S
SimonMc
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Lifetime VIP Member
My wife, daughter and I returned yesterday from a wonderful quick trip around Scotland to try out a T6 Cali Ocean with an eye on buying in the next year or two. We hired from California Scotland (californiascotland.com) and loved it. The lovely owner Jeremy spent over an hour going through using the van, which was very informative, and then off we went. Here's a quick summary, in case any of you are thinking about a short hire.
Day 1 - Saturday. We drove up from Newcastle to Edinburgh to pick up the Cali. Packed light, but still didn't use everything. After handover, we popped into Stirling and then up to Loch Lomond. We stayed at the Cashel campsite on the east shore, right on the lake edge. Rained most of the night and there was a breeze off the Loch, but sitting in the Cali with the luxury of a heater was perfect. My daughter had the top bed, and we slept downstairs.
Day 2 - Sunday. We drove up west shore of Loch Lomond, then on to Glen Coe with several stops on the way. Weather was cloud and rain but still very beautiful. Popped into Red Squirrel campsite near Glen Coe, but was deserted and looked very muddy so pressed on as we had another option in mind. Drove instead to the Glen Nevis site up above Fort William. Great facilities, handy bar nearby, and gorgeous scenery. Around 10pm the skies cleared and it was time for great views of the Milky Way and a rare treat of seeing the Andromeda Galaxy with the naked eye (you need to know where to look!)
Day 3 - Monday. Headed off to Aviemore via the Command Memorial and more stunning scenery. Had a wander around town then went up to the Glen More campsite https://www.campingintheforest.co.uk/scotland/aviemore/glenmore-campsite a few miles up the valley from the town - only £17 for a lovely site. The skies cleared again and we were treated to a sky full of stars peeking through the fir trees. Slept with the rear window blind open to take it all in!
Day 4 - Tuesday. Had a quick brew then walked round Loch Morlich for a well-earned bacon and egg sandwich in the Glen More Visitor Centre's cafe - delicious! Headed off next down to Fife and into St Andrews. Dropped the Cali off at the campsite just south of the town and walked in for a lazy afternoon of beers and food. Taxi'ed back to the site around 8pm for an early night.
Day 5 - Drove down the coast for a breakfast by the beach then visited Crail and Pittenweem before heading back to Edinburgh to reluctantly return the Cali, called "Paterson" by the way.
My thoughts :
1) The Cali was better than I had imagined. I loved the 150 DSG with cruise control, the driving position, and the fact that everything worked so well.
2) Getting set up for the night or leaving in the morning was so quick and easy.
3) We used hook-up the first 2 nights. Was probably not needed as we were driving each day.
4) The trip was a rush...it was a great chance to try out the Cali though!!!
5) The three of us loved it....my daughter would of course prefer a 1970's VW camper, but that's her choice. My wife loved it too, which is a relief as she booked it all for my birthday.
6) We didn't wild camp (no portable toilet) but there are so many great spots that we passed by. Also found that www.searchforsites.co.uk throws up lots of options.
7) The spec of the van was perfect for us, and CaliforniaScotland provided all we needed, so a massive thanks to them!
8) This was the latest T6 and the additional lights and the split hob/sink glass makes perfect sense.
So in summary I am extremely jealous of all of you who own Cali's but I may join you one day...
Simon & Family.
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