Fire and Water

8 - 13 September 2014

Arriving late afternoon at the Caravan Club Bunree Site, which is situated right alongside Loch Linnhe, we were unfortunately too late to bag one of the lochside pitches.  Nonetheless it is a lovely setting.

The prime reason for this whole trip was to ride on the Jacobite steam train, which runs from Fort William to Mallaig, and tickets had been booked for Tuesday – a 60^th birthday present from Chris, Marie, Louise and Steve .

The train departed Fort William at 10:15 but we arrived in plenty of time to take some obligatory photos before we set off.  

Our tickets were for a table for two in the first class carriage, which felt very special and meant that we were treated to the best views!  The scenery was spectacular.  John grabbed a photo of the Glenfinnan (Harry Potter) Viaduct before we had a brief stop at Glenfinnan Station, where there is an exhibition about the construction of the viaduct.  However, we gave that a miss, due to the sheer number of people trying to move around the small space.  

We also passed Neptune's Staircase, a flight of eight locks on the Caledonian Canal.  The trip allowed an hour and a half's lunch stop at Mallaig before the return journey. 

Wednesday dawned clear and sunny and we rather reluctantly left Fort William, heading for Keswick, stopping a couple of times to take some photographs.  This part of Scotland is magnificent (yes, Louise, I really did say that!).

On arrival at the Camping and Caravanning Keswick site our hearts sank a little.  It is a huge site (250 pitches) and was a stark contrast to the tiny locations we had found at Durham and Lochearnhead.  However, the location is brilliant, on the shore of Derwent Water and just a few minutes walk into town.  That evening we investigated the town (largely shops for outdoor clothing and equipment, and restaurants/tea rooms) and enjoyed pizza and pasta at LB's.

As we had arrived quite late the only pitches available were on the edge of the site where the trees obscure the sun from early afternoon onwards.  So as Thursday morning was lovely and sunny, we opted to relax outside while the sun was on our pitch, before going for a walk in the afternoon.

We followed a suggested route from the town centre down to the lake, along the shore past Friar's Crag and Calfclose Bay, then up to Castlehead to enjoy the view over the lake, and back into town.  It was a very pleasant 5 km walk; there were plenty of people about and almost as many dogs.  We thought that this one must be trying to get into the Guinness Book of Records!  

We had noticed a Fish and Chip Restaurant in town, The Old Keswickian, so stopped off there for an early dinner on the way back to the 'van.  Recommended.

Due to pitch availability at the time of booking it was necessary to move to another pitch first thing on Friday morning, which must qualify as the shortest move ever, some 150 yards.  But now we had a view over the lake and fewer trees to hide the sun.  

After the manoeuvring, we headed into Keswick to catch a bus, taking us on a circular 22 mile route.  We were very glad that we had left Theodora at the site as the road (B5289) was pretty much single track most of the way.  At first there was little to see as we passed through woodland, but the views over Derwent Water were pretty.  Then came the “wow” factor, as we drove through Honister Pass with the magnificent hills on both sides and the 1 in 4 climb and descent.  We left the bus at Buttermere, where there are conveniently both pubs and tea rooms.  We opted for the less obvious tea room, around the corner from the bus stop, at Syke Farm, where they provide refreshments from 10:30 to 17:00.  The sandwiches were made to order and were delicious.  Fortified, we circumnavigated Buttermere (4 miles), which was a very easy walk (along the shore line, no hilly bits!).  Although dry and warm, we would have welcomed some sunshine to put a bit of spark into the photographs.  

We got back to Buttermere Village in time for coffee (for John) and an ice-cream, made on the farm (for me).  Unusual flavours such as Turkish Delight, Fig  Ripple, Raspberry Pavlova, and Lime.  Then back on the bus to complete the circuit to Keswick via Whinlatter Pass.

We left the site comparatively early on Saturday to allow time for a detour to visit Chris, Marie and Ben on the way home.  So very little unpacking was done on Saturday evening – something to look forward to on Sunday!

Where we stayed and visited

Caravan Club Site, Bunree

• approx 9 miles from Fort William

Fort William

• specific parking for motorhomes and caravans near Morrison’s Supermarket
• £2 per day (2014)

Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Keswick

• huge site, 250 pitches, on shore of Derwent Water
• new facilities block
• five minutes walk into town

Keswick

• vibrant town, plenty to do
• excellent bus services
• good walks

Buttermere

• can be reached by bus from Keswick
• circular walk around the shore of the lake

Anniversary Waltz

4 - 8 September 2014

We set off on our latest journey on 4 September, dodging a couple of hold-ups on the way, firstly on the A14 (what a surprise!) and later on the A1 near Wetherby, where an accident had closed a section of the road in the short time we were enjoying our lunch at the services.  We arrived in Durham without any further hitches and found our chosen overnight stop, the Caravan Club CL at the Durham Amateur Rowing Club, located right by the river (as you would expect), the river being the River Wear.  Once settled, we walked into town for a brief look around.  The cathedral was not clad in scaffolding (as they usually are) but hiding behind the BBC Antiques Roadshow trailer and other paraphernalia – filming had been taking place that day.  John did wonder if the caravan was the temporary home of Fiona Bruce!

A meal to celebrate our wedding anniversary concluded the evening (Restaurant 17 on Elvet Bridge is recommended) and we were somewhat gobsmacked to discover that the couple sitting on the next table were celebrating their anniversary too, married on exactly the same date and year as we were.

Next day we completed the journey to Edinburgh, taking the A68 by way of a change from the A1 and stopping off at the National Trust Property, Wallington, near Morpeth.  

The estate was gifted to the NT by Sir Charles Trevelyan, who was a Socialist MP and general good egg.  He even gave his tenants a form of family allowance, believing that he was lucky to have the estate and wishing to share his good fortune.  This idea of all inclusiveness is still apparent at the property today – it's probably the least “stuffy” NT property we have ever visited, with picnics and ball games perfectly acceptable on the lawn in front of the house.  A short walk towards the East Wood will lead you to a beautiful walled garden, while in the direction of the West Wood you will find a wildlife hide, from which we viewed many species of birds, but, sadly, no red squirrels.  A circular walk includes both woods.

We used the Caravan Club site at Silverknowes on the northern side of Edinburgh pretty much as a storage facility for Theodora for the next two days as much of the time was spent with Louise and Steve.  On Saturday we drove out to the Jupiter Artland, a sculpture park set within the estate of Bonington House, at Wilkieston.  The creations range from a spider's web, suspended between the trees to the huge “Life Mounds”. 

One of the more atmospheric installations (John says "creepy") are the "Weeping Girls".  Well worth a visit (open during the summer months only).

We also met up with Steve's parents for a meal on Saturday evening and again on Sunday morning, before heading off in the direction of Lochearnhead. 

There is a Caravan Club CL on the edge of the loch near Lochearnhead which is part of a fish farm and also offers fishing and boat hire.  Perfect for an overnight stop, or if you like fishing.  I found the skittering and aerobatics of the many wagtails very entertaining.

Our next stop was to be the Caravan Club  Bunree Site near Fort William, only about 60 miles away, so we took our time and stopped off at beautiful Glen Coe.  According to The Rough Guide:  “ Literally “Valley of Weeping”, it is a spectacular valley, bounded on both sides by sheer cliffs and jagged rock summits.  In 1692 it was the site of a famous massacre, after Alastair MacDonald, chief of an unruly and cattle-stealing clan, missed the deadline for taking an obligatory oath of allegiance to William III.”

Where we stayed and visited

Caravan Club CL - Durham Amateur Rowing Club

• site is only about 15 minutes walk along the river to the city centre
• rowing club bar, toilets and showers are available during the club opening hours
• bargain at £12 per night (Sept 2014)

Caravan Club Site, Silverknowes

• usual high standard, well- spaced pitches
• 10 minute walk to bus stop, 25 minute bus journey into city centre

Caravan Club CL – Lochearnhead

• plenty of open space in front of the six pitches
• small toilet and shower block

Glen Coe

• ample motorhome parking at the National Trust visitor centre