Scotland

Day Seventeen

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We set off back to England via the new Queensferry Crossing across the Firth of Forth, and alongside the route of the re opened Borders railway towards Carlisle. Then the A7 and M6 to Morecambe.

The Queensferry Crossing opened two years ago.
All 3 bridges
After 16 sunny days, as soon as we got to England it rained!
View from our bedroom window in Morecambe.

We stopped for the night in Morecambe to break up the long journey from Dundee to Dursley. Also it was nice to revisit a place I visited as a child.

My Grandma, Mum, Dad and siblings sitting on a bench on Marine Road, probably 1961/2. I’m on the left at the back.
Me sitting on a bench in the same place.
View from the bench over Morecambe Bay.
Andy and Eric Morecambe

Tomorrow we will be back in Dursley.

Thank you for following, I hope you enjoyed my posts.

Until next time,

Carol

Day Sixteen

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View at breakfast in Invercarse Hotel, Dundee

Today we went to St Andrews to meet up with Ralph and Jean, who we first met on our way to India in February. We had a bracing walk on West Sands, followed by lunch at the famous St Andrews Golf Course.

It was a bit windy!

After lunch we followed the Fife Coastal route, visiting Anstruther,

Pittenween,

and St Monans.

Back in Dundee we went to the Tay Bridge Disaster Memorial. On 28th December, 1879, on a very stormy night, 13 spans in the centre of the bridge collapsed as a train was crossing. Everyone on board perished in the River Tay.

Tomorrow we leave Scotland. Our amazing road trip is nearly over.

Carol

Day Fifteen

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After an ‘unusually rough’ crossing (according to one of the crew) we arrived safely in Aberdeen. That is not a journey I would want to undertake again!

Sunrise at Aberdeen
Entering Aberdeen Harbour
We stopped at the Ythan Estuary beach at Newburgh,
and at the Forvie Nature Reserve,
and had lunch at Ellon.
Then we drove through the Cairngorms.
Ballater Station was used by Queen Victoria when she visited Balmoral.
We followed the course of the River Dee to its source.

Now in Dundee for two nights.

More tomorrow

Carol

Day Four

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After breakfast under the watchful eye of the stag in a mask, we left Bettyhill Hotel and continued along the North Coast 500, with amazing scenery at every turn.

We passed Dounreay Nuclear Power Station.
At Scrabster we saw the ferry that we would be catching tomorrow.
Dunnet Head is the most northerly point of mainland Scotland.
John o’ Groats is the most northerly town.
We visited Puffin Croft. Cara moved to the Highlands in 2016 and started the petting farm, after spending 25 years as a Nanny. She was featured twice on Ben Fogle’s TV show ‘Make a New Life in the Country’. We saw the programme and decided if we were ever up this way we would visit.
The animals and ‘staff’ were pleased to see us.
Wick, our stop for the night, used to be the busiest herring port in Britain. 1100 boats used the harbour.
This is the view from our bedroom window.

Tomorrow we get the ferry to the Orkneys, a short crossing compared to the distance to the Shetlands.

Wish me luck!

Carol

Day Three

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We left Ullapool in the mist, heading north along the North Coast 500.

We saw the ruins of Ardvreck Castle on the shore of Loch Assynt.
The views were amazing – dramatic coast,
rolling hills,
lochs and heather.
We waited for the sheep to pass.
We followed the coastline.
We stopped at the Drumbeg viewpoint.
We crossed the Kylesku bridge.
The Kyle of Durness reflected the lovely blue sky.
We stopped for a picnic overlooking the ferry to Cape Wrath, the most north westerly part of the Scottish mainland.
Balnakeil beach,
where a game of cricket was in progress.
Beach near Tongue

The Bettyhill hotel, our hotel for the night, overlooking the beach at Torrisdale Bay.
We went for a walk on Farr beach, just up the road.
Jellyfish
Andy on the beach.
Looking inland from Farr beach.
View from the hotel.

Tomorrow we are headed for Wick, via John o’Groats.

Stay safe

Carol

Day Two

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We left Hamilton and continued north to Strathpeffer.

We passed through a lot of rain.

In Strathpeffer we met up with friends Linda and Mike, at the Railway Cafe. The station has been closed for many years, but the line is being used as a walk/cycle track.

Strathpeffer was a popular Victorian spa town.

After lunch we continued our journey.

We arrived at the Caledonian Hotel, Ullapool.

After a walk around the harbour we had fish and chips for tea.

More pics tomorrow.

X

Shetlands 2020

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Day One

We set off this morning to travel the 340 miles north on the M6 from Dursley to Hamilton, just south of Glasgow.

We stopped for a picnic at Tebay services, one of the ‘Farm Shop’ services, like the Gloucester ones, which are run by the Westmoreland Group.
We drove through the Yorkshire Dales
and on into Scotland.
The weather changed – strong winds and heavy rain are forecast!

Tomorrow we drive past Inverness to Ullapool, meeting up with some friends for lunch on the way.

Carol

Holiday!

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Many months ago we booked a holiday to Scotland, stopping off at the Shetland Isles. We have been luckier than most this year as we managed to have a trip to India just before Lockdown. Our long weekend in the isle of Man was cancelled in May, but we have kept our fingers crossed that the Scottish trip will go ahead. All looks good so far. So, hopefully, on August 20th we will be off up north!

I will post each day, as I did from India. The posts may not be so exotic but I’m sure there will be some amazing scenery to share with you.

This is our route

Looking forward to sharing my photos with you.

Stay safe

Carol