Scotland MEET - 18th-19th November

eanni · Nov 16, 2012

That's a shame Jock after all your work :?

As I'm only coming from Inverness plan to be there about mid day - they said as the place is not busy arriving early is no problem

See folk tomorrow

DrJohnB · Nov 16, 2012

Well, WE made it! After about a 7 hour drive, and it seems VERY quiet. In fact I can't see another Cali in sight! Anyway, we're nice and cosy on pitch no. 32 and plan on going to the Atholl Arms for some dinner about 1930 hrs. So anybody is free to join us, after that it's an early night and a big breakfast when, eventually, we get up tomorrow. Then I'll take a photo of the 'group' (!!), for the record, in the morning. For you 'observers' it is currently, drizzly, and dark of course, but quite mild, and absolutely no wind. More reports in the morning.
Dr John & Ali.

calikev · Nov 16, 2012

Thanks John I really hope you folks have a good weekend. Good effort on your part getting
There :thumb

eanni · Nov 18, 2012

Great to meet the hardy folk who made it to Blair Castle Caravan Park for the Scottish meet. Five Cali's - three from Scotland and two intrepid vans from south of the border! Nice to meet everyone and although it was old - down to about -5C - new Cali Topper helped and the Silverscreen stopped condensation! Snow at the side of the road in Drummochter on the way home - but roads clear.

Be good to arrange one in late spring next year - maybe near Ullapool - before midges arrive! :evil: Great location and appreciate its a long drive but well worth it!

Ewan · Nov 18, 2012

Great to see everyone this weekend. Another meet - when it's slightly warmer - sounds a great idea !

Here are a few pics ...

Martin · Nov 18, 2012

Great photo's Ewan, very nice to see our first T4 attending a meet :thumb

I have created a new album in the Gallery for this meet

eanni · Nov 18, 2012

Here's the details of the campsite at Altandhu, near Achiltibuie, north of Ullapool:-

http://www.portabhaigh.co.uk/

Worth a look

Jasper25 · Nov 19, 2012

Wow, second night at Blair Atholl and a deluge of Biblical proportions kept us sleeping with one eye open. Thank goodness for the Khymer camper kozi.
Note to self, remember to drop one of the awning legs in the rain to prevent the pond above my head on stepping out this morning... Good to meet everyone & look forward to the next meet. Definitely picked up some top tips!
We're heading of this morning westerly, Over to Fort William, Glencoe & Loch Lomond, probably stop of Aryshire / Solway coast area tonight before retuning to base.

DrJohnB · Nov 19, 2012

Really nice to meet everybody, families and dogs! We look forward to the next one. In my effort to get an early start for our anticipated 7-hour return drive I too learned a valuable lesson. Do NOT try to stow (roll up) an awning if it is covered in a heavy frost. I tried, and as a result the whole mechanism froze solid with 18 inches still deployed. The material then froze onto the partially retracted arms and it wasn't going anywhere - in or out! The problem was eventually resolved, after an hour, by the use of a 240V extension cable, my wife's hair dryer, a pair of gloves and a large squeegee purloined from the ladies toilet (and returned). At one point it looked as though we might have to wait for the sun to come out to thaw the giant Swiss roll that had once been our awning. And judging from Jasper's post, and it being Scotland, that might have taken a week!
The west of Scotland looks very enticing Ann. Hope to see you all again next year.
Cheers,
John & Ali

beardie · Nov 19, 2012

An iced up awning isn't something that had occurred to me. Other than rolling it up before it gets below freezing I wonder whether anybody has suggestions. Would de-icing spray damage the material?

DrJohnB · Nov 19, 2012

I agree; not carrying de-icer, if only for its conventional use, is probably an oversight in Scotland in November. One may well need quite a lot to clear the entire top (and possibly bottom) of the awning. On this occasion I also noticed that, since my (hair dryer) remedy may have been less than total, after a few hours on the road the awning had 'crept' open slightly. Not enough to be a danger, but I suspect as the sun (a peculiarly English phenomenon) warmed up the remaining rolled up ice it caused the roll to loosen. I had previously learned to 'offset' the awning legs in the likelihood of significant overnight rain - the hard way (see Mark's post above); but it seems the awning has many lessons to impart to the inexperienced.
I'll certainly carry some in future. Ta.
John.

barry · Nov 19, 2012

eanni said:
Here's the details of the campsite at Altandhu, near Achiltibuie, north of Ullapool:-

http://www.portabhaigh.co.uk/

Worth a look

I have used this site.
The facilities are excellent, indeed.

Good showers, kitchen and a sitting area in the foyer for a half dozen folk - more if the van table and chairs are brought in - handy if the weather is wild..
The block was built only a couple of years ago and was in good nick in May 2012.
The bar next to the site has roaring open fires and a first rate sea food kitchen.
The bar and site are owned by the same people and one of the family has one of the small fishing boats moored nearby.

The campsite itself has many standings hard and soft and ehus and is about 20' above the sea with views over the summer isles. There is no beach to speak of but a very rocky shoreline over a small fence. We pitched next to the fence.

When we were there the weather was extremely wild. Very high winds which seriously rocked the van (we were sleeping upstairs). Quite exciting really. There would be no question of a tent or awning surviving being pitched in that sort of blow. And small children and dogs would be blown away (I think that's a Wainwright line).

The 28 mile road to the site (off the main Ullapool-Cape Wrath road going north) turns off to the west about 4 miles north of Ullapool and is very twisty, single track and slow, but with excellent views. There's opportunities for serious hill climbing along this road.

Major disadvantage is no beach to speak of and the long access road; major advantage is the pub across the road and its food and the whole area is really quite quite remote.

We'd go back ...

ps The front at Ullapool has an excellent Italian-style cake and coffee shop with some of the best coffee I've ever had and is an excellent booster for the last 30 miles of the journey. Oh and on the corner is a wonderful old fshioned book store with very proud owners who'll talk all day.