Two Drifters

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Tues - the eagle is landed

We've been members of the RSGB probably for a couple of decades or more. We enjoy watching birds and the charity is a driving force behind all forms of wildlife conservation in the UK. We discovered that there are a couple of guided walks on this week, but the Thursday

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Mon - finding the plot

Decisions, decisions - do we carry on with Feis events and go over to the Caol Ila distillery for their open day or do we do our own thing. The deciding factor is actually tomorrow's plan. Tomorrow we hope to get up early enough to go down the bottom of

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Sunday - a party in a distillery

It's Feis here on Islay. A week long whisky and music festival, although the emphasis seems to be on the whisky! This means the island is busy with campervans. Note, I said "campervans" rather than "motorhomes". Whereas these were relatively rare on Mull and Westeros compared to motorhomes, particularly the

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Sat - avec mois le deluge

Last night's choice of car park to overnight in was excellent. Despite being close to the train line it was quiet enough as few trains use the line. Wi-Fi was available via CalMac whose ferry terminal was just over the line or BT Fon. A decent night's sleep too.Rather

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Friday, this is the life

Back to the mainland (briefly) today, with the midday ferry to Oban. Nothing to report of the morning, just the usual routine of breaking camp: showers, empty the loo, ready the van, check for tyre damage after yesterday's "thump".Let's just finish last night first. We wandered across the road

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Wed/Thurs–out and about

The idea was to pop over to Staffa today to see Fingal’s Cave. But it was so horribly yesterday, the boat is open and we might be sitting for 45 minutes in cold wind or even rain to get there and again on the return trip. Given that it

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Tuesday–confined to barracks

OK – no complaints. It’s been cold but we’ve had little rain since Edinburgh so were due some. And it’s good if it all comes at once. It started raining heavily at 10am this morning and stopped at 5pm. Raining sufficiently heavily that it was just too wet

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Monday–a shabby raincoat and a squint

Well, I thought Liz said we were off to see the tomb of Columbo . Yep, Iona today to visit the monastery and the place that Christianity first came to these shores (or more precisely, an island just off these shores). First, an explanation. I’m sure many of the myriads

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Sunday–the chillin’ starts tomorrow

Off to Oban today on the 12:30 ferry. Lets work backward, need to be at the ferry port for 12, it’s an hour’s journey, best allow another hour for traffic hold ups, give us enough time to get fuel etc. So need to be offsite by 10.

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Sunday, wot no blog?!

Gentle reader, it is likely that I shall be off-grid for a couple of days, depending on how/when we find internet on Mull. Our proposed campsite is very remote and unlikely to have phone or internet. Do not fear, I plan to maintain the daily ramblings and will post

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Saturday, Wellies, Lochs and a Vital Spark

Firstly to confirm David's suspicion, glamping is, indeed, a portmanteau of 'glamourous camping'. The idea is to provide luxury pods (i.e. huts) in lieu of tent, with all the mod cons including heating. Not real camping of course, but if it persuades 21st century families, particularly their children, to

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Friday - An interesting castle? You might say that, I couldn't possibly comment

Heading south now. Aim is to get to Oban in the next couple of days and head on over to Mull. The first part of today's journey travels the 23 mile length of Loch Ness, along its northern shore. Now here's an interesting fact (let's avoid the philosophical discussion as

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Thursday - all the way from Slavonia

It's overcast, drizzly and not too warm. Still we do need to housekeep today. First thing on the agenda, after breakfast that is, is washing. It's piled up again so Liz sets off to sort that out whilst I laze around and do nothing wash up the breakfast things. By

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Weds - Inverness

Wot - no snappy title for today's blog, just the boring "Inverness". Perhaps that reflects our thoughts! We'd expected the town to be a thriving metropolis, the hub of Scottish Highland life, after all it is the only major town for many, many miles. Trouble is, like many British towns

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Tues - On the road again

Well, once again, the weather played a part in our plans. This time by being too sunny. How come? Patience, gentle reader, all will be revealed. The idea for today is to set off and drive the ultra-scenic Wester Ross (don't ya' just love the George R Martin tie-in) Coastal

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Monday - well that didn't last long

Internet access that is. No internet here on site but good 3G for me and OK for Liz. So a morning of catching up emails etc. Liz has a poorely foot, probably rheumatism and almost certainly exascerbated by the 9 mile rugged cairn walk on Orkney and then not rested

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Sunday - lots to see, little to say

Driving day again today, on down to Ullapool - if only to get wifi. Managed just about here in Scourie - there was a very weak BT Fon which I could occassionally access for long enough to log in and do about 30 secs worth of upload before being dropped.

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Saturday - Messing about in boats

The reason for choosing the campsite here at Scourie is that there is a bird nature reserve island just offshore and ferries run from Tarbet just up the road to the island of Handa. Parking down at Tarbet is limited and parking will be cumulative, people will park in the

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Going forward, backwards

Back to the mainland today. The 11:50 ferry means an early alarm call – We need to be off site by 10:30, there's washing up to be done, toilet to be emptied and stuff stowed for a trip. All done and at the ferry by 10:50. Not time

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Fri - Normal service will be resumed

Off Orkney, now in Scourie on the NW coast. No phone data nor internet on the campsite nor in the village, except a very weak WiFi in the local pub where, hopefully this will post. I may have weak voice phone on 07481 181553 , so a call or text may

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Thurs - Soft Kittiwake, Warm Kittiwake, little ball of ...

Week 7 starts, 6 weeks out, a couple of days past the half way point. Rain overnight but a dry, promising start to our last full day on the islands. A tidy up day today, into Kirkwall to see the last sight we failed to see,  St Magnus' Cathedral and

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Weds - Hen Harrier is the new Curlew

Oh well not quite, but bear with me dear reader.It's raining again, not heavy and not enough to stop us going out. Or it wouldn't be on its own, but in combination with the hoolie blowing wind it is going to be pretty unpleasant out there. No more housekeeping

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Tues - pooh, what a blustery day

Some 'orrible weather overnight Monday and still heavy rain on Tuesday morning. Not a good day for going out. So we decided on a housekeeping morning. 2 loads of washing, empty the loo, that sort of stuff. Only one minor mishap, the weather slowly started to clear as the morning

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Soggy going

Having toured the north mainland yesterday, it was the turn of the south. For those unfamiliar with Orkney, the main island, appropriately called Mainland, is linked by a causeway road to 4 other islands: South Ronaldsay, Burray, Glimps Holm and Lamb Holm. The latter 2 being very tiny specks of

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Sunday - Curlew is the new Oystercatcher

The weird title of today's entry will be explained later.Firstly a Sunday morning religious service. It's Beltane, May Day and a significant event in many calendars, including the druidic one. So at 10am there is a full druidic ceremony at the Ring Of Brodgar stone circle (not quite as