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| COOL SHADES |
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| SUPPER'S UP |
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| EDINBURGH |
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| MILKY OWL LOOKING SUSPICIOUS |
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| NOW WE KNOW WE ARE IN SCOTLAND |
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| PREPARATIONS FOR THE TATOO |
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| NEW FORTH ROAD BRIDGE - THE QUEENSFERRY CROSSING - UNDER CONSTRUCTION |
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| SCHEIHALLION - OUR FIRST MOUNTAIN |
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| ROCKY TERRAIN |
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| EN ROUTE TO BEN LOYAL |
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| HERE AT LAST |
We set off at midday on Saturday 23rd July, sharing the driving on the long uneventful journey north, past Birmingham, Manchester and Carlisle before turning off the A74(M) at Moffat to reach our first stop at Peebles. The day was dry and sunny.
It was gone 8.00pm by the time we got to Peebles, but we quickly located the Rossetta Holiday Park nearby, where, following a little negotiation, they let us stay for £10. The campsite had a bar in a castle-like building overlooking the site, but all we wanted was a shower before eating and settling down for our first night sleeping in the car.
In the morning we took the short drive to Edinburgh, leaving the car at Ingliston Park & Ride, and taking the tram to Princes Street.
We took a stroll to the eastern end of Princes Street, then to the Palace of Holyrood House at the foot of Holyrood Park. We didn't have time to walk to Arthur's Seat on the top, and when it started to rain we were glad we didn't. Instead, we sheltered under an umbrella as we walked the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Old Town and the famous Castle. Along the way, Rubi took a shine to a Milky Owl on display and I photographed her with it on her arm.
Outside the Castle entrance, tiered seating had been assembled for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tatoo which runs over most of August. There were also lots of posters promoting various entertainments at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which takes place at the same time. Perhaps we will come back and see all this some time.
We caught the tram back to Ingliston Park & Ride then continued our drive north. Crossing the Firth of Forth on the road bridge, we were impressed to see both the famous rail bridge to our right and the new road bridge in the process of construction on our left. The new bridge is necessary because the one on which we were crossing is suffering from corrosion problems. Thankfully, it didn't give out while we were on it.
A couple of hours of driving took us to a car park with toilet facilities at the foot of Schiehallion, just in time to cook supper before it started to get dark. Schiehallion is a 1,083 metre high mountain about 12 miles to the west of Pitlochry. Our first encounter with the dreaded Scottish midges kept us in the car most of the time.
In the morning we donned our walking gear and headed for the summit. The weather fluctuated between rain and sun, but got colder and wetter as we neared the top. The rocky terrain also made it hard going. We had brought a packed lunch, but chose to bring it down again so we could eat it at a picnic table in the car park, where it was warmer. The round trip up and down the mountain had taken us five and a half hours.
It was late afternoon when we set off, this time on a 4 hour drive which took us past Inverness and Bonar Bridge to a place called Altnaharra, where we car-camped in a layby. In the fading light three cyclists passed by.
In the morning we availed ourselves of the facilities of the Altnaharra Hotel where we met the three cyclists getting ready for the next stage of their John o'Groats to Land's End charity ride. Brave souls!
Our goal for the following day was to climb Ben Loyal. We started from Ribigill Farm and headed south towards the ominous looking mountain which comprises a number of peaks. It was a very steep climb just to get onto the plateau. By then we had run out of time so I navigated us down again on a slightly less steep route. By the time we got back to the car it was 6.30pm and Rubi was truly knackered.
After a reviving cup of tea and a cheese roll, we drove the final hour to Durness. At last we had reached the north coast of Scotland. We did a quick reconnaissance of the small town so we knew where everything was, then parked at the side of the road for another night.
Tomorrow was Wednesday 27th and we deserved a rest day.