After a 300 mile drive to Culloden, a fabulous 'rest day' at Clava Cairns:
Then I headed north towards Gill's Bay where the ferry leaves for South Ronaldsay. There was a very necessary stop on the way - the stunning CÃ rn Liath broch.
In a time before all the modern conveniences we now take mostly for granted, I think a broch would have been a warm and cosy place to live. Even with only a couple of metres of wall intact there was a feeling of calm and enclosure inside, and total protection from the wind.
This was followed by a quick stop at Duncansby Head whose carpark was busy for a damp Sunday afternoon. Which is how I got the "last" parking space at the furthest end and Blue Bus became (for a short while) the most north-easterly vehicle on the mainland:
Then a short drive down to Ferry View, a small and thoroughly idiosyncratic campsite within walking distance of the ferry terminal. If you are more comfortable with 'normal' campsites that have full facilities and are ordered and regimented then this is not the place for you. If you're OK with Findhorn meets Glastonbury then this is a charming, quirky place to pitch, and Vikki & Royston will do anything they can to ensure you have a great stay. Lovely, lovely young couple, I wish them every continued success.
Supper freshly cooked once you have ordered, so there was time to read, and get through perhaps a little more vino than intended, in a converted bus as a very comfortable dining area. By this time I already knew I was not sailing at 08.30 the following morning 😢 .
Beautiful photos, I do miss 'big skies'. And that meal looks lovely, although perhaps a little too light to soak up much alcohol. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou are right Sue, it was not a big meal (and there may have been some chocolate and a nut bar back in the van!) but by then I was so stressed out I was surprised to find I had cleared my plate :-).
DeleteLovely photos! The campsite looks gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your travels.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bea, I hope I haven’t bored you senseless by the time I get to the end of my trip :-)
DeleteThose Cairns are So interesting!! Are you able to walk into them or only look? BTW I love your VW. We've had many a VW van, 4 exact, only one was a pop up. Right now my run around car is a 2000 VW bug. Does your van top pop up?
ReplyDeleteBest on your fabulous trip from N. California.
Thank you, and welcome to the blog. You are able to go inside the brochs which was amazing.
DeleteYes, my van has a pop-top and when it's up the van feels soooooooo roomy and spacious, I love it :-)
Loving your photos of the trip so far and look forward to seeing more and hearing about the next bit. Did you get over on the ferry at all or will that be a future trip? The bus decked out for dining looks great. Thanks for sharing, take care & hugs.
ReplyDeleteThank you. The answer to your questions is here:
Deletehttps://smallvan-bigadventures.blogspot.com/2023/07/and-pivot.html
Wow! Those views are incredible. And I do like the look of the campsite:)
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame your original plans were thrown into disarray. But sometimes these things work out for the best. Xx
Cheers Jules, I'm still hugely disappointed that I did not get to the islands, but yes, things did work out OK in the end, x
DeleteGorgeous moody skies and magnificent scenery! I love that broch.
ReplyDeleteThat groovy converted bus looked fantastic, I'd have been very happy to kick back and quaff a few vinos. xxx
I thought of you whilst I was at Ferry View, I think you'd have felt very comfortable there.
DeleteAnd the broch - shivers and chills just thinking about it :-)