Scotland

[Rick_5041348]

Hi all we are going to C&CC site Luss at Loch Lomond, in early June

We are traveling from Essex, What I intend to do is leave home at about 11pm at night and go through the night obviously stopping for breaks, Thought I would use the motorways to get into Scotland in the morning normally solo I use to get to Glasgow in about 6 hours so hoping I can do it in 12 with the van. So has anybody done M1 M5 at night with van that can recommend decent services for stops Parking wise and also anyone been to Luss that can give us any info on the site ie do we need levelers etc.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

No levellers needed just plenty of Caledonium Midgius repellant, the place is alive with them :O(

If you get told they don't come out in the rain take no notice. I was packing away to move on to the next site when it was raining. The only part of me showing while wearing my cagoulle was my hands and face and the buggers were sticking to my wet skin trying to bite the bites because I hardly had any unbitten flesh left.

Saying that you might be bad meat like Her Ladyship, in three weeks she never had one bite.

Apart from that the site is O.K. although I wouldn't put it in the top half of sites I've been to.

 

[davedee]

Does the midge problem effect the whole of Scotland or is it, as we have heard, only a west coast problem?

Going to Rosemarkie for the last week in April and then touring down the west coast for a while, Skye, Mull, Kintyre, etc.

D&D

 

[LadyMo]

Hi D&D,

The midge season is from end of May to beg.of September,and they are mostly on the west.

Maureen

 

[davedee]

Hi Maureen.

Thanks for the info.

In that case, we may do the west coast first, ie beginning of April.

Ta again.

D&D

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Rosemarkie is o.k. d&d.

We went there on the same trip as we did Loch Lomond. We also went to Brora on the east coast which was clear of them.

Bunree and North Ledaig on the west coast had them but the worse place by far was in the central highlands at Killin.

Killin was our last stop so by then I had double-decker bites so there was nowhere else for them to get their gnashers into :O)

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I forgot, Carradale Bay and Mull was alive with them but didn't see any on Arran although no doubt they are there, it's just that they wasn't expecting me cos I crept up behind the sods.

 

[mealsonwheels]

Hi Rick,

We are in East Anglia and used to tow the same route as you to Scotland, then one year we decided to try going on the A14 across to the M6 and we now go that way all the time. We leave home around 6am, or earlier, on a Sunday morning and go via the toll road, which cuts quite a corner off the journey and it's motorway all the way. We usually take our caravan to the north west Highlands and like to break our journey with a night stop somewhere south of Glasgow and then set off early again the next morning. We certainly arrive feeling fresher than driving through the night.

 

[davedee]

Hi LB.

Thanks for that. Though don't know why we're too concerned about Scotland; had one of the little swines on the car less than an hour ago! We could be in for a summer plague at this rate.

You don't know, by any chance, the name of the repellent reputedly sold by Avon that the SAS were rumoured to have used against midges?

Incidentally, we've decided to do the west coast before Rosemarkie!

D&D

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Her Ladyship is an Avon representitive and yes, she has sold it to the wives of members of the S.A.S.

It's Avon Skin So Soft, Dry Oil Body Spray, Soft And Fresh. It's in a green top bottle and she says it's on offer at the moment. It used to have another name but this one superceded it. Avon can't sell it as a midge repellant though because it hasn't been tested and licenced for that.

In Oban a lady in a shop told us the fishermen also use it.

Sadly it never worked for me though. I also bought some special stuff at Glencoe and that never worked either.

 

[Rick_5041348]

Hi meals on wheels thanks for info I had considered the M6 toll road Not sure about A14 route, although thinking about it if I go A127 M25 M11 then A14 upto Huntington then keep going to Kettering and on to the M6 that way used to go that way when I was lorry driving a good few years back. it cuts out the M1 but adds a few miles on I will have to think about that got a bit of time. comming back is no hurry as we stopping at 3 different sites, just the lady of the house comes from Glasgow and her mum and sister are still there, So they want to meet and greet hence go straight up stick with them for a week then take two weeks to come home.

 

[davedee]

Sounds like you have some kind of special relationship with the winged blighters,LB.

Many thanks.

D&D

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Hi meals on wheels thanks for info I had considered the M6 toll road Not sure about A14 route, although thinking about it if I go A127 M25 M11 then A14 upto Huntington then keep going to Kettering and on to the M6 that way used to go that way when I was lorry driving a good few years back. it cuts out the M1 but adds a few miles on I will have to think about that got a bit of time. comming back is no hurry as we stopping at 3 different sites, just the lady of the house comes from Glasgow and her mum and sister are still there, So they want to meet and greet hence go straight up stick with them for a week then take two weeks to come home.

At least if your missus misbehaves you could always leave her at her mothers :O)

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Sounds like you have some kind of special relationship with the winged blighters,LB.

Many thanks.

D&D

Yeah, they love me although I play hard to get :O)

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I'm told by Her Ladyship that Avon Skin So Soft, Dry Oil Body Spray, Soft And Fresh is on offer. It is normally

 

[Wendy-Norfolk]

Rick, if you are going onto the M25 had you thought about going on the A1 to Scotch Corner, and then A66 to the M6?

We will be doing our yearly trip to Scotland, from Norfolk, at the end of May, and always use the same route. IMO avoid the A14 if you can!! :O)

 

[Oklahoma]

Rick, if you are going onto the M25 had you thought about going on the A1 to Scotch Corner, and then A66 to the M6?

We will be doing our yearly trip to Scotland, from Norfolk, at the end of May, and always use the same route. IMO avoid the A14 if you can!! :O)

Travelling on the A66 has improved now that the Temple Sowerby by-pass is open

 

[Wendy-Norfolk]

Rick, if you are going onto the M25 had you thought about going on the A1 to Scotch Corner, and then A66 to the M6?

We will be doing our yearly trip to Scotland, from Norfolk, at the end of May, and always use the same route. IMO avoid the A14 if you can!! :O)

Not before time.....I bet people who live there are really pleased, contending with that volume of traffic and lorries cannot be much fun!!

 

[Rick_5041348]

Rick, if you are going onto the M25 had you thought about going on the A1 to Scotch Corner, and then A66 to the M6?

We will be doing our yearly trip to Scotland, from Norfolk, at the end of May, and always use the same route. IMO avoid the A14 if you can!! :O)

Hi Wendy thank you for your reply we are going on 2nd June, going via A1 then A66 looks about the same distance and traveling time, As we will be going through the night it maybe just as quick as using the M6, as long as we can stop for a brew and the dog can get out we dont mind also the reason I am using M25 is because we are comming from Southend and I thought at night just go along the motorways till about 7 in morning then park up for a few hours let the morning workers go and carry on about 10ish get to Luss about 12 then