Scotland 2019

08/22/19 It starts today. It starts around noon. The planned destination is Duisburg, we want to visit friends here. Unfortunately nothing came of it after 200 km our towing vehicle went on strike. We only got as far as Offenbach where we stayed overnight to visit a workshop the next day.

We spend the morning in the workshop and start again around noon. But we won't get far again. We are back at the Leverkusen junction. This time nothing works. We need a tow truck that will take us to Cologne. It goes to a workshop again. Since it is now Friday evening, the workshop only has an emergency service and we have to wait until Monday until it can be repaired. We spend the weekend at the camping site Stadt Köln in Cologne-Poll.

After the compulsory break in Cologne we change our plan and decide instead of going to Duisburg to Aachen to visit family. It goes to the Hoeve de Gastmolen in Vaals. It is already off season and we can use the Asci Card. As vacations in NRW and the Netherlands are already over, the place is not too crowded and we can choose our place for the night.

The next morning we continue to the ferry to Zeebrugge. We reach the ferry terminal shortly after noon. Check-in to Hull starts at 3pm. Everything is going smoothly and we leave punctually at 7:00 p.m.

After a rather restless night (engine noise, bed rattling and last but not least grunts from the neighboring cabins) we reach Hull in the morning. To get to the landing place the ferry has to pass through a narrow port lock (millimeter work for captain and crew). After checking out and the border control we leave the port. From now on left-hand traffic, with a rather queasy feeling we drive off. Our destination for today is the Clark Hill Farm near Haltwhistle. Here we have booked for 4 nights.

We looked at the blacksmiths and the museum in Gretna Green. Fortunately, we were there early, around noon, it was then really full.

Then we went to Carlisle Castle, an 11th century castle, and Carlisle Cathedral.

The next morning it was very windy and wet. The rain came horizontally. So that was not to think about a bigger trip. By noon rain and wind were less and we decided to drive to the nearby Roman fort Birdoswald on Hadrianswall. We visited the fort and as the weather got better we drove along the wall.

Today we are going on a day trip to Kielder Water. First it goes to Bewcastle Church, to get there you drive for a while through sheep pastures. The stele in front of the church dates from the 8th century. Then it goes on via Newcastleton to Kielder Water. From the Elf Kirk View you have a great view over the reservoir.

It goes on. We hang up the caravan and drive via Jedburgh and Melrose on the east coast to Coldingham

We're still making a detour to England. We drive to Holy Island an island which can only be reached without a boat at low tide.

Before we leave for Edinburgh around noon, we visit the harbor in St. Abbs.

In the afternoon we arrive in Edinburgh, where we get one of the last seats on the club area of the Caravan Club.
In the evening we go for a walk on the Firth of Forth.

We leave Edinburgh and drive to Barbeth Farm near Glasgow

In the afternoon, in bright sunshine, it goes to Falkirk to the Falkirk Wheel and in the Helix Park to the Kelpies

The weather holds and we drive to the Devils Pulpit. Finding the descent into the gorge is a bit difficult as there are no signposts.

Here we got a foretaste of the single track roads in the Highlands

There are 246 steps to the top

Since someone drove us into our parked car in Stirling, we have to take a compulsory break for repairs and look around a bit in the vicinity.

We reach the campsite around noon and are even welcomed in German. Olwyn lived in Hanover for a long time.

As our car strikes again in trailer mode, we decide to allow the caravan in Inverness and explore with day trips to the north.

Today we went north.

Salmon can still be seen jumping at Shin Falls in September.

In bright sunshine and 24 degrees we drive from Inverness to the west coast.

We stopped at Clashnessie Beach. When we wanted to go on, our car didn't start anymore. We needed the tow truck. It was 3 hours piggyback back to Inverness.

We are spending the weekend in Inverness.

Monday it's back to the workshop. James notices that the fuel pump is broken. He has to order it and can't fix our car until the next day.

The car is running again and we hook up the trailer and drive towards Skye. However, we do not go straight to the island but make a stop in Shiel Bridge, from where we drive over the Bealach na Ba to Appelcross.

From Skye back to the mainland we do not take the bridge, but the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig. The ferry always book in advance. It is also heavily frequented in the low season.

There is a large climbing hall in Kinlochleven, even with a really large ice wall.

When we arrive at the campsite, there is a strong storm. So that we look for a place in the 2nd row.

Unfortunately, due to high water, it was not possible to cross over to the castle.

In the morning we reach Amsterdam after a stormy crossing

On the way back we visit the family in Aachen again.

In the evening we were back home.