We left North Berwick and headed for Melrose. Only a short drive of just over the hour. The site is in the town of Melrose so I approached it from a different way being in the camper than Nikki in the car.

Melrose is a lovely old fashioned town near the river Tweed and famous for the rugby Sevens. It has a lot of independent shops and some nice pubs and cafes. Of course as usual before I go anywhere I do some research to see what’s in the area.

Within walking distance there is an old abbey, a viaduct and the old road bridge so I was happy that I should be able to get yet more photos. Driving there on the A68 I crossed over a bridge, a modern bridge but to my right I could see what would have been the old road bridge with its arches and beyond that the viaduct which would have been for the trains. These bridges were where I planned to walk to from the town.

After getting set up and chilling for the afternoon after the long drive 😂 The next day we had a walk around the old town and up to the abbey. The abbey was built in 1136 and at the moment has a lot of scaffolding around parts of it. No they are not still building it but checking the structure and doing repairs.

I noticed that in the abbey grounds amongst the gravestones were some big spotlights so thought the abbey must be lit up at darkness. So off I went to the ticket office and asked the question. The reply was I don’t know. My reply was and you work here. The only way to find out was to come back when it was dark. Luckily it’s getting dark earlier now so it would not interrupt my sleep pattern too much. And yes it is lit up at night as the photos show. Maybe I should have gone back to the ticket office and told them.

A short walk the next day took us to Gattonside suspension bridge which crosses over the river tweed. The bridge opened in 1826, was refurbed in 1928 and strengthened in 1991 by Travers Morgan. It’s a lovely old bridge and a sign on it says that no bikes to be ridden across it, no more than eight people to cross it at once and no intentional swinging of the bridge allowed.

We walked across the bridge and back again just because we could. The next day I planned to walk to the viaduct and old road bridge. A bit too far for Nikki to walk there and back so I went off on my own. It’s a lovely walk through the country and on through the village of Hawthorn and then the old road which is now blocked off. About three miles each way. The sun was out and the clouds were doing their best to cover it up but it was dry so life was good.

The Leaderfoot viaduct was opened on 16th November 1863 and carried the railway line. It’s now closed but looks impressive just standing there. It always amazes me how they built these things and they are still standing now.

I really wanted to get a picture of both bridges, I also wanted the sun to be out when taking that photo. To get that photo I had to walk a bit further on and then get myself down the river bank and walk back to the bridges and hope the sun would come out from behind the clouds for a moment. The things I do to get a photo sometimes amazes me. But I did it and hope you like it. I was very happy with the result.

The photo shows Drygrange old road bridge and the Leaderfoot viaduct. The other photo is from a different angle.

Drygrange old bridge would have carried the traffic years ago and is now replaced by the modern bridge on the A68 which I drove over to get to Melrose. Again I love the fact it’s still standing after all those years. It opened in 1779.

The photo above shows the new bridge, the old bridge and the viaduct. A lot of years between them but all still standing. The only one you can’t cross now is the viaduct which is fenced off for safety reasons. I did do a short walk to see if I could get the top of it. But I was stopped by some very serious fencing. I still took a photo through the fencing and imagined the old steam trains passing over it years ago.

My mission was completed and as I walked back, stopping at a bench to sit in the sun and enjoy the peace and quiet overlooking the fields where many years ago would have been a Roman settlement. That evening we went down the pub for a drink and a meal. We prefer to go out early so we can have a drink before our meal. When I say early I mean about 4 pm and eat between 5pm and 6pm. For the record Nikki had salmon with noodles and I had a bloody great big burger and chips. A good nights sleep followed ready for the drive the next day to a site called River Beamish in a place called Powburn.

At river Beamish which means we are back in England now. Or Northumberland to be precise. A lovely site away from the main road so very quiet. Apart from the lakes the other side of the trees which are where all the Canadian geese and grey lagged geese go for the day. But I don’t mind the sound of birds at all. It’s a great sight seeing them fly in every morning and leaving again early evening.

We had a walk around both lakes the other day and there were hundreds of geese and ducks out on the lake. There are a couple of bird hides also so you can sit in and watch them. After walking around the lakes we walked the backroads back to site which included going past an antique / retro shop. We had to go in because we love all the old stuff. Nikki fell in love with a coat which was very unusual. Not hundreds of years old but just very unusual and by a French maker. So yes she had to have it. It’s a very nice coat though and looks good on her.

While we were in the antique shop we got talking to the couple running it and they said the red arrows were flying over later. They told us what time and Nikki looked on an app when we got back to the camper and we hoped they would be visible from where we were. Sure enough at the time we were told 15.48 they flew right over us. I did wave to them but they were too busy looking where they were going to wave back.

After my research of the area I had a short list of things to do. One was to visit Holy island which is reached by driving over a causeway. When the tides out obviously, although some people think they can beat the tide and have to be rescued and their car written off. That was not going to happen to us.

Holy island or Lindisfarne as it’s also known is a small island just off the coast reached by a causeway. There are signs telling you the safe times to cross and it’s also on the internet. So no excuse really to get stuck. You have a window of about six hours and it changes daily because of the tides. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing cars getting stuck and people having to be rescued. Personally I think these people should be charged if they are stupid enough to ignore all the warnings.

Our window of opportunity was between 9 05am and 16 15pm so plenty of time to get on the island, take some photos and off again. It’s not very big so not a lot to do. A castle and an old abbey being the two main things I wanted to get photos of.

What I never thought about was how busy it would be. I thought in the main summer season it would be packed but we are now into October and the weather is colder and the sun making less of an appearance. We got there at 10 30am so the tide was well away from the causeway and it was so weird driving across the causeway with sand and sea either side of us. I felt a bit like Jesus with the parting of the waves.

We got to the carpark which is big and it was heaving. And at £6.50 for a minimum of three hours I wish I owned that bit of land. I hate paying for parking but in this case I had no choice other than to turn around and go back. Ticket for parking got boots on and a walk towards the castle with the herd of other people. The crowds soon thinned out though.

Lindesfarne castle is a 16th centuary castle that sits on the end of the island perched on top of a huge big rock. I was not interested in going in the castle with all the crowds but wanted to get some photos of the outside. Nikki sat on a bench overlooking the bay while I marched on towards the castle to get my photos.

The weather held out for our visit although the sun was a bit shy in showing itself. The walk back from the castle towards the harbour was nice passing some very unusual sheds. Basically they are upturned boats with a door put on one end. Very unusual but look great. They look like they are covered and then waterproofed to keep out the harsh weather.

After looking around the harbour we walked towards the 12th centuary priory. Another building that has stood for many years. The monks would have settled on Holy island in AD635, that is a very long time ago. And again it amazes me how we know these things. No one is still around to tell us their grandad used to live there.

Back to the car and get back off the island before we are stuck on there for the night. The carpark was still filling up but we had seen what we wanted to see. So that’s us up to date we are here for another ten days and then off to York. It’s pouring with rain today so it will be a day inside.

Our winter trip from Killin and back over the next six months was going to be over eighteen destinations. We are at number three now and move on to number four tomorrow.

For the last week we have been on a site next to Yellowcraig beach. The journey from Markinch to here was only an hour and a half and Mostly motorway but it was a horrible journey for one reason or another.

As soon as we were pitched up and had some lunch we’re were off down the beach. The plan was to have a drink on the beach as it was Nikki’s birthday but with a overcast day and a very chilly wind and the fact we had both had horrible drives to get there we gave up on that idea.

Beach walk done and a nice dinner and of course a birthday drink or two it was an early night. Being no where near a main road the site is so quiet and peaceful and dark at night so a good sleep was had. That’s nothing unusual for me but even Nikki had a good sleep.

A walk was planned for the following morning into Dirleton, a small village about half an hours walk away. The old castle which had been stood in the village for 800 years was our target.

The walk was through a wooded area and across fields and then you come into the village green. The pub looked very inviting but was closed until later.

Some of the castle was off limits due to repairs so the admission price was half of what it would be normally. Funnily enough though the castle was built in three stages and it was the newest part which needed the repairs. It was still a lot older than a modern house.

The castle was impressive outside and inside and then we went into the garden where a Dovecot was. The dovecot would have held 1000 nest boxes and is a very impressive structure.

And then we went into the garden which was in two parts. only small but kept so nice with loverly plants and small bushes and trees. I expect years ago they would have grown all their own vegetables and had chickens, cows and pigs to live off.

We walked back a different way trying to pass a little cafe but failed and had to sit outside and have a drink and a slice of cake and watch the world go by. Then continued on our walk back along a backroad and spotted several deer in a field who kept there eye on us just to make sure we never got to close.

There are so many golf courses in Scotland and this area has a few. I looked online at the price of one and if you wanted to join it would cost you 35 thousand pounds and then another £1900 per year. So I think I will give that a miss and stick with the crazy golf. When you see some of the houses that are built close to the course you can see there’s a lot of money in this area. And with the average house price in North Berwick being 516 thousand pounds it’s an area we will not be living in.

North. Berwick is only about three miles down the road with a loverly little harbour and a street full of independent shops. We drove there and parked up and had a wander around and almost got away with not buying anything until we come across a cake shop window full of cakes to die for.

Going into the shop I was dribbling with the site of all the different cakes and freshly made bread on display. Then I looked at the prices of each cake and almost fell over. £4.75. So yes we had a cake each and I also had a sausage roll. A cheap lunch really. We went down by the beach and sat in the sun eating them, all the time watching out for seagulls who would have loved to get a piece of cake. But at that price they were not getting a crumb.

The Tern statue above is outside the Scottish seabird centre which is down the harbour.

After having our walk around and our very expensive cake it was time to go back to the car with one more photo stop of an old 17th century church. This would have been the original one with the old gravestones around.

Just on the edge of North Berwick is a Law. Not a law as in you have to obey the Law. A Law in Scotland is a conical hill which rises from the landscape. This one is 187 metres above sea level and I just had to walk up it. So early one morning I drove to the base of it and walked up it. My research had told me it would take 30 minutes to get to the top and we had spoke to someone on the beach a couple of days before who said the same. It actually took me 20 minutes. It was steep in places and I was sucking in cold air and my legs were burning but the view from the top was stunning.

Yesterday we went down the beach for a walk. It was empty but with a cold wind. But we love the beach and with blue sky and a good imagination you could have been anywhere.

Our last day here today so we went for one more look around North Berwick and guess what. Yes we went into that cake shop again. This time we bought the cakes back with us. They were just as nice but I preferred sitting on a bench over looking the sea eating it really.

So that’s us up to date. Tomorrow we head out on the open road for Melrose. Number four destination.Only about an hour and half away. It’s another small town on the English, Scottish border so will be our last stop in Scotland this year.

We closed the gates, locked them up and headed down the road a mile to stay on our friend’s site. we planned to go out for our end of season party. Not really a party just an excuse to walk to the Killin hotel and have a drink or two and a final meal in there.

The weather was nice as we strolled along past the river and into the hotel. We decided to sit outside and grab the last of the sun before it disappeared behind the mountain.

Our friends joined us for a drink as they were also out for a drink so a good evening was had by all. A chilled out day followed and then on the Sunday we packed up and headed out for our next destination which was a small town called Markinch over on the east side of Scotland.

A two hour drive and mostly motorway and duel carriageway for me in the camper. The sun was out and I was lucky to get a sunny pitch. Nikki was not far behind in the car.

The next day we had a walk around Balbernie park which is next to the campsite. A huge big park with so many different paths through the trees and by the river. As we were walking we met a lady out walking her dog who told us about the area and places to go and places to eat etc. She walked one way we walked another but on three occasions we crossed paths and had a good laugh about it.

We decided to head out to the coast having not been on a beach for six months. So we chose a place called Crail which has a lovely little harbour and a small town. As we set off some amber warning lights came up on the cars dashboard. More of that later.

We got to Crail, parked up and headed for the harbour where the fishing boats were moored up and the tiny little old fisherman’s cottages were sat in the sunlight.

There was a lovely little tea room overlooking the sea but Nikki had made us a picnic for the day. An attempt to saving money as we are now jobless for six months so we are living off our seasons savings. It’s surprising how much lunch out costs when you do it regularly. The picnic was very nice and sitting on a bench overlooking the sea was priceless.

We had planned on visiting some other coastal villages and towns on the way back but because of the dashboard lights decided to head back and try and get that sorted while the garage was open.

One more stop we said because there was a tower I wanted to get photos of. So we headed for Elie beach, that still gave us time to get back to Markinch and a garage for advice.

We parked up at Elie beach with the sun glistening off the sea and headed out on the coast path to Lady’s tower which is perched on the edge of the cliffs.

Lady’s tower was built in 1770 for lady Janet Anstruther, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy Elie merchant. She was a regular swimmer and got ready for her swim in a small cave on the beach below and would then go to the tower to recover.

Further along the coast was a nice old lighthouse where we sat on a bench looking out to sea and then continued around the coast path back to the car and headed back to find a garage.

We got back to Markinch and headed for the local garage. There was only one guy in there who could not help but told us about another garage not far away so we headed out to find that garage. With no success. I remembered it starting with a C but we could not find it so decided to come back to base and do some research.

The dashboard lights were amber which is a warning but not as bad as red lights. But with modern cars which are so sophisticated now it throws up all sorts of problems and we had a lot of miles to do over the next few months. Nikki would also be driving a lot of miles on her own so we needed it done.

The garage we should have found we found on the internet so I headed out to it first thing in the morning. Met by a great bunch of guys I told them of my problem. Leave it with us and we will take a look and fix it today for you. Later that afternoon I walked back down to the garage and picked it up. All sorted. Proper old school service which I like. For those interested it was a hub speed sensor. The part costing £28 but with labour and the diagnostic testing etc the bill was £226. Good job we had a picnic the day before.

Markinch has a railway station so another day planned was to go into Edinburgh on the train. How brave am I going into a big city. I don’t really do cities or even big towns but I do like to see the old buildings etc.

The train journing was 45 minutes and went along some coast and over the Forth bridge. That’s the one that is famous in Scotland. The saying it’s like painting the Forth bridge because it takes so long to paint by the time you get to the other end you have to start all over again. I wanted to get some photos of the bridge but the weather since has been all overcast and misty so that’s another day sometime planned.

We arrived in Edinburgh Waverley station which is the end of the line. A huge big station with hundreds of people going about their business which to them it was just a normal day. To me it was mind blowing.

Out of the station and a plan on where to go. Big city bright lights is here. We wanted to go to the old town, the royal mile, and Grass market areas. So we headed off up a tiny little alleyway to another street which was where we wanted to be.

We managed to find the tourist information shop and got a street map which helped us a bit, google street view helped us the other bit. The amount of people about all getting off tourist coaches and heading for the castle was scary. We were not heading for the castle although I got some photos of the outside of it away from the madding crowds.

The streets were buzzing with all sorts of people from all nationalities and all different ages and all different dress codes. I love to see all that and mixed in with the old buildings. The shops were expensive which is what you expect in a tourist area. But we weren’t here to go in shops and I think we only went in one which was a retro cloths shop and that was just to look. We did sit outside and have lunch. Yes a bought lunch no picnic today we are out for a good day. To be fair it was only a roll but sat just off the tourist area so we could actually breathe and watch the world go by.

Looking at the map and google I could see a grassed area, away from the crowds so we headed for that area. An old cemetery with some gravestones which were hundreds of years old were very interesting followed by a walk through a park where they were setting up stages for a music event on the weekend.

There was also a fantastic fountain in the park with a backdrop of the back of the castle. Lots of people in the park chilling and watching the world go by. They were probably watching us and thinking that guy with the beard is out of his comfort zone. They were right although I felt good in the park.

There were a lot of other nice statues in the park. One in particular bought a lump to my throat. It was of an elephant and was for all the babies that have died.

We ended up walking about five and a half miles in the four hours we were in Edinburgh and that was enough. The old part was great apart from the amount of people but that’s city life. The rest of it I could live without. So as we stopped outside the railway station for one more look around, at a nice pub. Was I tempted to go in for a drink. Yes I was but my bank balance would not have liked it and I would have probably missed the last train back to Markinch.

So that was us done for city life. Back on the train to Markinch, off the train and walk back to site. But yes we had to walk past a pub and yes we had to go in for a drink, we sat outside actually in the last bit of sun. As we sat there in the sun having a drink Nikki reminded me it was our anniversary so I said in that case we better have a meal to celebrate. So two burgers and chips were ordered.

Tomorrow we move on from here to a site near North Berwick which is a short walk from the beach. We plan to have a drink on the beach for Nikki’s birthday. Weather permitting of course.

The season is over. I can’t believe it has gone so fast, but it was only six months. We closed on Monday and have been closing the site down since then. Luckily the weather has been good to us while doing this.

So our last days off we went to Pitlochry, a small tourist town with shops full of tempting Scottish tourist items. We were not tempted. But we were tempted into a cafe for lunch. Always a gamble when you’re somewhere new unless you have been recommended somewhere. Our choice was a good one and a nice lunch was had.

In the carpark where we parked was a train carriage, not parked but a permanent feature. Turned into a Thai restaurant which looked very nice and I think next year we will check it out for food.

Pitlochry also has a dam with a fish ladder so we had to go and have a look at that. The fish that day were obviously afraid of heights because I didn’t see any on the ladder. I found out later they normally climb the ladder in the morning or evening. The river Tummel runs from the dam and there is a walk you can do that crosses the dam and then crosses another bridge further down the river.

Two weeks ago the campsite which is a mile down the road from us on the riverbank had to be evacuated due to the river level raising to a point it was getting dangerous. I did say we have had a lot of rain this season. Scotland does get its fair share of rain but this year has been exceptional on the rain score. Even the locals are saying it’s the worst summer they can remember.

The falls of Dochart at the end of the village which normally this time of year would be like a small river with people climbing all over the rocks to get photos were like a scene from the winter. I went down there in the morning early to get some photos and the sound was fantastic and the falls themselves were right across the rocks and raging. You would never normally see it like that only in the wintertime.

Around the site was also exciting as I found a couple of frogs who were very happy with all the rain. I also found some orange coloured mushrooms which got me doing some research to see if they were edible. It turned out that they were Chanterelle mushrooms which are a real good find for foragers and very expensive if you had to buy them. A couple of days later we had a couple staying on site who were foragers and had a good chat with them about the Chanterelle mushrooms and they confirmed I could eat them.

So Nikki fried them up in butter and I had them for lunch on toast. Nikki did not like them so only tasted one so I had a feast and am still here to tell you about them.

The frogs were not for lunch just the mushrooms. This site has had so many different types of mushrooms and fungi along with all the different plants and flowers which is great for all the bugs and wildlife. The latest plant to appear is a small ball of purple flower which I think is called Devils bit. I managed to get a great photo of a bug on one which looked like the flower was floating in space.

I had one last bike ride before leaving here. Heading out to the mountains and down the Glen. I had looked on google earth and had a route I wanted to do if the legs held out. Luckily they did as it was stunning.

Following a river and then climbing up the mountain track, again legs burning and then I just had to stop. Not because my legs were burning but because just perched on a small price of grass over looking the Glen was a Shepard’s hut.

With a stash of wood under it ready for the wood burner. What a great place to chill I thought. On one side it had a big window facing down the Glen and overlooking the mountains on the other side of the river. Luckily it was locked up otherwise I think I would have claimed squatters rights and moved in. If my lotto numbers came up I would have it.

Stopping there really made my day. It’s about five miles from the nearest tarmac road. A cool box full of beer and some food and phone switched off for a great weekend.

Yesterday early evening I spotted a Buzzard fly up into a tree not far away. It’s amazing how they know the site’s empty now so claim their space back. He sat up in the tree looking around and then flew down and pounced on a vole and sat there eating it. Again a magical moment.

So tomorrow we will have a chill out day and it will be our last day here on site. We are only going a mile down the road to our friends site so we can walk into the village on Friday evening for a meal and a couple of drinks. We will leave there on Sunday and head for our first stop on our slow way south. Watch this space for more adventures from us.

The last photo is the view from our compound as the sun was going down yesterday. Yes I did say sun. That’s why I took the photo just to remind myself of the one day of summer.

Well the season is nearly over for us. The time has flown by and I can’t believe we will soon be leaving this stunning area.

But we will be back next year. It’s going to be an exciting six months off. We plan to visit friends and family along the way. We will do a lot of miles and before we know it we will be back up in Scotland.

A couple of weeks ago Killin hosted the Highland Games on a Wednesday which was nice of them to have it on our day off. All the small towns and villages seem to have their own Highland Games. A lot of planning goes into it and then it’s such a shame when on the day the rain appears.

The morning of the games was raining so we held off going until lunchtime when it brightened up. It was just showers then in between the rain. Even the weather did not put people off and it was well supported which was great.

The sound of bagpipes was in the air, the smell of different food stalls, and the shouts of joy as the big men in kilts were flinging a 22lb hammer as far as they could. There was Scottish dancing and a race up the mountain behind the park.

To walk up the mountain would take about an hour to an hour and half but the winner of the race on the day was up and down in about twenty minutes.

The guys doing the hammer throwing have big spikes on the front of their boots which they dig into the ground to stop them falling over when they swirl the hammer around their heads and then launch it.

We met some friends there and had to check out the beer tent with them. All was ok. I was really pleased it was well supported and look forward to going again next year.

I was without my bike for a week as it was in for a service and needed some new parts which had to be ordered but all was good. I just don’t understand how a mountain bike can cost as much as a car to service, but then it’s a very good bike and does get a good hammering when I ride it. I had to take it out on a test ride the day after getting it back just to make sure it was working ok. And yes it was.

So let’s talk about the weather. This year has been a very wet one as confirmed by the locals and the Scottish folk who have stayed on site this season. We have only had three BBQ’s and not really sat outside much. While other parts of the country are basking in hot weather we are putting an extra layer on as the temperatures have also been down. Last Sunday we had a BBQ with a view and the whole day was glorious. Then on the following morning we had thunder and lighting and rain which was just like a tropical storm. Let’s hope we have a good September.

On part of the site there is a very wet wooded bit, and while walking around there the other morning I spotted some very colourful mushrooms. Doing a bit of research and talking to someone on site I discovered they were Chanterelle mushrooms and very sought after by foragers. So next year I will be looking out for them again and having some in a meal now I know how to tell the good from the bad.

On the rainy days at work I have been hiding in my workshop and building some nest boxes. I have made six out of any old bits of wood I could find. The birds don’t care if it’s odd wood and different sizes, they are just happy for somewhere to bring up a family in the dry. I will be putting these out next week so they are ready for inspection and hopefully will be used next year. Will keep you posted.

We also have a pair of swallows nesting in my tractor shed which is nice. They make a lot of mess but worth it to see them flying in and out with mouthfuls of food. It amazes me how the young will leave the nest and then fly off to South Africa for the winter and then come back to the same area. How do they know the way. Nature is fantastic.

This morning after a very wet few days I went out early to the other end of the village where the falls of Dochart are knowing that the river is going to be flowing well. The river Dochart goes under the bridge that you drive over as you come into Killin.

At this time of year being August you would think that it’s summer and not much water about so there would just be a small flow of water from the river so not much for the tourists to see.

Well the tourists are certainly getting their moneys worth this summer with the river in full flow and the falls looking very impressive. Even when we arrived in March there was not as much water flowing as there is now.

The sound was also amazing as there was no traffic about because it was just after 7am. The things I do to bring you photos like this. Also spotted a Heron checking out a calmer spot for his breakfast. Hope he got what he wanted.

I expect there will be a lot of photos of the falls taken today and as I type this the rain has started again and is forecast for tomorrow also. So I could be going up to the falls again and see if it’s got any higher.

So that’s us up to date. We are back to work tomorrow and as the leaves start to change colour and the bracken starts to change colour and we go into our last three weeks of work the rain still keeps coming. Anyone got an umbrella.

Bike rides. As you know I love my mountain biking but due to my injury last year I have not been as active as I would like. My fitness levels are nowhere near to what they normally are. The pain is still there and although I think about going to the bike parks I just know my shoulders would not take it.

So every time I go out on my bike it’s for short rides on the back roads and forest tracks so nothing too serious. But still enjoyable just being out on my bike.

One ride a couple of weeks ago which I had checked out on google involved over 2500ft of elevation, that made the legs scream and burn I can tell you. But the stunning views as you climb higher and higher and the silence and the fact I didn’t see anyone makes it all worth while.

On the way back from this ride I spotted a Haggis, honest it was a real one. Not very often seen but regularly eaten by the Scot’s. I pedalled a bit faster to get by but I am sure I heard it growl at me.

Further on I passed a farm and in the field next to the farm house was one of the biggest bulls I have ever seen. He was just chilling out and relaxing and by the amount of cows in the field with him I could see why he needed a rest.

I get up early in the morning and sit looking on my iPad and looking out the window at the birds on the feeders having their breakfast and along comes the squirrel to have his.

As I opened the blinds on this morning the sun was coming up and it was misty and the light coming through the trees just looked so nice. Never one to miss a photo opportunity I went out as these situations disappear as quick as they appear.

After that beautiful start to the day it was time to take the camper out for a drive. Not the sort of drive I like because it meant driving to Stirling, nothing wrong with that it’s a nice drive but our destination was ATS tyre depot. After getting there and handing over the camper to them. An hour and half later the camper had six new tyres and I was £1400 poorer.

So after getting back to base and parking up I decided we needed a pick you up and we wandered off across the fields to get to Killin and sat in the garden of the Killin hotel in the sun with a drink or two and then ordered some food which we also ate outside in the sun. What a great way to end the day.

Last week we ticked another to do off our list and on our day off went and walked the Ben Lawers nature trail. Again it was another nice day and we parked up and hiked up the trail. It’s only a short walk but it goes up and up. Nikki’s little legs will vouch for this but the views are stunning as you walk up through the bracken and different flowers and the streams are cascading down along the way.

After getting back to the car we decided to drive up by the dam and have our picnic. We knew of a really nice spot. It was windy but worth the short drive and down a very bumpy dirt track to sit there with a view like that and eat our lunch. We carry some cheap basic chairs in the car for moments like this.

The next day I went out on my bike again, heading for Breaclaich reservoir about 5 miles away and along a single track road that went up and up and then up some more. Again the legs were burning but I got there.

But I could see the track went on further and the tarmac stopped so I just had to go up some more. Legs pumping and burning, lungs gasping for air I got to the point I wanted to get to and just sat there looking at the view and thinking I am on top of the world.

From there it was all down hill back to the reservoir and then a sharp left turn into the forest, some more up hills and more downhill then the last mile up hill back to base.

It was only a 16 mile ride but again with 2274ft of elevation. The rest of the day was spent chilling with a BBQ and beer. I slept well that night.

Oban love it or hate it. Oban was on our to do list while up here in Scotland. Talking to a lot of people opinions differed from don’t bother, it used to be nice and it’s lovely. So the only way to find out is head up the A85 and visit it ourselves.

As our day off approached we were checking the weather out and the weather looked good in Oban. Not really hot and blue skies but then when you’re in Scotland you take the good days when you can. But it was going to be warm and a good chance the sun might make an appearance. Fingers crossed.

From Killin it’s 57 miles up the A85 through some stunning scenery and on uncrowded roads. Past the Green welly stop which is a big tourist shop, fuel station and cafe and on this day it was all taped off with police tape and police cars everywhere. They had been burgled in the early hours of that morning.

A few miles later with a slight diversion there is a castle called Kilchurn castle which is actually closed at the moment but there is a road with a lay-by where you can view the castle from. I wanted to get a photo so we took that road.

With blue sky, not photoshopped it looked stunning on the edge of the loch with the mountains as a backdrop. Photo taken and onwards to Oban. Parked up and find some food. This time opting for something to eat and takeaway to eat down by the harbour.

A wander through some streets soon bought us to the harbour front with the seagulls looking for scraps of food and the ferry that goes to Isle of Mull docked ready to be loaded. We found a nice seat over looking the harbour and ate our lunch keeping an eye on the sea gulls who were keeping an eye on our lunch.

It was busy on the seafront with lots of tourists getting off coaches and trying to find out where they should be and where they were going. People watching is great. Behind the shops and up a hill is Mc Caigs tower built in 1897. A monument built by John Stuart Mc Caig a local banker who had it built to provide work for local stonemasons and as a lasting monument for the Mc Caig family.

Nikki has a bad leg at the moment so she would not be able to make it up the steep hill or the many steps to get to the monument. She can manage to walk around some shops though when she needs something. so lunch eaten and we arranged to meet later and I was off.

There were a lot of steps to get up the hill which are called Jacob’s ladder. Steep and felt like they went on forever but I made it. But I forgot to count them, maybe because I was panting. Honest there was a lot.

The view was stunning also from there which made all the climbing up the steps worth it. With the Isle of Mull in the distance and on a clear day you can see for miles so they say. Today was not a clear day but the view was still stunning.

After spending some time up at the tower and admiring the view and of course taking lots of photos it was time to head back down to the harbour and find Nikki. I went down a different way which was a steep road and not steps. Through some tiny streets and passed a nice looking bar with seats outside which I could have easily stopped in but I was strong and resisted the temptation and walked on by.

By now the ferry had loaded up and was starting to leave the dock side and head out for Mull. There were other boats moored up in the harbour and one which I liked was an older looking yacht just sat there waiting for the crew to take it out.

I eventually found Nikki back at the bench where we had lunch. Not having a phone signal does not help when you’re trying to get in touch with someone to meet up. We wandered along the front and sat down again watching the coming and goings of all the people. Small boats were coming and going all the time taking people on small tours. The sea food stall was doing well and I am sure the seagulls had some pickings from The tourists .

We had seen enough so decided to head back. Our views on Oban were that it was a nice place to visit but we would not go back. Like a lot of seaside harbour towns they seem to start to look scruffy and are full of high street shops instead of small independent shops. Being busy they also attract the wrong sort of person. You know what I mean. But we are glad we went to make our own minds up. We enjoyed the harbour front and I like the tower and some lovely old buildings but a bit too busy for me.

Our day off yesterday and looking at the weather a few days before it was not looking good. Another rainy day so what shall we do.

Someone had said they had gone to Stirling and it was nice and suggested going to Culross. So a look on the map and route planned we decided to head for Culross. The weather looked better over that way also so we were on a winner to start with.

Culross sits on the edge of the Firth of Forth and is Scotlands most complete example of a burg of the 17th and 18th centuries. White Harled houses with red tiled roofs line the steep cobbled streets. The streets run from the market place to the hilltop abbey.

Culross was made famous for the filming of Outlander which is a perfect setting for it. It also has the Culross palace, a national trust property which was once the home to Sir George Bruce.

The journey for us to get there was about one hour and twenty minutes, so sat nav set and off we went. Now the sat nav is ok in the car but has sent us on some strange roads before and it didn’t fail this time.

I had looked on google maps and could see which car park I wanted to get to and which direction I would be coming from. But sat nav had other ideas as we turned off the main road onto a single track road with grass in the middle and then came into view of Culross abbey and headed off down the cobbled streets of Culross.

If you have ever watched the film the Italian job where the three mini cars race around the small streets trying to get out then you will know how we felt. Luckily we didn’t meet another car coming the other way.

We did make it to the car park where I wanted to park and had a good laugh about it. Parking was free which is always a bonus. We have found a lot of free parking in Scotland. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind paying a reasonable fee to park, but I think if the parking is free you are more likely to spend more time in the place and spend money which benefits the place you are in.

Our first port of call was the Culross palace and walking there from the carpark we passed some lovely old houses, you could just imagine all those years ago when Culross would have been a thriving and bustling port and all the steam, smoke and noise from the salt panning and mining was in the air.

I love the old houses with big stones around the windows and doors, really solid looking and I love old doors. The history of those doors over the years, all the people that would have walked through them.

The palace like all national trust properties is so interesting and again you can imagine life inside these old buildings years and years ago.

As you walk around inside you can imagine someone sitting in the chair next to the fire and slowly nodding off after a hard days work. A hard days work for Sir George Bruce would be counting his money in his palace while the men and ladies who worked the mines and salt pannings would be in the houses. But he did pay them well apparently.

After looking around the palace it was time for us to eat lunch. Spoiling ourselves again we opted to eat lunch out and found a little cafe called the Biscuit cafe which was very nice.

After a lovely lunch it was a small walk up Kirk street to the Abbey. When I say a small walk it was a small walk but up a hill and the first part on the cobbled streets we already knew from driving down them. Funnily enough when we were walking up to the abbey no cars come down the streets so it’s quite obvious a lot of cars have better sat navs built into them than ours. We passed some more lovely old cottages and houses.

Culross abbey was built in the 1200s and is where Sir George Bruce and his family have a tomb house that was fully restored in 1905. A wonderful old abbey with a fantastic old graveyard next to it.

The graveyard was also very old and every headstone was tilted over and some were even just laying down. Years and years of settling.

The walk back from the abbey to the village was all downhill and as we walked along the road towards the carpark we passed the old pier which years ago would have been a lot bigger and stronger and very busy. Today it sits there and the odd fishing boat uses it and people like me cross the railway line, yes you have to cross a railway line to get to it, to see it and get a photo of it.

So that was our day out. Again no blue sky in the photos but it all adds to the atmosphere of such an old place. The last photo I love being a classic car outside a classic old cottage. I wonder if the owners live the old life.

I saw on the news the UK has a yellow heat warning. They obviously forgot Scotland. Some of our friends are telling us how warm it is where they live and I am telling them it’s ten degrees cooler here.

We can’t do anything about the weather and if we decided to do something on a nice day we would not get a lot done. So it’s carry on regardless.

So with the sky looking overcast and a day off we decided to go for little walk around the end of Loch Tay. It’s a circular walk of about two miles. The view from the end of Loch is stunning and just being near the water with the mountains in the background is such a good feeling.

As we walked around we saw a couple of fishing boats, different birds including a redstart, the sheep in the field with their lambs and we only saw two other people. The silence was nice with just nature calling. The old rusty bridge crosses the river that runs into the Loch and made a nice photo.

After completing the walk we went to visit the old cemetery in Killin which is behind the Killin hotel. I do like old cemeteries with all the old gravestones and history. This is a very old one and with all the leaning gravestones and long grass it sits there on a small piece of land in silence.

We had a visitor last week. Nikki’s sister Jo came to visit for a week. She stayed in Killin. We had our two days off so took her out and about. We went to Ben Lawers dam and the very scenic route up over the mountain and then another scenic route towards Kenmore where we had a picnic on the edge of the eastern end of Loch Tay. We then did the walk around the edge of Loch Tay with Jo, or to be precise Nikki did the walk with Jo while I marched on ahead desperate to get to the pub for a beer. Nikki and Jo joined me in the garden of the hotel for a drink before we went inside to eat.

Our other day off we decided to go for a drive out to St Conans Kirk which is about an hour from where we are based with a lunch stop on the way. Our destination for lunch was a small cafe which was once a small church now called the Artisan cafe. Me and Nikki had always wanted to go there.

After a loverly lunch, thank you Jo, we continued on our way to St Conans Kirk. Another church in lochAwe near Dalmally on the A85. There is a very small carpark but also a couple of lay-bys near by to park. The doors are open and you can pay for your visit by donations which all go to the upkeep of this wonderful old church. I really hope that people do donate. The national trust would charge a fortune for people to walk around a church like this.

There were only about six other people inside on our visit which was nice so taking photos and having lots of time to look around and take in the atmosphere was a pleasure. I also took a black and white photo to remind me of how it would have looked if someone had taken a photo years ago. I think old buildings always look good in black and white.

Then it was time to head home and again the drive on the A85 was stunning. On Jo’s last day the weather was looking good so we had a BBQ cooked by me. Everyone enjoyed it and no one was ill so I must have got it right. I am so glad we had the BBQ because the weather has changed now so we may have just caught the summer in Scotland.

I have still been taking lots of photos of the site and the different bugs I see. And the other day I got a photo which I was very pleased with of a bee collecting nectar. To get this photo I had to get so close I thought the bee would fly off but luckily he stayed where he was. Perhaps he or she was a model bee and just posing for the camera.

Yesterday I went for a 28 mile bike ride along the old railway line between Killin and Callander which was nice. I wanted to go further but my fitness has gone somewhere else at the moment but I am hoping to find it soon.

So that’s us up to date as we head towards the end of the season for us here. I think we have about ten weeks left here this year before we pack the site up and head out on the highway for a U.K. tour to see friends and family.

We are still loving Scotland so much. The Flora and Fauna on site is forever changing. As one plant goes to seed something else pops up and as one bug is spotted another appears.

We went for a walk up in the forest behind us and it had changed so much since the last time we were up there. Everything had grown and certain views we had before had gone because of the trees and bushes all greening up.

But then there were more flowers to see which also means there are more bugs about. The bees were doing what bees do and collecting their nectar. The midges were trying to bite me, yes they are around now.

The birds and the two squirrels are costing me a fortune in food but they give me so much pleasure watching them it’s worth it. The midges have been hiding the last few days because of the wind, they don’t like wind but this morning the wind had dropped so they were out. We have some spray to protect us from them which seems to work and other things like candles etc. we managed to sit outside yesterday afternoon and have a couple of beers without getting bitten so that’s good.

We saw some swallows flying around a few days ago and were hoping they were going to nest in the tractor shed or on the outside of our shack but so far they have not. Swallows are supposed to be a sign that summer is here but they got it wrong this year as it’s been so cold and wet. Perhaps we will have a late summer.

The woodpeckers that go to my feeders (Great spotted woodpecker) are now bringing the young one to feed. Word has got out that Mike provides a good source of food. And a Jay has also started to come around on a daily basis.

A couple of Hares were running around the other day which was great to see. And of course Tufty the red squirrel has been about every day. I can now open the camper window and he is less than three metres away on a feeder and just carries on eating. Again he knows where he is well off.

Two days ago we went for a walk down by Loch Tay and saw evidence of Beavers that had been felling the trees so we know they are about. I would love to get a photo of one but think they prefer to be out in darkness. I also went out on my bike yesterday in Glen Lochay area and spotted a deer in the field feeding.

I also managed to get a couple of Ticks on me. They must like Guinness. Really hard to spot until it’s to late. They can be quite dangerous, not in the way they are going to eat you or attack you but they carry disease so it’s best to get them off you as soon as you can. I now inspect my legs after walking in long grass. I know it would be sensible to put long trousers on but that’s not going to happen. I will take my chances.

I could put so many photos on here of all the Flora and Fauna but it would take a long time so I will end this short blog with some photos of some of the Flora.

So that’s us up to date as I sit here in the camper the rain has yet again started, the temperature is nothing like I was hoping it would be at this time of year but we are in Scotland and it’s stunning.