Introducing….

Autumn Adventure - Day 8

Although I had a great day sightseeing in Inverness yesterday, my wrist and hand are still painful after my fall 2 days ago, so I decided to stay a third night tonight at the campsite in Dingwall and have another rest day. I also needed to do some washing, so that was my only real ‘chore’ today, other than making something to eat! I’m thankful for good laundry facilities at the campsite, even though it’s expensive! There aren’t many other ‘guests’ this late in the season, so I didn’t have to fight for a washing machine or dryer. It was windy which would have been perfect for hanging clothes out, but it was also raining on and off the whole day.

As you can see, I have a new friend! Nessie jumped out of Loch Ness and into my Campervan a couple of days ago, and is now along for the ride! She said she’s eager to see the rest of her great country of Scotland! Hopefully she won’t be too lonely, because (shhhh…don’t tell anyone!!) she’s not the only ‘creature’ I have on board!!

As some of you may have realised - those of you who ‘know’ - I am in Scotland with a particular focus. My plan is to drive the 500 miles of the North Coast 500 (516 miles, to be totally accurate!). I’m sure I’ll do many more than that as I go off track and visit many of the small villages and sights of the Scottish Highlands (see Extra photo).

The NC500 has been dubbed ‘Scotlands Route 66’. The roads are nothing new, of course, but the route has been strongly marketed as such since 2015.

The NC500 is a bit controversial - some would say it has become a victim of its own success, without a strong-enough infrastructure to support it. Sadly, this controversy has been compounded by plenty of stupid behaviour by some of the visitors, especially during the years of Covid when there was little opportunity for international travel. I hope to be a very considerate and respectful tourist and to do all I can to support the local economy. I wouldn’t dream of coming during the peak summer season and I’m hoping that October will provide me with quieter roads and a lack of midges!

It’s a gamble with the weather, of course, and I’ve already experienced a fair amount of wind, rain, and cold! It’s also a bit of a challenge for me, as I’m not used to moving on every day when I’m camping, so I’m sure I’ll come up with some new ways of doing things to make it easier. I haven’t booked anything ahead of time, which is another great reason to come at the end of the season. Most campsites and other business stay open until the end of October, so hopefully I won’t have any trouble just ‘rocking up’ when I’m ready to call it a day. I much prefer not to be tied in to a set schedule.


I am, of course, (nothing new) terribly behind with my blips!! It’s now November and I am back home. My month-long trip around Scotland was action-packed, so I was way too tired in the evenings to think of blipping! Now that I’m home (and off work with a yucky cold), I’m determined to catch up!!
Feel free to scroll back if you want to see earlier days.