Plan "B" for Scotland....

....just returned from our latest trip to Scotland - had two surprises...was pleasantly impressed with Calmac ferry prices - used Ardrossan /Lochranza/Tarbert/Colintraive/Rothesay, and even the dearest was only £23 for van and two of us. I do like ferry crossings, really feel you're going somewhere different. 
The other surprise was less pleasant....we were away for 18 nights - and the number of completely dry days was....one.
The first weeks was particularly wet and windy, and we were unable to leave Arran on the Sunday 'cos the ferries were disrupted by the wind.
 
We are not unused to bad weather in Scotland for walking, so there is always a plan B, which is...............Chardonnay !

We got through a few bottles !

It didn't help when we heard on the radio about the exceptionally hot weather down south......we seem to have the knack of avoiding wherever the weather is good - the first two weeks in June we took our bikes all the way down to the New Forest - actually took picnic chairs and suncream ...spent the first four days cycling in drizzle, then my wife came off her bike on one of the many cattle grids, and broke her wrist - end of cycling ! spent the rest of the time touring round the area, but the weather didn't improve much, anyway.

I like your Plan B, except mine's more along the line of a full bodied red !

Being from Cumbria, I expect you will be very used to damp conditions, but even at the best of times, wet cattle grids and bikes don't mix too well. 

Hope your wife is well on the way to recovery by now, 

Ken.

....thanks, at the time it was really difficult to live in a small van with one arm in a sling, but she has nearly returned to normal activities.

Yes, a good Merlot is very nice....but one rule we have is - no red wine in the van !

We've had a couple of mercifully small "accidents" with white on the upholstery, but no way will I risk a red !

Did you stop on the island ,we lived and worked on Bute for 16years before relocating down here.
What did you think of the wee place, we lived in Argyle street about 500 yards from the ferry terminal .
Hope the weather was good for you, your plan B should have been a good single malt 
Boaby

repoort wrote:....thanks, at the time it was really difficult to live in a small van with one arm in a sling, but she has nearly returned to normal activities.

Yes, a good Merlot is very nice....but one rule we have is - no red wine in the van !

We've had a couple of mercifully small "accidents" with white on the upholstery, but no way will I risk a red !

I must have been lucky over the years, as I've never had a red spill in any of my vans.... Either that, or I'm just too greedy to waste it

burlingtonboaby wrote:Did you stop on the island ,we lived and worked on Bute for 16years before relocating down here.
What did you think of the wee place, we lived in Argyle street about 500 yards from the ferry terminal .
Hope the weather was good for you, your plan B should have been a good single malt 
Boaby

...yes, we spent our last two nights on Bute before returning home......arrived on the Colintraive ferry, paused at the marina at Port Bannatyne, interesting history re WW2 midget submarines, also lovely old tram shed, now bus depot....then we had two nights at Roseland site, well above the town by golf course. Like a lot of sites nowadays it is mainly for statics - the hardstanding and grass pitches are surrounded by static vans. Whilst the facilities were o.k, it wasn't one of the better sites of our holiday. Just by coincidence there was cycling events at the weekend, so the site was busier than normal. Quite impressive watching them toil up all the zig-zags, Canada Hill.
The town itself was interesting for it's historical association with the mass tourism of the grand old days of the paddle steamers, but like a lot of seaside towns the grand old days are long gone, the usual empty shops and shabby buildings.
The only completely dry day of our whole eighteen days was at Rothesay, so we do have something to remember it by !

Thank you so much for the wee update, did you go to any of the beaches, or visit the Big house (Mount Stuart ) .
We loved the beaches ,our wee dog ,who's 15 now ran for miles and miles along them, we used to snorkel in wet suites from the rocks around the corner from Etterick bay.
My mother in law used to live near the top of the zig zag hill, she used to do the Munro's too .
Roseland static site has always been for the statics and wooden chalets, there used to be several farms and small holdings that let you pitch up .
Miss the Island ,
Boaby

....no, didn't see any more of the island, we were more or less on our way home, it was just an opportunity to vary our route and use some more ferries. Where would Scotland be without Calmac !
I would imagine that Roseland is a lot bigger now than you remember, still building big wooden lodges.

repoort wrote:....no, didn't see any more of the island, we were more or less on our way home, it was just an opportunity to vary our route and use some more ferries. Where would Scotland be without Calmac !
I would imagine that Roseland is a lot bigger now than you remember, still building big wooden lodges.

Thanks once again for the wee chat.
Boaby