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Off to sunny Scotland
- Thread starter fbnss
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Pics, views, fish..... Yep
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here goes...
We arrived at the cottage in cawdor at about 5pm after leaving home around 6.30am to find the cleaners hadn't been in, this upset the Mrs slightly and we went out to dinner at the local tavern while the owners sorted that out, fish n chips was eaten. yum yum.
on Sunday we went to whitehills to visit my aunty and cousins who i rarely see, walked along the beach and had ice cream. On the way back we visited my grandparents grave in Buckie and stopped in Cullen looking for some Cullen skink but couldn't find any so had fish n chips again, decided to eat this on the beach
On Monday we went to the isle of Skye, its about 80 miles away from where we were staying, through Inverness, past loch ness then about 50 miles of nothing ( by nothing i mean beautiful mountain views and twisty roads) Just before skye you see Eilean Donan castle.
view from the car park.
and the other side
after walking round we left for Skye, its not far from there.
The bridge.
We went to some candle shop (thought it might keep her happy) and then went on to a couple of towns. stopped for some piccys on the way
and then we went to Dunvegan castle, and i was shocked that someone would cover a castle in render, just needed some pebble dash to finish it off
we didn't look around this one as time was ticking and we wanted to go on the boat trip to see the seals.
seals.
seals and castle
After we left there the Mrs had a little go in mjb, she drove round the car park twice and then about a mile down the road decided it was too big and that i should continue driving.
Up until now i had been aware that there was a faint noise coming from the drivers side, didn't think too much of it (my mistake) until i could start feeling vibrations through the floor with my left foot. I pulled over and had a look but couldn't see anything out of place and carried on. About a mile or so from the bridge the vibration developed into nasty grinding noise and i had another look, still couldn't see anything so decided to get off the island and coming down off the bridge decided to pull over again and call the AA.
The lady said someone would be along in an hour and half. About 40 minutes later, a local man Ewan rang up to ask where i was and what the problem was. Drove mjb down the road a bit further to his garage where after some tapping around and removing wheels he diagnosed the problem as the inner offside wheel bearing (well that's what i'm calling it) He said he could get one in tomorrow (Tuesday) and until then we could borrow one of the cars that was there. Drove the volvo back (horrible) and got home around half 12.
The volvo
Tuesday morning Ewan rang me up to say he wouldn't be able to get the bit till thursday. I spent the rest of the day sulking.
We arrived at the cottage in cawdor at about 5pm after leaving home around 6.30am to find the cleaners hadn't been in, this upset the Mrs slightly and we went out to dinner at the local tavern while the owners sorted that out, fish n chips was eaten. yum yum.
on Sunday we went to whitehills to visit my aunty and cousins who i rarely see, walked along the beach and had ice cream. On the way back we visited my grandparents grave in Buckie and stopped in Cullen looking for some Cullen skink but couldn't find any so had fish n chips again, decided to eat this on the beach
On Monday we went to the isle of Skye, its about 80 miles away from where we were staying, through Inverness, past loch ness then about 50 miles of nothing ( by nothing i mean beautiful mountain views and twisty roads) Just before skye you see Eilean Donan castle.
view from the car park.
and the other side
after walking round we left for Skye, its not far from there.
The bridge.
We went to some candle shop (thought it might keep her happy) and then went on to a couple of towns. stopped for some piccys on the way
and then we went to Dunvegan castle, and i was shocked that someone would cover a castle in render, just needed some pebble dash to finish it off
we didn't look around this one as time was ticking and we wanted to go on the boat trip to see the seals.
seals.
seals and castle
After we left there the Mrs had a little go in mjb, she drove round the car park twice and then about a mile down the road decided it was too big and that i should continue driving.
Up until now i had been aware that there was a faint noise coming from the drivers side, didn't think too much of it (my mistake) until i could start feeling vibrations through the floor with my left foot. I pulled over and had a look but couldn't see anything out of place and carried on. About a mile or so from the bridge the vibration developed into nasty grinding noise and i had another look, still couldn't see anything so decided to get off the island and coming down off the bridge decided to pull over again and call the AA.
The lady said someone would be along in an hour and half. About 40 minutes later, a local man Ewan rang up to ask where i was and what the problem was. Drove mjb down the road a bit further to his garage where after some tapping around and removing wheels he diagnosed the problem as the inner offside wheel bearing (well that's what i'm calling it) He said he could get one in tomorrow (Tuesday) and until then we could borrow one of the cars that was there. Drove the volvo back (horrible) and got home around half 12.
The volvo
Tuesday morning Ewan rang me up to say he wouldn't be able to get the bit till thursday. I spent the rest of the day sulking.
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On Wednesday we went to Fochabers and visited the Baxters soup factory, unfortunately the tour doesn't run anymore due to health and safety so we just had lunch and looked around the shops.Then we went to Aberlour to get some shortbread for the peeps at work from the Walkers factory. Then we went to duffton where my mum was born and there is a grave with lots of relatives in that i never met.
On the way back we stopped at this bridge
and had a mooch around by the river.
Thursday we visited the loch ness exhibition centre and while having lunch got a call from Ewan to say it was ready, Wooo!
Got to the garage, payed for it and left for Skye as she wanted to go to a cafe we were at on the monday. All was good, no noise or vibrations. Then the car in front stopped and i put my foot on the brake and the peddle just went to the floor, no time to think just missed the car by pulling up onto the pavement and stopped next to it getting some funny looks. Drove on carefully to the cafe where i had a look underneath and could see where the hose had split and the brake fluid was leaking out, checked the reservoir, still had fluid in it but below the minimum. Had a rummage for anything that could patch it up but no luck. called the garage up and drove very gingerly the 7 miles back only using the brakes when i got there (the hand brake is non existent) told them the problem and their faces dropped and i said please don't make me drive the Volvo again. He made a few calls and said they couldn't get a new part till monday, no good as we were going home saturday. Luckily one of the mechanics had a box of bits for his golf and there was a new break hose in there, as long as it fitted we had a temporary measure to get us home.
old hose
new hose
Then we went to visit Plockton and had the worst fish n chips of the holiday
and then went home.
On Friday we decided to stay local and visited Cawdor castle and went for a walk in the grounds, kind of got lost but found our way back ok.
The castle.
on the walk
A bug
and a furry thing
Went to a restaurant in nairne for dinner where the Mrs got her Cullen Skink and i had venison, haggis and scollops. mmm
saturday drove home, nothing more to report.
Hope thats ok?
On the way back we stopped at this bridge
and had a mooch around by the river.
Thursday we visited the loch ness exhibition centre and while having lunch got a call from Ewan to say it was ready, Wooo!
Got to the garage, payed for it and left for Skye as she wanted to go to a cafe we were at on the monday. All was good, no noise or vibrations. Then the car in front stopped and i put my foot on the brake and the peddle just went to the floor, no time to think just missed the car by pulling up onto the pavement and stopped next to it getting some funny looks. Drove on carefully to the cafe where i had a look underneath and could see where the hose had split and the brake fluid was leaking out, checked the reservoir, still had fluid in it but below the minimum. Had a rummage for anything that could patch it up but no luck. called the garage up and drove very gingerly the 7 miles back only using the brakes when i got there (the hand brake is non existent) told them the problem and their faces dropped and i said please don't make me drive the Volvo again. He made a few calls and said they couldn't get a new part till monday, no good as we were going home saturday. Luckily one of the mechanics had a box of bits for his golf and there was a new break hose in there, as long as it fitted we had a temporary measure to get us home.
old hose
new hose
Then we went to visit Plockton and had the worst fish n chips of the holiday
and then went home.
On Friday we decided to stay local and visited Cawdor castle and went for a walk in the grounds, kind of got lost but found our way back ok.
The castle.
on the walk
A bug
and a furry thing
Went to a restaurant in nairne for dinner where the Mrs got her Cullen Skink and i had venison, haggis and scollops. mmm
saturday drove home, nothing more to report.
Hope thats ok?
AndyCook
Well-Known Member
You have visited some nice spots, I take them for granted living up here,
That bridge is the old bridge at Craigellachie, I used to swim under it in that deep pool in river Spey when at school in Aberlour.
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That bridge is the old bridge at Craigellachie, I used to swim under it in that deep pool in river Spey when at school in Aberlour.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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We wanted to go up to john o groats but after the issues with mjb thought it safer to stay nearer the cottage. I'm sure we'll pop up there sometime. It's beautiful up there. Driving from Skye to loch ness I was saying how much it looked like Switzerland. She said that's what you said when we were in Switzerland how it all looked like Scotland.
Towpack
Well-Known Member
That must be the most photographed castle in the UK! It's been used as a film location a few times, or so I was told. I was up at Kyle of Localsh in 2003 and it was £11 to cross the bridge! Not long after that the Scottish Parliament abolished all bridge tolls. I visit Scotland twice a year with the caravan on fishing/walking holidays but tend to stick round the Argyle/Loch Lomond/Trossachs area. Also done numerous day trips up there on the bike.
Gav Peter
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Well, I must admit the trip report request was more in jest than not as we'd had a running commentary but I'm glad I did...
Some really stunning photographs there fbnss (insert name here) & thank you for sharing them - you have a real knack with the camera
Some really stunning photographs there fbnss (insert name here) & thank you for sharing them - you have a real knack with the camera
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I can't believe the luck you had with the weather i've been through the Caledonian Canal a few times while working on fishing boats and each time while going through the 5 or 6 locks at Fort William it tended to be shirt off hot on the first lock then oilskins the next the third might see a little snow and so on and what is it a 50ft drop over 200ft length maybe . Great place though i would love to do it again on a riverboat ...... 
... maybe next year .... no that's Romania !
Thanks for the pics
... maybe next year .... no that's Romania ! Thanks for the pics
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My pleasure peeps, ive never done a trip report before, English is not my strong, point used to spend hours on my homework and get a D or E. "Explain the irony of animal farm in a thousand words" , The pigs turned into the humans that they banished, oh wait 982 more words to write,FAIL. The best books have lots of picture imo! I dunno about my photography skills, i just pointed the phone and pushed the button lots of times. As for the weather, bloody amazing, only had to put trousers on once, shorts the rest of the time. Before we left i tried to explain to her, "you do know its all wind, rain and midges up there?" (which is my own experience of family holidays in Scotland) except for the odd shower on the way up it was all sunny, didn't really see any midges although she did get attacked by a swarm of flies when we went walking one evening, left me alone, proves my theory they don't like smokers or marmite 
Insert name (Nick)
Insert name (Nick)
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Well Nick, I've taken some lucky ones with my iPhone, but that one is a comp winner! Maybe not on a DSLR forum, but for an iPhone, it's a beaut!
IMO your English is just fine and your humour is even better. Thanks for sharing.
More trips and more reports please
IMO your English is just fine and your humour is even better. Thanks for sharing.
More trips and more reports please
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I bet there is. The furthest off road i went was the fish n chips on the beach although the road to our cottage might have been a bit rough for the beemer if i'd taken it. I'd want to go with someone who knew where they were, wouldnt want a crazy man in a kilt shooting at me! I took the landcruiser over the bmw because i wanted to build up trust and find any week spots it may have had that only a long run will show up, think that plan worked a little too well...
They are friendly enough people up there, just don't go near pheasant pens ect.
And amazingly enough I was on that exact part of Cullen beach through the river bit on Friday night while visiting friends, freeky.
Know what you mean about building up trust....
And amazingly enough I was on that exact part of Cullen beach through the river bit on Friday night while visiting friends, freeky.
Know what you mean about building up trust....
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