We rose early on our last day in Aberlour – the strong sunshine found it’s way through every gap in the window screens, and the bright green tent of the pop-top seems to glow in the low morning light. It was 7am. There wasn’t a sound outside – this really was the absolute definition of peace and quiet, this campsite, and I am certain we will re-visit in the future. Due to our early rise, we were in no need of rushing around, and we had a leisurely breakfast before showering, then packing away the luggage and unplugging the hook-up cable. We really were becoming expert at this! Even being leisurely, we were chocks-away for 9am, and I looked forward to the rather circuitous route I had planned for our journey to Scone.

We drove slowly round the campsite for one last look, and exchanged waves with a few folk up and about. We got a big farewell wave from the warden – an absolute gent who worked tirelessly all the time we were there to ensure the site was in tip-top condition and spotless clean. We turned right out the entrance towards Aberlour, and drove through the town again, following the A95 in the direction of Grantown on Spey, another firm favourite of ours as a destination. Before reaching the town, I turned off onto the old military road we had followed in other parts of the trip, originally built by General Wade in the 1700s, there are many hundreds of miles of roads directly following the ancient routes. This stretch took us through some beautiful forest, and is marked the A939. We passed through Tomintoul, one of the many famous Speyside distilleries on the Speyside Whisky Trail (on the bucket list, but for another trip!), and over The Lecht summit, one of two big ski resorts we would pass today. The steep winding road was all taken in Ali Bongo’s stride, and we crested to some incredible views, before dropping steeply once more toward Cockbridge at the foot of the pass.

We pottered along, taking in the views, now back in forested river valleys as we headed on our way. We reached Gairnshiel Lodge, and I turned off the A-road and followed the B976, our original route had turned now eastward, so this was the road for us. We headed south and west, and reached the A93 at Crathie, and Balmoral Castle. The scenery on this route is stunning, huge mature pines, majestic mountain backdrop, and the river Dee always present. We reached another famous town in this area, Braemar, home of the Braemar Highland Games, and there is a big arena in the town where this important event takes place. We stopped, but briefly, only to use the public toilets. We have spent time here on previous trips though, and if our preferred watering hole had been open we might well have had a toastie for brunch. It wasn’t, so we climbed aboard once more, and continued on the A93, always south and west.

Now the road travels over the next mountain pass in the ski resort area of Speyside / Deeside, Glenshee, and the winding road affords the driver little opportunity to build up any momentum for the climb. The views though…. we stopped in a handy lay-by for a brew and some fresh air, it was still very warm.

It was very pleasant, sat here admiring the views, and we were reluctant to climb inside again, but we did, headed over the Devil’s Elbow summit, and descended again to Spittal of Glenshee at the foot of the hills. The now rural landscape was in stark contrast to the open moors and mountains we had just passed through, and the fertile soils of this area were put to good use, it seemed. Winding on, the road eventually reaches the town of Blairgowrie. Lorraine and I stayed here on our honeymoon, in a luxury log cabin, and we still fondly remember the town. It was very busy today, and everyone looked pleased to be enjoying the summer weather.

I had decided to again take a less than direct route to our eventual destination, and now headed for Dunkeld on the A923. This is another favourite road of mine, passing several fishing lochs and large country houses, the display of Victorian wealth obvious. All these places owe the railways’ arrival for the Victorian patronage and development, from Grantown to Perth, and the industrious wealthy landowners tried to outdo each other with their large and impressive homes in the country. We reached Dunkeld, also full of people strolling in the sunshine, and passed through to reach the A9 at Birnam a short distance further on. Here we turned south toward Perth, where we planned to shop for supplies at the large Asda store on the roadside. We reached the usually-snarled Inveralmond roundabout without much delay at all. In fact, the traffic was surprisingly light, and we gratefully negotiated the roundabout and headed in to Perth on the A912. We turned in at Asda, stocked up, and headed the last part of the journey through the city, over the Tay and north a short way to Scone racecourse and the campsite beyond.

I was a little apprehensive about my choice here, as this is much more a touristy a destination, so close to Perth, and the large campsite was pretty busy. But, the staff were cheery and helpful, and we were shown to a huge pitch, not too far from the facilities, which were immaculate. We set up our camp.

We continued our recent habit of an al fresco dinner, under the sun canopy as it was pretty warm, and this provided some welcome shade. A salad, with cold flavoured chicken went down well, followed by some nice chilled beer and peanuts. There was a hotel and restaurant at the entrance to the campsite, serving the racecourse next door, and ordinarily we would have gone here for food. However it was exclusively booked for the duration of our stay for a large wedding reception, so we would be forced to self-cater. This was fine, but as we were on holiday, we might have treated ourselves one last time.

We breakfasted next morning on bagels and cream cheese, and decided we were not in the mood to drive anywhere. In the information centre on site, there were maps and route plans for a couple of decent walks along side the Tay, so we took a copy, and set off. It was very humid, and thundery, and every now and then the slightest of rain fell, drying almost before it hit the parched ground. It certainly looked like this part of the country hadn’t seen much rain – unlike the north west and Poolewe. The walk was pleasant and peaceful, and we reached the mighty Tay.

Following the guide, we turned north and for a time stayed next to the river, passing a few fishermen on the way. The path then swung landward and climbed through some woodland to turn between fields of potatoes and grain. Huge expanses of both stretched to the horizons, and a pump station was irrigating the potato fields from the river. It’s worth mentioning the constant backdrop to this stopover, the din of earthworks, machinery reverse alarms and diesel engines. This is due to the large construction effort nearby, building a new river crossing and road, which will bypass the Inveralmond junction for through traffic and create a welcome short cut.. This works racket became almost un-noticed after a few hours, until it stopped abruptly at around 7pm each night.

Still, progress dictates it is necessary for now, and once complete this area will be relatively peaceful once more.

We reached a farm house and a tarmac road now, and this took us back to the road leading to the campsite. A very pleasant walk of around 3 miles in all, and we stopped for a well-earned ice cream at the campsite reception. We returned to the van, and sat under the canopy, enjoying the breeze. Presently, it was time to eat again, and we went for our picnic outdoors again, this time with pasta and sausages and a few beers. All too soon it was time to turn in, but we watched a bit of tv on the tablet before bed.

In the morning, trying not to rush, we were still completely packed by 10am. This trip has been great for getting us into the practise of keeping things tidied away when not in use, and it really was just a case of rolling the bedding, returning the bed to travelling position, stowing the hold-alls inside the seat back and returning the kitchen pod to the floor position and lashing it down. Sorted! We had plenty of fuel, so there was no need of topping up the tank again, however I offered Lorraine one last McD’s breakfast, and we retraced our route to park up at Asda and ate in the adjacent restaurant. From there, it was just the drive home, down the A9 to Dunblane, onto the M9 past Stirling Castle to the M80, and a last toilet stop at Cumbernauld before driving through Glasgow and home via the M77 and A78. We arrived in the early afternoon, unpacking and then sat with a cuppa to reflect on an amazing trip.

Some 730 odd miles done. One near-disaster with the exhaust tail-pipe ( a replacement full exhaust is on order as I type!), five different campsites all over Scotland, some incredible scenery, every kind of weather (often all in one day!)and lots of good food. We had confirmed our love of this old van, too, and while it would be great having a bigger fridge, a microwave oven perhaps, and the ability to stand up and walk to the rear of the van without going outside, these things were not strong enough arguments for the change.

The nimble little Bongo can go anywhere a small car can, with the obvious 2mtr height restriction in mind. It is actually quite frugal for what it is, and returned around 35mpg for the entire trip. The bed is extremely comfortable, with plenty elbow room, and the versatility I have created by utilising the space inside the seat back when in the travelling position means we have very little in the living area as we travel without our awning and accessories. This in turn means that packing up or setting up are a breeze, taking around 15 minutes in both cases.

So, once the exhaust system is replaced, some cosmetic work is in the pipeline, to keep the van looking sharp and to prolong it’s corrosion resistance. It always was a work in progress, serving the dual functions of being a holiday vehicle as well as a hobby project. I have already made a subtle modification to the rock and roll bed, by drilling some more holes for the locks to sit in, allowing three options now of seat angle and increasing the storage space within. There is always some small job to tackle, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!!

Thank you for reading this far, and I hope our trip has given you some inspiration and will encourage you to try taking that detour on the “road less travelled” next time. After all, the adventure is about the journey too, not just the destination. And life with a Bongo is to be taken at a gentler pace.

Safe and happy travels!!

Our second day in Poolewe saw more showers early in the day, but we determined to go and visit the Gardens in any case. Depending which forecast you looked up, it might well clear up in the afternoon, so we might as well just get out and get on with it! A fine drizzle fell as we walked the mile or so from the campsite to the entrance to the grounds of Inverewe House, a National Trust of Scotland property. We are no longer members so full price, around £15 a head, was payable, but this allowed full access to the grounds and house. More information on the gardens can be found here..

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/inverewe-garden-and-estate-p255481

We wandered round the paths, among some familiar and also exotic plants and shrubs, trees from the world over too, some looked surreal. There were bamboos, lilies, and shrubs of every hue. The colours and smells were a sensory overload at times, and although there were some sections cordoned off due to winter storm damage a few years ago, the grounds were surprisingly extensive.

We also explored the house, rebuilt after a fire in the last century, originally the home of Osgood McKenzie, the creator of the Gardens. It was just like going back in time to the 1930s!

A very interesting couple of hours indeed.

We walked back to the village ( after a wee whisky purchase in the gift shop!), past the campsite, and on to the village shop. The bright sunshine was warming things up nicely now, although there looked like grey clouds blowing in from the west. We bought some additions for dinner, and made our way back to the van, just as the rain began once more. We couldn’t have timed it better!

On reflection, this campsite is slightly let down by the quality – not cleanliness – of the facilities. In fact, it looks very much untouched for many years, and the cramped cubicles and poor electric showers are very much not what we expect from a Camping and Caravan Club site. I hope this is upgraded very soon, as the location is incredible, and the site seemed pretty busy. The rain became ever heavier as the evening grew darker, and the routine of dinner, a movie and a few drinks seemed perfect.

We rose, breakfasted, showered and packed in short order, and we were on the road for 9am. Rather than retrace our steps, we opted to continue northwards, still on the A832, to Altbea, Gruinard and on to rejoin the main A835 at Corrieshalloch Gorge. This was, yet again, a very scenic drive, and the road wound first steeply uphill to avoid skirting the rocky promontories that feature heavily on this coastline , before twisting and turning sharply back down to sea level in little sheltered coves. The views as you crested these rises were stunning.

We reached the A835, and turned once more toward Inverness. We were getting peckish again, and there really hadn’t been much choice of places for a coffee and a scone or something on the road this morning. We decided the detour to Dingwall, and Batty’s Baps was required! Not long afterward, we had devoured a couple of delicious salad rolls at one of the outside tables. we re-boarded Ali Bongo, and headed towards Inverness and the A96, which would take us east towards Elgin on our way to Aberlour. I stopped at the Tesco east of Inverness, refueled once more and we shopped for supplies again. I knew our next campsite was a few miles from the town again, and if the weather was going to be as nice as it was now, we were keen to just park up and relax.

We drove on the busy road, in our first real queue of traffic since leaving home. We eventually reached Forres, and the B9090 from here wound through the farmland of this part of Scotland, skirting the fields of grain crops. The air was dry here, and dust was kicked up from the road by our passing. It was hot now, the sun fierce, and I was glad to open the windows as we pottered along the narrow road. we wound on, reaching the village of Dallas and the unmarked road to the right which would take us to the B9102 toward Archiestown and Aberlour itself. Our journey of around 135 miles, with stops had taken most of the day, but the leisurely pace had kept us relaxed, and we were feeling very much in holiday mode now. We had been on the road now for over a week, and it felt very comfortable.

We arrived presently at Speyside Campsite.

What a beautiful, peaceful campsite. First impressions were excellent, and the warden came out to greet us with a big smile, a friendly welcome, and showed us to a choice of pitches. The actual pitches were massive, and would easily accommodate the largest motorhome. Our wee van looked very small, parked neatly in the pitch. We duly popped the roof up, set up the hook-up and kitchen, refreshed the water container and got the kettle on. This really was the most peaceful campsite we have ever visited, mature trees dotted the grounds, the facilities were spotless and spacious, and we made use of the laundry facilities to take advantage of the warm weather for drying clothes. We had actually packed enough for the entire trip, however it does no harm to replenish the clean underwear collection!

We sat out for dinner in the warm evening, soaking up the quiet atmosphere.

We stayed outside until dusk, in the end, it was just to nice to go indoors. What a stark contrast to just 24 hours ago in Poolewe, and we wondered if the weather there was like this.

The second day in Aberlour was pretty uneventful, as the good weather continued, and we opted to laze around until the late afternoon, when we de-camped and rove into Aberlour. It is worth noting that there is a walk into the town from the campsite of some two and a half miles ( it’s over six miles by the road), but we agreed it was just too hot to walk for that length of time, bearing in mind the return journey. And so, we went to the little Co-op in town, for more salad stuff and an ice cream.

Back at the campsite, and it was a repeat of the previous evening. We chatted to fellow campers, and there was even a fellow Bongonaut nearby. We swapped stories of repairs, and shared ideas of little tweaks to these amazing vans – no two alike. It felt very decadent to squander an entire day of our holiday without cramming an activity in, but we had been pretty good up to now, and the weather was just too good to waste!

All too soon, it was bed time, and we turned in, although it was very hot in the van tonight. We slept fitfully in the sticky atmosphere, and rose early, keen to get up and active. It was very pleasant, sitting out for morning coffee and a bagel, before showering and packing up. We still had one more destination on this trip, and a long drive to get there, over what I think are some of the best roads in the country. We were headed for Scone, near Perth, some 135 miles by my chosen route, and a few stops planned along the way.

Aberlour will definitely be a return visit, we felt so relaxed at this campsite – helped, no doubt by the weather, of course, but the location, pitches, facilities and atmosphere were just brilliant.

I’ll cover the last stop on the trip in another post. Thanks for reading!

Our second day in Dingwall looked promising from the outset. The weather was brightening up again, although it was a bit breezy. The campsite is nice and sheltered, though, surrounded by high fences and trees, with hedges and trees dividing the pitch areas into more intimate “streets” with, say, four pitches in them. The site is also ideally placed, quiet due to being on the edge of the town, but a ten minute walk takes you to the main street. We showered and headed straight to Batty’s Baps – a tearoom in the town we have visited before, famed for tasty home baking and excellent food all round. This morning’s breakfast rolls didn’t disappoint, either. Delicious! We also got a tray bake each for later – who could resist a mint Aero / chocolate square?

We wandered the town, even browsing in the Factory Shop, and then headed back for a cuppa and our tray bakes. We then walked round the picnic ground, the little park just along the pathway from the campsite, and round past the Army Cadets centre, past the Ross County football stadium, and back to the van. We didn’t feel inclined to do much more today, and left the van hooked up, taking another wander along the paths in the opposite direction before heading back once more to put the kettle on. We also decided we were going to revisit the Mallard pub for dinner!! Another fine feed later, and we were back again for a couple of drinks and a movie. We got the map out, and planned our route to Poolewe.

We would be visiting Tesco again, for fuel and supplies, and I voted for a takeaway roll from Batty’s Baps for breakfast en route. I topped up the fuel tank – even if the tank had been full the previous fill-up ( which I reckon was 3 or 4 litres short, due to the £99 cut-off) it looked like Ali Bongo was averaging around 34mpg, or even better if this was a fuller tank this time. Delighted with this, for a 27 year-old diesel automatic!! We headed from Dingwall, taking the A834 through Strathpeffer, before rejoining the main A835 at Contin. Another pretty drive, through peaceful countryside, and the picturesque village of Strathpeffer. We passed through Garve, which looks very sad indeed, now the Garve Hotel is closed. Another victim of the Pandemic, it closed in 2022 and never re-opened.

Soon after Garve, I picked up the A832 to our left and turned onto it. Yet again the beauty of Scotland’s lesser travelled roads strikes you – a lovely drive, through trees, passing lochs, along glens following the wandering burns, we arrived in Achnasheen. We followed this road, now descending toward the stunning Loch Maree and Kinlochewe. The road follows the shoreline of this huge loch, and we decided to stop, to stretch the legs and take in the views. Short, light isolated showers passed briefly every so often on this day, but the air was warm, and the view of the loch from the car park at Victoria Falls was incredible.

We climbed aboard once more, and decided Gairloch harbour, actually the village of Charlestown, would make a good stopover spot, as today’s drive was relatively short. We arrived in the village of Charlestown presently, and parked in the first car park. We walked the length of the harbour at a leisurely pace, before coming back to Coast Coffee, a lovely little tearoom nearby. The obligatory tray bakes and hot drinks were bought, we returned to the van to enjoy. Lovely! As we were in no real hurry I wanted to have a look at a campsite that had been mentioned on the Facebook page just along the road a bit, at Sands, just along from Gairloch on the B8021. It was a cracking drive along the shoreline, the road gaining height as the beach gave way to a rocky headland, and a few miles further brought us to the campsite. It was a bit exposed, however this could be a bonus in midge-season, and it looked huge, sprawling across the clifftop and the rolling fields. Certainly much bigger than the sites we had stayed at, and much, much larger than the little site in Poolewe we were aiming for. Maybe another trip…

We turned around and rejoined the A832, turning north again, and in 5 or 6 miles reached Poolewe. The weather had turned a bit squally, and a more persistent drizzle started as we arrived. As before, our campsite warden came out to greet us with a cheery “hello!” and guided us to a lovely pitch at the highest end of the campsite with good views to the shoreline down the gentle slope before us. The down-side of this was we were as far from the toilet block as we could get, but the views made up for it (in my opinion, in any case!) and we set ourselves up – roof up, hookup cable plugged in, kettle on. We were becoming pretty adept at setting up and striking camp, and it took less than 15 minutes to get a brew on.

We took a walk along into the village, which is very small, with only a couple of houses and a village shop, really. The rest of the local population live spread out along the coastline. As we were deciding what to do, realising the only eating possibility was a bit “artisan” for our tastes, the rain came on, properly! Although we had put on waterproofs, it was tipping down. We scurried back to the van, giving the jackets a good shake outside before rushing inside. We were soaked everywhere that wasn’t covered by the jackets, and nothing was going to dry any time soon either. Drastic action was needed! I debated getting out our small convector heater, which is perfect for spring and autumn trips, and if left on a low setting, keeps the van cosy. But it would never dry our soaking wet clothes, or drive the moisture out the air in the van. So, on went the diesel heater!

What a clever piece of kit, and I am reminded often what a transformation it makes to the comfort of our wee van. in a few minutes we were blasted by a strong airflow of dry warm air, and in less than a half hour, the condensation was driven off the windows ( I had left one open a crack to change the air), our clothes were drying nicely, and the jackets were nearly dry! Running for several hours on a litre of fuel, and producing 3kw of hot air, for around £100 including the fitting kit? Bargain! we settled in for the night now, as the rain was on more than off, watched a film, enjoyed a dried meal with salad side and a few drinks. Tomorrow we resolved to brave whatever weather was going to come at us, and visit the “world famous” Inverewe House and Gardens.

We were extremely comfortable in Ali Bongo, and as we turned in I reflected on the versatility of this wee van. Happy to cruise these back roads and climb any gradient, comfortable as a day van, kitted out with mains power and charger for every home comfort required, and so easily converted into a spacious double bed, still leaving the passenger swivel-seat free, along with a narrow strip of floor at the foot of the bed. Compact enough for daily driving and parking just about anywhere: spacious enough for two people to camp in. A bit more room would be lovely, but it isn’t essential.

Inverewe House and Gardens next!

Thanks for reading this far!!

Day three saw us up and about at around 07:30, and we were showered, packed and breakfasted by 09:30 – so much easier without the awning! The secret for us is to keep on top of the clutter as you go – put things away when not in use. This way it is simple enough come travelling time. Kitchen pod reinstated on the floor from it’s pitched-up position behind the driver’s seat, bedding rolled and stashed against the tailgate on the rear seat part of the bed. We were off!

We set off toward Fort William, not a familiar road for us in recent times, as we would normally be approaching from the Glencoe road. It was very picturesque, past Appin and on to Ballachulish, and the iconic bridge there over the narrow mouth of Loch Leven. We were now on the main road, the A82, however the traffic was light, and no hold ups on the way to the town. It was now late morning, and I was peckish again…always…so I persuaded Lorraine that a stop at McDonalds for a Muffin and coffee was in order. It was, as always, average, but tasty enough. Suitably refueled, we set off out of Fort William toward Spean Bridge, where we now followed the A82 right to Fort Augustus. Another pretty driving road, and the traffic was again fairly light, with only a few sets of roadworks to negotiate. We arrived at Fort Augustus and parked up for a stretch of the legs again. The sun was breaking through and the air was warming up nicely.

We walked along to the river where it leaves Loch Ness and to the set of locks which allow boats to enter the Caledonian Canal here. The pace of life on the river is slow, and they waited patiently for the water level to rise, before doing the job of tow-horse, and walking their charges through the gates to the next lock. We chatted to the boaters as we watched, and the sun finally showing up seemed to be putting everyone in an optimistic mood. We bought ice creams at the garage shop, and wandered back to the van.

Off we set, this time taking what is definitely “the road less travelled”, the B862 somewhat south of Fort Augustus, then swinging back northward towards the hills east of Loch Ness, and on to General Wade’s military road. The scenery was breath-taking.

We pottered along the now-single track road, which reached a decent altitude over the moors, and the views opened up to the distant mountains to the north and east. As we slowly descended again, we reached the B852 and turned left onto it. This road now took us further down the hillsides, through densely forested slopes until we reached the hamlet of Falloch, and the famous Falls there. This was on my bucket list, so we stopped to walk to the viewpoint. It was now officially hot, and the sky had cleared of all but the most stubborn cloud wisps. The path was steep, and the hillside was a sheer drop off into the forests below. Lorraine was being very brave ( she doesn’t do heights at all!), and she made it all the way across the gorge, skirting the cliffs, to the best vantage point to see the Falls. The only issue was…..the complete lack of water!! Clearly there hadn’t been much rain recently, and the Falls, although an impressive height, were the merest of trickles. A bit disappointing, but the views around the forests, cliffs and gorge were stunning. It was still worth the climb down and back, but we will have to visit on a day with more rain!

As part of this trip, I had wanted to stay at Loch Ness Shores campsite, just along the road from Falloch, but I just couldn’t get the dates to work out, so we will have to stay another time. We weren’t far away though, so it was worth a nosey for future reference. The road dropped steeply a few times as it took us down to Loch elevation again, and we presently reached the gravel road to the campsite. We stopped outside. It was massive, and looked very busy, but the views across the Loch were lovely, and it had a shop and cafe, so would make an excellent stop another time. I got my phone out to see how far we were from Inverness. It was only a dozen or so miles staying on the B852 until it is joined by the B862. All roads lead to Inverness! When I started the van up again, there was a loud vibration noise, unfamiliar and annoying at the same time. I hate rattles and squeaks, and had carefully eliminated everything I could when re-fitting the van recently. This one was just irritating!

I got out, and in the back, looking for the culprit. It wasn’t the bed, or the kitchen pod. It wasn’t the blinds or the windows. I got back out, and around the back to look in the tailgate…and realised it was coming from underneath. I experimentally moved the exhaust tip with my foot to see if it was vibrating against something, and it moved – too easily and too far. More poking around revealed that the back box section was becoming loose on the pipe from the engine, and it had dropped enough to sit on the anti-roll bar above the rear axle. Not good!! Un-phased, though, I reasoned that it wasn’t critical to the exhaust system, just helping to keep it quiet, and worst case, I could rip it off, tie the tail pipe up with wire or something, and we carry on, albeit with a van sounding like a Sopwith Camel! I gingerly set off toward Inverness. Maybe I could find a friendly garage that might bodge something up? Fingers crossed!

We reached Inverness without incident, the back box had decided to stay with us for a while longer. I drove down to Carsegate, an area I knew that had a few garages and tyre fitters. I stopped at one place and made enquiries. They recommended I try a small garage further along the road, Ross Garage Services. We found the place, and after talking to the head mechanic, the keys to their courtesy car were thrust in my hand, and we were pointed in the direction of the Jammy Piece, a little eatery at the canal. We drove the mile or so, realising now that we were getting repaired, that actually we were really, really hungry! We found the Jammy Piece, and decided to sit inside where it was a bit cooler than the now-baking hot sunshine. It seemed a pity not to sit outside, but I was cooking, and had left my hat and sunglasses in the van.

The food was delicious – well worth visiting the Jammy Piece if you are in Inverness!! We ate, then decided to stroll by the canal. This part is very near the end of the canal where it exits in the estuary, and we watched a beautiful Danish yacht skillfully negotiate the lock – not being towed through, but under power and steered by her skipper. The yacht ghosted through, and on to the canal. It was pleasant, strolling here by the peace and quiet of the canal, and we were just discussing how fortunate to find such a helpful garage, when my phone rang – the van was fixed!! I looked at my watch. It was just an hour since we had driven away in the courtesy car. Plus, we had needed a stop for food in any case, and the enforced stroll and delicious food was more than compensation for any small delay. I gratefully paid the very reasonable bill, and was shown photos of what had been done. It certainly wouldn’t be falling off on this trip! Great work!!

We climbed aboard Ali Bongo, now without the anxiety of a possible exhaust disaster, and headed relaxed and fed toward Dingwall. We knew exactly what we were heading toward now, having stayed there on many occasions. The campsite is peaceful, and by the riverside, with lovely quiet walks toward town, and also down to the head of the Cromarty Firth where there is a lovely park and picnic area. There is a huge Tesco in town too, and it was here we headed first, to stock up again. I still had over a half tank of fuel, so it was just booze and groceries today. I would top the tank up when we were leaving in a couple of days.

A real sense of relaxation came over both of us now as we drove to the campsite and were shown to our spacious pitch. If the exhaust was the worst thing that happened this trip, then it was behind us, repaired and hadn’t really so much as slowed us down. We set up camp, and decided to head for a well-earned meal and a few drinks at The Mallard pub on the railway platform. We had eaten here last year, and the food didn’t disappoint this time either. It was very pleasant, sitting watching the tennis as we ate in the comfy booth, and as we strolled back for an early night the charm of the quiet campsite was welcoming and familiar.

We settled in, watched a film on my tablet, and turned in. We had no real plans for the next day, other than a visit to Batty’s Baps for breakfast, and we slept well.

To be continued in Part Three… Dingwall, and the road to Poolewe!

Thanks for reading this far!