In the middle of April 2007 I drove down to Esbjerg, Denmark, to catch the ferry to Harwich (as the Gothenburg-Newcastle ferry not longer sails) and then north into Scotland (with my 'new' caravan, a Cabby 532 DLX, also from 1987, if you must know :-).
This trip has been split into five parts: April, May parts 1 and 2, and June parts 1 and 2.
In this first part, I travelled from Eskilstuna to Esbjerg to catch ferry to Harwich, and then headed up to Lake Distict before heading along Scotland's Southwest coast.
Click link in text to view photo. To view next photo - click right half of photo (or right arrow on keyboard). To close photo - click outside photo (or press Esc on keyboard).
Tueday (1/5) and time to look at the ferries to Irland ... Started
of by looking at Glenluce Abbey (I was
obviously born 407 years, to the day, to late to greet Mary Queen of
Scots on her visit) and a restored tower
house (Castle of Park, or sometimes locally called House of
Hay?; only external view as it can be rented). Next was a visit
to Stranraer with Castle of St. John
and railway station. After a late lunch
I headed south to the old port (for Ireland) of Portpatrick,
where I got my first view of Ireland.
(Glenluce Abbey is one of the few abbeys where a village/town
didn't establish around itand ferries to Ireland moved from Portpatrick
to the more sheltered Stranraer in Loch Ryan.)
Headed south (2/5) to Port William
and Isle of Whithorn and St. Ninian's
chapel. Headed north again to Sorbie with it's motte (only the
motte, or mound, left because built in wood) and Clan Hannay's
tower house. Lunch was had in Wigtown
overlooking the town hall before heading
for the harbour in a marsh. On the way
back I visited Torhouse Stone Circle.
(Isle of Whithorn was a place of pilgrimage, where the pilgrims
passed Glenluce abbey on their way there.
Wigtown is called the book town as it has many bookshops. Before
that they where a thriving port and had a distillery, which has
started up again. Once upon a time there was a castle in the marsh
below Wigtown, but now it's gone and the area is preserved for
birds.)
Time to move on and next stop was Culzean (3/5). (Found the camp site
full but the one across the road, at a farm, put me up for the
night.) Quick visit to Maybole and then took the coastal road to
Ayr, during which I got a nice view
of Arran and Kintyre. In Ayr I got a look at, what's left, of
Cromwell's Citadel. Headed back to Maybole to pick up a Madras
curry. Realised that the view from my
caravan was a good one of Arran, even a bit 'mystical'.
(Arran is an island of the west coast, also known as Britain,
of is it Scotland?, in miniature - flat in the south and hilly
in the north. Kintyre is a mainland island, i.e. is connected
to the mainland by a narrow strip of land.
Cromwell was the reason for the English Civil War, i.e 'republicans'
fighting royalists. I use quotes for 'republicans' as Cromwell
was somewhat of a dictator.)
Time again (4/5) to move, this time only around the corner: Maybole.
Had lunch (with spectators) overlooking
Crossraguel Abbey (i.e. making good
use of my membership in Historic Scotland :-). Climbed the tower
of the abbey's gatehouse and got an even
better view of the abbey (and nearby
tower house, most likely built with stone from the abbey, in the
background to the left). After a nice talk to the attendant I
moved on to Girvan and it's Stumpy Tower,
a former jail. There I got a closer look at Ailsa
Craig (an island outside Girvan).
(Girvan's Stumpy Tower was extended with a town hall, McMaster's
Hall, in 1911, but the hall burnt down in 1939.)
Saturday (5/5) and time to have a look at Culzean Castle and Park (for bl**dy £12). (It's one of the most expensive walks I've had: £3/hour!) The castle is pretty 'modern' and General Eisenhower was given a suite/wing to live in, i.e. there is an exhibition about him and WWII. The Swan lake (pond?) is a nice place to have an ice cream on a nice day and the walled garden has quite a few flowers, fruit trees, and other plants. Their tulip collection and 'time piece' were exellent! (But the gas works and powder house where both disappointing.) Headed north to have a look at what 'north of Ayr' was like and ended up in Troon for supper.
Sunday (6/5) and the Met Office was right: it rained heavily (well
at least to start with). Maybe time for a rest from touristing
(as to not get TFS - tourist fatigue syndrome :-).
After lunch at Ayr's beach it was time to see some of Ayrshire's
inland. I took a quick afternoon tour via Cumnock and New Cumnock
(in the rain), where I found nice hilly
nature (and that that doesn't stop humanity destroying it
with opencast coal mining and industry).
Later I have learnt that I went through Patna where my great
grandfather was a minister before he moved to Newtyle.
Monday (7/5) and bank holiday, and I was hoping to visit Dunaskin
Heritage Centre (at an old iron works). I looked very closed
and I met a nice man and his dog that confirmed it... only the
railway museum (run by volunteers) is still running. So time for
plan B and a visit to Loch Doon Castle.
The castle ruin was moved from an island
in the loch when the level of the water was raised by building
a dam in the 1930s.
Headed for the coast again where I tried to see if the rumours
about 'Electric Brae' (Croy Brae) where true, i.e. that a car
will 'move uphill'. (The truth is that it's an illusion where
the surroundings make it look like it's uphill when it's actually
downhill. :-) Got a nice shot of Culzean
Castle from another side (as well as Ailsa Craig).
(I also learnt that the military spent a lot of money in building
an air gunnery school at Loch Doon against advise from locals.
The locals where right about the weather conditions and the installations
where removed 18 months later.)
Time to move on (8/5) and this time to Loch
Lomond and Balloch, where the paddle steamer Maid
of the Loch is moored (not working). Went up the west
shore to Luss, a small and very
nice village.
(For the nerds: I found Mr. Dell's cottage
in Luss! :-)
(I've been told that the Maid of the Loch was built on the Clyde
and then transported in sections, via River Leven, to Loch Lomond.)
As expected staying at Loch Lomond is expensive, so time to move
on (9/5). This time I decided not to continue along the terrible
road north of Tarbet (that I seem to like calling Tarbert...) and
headed west (through a nice pass) this
year to Lochgilphead. Having set up
my caravan I headed back to Inveraray,
that looked historic when I passed it. Doubling back again I passed
Auchindrain Township, an open air museum showing how farmers lived
(which I missed, being late, and have to go back to one day).
The iron furnace at Furnace was
seen before going to Kilmartin at it's many prehistoric monuments.
There are great stone slabs in Kilmartin's
churchyard as well as standing stones,
stone circles,
chambered
cairns, and stone carvings in the
fields. There are five cairns in a row through Kilmartin Glen,
known as linear cemetery (stretching from Kilmartin in the north
to Ri Cruin in the south).
(On the road from Tarbet to Lochgilphead AA has missed a steep
gradient, i.e. over 10%, in their 2007 road map, so the road is
just a notch better than the one north of Tarbet. Why this is
annoys me is because they aren't fun when towing a caravan... I'm
a bit annoyed with myself for missing Rest and be thankful on the
way.
On the other hand I found another kind, than those in Fife, of
mile markers, this one giving the distance
to Oban and Lochgilphead [shown as L'G'HEAD].
And the stone circles in Kilmartin are most likely filled with
stones from 'modern day' people, i.e. not in prehistoric time.)
Thursday (10/5) and I thought I would head for Mull of Kintyre and see the extension of Giant's Causeway (in Ireland). Luckily I stopped to ask at the tourist information in Tarbert (not Tarbet :-) and got the illusion out of my head. I got some good pointers and headed south for Campbeltown (where, on the way, I got my first, and closest, look at Islay ... and the paps of Jura). The tour continued south to Southend (which wasn't much... but had a nice view, with Aisla Craig :-) and almost to the lighthouse on Mull of Kintyre. The way back was via the scenic route, with views of Arran, and Skipness Castle and chapel (with Arran in background :-). Stopped for a look at the ferry to Islay and to look at the rainbow
Friday (11/5) and time to see Crinan Canal (Ardrishaig to Crinan), where I found an old canal steam tugboat. Continued south to Kilmory Knap Chapel with yet more grave stones. Heading north again I saw some sea otters (I think :-) and stopped at Castle Sween. Still having time before supper I headed north of Kilmartin to Carnassarie Castle. This castle is interesting as it is built as a tower house with an adjoining hall block, but both built at the same time. (Normal was to build the tower house and then, in later years, expand the castle with a hall block.)
Having moved (12/5) to Oban I toured
the town, where I found M/S Stockholm
(ironically registred in Gothenburg :-) and Ronja Viking from
Norway. Next I visited visited Dunstaffnage
castle (where Flora McDonald was held for a while) and chapel.
I just had to cross the old railway and
road bridge at Connel (which was worth the tea and view
:-)). Made the 'compulsory' visit to McCaig's
Tower, the uncompleted folly above
town, where there is a great view of
Mull. Had fish and chips on the north pier (during which time
M/S Stockholm took off) while waiting
for the paddle steamer Waverley to
return from it's day trip.
(The paddle steamer Waverley used to be a ferry passengers on the west
coast of Scotland. It has for the last 32 years been sailing on
pleasure excursions.
And once again AA has missed steep gradients in their 2007 road
map!)
Sunday (13/5) and time to see Waverley depart (backwards, if you're wondering :-) for Iona before visiting Bonawe furnace. After a lunch on the beach of Loch Etive and have a look at Loch Awe, railway bridge over River Orchy, and Kilchurn Castle.
Headed (14/5) for Fort William to stay in Glen Nevis, after having
stopped to look at Castle Stalker. Visited
the Glenfinnan Monument at Loch Shiel
(which wasn't worth the £2 parking fee and £3 entrance fee, although
I paid for the parking; the drive back to Fort William was nice
though, having a view of Ben Nevis
with snow on it's top). Also saw the famous 'Harry Potter railway
bridge', i.e. Glenfinnan Viaduct. Had
a walk through town and a look at, what's left of, the
fort. The day ended better than
it started. :-) (... even though I found out that I'm a week to
early for the steam train to Mallaig.)
(Castle Stalker is renovated, i.e. inhabitable, and in private
ownership.
Glenfinnan Monument is erected at the head of Loch Shiel where
Bonnie Prince Charles is said to have raised his standard [flag],
on 19th August 1745, in his attempt to reclaim the throne for his
father. It failed after the battle of Culloden at Inverness in
April 1746.
Fort William, one of three forts along the Great Glen
and Loch Ness, is the English king's attempt to keep the Scots
in check. The grounds of the fort was bought by a railway company
to build a terminus and thereby destroyed the fort.)
Tuesday (15/5) turned out a nice day after a pretty cold night, at least when the mist had lifted, and it was time to head further up the glen. Lots of nice water falls and burns with clear water, and nice views of snow clad mountain tops. Lunch was had overlooking Neptune's Staircase, i.e. the sea locks at Banavie. For some reason I turned right instead of left when leaving the locks and ended up at Gairlochy (where the lock keepers where 'playing' with the swing bridge and lock gates). Here I met a nice man from York (originally from Surrey) whom I had a nice chat about this and that. Next was the Commando Memorial with a view of Ben Nevis and other mountains (which where hidden in clouds when I passed here last year). On the way back I stopped at Inverlochy Castle and the railway bridge over River Lochy.
Continued in May, part 2.
Language of site is indicated, by [en] for English and [se] for Swedish, after link. Links are opened in a new window, which can be closed to return to this page.
This page uses the Github project Lightbox by Ashley White to display photos, which in turn uses the CSS front-end framework Bootstrap.
