A weeks break in September after a busy campsite season means only one thing. Get away from everything. Helen was work commited, so just me and Daisy the dog get into Victor and head for Scotland.
We set off on the sunday afternoon when the tail end of hurricane Irene is expected to hit the UK. But in the UK, if you let the weather control your life, you would not do anything. By the time we reached the Northumberland coast, the wind was picking up, but it was still dry, and we pulled in to Newton-by-the-Sea, so that I could visit the pub on the beach, The Ship. www.shipinnnewton.co.uk reccommended by a friend for its food and micro brewery. I was not disappointed, and with dogs welcome, all the better.
Next day, carrying on up the coast, past Bamburgh, Holy Island, Brewick-upon-Tweed the skies darkened and the wet stuff started to drop. I stuck to the plan of following the well signed coastal route, past Eymouth and up to North Berwick for our second night stop. Both Victor and Daisy were behaving extremely good, Daisy sitting on the sleeping bag in the back, looking out of the back window playing at rear gunner. Victors engine had just been given a tune up, and was purring along nicely.
If you ever find yourself on the A198 heading from North Berwick towards Edinburgh, stop at The Filling Station sandwich shop in Londniddry, the food is fresh, homemade and gorgeous, the girls even cooked two sausages, chopped them up, and placed them in a styrofoam cup for Daisy.
I would have liked to have played golf along this part of the trip, but the wind was too strong, so I carried on driving the next day, across the Forth Road Bridge.
Over the bridge, we turned right and followed the coast road again, stopping every so often for Daisy to stretch her little legs, everytime we stopped she gained admirers, and so did Victor, we spent over 30 minutes in Burntisland, while two dustbin men (Vw owners) looked over Victor and Daisy met new Scottish four legged friends.
No sign of a game of golf though, the wind was even stronger on this exposed peninsula, we stopped for lunch at Elie.
The rain had stopped for a while, but it was flipping windy.
We stayed on a campsite, just inland from St Andrews, to give a bit of protection from the wind.
Next day Wednesday, clear blue sky and glorious sunshine. We pulled into a garage in Newburgh, were Ian the owner came out to admire Victor, he being a 1966 Porche owner knew a thing or two. He also knew the local butcher had very nice steaks and meat pies for sale, plus a nice 9 hole golf course in a small town called Dunning. So thats what we did, picked up supplies and then a nice game of golf in Dunning, well worth the wait.
When I was thirteen years old, and in the Army Cadets, I remembered one year we visited an old Scottish army camp, and looking on the map, we were not far fron the town of Comrie, so off we went to check it out.
Through Auchterarder, and Crieff to Comrie, were after quickly finding a nice campsite in the woods the BBQ came out for the first time.
Next day, another clear blue sky, perfect for golf, and Comrie has a beauty of a 9 holer, rolling fairways, mature trees, undulating greens, surrounded by green hills and forests, shame about my golf, although I did par the first hole, I peaked too early.
I had an dinner ivitation in Aidrie that evenning, at old army friend Spike Milligans house, so it was time to head south, but not before stopping and having a look at the old army camp.
I can not remember much about the camp, it was forty years ago, I remember we had to jump into a small loch, that was bloody freezing. But the nissen huts were still there, and looking through the windows, there were still wood stoves in the middle. The local community have bought the site and are going to use it for tourism and local small business rental.
Spike said arrive about 4.30, and he is a bit of a stickler for time keeping, so more by luck than judgement, I arrived at his house at 4.15, phew. I did stop at another old fashioned butcher with a fantastic selection of meat, pies and award winning sausages, in the village of Kippen. One of the places when you wish there was a bigger fridge in the van. Never mind, two massive rump steaks, a meat pie and four Venison and red currant sausages later, I left the butchers.
Spike had promised a full Scottish dinner, so I was starving myself for the feast. And a good job I did. Haggis and neaps for starters, huge meat pie, tatties and peas for main course, and then dumplins and custard for pudding, all washed down with a few beverages.
A brilliant meal, and Daisy even got to have some of the steak from the pie. Thank you the Milligan family.
Then Friday, south to England, but taking the old road the, B7078 that runs along side the M74. It is empty, and I mean empty, one or two vehicles using it, and local vehicles at that, we cruised down it, watching all the time the trucks hammering each way on the motorway, and by lunchtime were were back in England, a great trip.
