Skip to main content

Rain and more rain

It really was a beautiful overnight spot and with great timing, the rain stopped and we walked along the road for a couple of miles. One or two vehicles passed and as is normal here, everyone waved. The coastline is rock and sand with steep slopes just inland from the road. Copious rain meant water everywhere and new streams tried to get over or under the road whichever way they could.


We posted a card in the loveliest letter box too, saw some highland cattle and then admired the view from our spot.






I really wanted to try a drive across at the peninsula on the other side, from there to a point further round the coast. However it’s only a track and a sign clearly said “No” at the point where we would have turned to it.

We stopped for picnic lunch at Tayvallich, well actually the west side which is Carsaig. Tayvallich is a fantastic natural harbour on Loch Sween whereas Carsaig is on the Jura side. It’s only half a mile between them.

A local lady, of pretty much four score and ten, was interested in our Land Rover but also pointed out the sights - mainly the island of Scarba.




We talked about CoVID19 and she asked me where we are from. When I said the Peak District, she hesitated and then asked for confirmation that “That’s in England isn’t it?”
continuing innocently, “Were there any checks when you crossed the border?”.

So we continued to a promising overnight stop, shown on Park4night I think. Again we turned off the primary road and followed a smaller one past cottages and houses, plus a very big boatyard and marina. The road got narrower until a gate signpost pointed to the car park. This really was at the end of the road and what a spot it is.




No sooner had we arrived than the rain started again. The humidity was off the scale inside the Landy and we could hardly work out if the wet inside was leaks or condensation!

However. as ‘wild camping’ spots go, this is about the best. At the end of the road, no lights and no one else interested in coming to stay.




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Potes and environs

Potes is a bustling town that’s clearly ‘in the mountains’ but isn’t quite a mountain town. Well that was what we thought until we went for a walk. More on that later. First we got to know the site ( Camping La Viorna ) and the neighbours. After the squeeze of the first night near the pool, we were upgraded to a pitch at the end of the lowest terrace which had a superb view of the eastern massive of the Picos. So although this was still a squeeze pitch, somehow we felt good about it. The ‘squeeze’ happened later in the day. ☺️ Happily our immediate neighbours were quiet Dutchland people who like to eat their tea early and retire in good time. They always enjoy taking to us Brits, rather than those Germans and soon I was engaged because I was asked a question. “Why do you have a UK flag on your number plate, rather than a Welsh Scottish or English flag?”. Tricky! I explained that England isn’t a country like Wales or Scotland. They have their own  parliaments and make rules for them...

First views of the Picos

 Santillana del Mar comes as a surprise to those of us that haven’t done the prep and read about this place. Fancy having planning controls going back to the 16C. when you have such amazing stone buildings. This town is a tourist town certainly but it’s thoroughly deserved. Beautiful sturdy Cotswold stone coloured buildings are everywhere. The stone quoins, lintols and supports are impressive but there’s plenty of substantial hefty cross sections of wood too. We wander the streets, looking at the wares aimed at us tourists but encounter cascades of water from the roof tiles. It’s raining and there are no gutters! The bar is welcoming and we cleverly order dos caƱas de cerveza  having learnt this glass size from a bartender in Tenerife. We are rewarded with a plate of crisps too and settle on the bar stools, wondering whether to eat here. Unfortunately we discuss this for too long and the tables fill and we are left on the bar stools until we decide to wander again. Inside...

Lago del Valle

Continuing the walking theme, the next day we drove up another of the five valleys that connect with Pola de Somiedo, to get to a suitable start point. This was just below the last hamlet, Outeiro which is at the end of the tarmac. The intention was to walk from there, up to the corrie / cwm of Lago del Valle. The snag of the day was that as we set off to drive the narrow steep road up the gorge from the campsite, we immediately caught up with a full size concrete lorry, This was making its way to that last village and el driver was  not in a mood to pull over. So we had time to look at the gorge-that-becomes-a-high-valley. It’s hard to describe these landscapes. They are severe, incredibly scenic, remote and completely unspoilt. They are also so near the ferry ports of the coast that only £800 separates them from more campervan travellers from Great Britain (& Northern Island). We started the walk and soon saw the concrete which had already been dropped for the pad of a build...