking location, without neighbours and handy for the toilet block, spot on! We set to getting the awning up, and attached to the van, which went pretty well for a first attempt, and with the hookup cable connected, tables and chairs out, kitchen pod set up in the corner, we had the kettle on around half an hour after arriving. This will no doubt vary depending on weather conditions, midge count, and campsite, but happy with how it went this time.

We then sorted out our meal, tucking in to our favourite camping food, a Summit to Eat dehydrated Past Bolognese. Really tasty, dead easy ( just add boiling water, stir and wait 10 minutes) and the best bit…no washing up!! We had a biscuit for pudding, then settled in to watch a movie and sort out the bed, as it was getting on a bit. We sat in the awning for a bit, then turned in. The site was busy, but not too noisy, and we slept pretty well. Lorraine is a traditional early riser, so our awning meant that she could sit and read, do crosswords, drink tea, and let me lie in a bit! This she did, and I did. We had breakfast – muffins and a cuppa, I showered ( showers were spotless as always)and we disconnected from our awning and headed into town. It was relatively straightforward to unhook, and I marked the tyre positions with pegs on the driver side, to make it easier to park in the same spot.

We parked near Tesco, as we needed a few items, then wandered the town before heading on a river side walk to the Telford bridge at Tongland, a few miles upstream. This pleasant walk of around 5 miles all in follows the footpath along the river, passing through woods, until the bridge appears just downstream from the hydro station.

This walk was very pleasant in the spring sunshine, and completely midge free too, being early in the year. We met a few other folk, out enjoying the walk, and as we got back to the town, we agreed we had worked up an appetite. Food was in order! Right on the corner of the street back to Tesco is a cafe / bistro type place, The Belfry, and we were able to get seated at the last available table. We ended up plumping for the burger and chips, and it was a great choice, as the food was superb! I can’t remember having a better burger, anyway, and everything was fresh and home made, including the coleslaw side. We agreed without hesitation we were coming back for breakfast the following day!

We picked up what we needed in Tesco, and headed back to “dock” with the awning. I was very careful when parking, and must have been within an inch or so, as it connected again without issue. Kettle on, cuppa time! We pottered around the site until dinner time, and picked out a different variety of ready-meal, my choice was a Chicken Tikka curry, Lorraine went with a Chilli. We tucked in, wrapping up in layers as it was a good deal colder this evening compared to the previous night. We settled in a bit earlier to watch a film, pleasantly tired after so much fresh air and a decent length of walk. A few drinks and snacks to go along with a film, and we retired just as the rain started. It rained fairly constantly that night, heavy at times, but come morning, it was clearing up, the sun broke out again and the awning was dry come time to pack up. It was also bone dry inside, so we can have confidence that it is also waterproof. So far the awning certainly impresses for the money, and I can see it’s usefulness as a base if staying somewhere for a few days.

We packed up at a leisurely pace, then headed back into Kirkcudbright for a Sunday brunch at The Belfry (superb food and service again!)and wandered back home the long way, heading toward Stranraer on the A75 before turning off at Newton Stewart and following the road through the Galloway Forest Park before arriving back at the main road to Ayr at St Johns town of Dalry. I love this drive, past Clatteringshaws Loch, and I stopped here to take a few photos.

We headed home, feeling like we had really been away again, and reflecting on a brilliant weekend break. It makes it feel like a real trip away, having a three-day weekend, and it was good to try out the awning for the first time. We both agree that for a one night, maybe even two depending on where you are going, it might get left behind, however for a base to explore from it gives you real flexibility in camp, providing that extra space to sit inside / outside, and the kitchen pod worked really well out there. I’ve bought a hookup splitter lead, with one connection to your hookup cable, but providing two connections from there, meaning I can plug in straight to the awning power cable(which now has an outdoor plug fitted instead of a standard 13A one) and still unhook the van, leaving the fridge running, as well as power available if one of us stayed behind while the van was away.

And that’s what Bongo Life is all about – learning as you go, trying things out, constantly re-evaluating, can I leave stuff behind to declutter, what do I need to bring next time and so on. It’s always a learning experience, and there is always something for next time.

As for next time, we decided that as the “Staycation” will be hugely popular this year, we have booked up a few trips already, another in May, a week in June, and another in July. This gives us dates on the calendar to look forward to, and we can start to count the days to our next Bongo Adventure!

Happy trails!