Eriba Man

This is night No.108/2018 living in my caravan. This is my 2nd night at the Culloden Moor C&MC Site near Inverness. Got up around 0630 to a clear but cold morning. The car and the van had a good coating of frost. Again, I did not feel it at all in the van! After taking the dogs for a blast round the forest next door, we had breakfast and then headed down into Culloden Village to take a walk around the woods. It's was clear at the site, but very foggy as the land dropped into Culloden. It made the woods very different. We passed St Mary's Well, a 'clootie well' in the woods. As we gained some height, it did start to clear a bit. It's a good hours walking which forms part of a Culloden Trail and passes the 'Prisoners Stone' just up ahead from here. After lunch, took the dogs over the Kessock Bridge to Ord Hill, a FC wood with an orienteering course. There a great walk which gives good views over the Moray Firth. It's quite a h...

This is night No.107/2018 living in my caravan. We're now pitched at Culloden Moor C&MC Site, about 5 miles from Inverness. 2 nights cost £24.40, very reasonable and most likely due to it being almost the end of the season. Got up around 0700, which was remarkable as that is really (by BST) 0800! At last, an opportunity to walk the dogs in the morning in light with no torch. we took a wander down by the River Croe which runs past the site. It was still cold, but definitely not as cold as last night. Quite a fine sunrise and a touch of 'Alpen Glow' over the hills to the West. I was a bit muddled about where to go next. I really didn't fancy just heading back in the reverse of the journey I'd taken, so opted to head north east towards Inverness to give the whole trip a circular route. Culloden Moor is a good site for the dogs, and there is plenty to do during the day. I've stayed here many time, in both my campervans, and both my caravans over t...

This is night No 106/2018 living in my caravan. Now on my 3rd night at Morvich C&MC Site near Inverinate in Kintail. Strange morning. The clocks went back last night, and I was awake at the rather weird time of 0530, that's 0630 in 'old money'! It must have been bitterly cold last night. The van roof was covered in solid frost, and the wool seal round the door was a frozen block of ice. I never actually noticed, this van is so well insulated that I was perfectly comfortable in my summer (!) sleeping bag, and the spaniels were more than warm enough. The heater wasn't even cranked up. Great vans. After a quick walk in the dark near the site, and some breakfast, I took the dogs up the forest next to Inverinate. The views speak for themselves. Stunning. This zoomed picture is a bit puzzling. It's a shot of a herd of wild goats above me on the hillside. They are very well coloured to match the ground. It was the first sight I'd caught of them, they...

This is night No.105/2018 living in my caravan. This is my second night at Morvich C&MC Site in Kintail. Awoke around 0630 to a fair amount of snow. Not really that much at road level, but a big dump on the hills which surround the site. The car was covered in hard frozen snow which took a long time to remove. The hills around the site gave the area a definite Christmas Card feel! Took the dogs into the forest walk at Inverinate and the views were stunning. Reinforces my belief that Kintail is one of the finest areas in Scotland. The views across a very calm Loch Duich. Got stuck in a bit of a traffic jam just outside the site. After lunch, took the 10 mile drive to Ard Hill, just outside Reraig. It's a nice forest walk which gives a fine view towards Skye. The route goes round the hill. This is the view east over Kirkton. This is where Kinlochshiel play there Shinty. And, as ever, Hamish found the most ridiculous stick to carry round th...

This is night No.104/2018 living in my caravan. Now pitched at Morvich C&MC Site in Kintail, near the village of Inverinate. Cost a very reasonable £36.30 for 3 nights. Bit of a milestone tonight. Last year, I finished touring on 30th of October and the total nights for 2017 was 52. I've doubled that in 2018. That's mainly due to me having a new, better equipped caravan this year. Woke up around 0630 after a good sleep. The weather was better than yesterday, and improved as the day progressed, until the late afternoon when it became quite showery. After taking the dogs a walk at Inchree, and packing up the van, we left Bunree around 1000 for the drive north and west to Morvich. Stopped for a picture looking over the distant Glen Shiel Hills. There was snow on the tops. Stopped again in Glen Shiel with the snowy hills as a backdrop. The site was virtually empty, there was one other van here when I arrived and in the late afternoon, there was maybe 6...

This is night No.103/2018 living in my caravan. Continuing for a second night at Bunree C&MC Site near Onich. Had an outstanding sleep, getting up around 0630 in the dark. That's probably the biggest thing you notice as you get nearer winter. It'll be better when the clocks go back on sunday. It was dry when I took the dogs just a short walk on the site, and after breakfast I took the 5 min drive to Inchree to walk the 'Wades Road Trail' in Glenrigh forest. A good walk, although a bit of a grunt for the first section up through the trees! It leads to a quarry in the forest before turning back downhill. Hamish, as usual, was more interested in finding a good stick. The track back down has great views south along the loch and the hills above Ballachullish. From here, took a drive into Fort William for fuel and a few supplies, then headed back to the van for lunch. It was a mix of light rain and drizzle and a fresh breeze, but still fine for get...