Scottish Winter road trip and beyond to Europe! (Title edit Feb 24)

[mcdonaldneal.]

I thought I would start this thread about a Scottish winter road trip in our California Ocean, partly as a diary of the trip and partly for anyone who might be interested in the practicalities of Winter camping in a California!
For 23 years we have travelled and camped across Europe and the UK in a 1977 Bay window Dormobile camper we brought back from Australia, and last year had a ten week road trip along the East coast of Australia and Tasmania in a (different!) 1976 Dormobile Bay. Enormous fun, and many great memories, but we decided to bring ourselves up to date this year and got ‘Moana’, a 2022, bay leaf green, 4motion , California Ocean.
Quite a change!
We’re absolutely loving her and have been on several camping trips already in Scotland and the Peak District, and a big return trip to Croatia via Germany, Austria and Slovenia and back via the Dolomites and the Alps. All accompanied by our travelling cat ‘Medo’, who is a very contented little camper!

Anyway I (Phil) have just over a week on my own and the plan is to head North via Stirling and the Trossachs, up to the Aberdeenshire coast, beyond Inverness to the far North coast (part of the North coast 500 route) and back through the NW highlands. A mixture of ‘off grid’ free camping, Aires and maybe some campsites mixed in. Winter has suddenly arrived, with a dusting of snow and temperatures of -5deg forecast for the first night on the shores of Loch Earn!! At least it should be warmer in a Cali than a 45 year old Dormobile Kombi!!
The internet reception is pretty patchy but I’ll hopefully be able to post pics and descriptions of where Medo and I get to and any comments or questions are welcome!
I used to post threads of our adventures on the VW site ‘The Samba’ but as we are now water cooled I’ll see how I get on here! Apologies for the long-winded introduction!

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

The weather has been below freezing at home in East Lothian for a couple of days and set to stay that way, so packing included an extra warm coat and bedding enough to be able to sleep downstairs. The top bed has been fine down to 0deg but it’s definitely warmer downstairs (just more of a faff!)
I had a set of Michelin CrossClimate all-season tyres fitted this week which I’m very happy about (the fitter refused at first because it was a load rating downgrade from the C rated tyres I had on, but the door sticker saved the day!)
A couple of pics from home before the journey North.

 

[Corradobrit]

Love the number plate and idea of the travelling cat companion. It's surprising how well some cats adapt to van life. At least you won't have to worry about overheating.....or midges.
Looking forward to reading and seeing your Scottish Highlands adventure.

 

[BeeBee]

Sounds braw, but I’m sure you’ve had a fair wee bit additional snow as looking at the coverage it was pretty heavy in some areas.
Great idea taking the cat along, our dog loves the van but don’t often see a travelling cat .
Will be following your travels with interest… enjoy.

 

[This_one_goes_to_eleven]

Love the cat idea. We have 3 Maine coons. I know the 2 boys would be crawling all over the van and terrified but the girl we have would literally just sit content and enjoys the views.

Takes me back to my night in any camper van, an unheated Mazda Bongo , at Glencoe as it hit -10C overnight

Enjoy your trip.

 

[KevH]

This sounds fabulous and certainly more doable in a Cali than in a Late Bay conversion, even with a cat on board.
Having recently moved from an Early Bay to a Cali via a T6 I am very much looking forward to reading about your journey.
Good luck

 

[BeagleMum]

I thought I would start this thread about a Scottish winter road trip in our California Ocean, partly as a diary of the trip and partly for anyone who might be interested in the practicalities of Winter camping in a California!
For 23 years we have travelled and camped across Europe and the UK in a 1977 Bay window Dormobile camper we brought back from Australia, and last year had a ten week road trip along the East coast of Australia and Tasmania in a (different!) 1976 Dormobile Bay. Enormous fun, and many great memories, but we decided to bring ourselves up to date this year and got ‘Moana’, a 2022, bay leaf green, 4motion , California Ocean.
Quite a change!
We’re absolutely loving her and have been on several camping trips already in Scotland and the Peak District, and a big return trip to Croatia via Germany, Austria and Slovenia and back via the Dolomites and the Alps. All accompanied by our travelling cat ‘Medo’, who is a very contented little camper!

Anyway I (Phil) have just over a week on my own and the plan is to head North via Stirling and the Trossachs, up to the Aberdeenshire coast, beyond Inverness to the far North coast (part of the North coast 500 route) and back through the NW highlands. A mixture of ‘off grid’ free camping, Aires and maybe some campsites mixed in. Winter has suddenly arrived, with a dusting of snow and temperatures of -5deg forecast for the first night on the shores of Loch Earn!! At least it should be warmer in a Cali than a 45 year old Dormobile Kombi!!
The internet reception is pretty patchy but I’ll hopefully be able to post pics and descriptions of where Medo and I get to and any comments or questions are welcome!
I used to post threads of our adventures on the VW site ‘The Samba’ but as we are now water cooled I’ll see how I get on here! Apologies for the long-winded introduction!

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We are regular travellers to Scotland so looking forward to following your trip, enjoy.

 

[B J G]

I always found that it it felt colder up in Aberdeenshire for the same air temperature as back home in Lincolnshire. ie 4 degrees in Lincs - drive up - 4 degrees in Aberdeenshire but chilled to the bone? Probably down to more severe wind chill factor.

As they say you need layers of clothing and so will the Cali to keep snug.

If you see Deer at low level then that's a traditional bad weather warning not to be ignored.

 

[bvddobb]

If you see Deer at low level then that's a traditional bad weather warning not to be ignored.

That's a tip we were not yet familiar with!

After a in some respects disappointing X-mas Holiday trip to wintery Scotland around New Year's Eve 2109/2020, we are off to a second try week 2 and week 3 this coming January, so we will be following this thread with lots of interest!

 

[JollyGoodShow]

That's a tip we were not yet familiar with!

After a in some respects disappointing X-mas Holiday trip to wintery Scotland around New Year's Eve 2109/2020, we are off to a second try week 2 and week 3 this coming January, so we will be following this thread with lots of interest!

First prize is a trip to Scotland in winter. Second prize is two trips.

It’s really dark, cold, wet and miserable in Scotland in winter. I assumed people like going there so when they came back everything seemed great.

On the plus side, great scenery and people, and Edinburgh and Glasgow are fab cities.

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

Thanks for all the comments, great to see them. I’ve been driving from 8:30 to 4pm today, so this is the first chance I’ve had to post again. I’m sure there’ll be a bit of a time lag on the posts compared to where I am on the road but no matter!
I had zero phone or internet reception last night, so I’ll start there.
Actually, I’ll start with a picture of the cat, as a few of you were interested! Medo is ten now but she has been travelling happily since her first trip to Croatia when she was 4 months old. She just curls up between the seats, or on an empty seat when we’re driving and wanders through the back for food or her litter tray when she feels like it. She seems very content and I think she appreciates the extra room in the Cali vs the old Kombi, which could be a bit cramped.

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

So. Last night.
After I dropped Shona and her friend off for her week near Balquhidder I headed to a camp spot I have been to a few times in the old Kombi. It’s a few miles up an ungritted single track road to a fisherman’s car park by the side of Loch Earn. Pretty remote, very quiet and I knew I could find it in the dark!
I just parked up, more or less level, made a cuppa and sorted my things, after having got rid of two passengers and their luggage. It was pretty cold (-2deg) so I decided to sleep downstairs despite the faff of rolling up the carpet, putting the luggage upstairs and hauling the bench seat back and forwards from inside the van. All while trying not to stand in Medo’s cat food or litter (mostly successfully)!
I tend to reheat meals that I have made in advance at home, so I had a veggie curry and a hard boiled egg, bread, cheese and fruit and cream, washed down with coffee from the Bialetti.
I left the diesel heater on overnight at level ‘2’ which was just about ok. Partly for me and partly to keep a bit of heat circulating to the water tank and the wastewater so they don’t freeze. Added insulation is from the ‘Minster Polar’ thermal screen cover.
I think I heard one vehicle drive past overnight and I was woken by the farmer’s Land Rover at the gate opposite to feed the sheep.
Extra photo of my ‘organised’ packing (and the cat)!!

 

[Corradobrit]

Very well organised and what a view. Scotland has an overwhelming abundance of world class views. Very jelly sitting here in the snow in boring, flat Hannover.

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

Thanks to the farmer, I was up early this morning. So, I made breakfast, filled a flask with strong coffee, washed my face and set off up the road at 8:30.
I’ve posted travelling threads on TheSamba for years, and one of their rules is you can only upload pictures to the gallery if they have a VW in them (or are VW related)! I can’t kick the habit, so I’m afraid most of my pics will have Moana in. Some are from the driver’s seat, but on a deserted road with the engine off and keys out, parked. Naturally. Or from the passenger seat, leaning over (for composition).
There hadn’t been a great deal of snow, but you can see it is pretty cold!

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

Holy crap! Just looked at the forecast for tonight for where I’m parked…
-12, feels like -15deg
It feels like this has just turned into a survival scenario. Wish me luck!
I’m thinking: sleep downstairs again, heating on overnight, cupboard doors open to keep the water from freezing, try to have a bit of ventilation for condensation.
Any other tips?!

 

[JollyGoodShow]

Holy crap! Just looked at the forecast for tonight for where I’m parked…
-12, feels like -15deg
It feels like this has just turned into a survival scenario. Wish me luck!
I’m thinking: sleep downstairs again, heating on overnight, cupboard doors open to keep the water from freezing, try to have a bit of ventilation for condensation.
Any other tips?!

View attachment 116892

An hotel?

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

An hotel?

Bit short on hotels in this part of nowhere! Probably more realistic to descend to a lower level. The coast is about an hour away but I think I’ll see how I get on for now.

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

On the plus side, I haven’t had to turn on the fridge since I left home, so I suppose that saves the leisure batteries !

 

[Corradobrit]

Holy crap! Just looked at the forecast for tonight for where I’m parked…
-12, feels like -15deg
It feels like this has just turned into a survival scenario. Wish me luck!
I’m thinking: sleep downstairs again, heating on overnight, cupboard doors open to keep the water from freezing, try to have a bit of ventilation for condensation.
Any other tips?!

View attachment 116892

Better turn the diesel heater up to 3

 

[myvanrodney]

I was playing with the diesel heater the other night with the roof up - couldn’t believe how hot it got inside the van on setting 10 !… surely you’ll be absolutely fine

 

[Corradobrit]

I was playing with the diesel heater the other night with the roof up - couldn’t believe how hot it got inside the van on setting 10 !… surely you’ll be absolutely fine

Mordor comes to mind at setting 10

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

Better turn the diesel heater up to 3

Now I’m nervous! It’s on 4 and it’s 19deg inside (ie: fine!)
The chilli is heating and the cat is happy, so I think I’m alright.

 

[Perfectos]

Any other tips?!

Give the cat a cuddle (reciprocating) you’ll share some heat

 

[mcdonaldneal.]

I drove for an hour or so, and then up another untreated road from Loch Tay to the start point of some mountain walks. I wanted to drop down to a pretty Glen I have been to before but there was a little snow in the car park. Glad of the snow tyres (and the 4wd).
The cat remained nonplussed.

 

[Cali Phillip]

I drove for an hour or so, and then up another untreated road from Loch Tay to the start point of some mountain walks. I wanted to drop down to a pretty Glen I have been to before but there was a little snow in the car park. Glad of the snow tyres (and the 4wd).
The cat remained nonplussed.

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Hope you get an nice view from that Ben Lawes carpark. I was up there in Jan, it was much more icy a little beyond there ( for all season tyres and no chains as plan z) , was the coming down being the concern.