Scotland by Carawagon

[Calum]

Last week Alex (my girlfriend) and I spent 6/7 days in Scotland in the Carawagon - its first 'long' trip since rebuild. It is still not finished, and we are still getting used to using it properly (and making notes for our own modifications for our use!) but it was a great trip indeed. Weather made a change to our plans, with ferries being cancelled due to poor weather so we had to do the planned 'loop' in reverse. We made it onto Mull and onto the Ardnamurchan peninsula to visit the most westerly point of the British mainland, with the best of the weather falling when we were on Mull and driving down its west coast - some stunning scenery I do not remember fully appreciating last time I was there aged about 7 or 8!!

We covered around 13-1400 miles and with me keeping notes on fuel useage etc I can very happily say we were averaging around 19mpg from a rather heavily laden 2.6l Carawagon! The engine seems to be bedding in nicely.

We returned south on the friday just gone, calling at my house very briefly to collect some spares to take to Leafers at the Pit for others, and headed over the border to Yorkshire to spend the weekend there and catch up with friends. I was very surprised (but pleased!) to receive 'best in show' for the Carawagon, something which I am very proud of.

I will share a few pics with you all, which are a little fuzzy as I over-compressed them when uploading to the internet!
I hope not to bombard with too many photos! I'm taking photos of it as if it is a first-born...






























Best campsite I have ever stayed at!!


We must have pitched some 5 foot from the most beautiful bay


Ferry back to Oban!


A slight break in the weather on the way back down south... coming over Shap on the M6 was interesting!

[RMS]

Hi Calum,

Thanks for the trip report

It's good to see it restored from the basket case it was; great work.

Nice to see it being used as well

Cheers,
Robin.

[Calum]

Basket case? Yes you could say that





Cheers Robin

[Jabbawocky]

Hi Calum

Great see her being used and wish I had made LAT'P just to see her. Well done and hope you have lots of future adventures.

Like the roof rack and your awning bars.

Mick

[Calum]

Cheers Mick!

You were missed at the pit!

The awning bar was fitted by the PO to affix their home made awning. The roof rack I adapted from a full length 109" Brownchurch. It has a removable section for it that allows 8 jerry cans to be housed securely. The rear half has been adapted for use as a full 8' rack for the 88", so it was a good project and worth the galvanising costs! It holds a lot more than a standard Carawagon affair

[Toots]

Lots of those pics look like the Ardnamurchan. One of my favourite places.

That'll be one of the dormobiles first outings when it gets finished

[Calum]

Well spotted; the lighthouse is at Ardnamurchan point, and the open ferry was from Kilchoan over to Tobermory. Lovely area of the country, and good to get back there as I probably haven't visited since I was about 7 or 8, possibly younger. Certainly won't be the last trip up the west coast... hopefully next time I'll take more time off work and spend longer up there.

[67dormobile]

Hi Calum - in 1975 I worked on the oil rig they built in Kishorn opposite Plockton before the Skye bridge was built. I drove there from London in a splitscreen VW camper after hearing from a Dutch guy in Amsterdam that there were jobs going there.
I was employed as a cleaner over Christmas 1974/5 12 hours on 12 hours off and made very good money. I remember the drive was spectacular and reminded me very much of Australian empty landscapes. The weather was beautiful too - sunny on New Years Day and no snow ( I was very disappointed).
I drove back to London via the west coast but don't remember much except a castle on a lake with a stone bridge to it. Weather was perfect too - luckily - as I was pretty inexperienced in Scottish cold weather driving.
I have promised myself to hire or buy a Series Land Rover and relive the trip soon - your trip looks exactly like the one I would do and brought back some wonderful memories.
Beautiful country and thanks for posting.

Kind regards
Gary

[DanC]

Probably Eilean Donan Castle, actually in the sea but looks like a loch because of the proximity of Skye. I spent every Summer from 11 on Skye and then when I moved to the Highlands at 15 got to explore most of the West Coast and outer Hebrides. It is beautiful but I actually prefer it in Winter when the tourists have gone ;)

[Stuey]

Great stuff Calum

Glad to see you've got the roof fitted and the wagon is getting used for what it was intended for

Indeed good stuff all round