Camping Ecosse Part Deux

Hello,

In late September and early October we had another couple of camping trips in Vannie and I thought I would share these adventures with you.
Firstly we went to Pitlochry, staying at a privately run campsite called Milton of Fonab, just on the outskirts of Pitlochry.

Vannie at Milton of Fonab

River Tummel at Milton of Fonab

Once we parked up we took a stroll into Pitlochry, passing by the Hydro-electric Power Station and Loch Faskally:

Faskally Dam & Power Station

River Tummel from Power Station Dam

Loch Faskally from Power Station Dam

Suspension Bridge over River Tummel

Moira wasn't too keen on crossing the suspension bridge as it can wobble a bit (especially if somebody is shaking it when you are crossing!!).
The following day the weather was quite sunny so we decided to take a walk round the Explorers Garden, which is located right next to Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Late September is probably not the best time to see the exotic plants in this garden, which is populated by plants collected by various intrepid Scottish explorers. It was however very interesting and there were a few plants still to see, as well as the start of some great views.

Autumn Crocus

Blue Triumphator

Bluebell Ferns

Moira in bloom

Pink Leaves

Pitlochry from Explorers Garden

Eddie on Balcony

View from Balcony in Explorers Garden

When we were on the balcony a Red Squirrel jumped on to the platform, ran along the floor, under the bench Moira was sitting on and then off the other end of the platform. Wish I'd had the camcorder ready...........you probably heard the scream anyway!!
I did capture some wildlife though, a very obliging Great Tit was sunning itself on a bush:

Just to prove it wasn't a stuffed toy Great Tit, here is a clip of it flying away:

As well as plants and wildlife there were plenty of interesting structures and artwork to enjoy as we strolled round the gardens:

Dry-stane Archway

Dry-stane Bench

Giant Wooden Pine Cone

Stylish Toilet

Pebble Mosaic in Pagoda

Pagoda Carved Dragon

Moira resting at Pagoda

There was also plenty of information boards telling you all about the explorers, where they came from, which countries they explored and what they brought back.
This one shows a giant ant heading to China:

Scottish Ant Explorer heading to China

I thought it was funny at the time?
On the way out we had to climb the famous 39 Steps:

39 Steps

I counted them..............there were thirty nine...............doubt if they were the ones referred to in the book/film.
Just before we left the garden Moira drew my attention to a Tree-creeper spiralling its way up a tree. It then flew off to another tree where it was joined by another Tree-creeper before they both flew away.

They always look more like a mouse than a bird when they are climbing up a tree trunk.
I highly recommend a walk round the Explorers Garden if you are ever in Pitlochry.
The next day we headed south from the campsite (along a minor road which goes to Ballinluig) for a little walk in the countryside. Following a signpost on the road-side we visited a historic monument in the form of a Pictish Stone:

Dunfallandy Stone

To protect it from the elements the stone had been encased in a glass cabinet, it did mean that photographing it was nigh impossibly:

Ghostly Image on Pictish Stone

I did manage to get some sort of picture of the rear of the stone, which was a bit more shaded from the sun:

Pictish Stone Carvings

There were also a interesting structure here, which related to the fact that it was the ancestral burial grounds of the Ferguson family:

Ferguson Family Crypt

Celtic Cross

Further along the country road we could see the River Tummel in the near distance and thought it would be nice to walk through the nearby Oak woodland to get to riverside. We didn't however bargain for the local fishing club making it quite clear that no fun was to be had here:

In short No Fun Allowed

We gave up and headed back to the campsite for a relaxing afternoon. In the evening we went to Pitlochry Festival Theatre for a meal and a show. We saw the Noel Coward play "This Happy Breed" and would recommend it to anybody who hasn't already seen it, especially in a theatre as nice as the one at Pitlochry.
The next day we packed up Vannie and headed home

....................................



A few weeks later, in early October, we took a trip down to Moffat in the Scottish Borders. By this time the weather was colder, a bit more rainy and the leaves on the trees were starting to change to their Autumn colours.
We chose Moffat Camping & Caravan Park for several reasons, it was with walking distance of the town, it was easy to get to (just off the A74 motorway) and it had plenty of café/restaurants if we got too lazy to cook.

Vannie at Moffat Camping & Caravanning Club

The other good thing about Moffat is that it had places you could go walking; including a nice park, a riverside walk and even around the town itself.
We had a stroll around the town when we first arrived and went out again at night to the Italian restaurant for our evening meal (very nice it was)
In the morning we had a leisurely walk through Station Park which was just along from the campsite:

Boating Pond at Station Park

Station Park, Moffat

Mallards on Duck Pond at Station Park

Getting the Ducks in a Row

There is no railway station in Moffat anymore but there are still some evidence of where the track was within the park.
A path from Station Park leads you on to the riverside walk, the river in this case being the Annan Water. We embarked on this riverside walk knowing that it would take us on a circular route back round to the town centre just in time for lunch.

Leafy Lane to Riverside Walk

Moffat in the sunshine

Annanside Walk

Old Bridge across the Annan

View across the paddock

Annanside Track

River Annan

There were plenty of little birds (Chaffinch, Robin, Blue Tit and Wren) flitting about the river, some even having a bath in it, however they never stood still long enough to let me photograph or film them. That was until we spotted this elegant Grey Wagtail on a rock in the river:

The path became a narrower track as we headed further out from the town and after a while we decided to turn around and walk back towards the bridge over the Annan, which would take us into the North end of the town.
Just before we left the riverside track I heard the distinctive sound made by a flock of Long-tailed Tits. They were in a nearby tree and there must have been more than a dozen of them, I tried my best to capture this spectacle on video:

On the road back to Moffat we stopped to admire the Autumn colours of the roadside trees:

Heading back to Moffat on the A701

Autumnal Colours

When we reached Moffat we headed to the nearest café for a spot of lunch. I had a bacon & egg roll and Moira enjoyed some bacon, pancakes and maple syrup..............mmmmmmmmmm!
The café we ate in had a sheep theme going on (after all Moffat has always been a big livestock market town) and the toilet doors were appropriately marked as 'Ewes' and 'Tups'. What was funnier was the sign between the doors which read "If you are confused boys are on the left, girls are always right"...........hmphhhh!
After lunch we had a stroll along some of the old streets at the back of the High Street then headed up the hill following on from Well Road. Here we came across an intriguing road sign:

Intriguing Road Sign

I thought we must investigate this road on our way back down the hill.
The hill took us out of the town, past the fancy houses and in to open countryside. We did see one further building before we turned round and headed back downhill; an old stone built barn.

Old Stone Barn

Conversion Project

I thought it was ripe for a barn conversion; we could sell the house, live in Vannie during the conversion stage until it was habital then move in..............by this time Moira had turned around and was heading back downhill.............I took that as a NO!
We did go back down through Ballplay Road, which took us to the Rugby Club so I guess that is where the name comes from.
It came on rain just as we got back to the campsite and continued to pour for the rest of the evening. We decided to cook our evening meal in the motorhome, played a few hands of cards, watched some TV then went to bed. Sometimes that is what camping is like, and we did get dry weather when we were out walking.
The next morning was also dry when we packed up Vannie and headed home.
Until next time...........take care,

TeddyEdward

Camping Ecosse

Over the last month or so I have enjoyed a few camping trips in Scotland and thought I would like to share some of these experiences with you.
The first trip was to Ardgualich Farm Camping Site on the shores of Loch Tummel; I was on my own for this one as I was 'roughing' it in my little tent:

Tent set up and ready to go

View from tent not bad at all

Whilst it was a great little site with fantastic views what I didn't bargain for was the weather. It was alright when I arrived but the forecast for over night was not very good. they were predicting very strong winds and heavy rain, in other words storm conditions.............and they were not wrong!
My little tent was alright but some larger tents and caravan awnings were damaged and one almost completely flattened, forcing the occupants to retreat to their car.
The next morning we were greeted with some lovely sunshine:

Tent survived the storm

Beautiful sunrise over Loch Tummel

A quick shower and some breakfast and I was ready to go.
The sun really highlighted what a beautiful spot the campsite was, and it had some lovely wildflowers to enjoy as well:

Harebell

Heather

Nipplewort or Hawksbeard?

  Once fed and watered I decided to explore the neighbourhood and a ten minute walk took me to Allean Forest:



Allean Forest Information Sign

I decided to follow the Red route and head towards the Iron Age settlement. This was a slightly uphill route but did afford me some great views back towards Loch Tummel:

Loch Tummel View

Allean Forest Track (Red Route)

A short while later I arrived at the Ruins of the Iron Age settlement, which I found both informative and enjoyable as it had turned out to be a nice warm (but relatively midge-free) day:

Iron Age Roundhouse Interpretative Signage

Remnants of Iron Age Roundhouse

Entrance to Iron Age Roundhouse

After visiting the Iron Age site I headed back down the Red track for a short distance before turning back uphill on the Yellow track:

Foxglove

Debris from last night's storm

As the air warmed up more insects took to the wing, including these pretty butterflies:
Firstly a Speckled Wood...........

..........and then a Scotch Argus:

The Yellow track started to get narrower and rise further uphill, as it did the woodland began to change from a regular conifer plantation to look more like an original Caledonian Pine Forest:

Yellow track narrows

Dead Log Habitat

Heather & Blaeberry flank the track

At the top of the hill there was a log bench where I sat down and enjoyed my lunch and the views:

Mountain views from top of Allean Forest

Heather-clad Hillside

After lunch I headed back downhill, continuing on the Yellow route. About half way down I came across this intriguing wooden sculpture:

Wooden Sculpture (by Charlie Easterfield)

I don't know much about it but it was very well done and blended in well with the scenery.
A little bit further along the track I came to another settlement; this was the ruins of an 18th century Clachan Community:

Clachan Community Information Plaque

Ruins of 18th Century Clachan Community

The buildings were a better preserved than the Iron Age Roundhouse, but then it is two thousand years newer. I was even able to go inside one of the houses and try and imagine how the people lived without wi-fi:

Entrance to turf-roofed house

Inside turf-roofed house

After visiting the Clachan Community I headed back to the campsite; somehow my little tent with its cosy sleeping bag didn't seem that basic after all.

Ardgualich Farm campsite (my tent is between the trees next to the loch)

It was a better evening but it still rained slightly over night, however the wind had dropped considerably, so I slept well.
The next morning after breakfast I decided to take a leisurely drive along the side of Loch Tummel and head to Kinloch Rannoch. After Tummel Bridge I stopped on the road at the side of the River Tummel and snapped this lovely view of Schiehallion; which is reputed to be one of the easiest Munros (hills over 3,000 feet high) to climb, but I was happy to admire it from ground level.

Schiehallion across the River Tummel

I didn't dwell long in Kinloch Rannoch as I was feeling a bit lazy after yesterday's exertions. So I stayed in the car, crossed over the River Tummel and headed back east along the Braes of Foss road.
This was a narrow road but had very few cars on it so I enjoyed my drive, stopping to take the occasional snap, most of which featured some view of Schiehallion:

Schiehallion from the Braes of Foss road

Schiehallion side view (a whale-back ridge)

As the pictures demonstrate Schiehallion is known as a whale-back ridge, which is evident when viewed from East or West but looks like a perfect cone (or pyramid) when viewed from the North or South.
After a most enjoyable drive I returned to the campsite, the wind had dropped, the rain had gone and the midges were out (hey that's Scotland for you!). Luckily I befriended a young family from Dunfermline who had a fire-pit full of logs.............which gave off plenty of smoke..........and the midges stayed away.

On my next camping trip I was joined by Moira, this time it was more glamping than camping.
We had recently sold our static caravan in Peebles and invested in a second-hand motorhome, which Moira has christened 'Vannie'. Our first trip out in the motorhome was to Sauchope Caravan Park near Crail in the East Neuk of Fife:

Moira and Vannie

Moira at Sauchope Caravan Park

We chose this site for our first trip as it was just over an hour from our house (just in case we had to return because we forgot something or didn't like motorhome camping??)........... and also because it had good reviews from family members who had stayed there.
The site was also very close to Crail and we only had a fifteen minute stroll along a nice promenade to get to the shops/cafes/pubs etc.

Promenade to Crail, very nice

Giant Rockpool at end of Promenade

Giant Caterpillar on Promenade

Whilst it was nice and sunny when we arrived it did get a bit breezier in the evening, however we did get amazing pink skies at night:

Sunset from Sauchope, Crail

Vannie at Sunset

The next morning we woke bright and early and headed down to the toilet block to have a quick shower before everybody else was up and about, then we had our breakfast.
After breakfast we walked into Crail and caught the bus to Anstruther; another good thing about this location is the regular coastal bus that runs between St Andrews and Leven.

Boats in Anstruther Harbour

Moira at Anstruther Harbour

Old Boats at Anstruther

The Britannia (not the royal yacht) at Anstruther

Anstruther Lighthouse

Anstruther (or Ainster) as the local pronounce it is where Moira lived as a young child and she really enjoys going back to visit. We spent an interesting hour or so having a look round the local Fishermen's Museum and Moira even tried her hand at piloting an old trawler:

More Steam McPhail

The outgoing tide meant that there were lots of gulls and waders on the beach at Anstruther looking for an easy meal buried just beneath the sand, including this Redshank which seemed in a hurry to get its share:

These two Curlew seemed a bit more relaxed as they waded slowly along the waterfront:

 

 

Anstruther is also famous for its fish and chips, but we chose to have something else that day as we had promised ourselves some fish and chips in the renowned Crail Fish Bar later in the evening.

The next morning we decided to stay local and explore the area around Crail.

We started with a walk along the promenade which, if you stay coastal, leads on to the harbour area. Just before we got to Crail Harbour we saw a weasel-like creature ducking in and out of the rocks along the shoreline and I immediately identified it as a Mink.

This is indeed a member of the weasel family and although not native to Britain it was introduced to this country from North American for use in fur coats and hats. They were originally held on Mink Farms, however escapees and deliberate releases have meant that the Mink population has thrived in our countryside, much to the detriment of our native wildlife as it is a ferocious and very successful predator.

It was moving so fast in and out of the rocks I only managed to capture a brief few seconds of it on film, which I have slowed down to help you see it:

 

 

It certainly gave the gulls a scare as it worked its way towards them.

We headed along the coastal path, enjoying the view as we made our way towards the harbour.

 

View from Crail towards Isle of May

 

Castle Path towards Crail Harbour

 

It had turned out to be a beautiful day (albeit slightly breezy) and when we reached the Harbour area we stopped for some elevenses (tea and cake) in a quaint little café. It's hungry work all this exploring you know!

Fed and watered we then enjoyed a stroll round the very picturesque Crail Harbour:

 

Crail Harbour from harbour wall

Eddie at Crail Harbour

After a stroll around the harbour and a little foray along the beach we continued on our coastal journey by heading up the steep steps called 'Hen's Ladder' which took us to the south end of Crail.

Here we could look back towards the harbour and beach:

 

Crail Harbour from Hen's Ladder

Crail Beach from Hen's Ladder

We continued our walk along the coast following the Fife Coastal Path, heading towards Cellardyke:

 

Fife Coastal Path route marker

This way to Cellardyke

Crail Harbour from Fife Coastal Path

Moira on Fife Coastal Path at Crail

We didn't walk all the way to Cellardyke but stopped at a little rocky outcrop for a rest, where I undertook an art installation:

 

Stone Balancing at Crail

As it was a getting a bit later in the day and we were growing weary we headed back to the caravan park.

We did have a little stroll later on in the day to explore the coastal path to the north of Sauchope; however it did seem to go on for a while so we turned back. I did manage to capture this lovely view of the Fife coastline (the sea really was that blue):

 

Fife Coast north of Crail

That effectively concludes our camping trip to Crail and draws interesting comparisons with my camping trip to Loch Tummel. The one common denominator is that both camping trips highlighted the stunning scenery we have in Scotland.

Hope you enjoyed the photos, videos and the storyline.

 

Take care

 

TeddyBearGryllsEdward