So to the drama of the first spot chosen to stop yesterday. It had been earmarked on the way home when we drove through over two weeks ago. As Ian drove up to it I took a photo of a Mountain Rescue vehicle parked right by the river next to a van. We pulled in to what looked like a gravel path and discovered to our horror that we were faced with large boulders and lots of mud. A car and another mountain rescue vehicle had parked toward the side which meant turning was an impossibility. Oh eck! Now, what to do! Ian tried to reverse but the front wheels started spinning. The gravel was flung about in all directions and we were going nowhere. So he drove forward and then backwards again but still no joy. Oh no, were we now stuck? It was lucky then, that those mountain rescue vehicles were nearby but Ian is a very determined sort of bloke and would not give in. I got out, made sure the road was clear behind us, Ian drove forward, put his foot down once he selected reverse gear and shot out onto the road like a cork out of a champagne bottle! I hastily got back in the Beast and drove off with a massive sense of relief!
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| The white van was the rescue vehicle, blue lights were flashing. |
My God did it rain last night. That wind...I feared the Beast was going over at one point. All night the buffeting continued and today was no better. 'Nothing but rain for the Southern part of Scotland until late afternoon' according to the Beebs forecaster. So what were we going to do today??
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| Leaving the overnight parking spot. |
After a lot of deliberating, I notice on the map that Inveraray Jail could be visited. Ah, an inside excursion so we can stay dry, great! Away we drove through the rest of Glencoe, which again would have been so picturesque if it wasn't for that dam low cloud and insistent rain!
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| Plenty of water cascading down the mountain |
Arrived at Inveraray and the rain kept coming. No chance of parking near the jail so it was a wet walk to the entrance. Paying the £9.50 each for concessions, this is another place we recommend. We must have spent a good 90 minutes there with plenty of gory tales of prisoners and many a cell to visit.
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| The courtroom |
The old part of the Jail form the 18th century
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| No light other than candles, no heating and prisoners slept on floors. |
New Prison and improvements made.
And the modern-day prisons
It was decided to go into a proper site this evening. Washing, loo emptying and water were all needed and Ian found one at the Southern point of Loch Lomond, place called Balloch We would never usually have paid the £30 asked for at this site but all the other campsites around about were fully booked. First stop was the motor van service point. While I filled the tank with water Ian went off to do the loo. He came back asking for £2 as this site had those new all singing all dancing camper clean chemical disposal units. After putting in the money, the door opens, in goes the cassette and the cleaning process starts. After several minutes the door opens again and the clean cassette emerges complete with a bio chemical already put in. I must say both of us were suitably impressed at how clean the cassette was so maybe £2 for a 'deep clean' was well worth it.
And seen on route,
Plenty of rainbows
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| Low over the trees |
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| Lorries spray causing a rainbow effect |
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| On the approach to the campsite. |
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