Holidays this year

[edwatters]

That looks interesting, we'll be in Blue nord

I am tempted by Le Mans again to see how the new Delta Wing Gurney/Panoz developed machine runs...!

http://www.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm?articleUID=735FB67F-1143-FDC9-3508B9E7C1BFE47A[O/quote]

 

[barry]

Woops.
Plans have changed.
I posted earlier we were going round Cornwall for a month in April/May.
We've changed our minds and are going to wriggle up the outer Hebrides instead:
Bara, Uists, Harris and Lewis instead (and Cornwall later in the year).

Tips on good sites would be very very welcome indeed:
cos although we're good on the inner Hebrides and the West Coast we're newbies on the outer lot.

 

[Californiaman]

We visited the Outer Hebrides in April last year. We were blessed with beautiful weather. We travelled north to south and if we do it again would do the reverse and travel south to north as I think the islands get better as you go north. We messed up our timing a bit and spent too little time in the north and too much in the south.

The Calmac Island Rover ferry tickets were extremely good value and very flexible

http://www.calmac.co.uk/tickets/island-rover.htm

There aren't many proper campsites on the Islands - the few that are there are all pretty good though! And there are lots of places to wild camp.

The places we would definitely go back to are: (from south to north...)

The community hall at Vatersay. Almost wild camping - there was an honesty box (£5 per night?) and a single loo. Stunning walks and fascinating history...

On south west South Uist there is a picnic spot at the end of the road past Gearraidh ma Monadh we wild camped here. Very quiet.

Again on South Uist we didn't stay here but we met a couple that managed to get their rather large camper van onto one of the best wild camping spots I've ever seen. Take the single track road to Loch Sgioport and they were parked right down at the end of the steep-ish track - with the back of their van hanging out over the sea! Worth a look even if you don't stop there.

Shelby Campsite on Benbecula is handy. It is just north of the causeway from South Uist to Benbecula. The beaches here were a bit of a mess though with bottles and rubbish.

On North Uist we stayed at Moorcroft - which was a lovely site

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=8778

The community road which runs across the middle of the island is worth a little drive - we saw a number of Eagles at the top which were huge and beautiful.

On Harris, Horgabost had a basic site with stunning walks and views. There is a stunning semi wild site at Cnip where you pay the lovely lady in the village £5 a night!

On Lewis, we stayed just outside Stornoway and used this site as a base whilst travelling around

http://www.laxdaleholidaypark.com/

There aren't many shops so we stayed pretty well self sufficient.

Enjoy!

 

[Californiaman]

We made a lot of use of this as a bit of a guide:

http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/places/outerhebrides.pdf

 

[Californiaman]

Horgabost campsite:

http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=385&c

Cnip:

http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=57&c=14

 

[Linda]

Thank you Californiaman, these look like handy tips. We are off for a first time exploring Scotland trip, for two weeks at Easter , have no itinerary yet so will check these out too.

 

[IanE]

Inspiring Californiaman - thank you - I've sailed around the Outer Hebrides quite a lot, but your tips for a campervan trip for sure make me want to get up there with the Cali!

 

[Californiaman]

glad to be of service. I've just looked thru my photos and want to go back right now!

 

[Ewan]

I'd also recommend Horgabost, plus the fab beach at Hushinish at the north end of Harris. You should be able to wild camp there As a real experience a day trip to St Kilda is great - I went in 2010.

Personal preference, but I would spend more time on Harris and the Uists than Lewis.

 

[stephen]

We went up to the Outer Hebrides 7 years ago in Bevs Freelander, I thought then that it would be a good place to go in a camper van, which we didn't have it the time.

South Uist was less popular and more secluded, in some parts beach access was difficult, but not with a 'All Wheel Drive' vehicle, and one had to walk sometimes a few miles, but was rewarded with solitude, which in this busy life of ours, I find it rather refreshing, and certainly charges once batteries up as it were, Harris is completely different, lots of ancient sites stretching back millennia, plus spectacular scenery and more to do but many more people,

This year we will go there with our dog, as our main two-week holiday probably in April or May and basically island hop, probably starting in the Isle of Harris, now we have our Cali next month I can't wait.
Thanks Californianman for the heads up on places to stay, I fully intend to camp wild as much as possible, but good to stop at designated campsites sometimes to have a bit of a cleanup etc.

Going by our trip with Frieelander, over some interesting rugged terrain which no doubt our 4 motion will have no trouble with ,especially south Uists beautiful stretches of kelp and miles upon miles of sandy beaches without a single person in sight.,

 

[Californiaman]

If anyone wants some inspiration for a trip to the Outer Hebrides, I've put some of my favourite pics up..

http://photobucket.com/VWCalifOHApril2011

 

[stephen]

Great photos, 'Californianman'
Truly a magical place, reminds me of the places we saw whilst out there. And brings back great memories, Some wonderful pictures of the Cali as well.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[malc]

ditto malc

 

[barry]

Thanks to all for the feedback on the Outer Hebrides.
It looks like it'll be very helpful.
Definitely going

 

[johanncar]

In June 2012 we are heading down from London to Rome. My son and his wife fly in from Cape Town, and the four of us do a 2 week trip through Italy and Switzerland. The wife and I will take 3 days to cross France and Switzerland into Italy. We will set up camp in Campingvillage Roma. We collect the children from Fiumicino the next day. We will spend a few days exploring Rome before we drive down to Sorrento to see Pompeii and the Isle of Capri. We then plan to drive the Amalfi drive before heading to Assisi. From there it is on to Venice for a few days. From there we drive across the Stelvio Pass in Eastern Italy into Switzerland where we will camp in Engelberg for a few days to go and play on the permanent glacier on mount Titlis. Then it is back down to Tuscany past the Ferrari museum in Maranello. The children then take the train from Livorno back to the airport while we drive back to London. We have a khyam motordome that we will use as extre accomodation for the children. Will post pics when we get back !

 

[Khris&Nichola]

Our first holiday in our cali was a week skiing in france in dec,didn't sleep in Cali as already booked chalet, this year weekend at wicksteed, few days planned in the lakes June, aug away for champagne festival in France long weekend any body interested give us a shout, probably a few weekends away mountain biking in uk somewhere then get ready for ski season.))

 

[Stu]

Holidays in the California this year includes ;

German Grand Prix in July

Oli, interested to know what arrangements you have for the GP. Quite fancy a Euro GP.

As for holidays this year, well we don't even have the van yet but assuming we can collect it this weekend as requested we'll spend the weekend stroking and caressing it, oh and we'll probably start to load stuff into it :laugh2

All being well the following weekend will be at least 1 night away, anywhere, as a tester to make sure we have everything we need prior to South of France (destination and stops TBC - Tips welcome) on the 1st June. We only have a week though so it might be a bit whistlestop.

 

[Graham]

One week in Normandy/Picardie at easter. Jersey for the whitsun half term. Rhone alps for 2 weeks this summer. Cornwall for 1 week late Aug. Bruges ice festival in Dec. Skiing next Feb half term. And plenty of weekends away in the south & southwest meantime. Sod the decorating, too busy camping!

 

[BMVS-Camper-Hire]

Holidays in the California this year includes ;

German Grand Prix in July

Oli, interested to know what arrangements you have for the GP. Quite fancy a Euro GP.

Booked our crossing via Eurtunnel approx £110 return, early Friday out, back at Sunday. Booked camping direct, for approx £100. And booked grandstand weekend tickets for approx £175 each. There is four of us going.

Can't wait

 

[Stu]

Is there a well placed site nearby that you recommend Oli?

 

[BMVS-Camper-Hire]

Is there a well placed site nearby that you recommend Oli?

I've got all the details at work. I'll check tomorrow. I think we booked via the Hockenheimring website??

 

[Stu]

Ta.

 

[malcolm0287]

Hello all
Planning trip to Chateau d'Oex Switzerland in the next few months
taking bikes and english tea bags !!
Will also be on my brothers driveway in Essex for my sister in laws
Birthday bash next month hope no charge for hook up
And if summer arrives a few days near alton towers any site suggestions
for that part of the country ?

malcolm

 

[tim batten]

Off to north west Scotland tomorrow. A few days on Syke, then over to the Hebrides for about a week, driving bottom (Barra) to top (Lewis). Will anyone else be there in the next week or 10 days? If so, we'll look out for you! We'll be in a Raven Blue 4 motion.

 

[Fin]

We're off a week Friday in Frank (25th May) Heading over to Belgium initially to another beer festival :crazy The Weekend of Spontaneous Fermentation, Buggenhout. Then we will head south to Garmisch Partenkirchen,Germany before going off to Innsbruck, Zell am See and Salzburg (all Austria) not sure where after that and to be honest that itinerary isn't set in stone but likely back into Germany before heading back home. September will see us at the De Molen Beer Festival, a great beer festival! in Bodegraven, Netherlands we'll probably spend a week or so in the Netherlands before heading back to the UK.

Btw we are also in Frank at WOMAD, Cropredy, Shrewsbury and Bromyard Festivals. Have been away for the last five or six weekends in Frank and on and off frequently during the Winter in old Frank and now new Frank, we also stopped in it on Monday night as we stayed in Oxford to see The Lovely Eggs gig in town, that camper gets some use!


Fin