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Showing posts from March, 2020

Around Nairn

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This is night No. 10/2020 living in the caravan. This is also night No.5 for me and the dogs at Nairn C&CC Site on the outskirts of Nairn, by Delnies Wood. Slept fine, getting up about 0630. Took the dogs for a run around the woods, then after breakfast, we headed out the short drive around the back of the adjacent wood to a parking area I had spotted yesterday. A nice change of walk in the wood, which is surprisingly big for a forest enclosed by roads on all sides. Continued from here to walk at the beach near Kingsteps, a walk I'd done before when I was staying on a farm on nearby Druim Heath. Unfortunately, the short road between there and Nairn was closed for 9 weeks (!), so took a detour, past Druim, arriving at an empty carpark for the beach. This is the westerly end of the gigantic Culbin Forest, but does have a stunning beach, which like all the beaches here, seems to go on forever. A spaniel not enjoying his picture being taken. The tide was almost ful...

History around Nairn

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This is night No.9/2020 living in my caravan. Tonight will be our 4th night at the Nairn C&CC Site, just outside Nairn. Slept excellently, getting up just before 0700. Took the dogs round the wood next to the site, then after a shower and some breakfast, headed down to the beach at Hilton of Delnies. The weather is great, and we never saw anyone else at all on the 5 or so mile stretch of the beach that I could sea. Found a rather fine shell, I thought it may be a Disney Princess shell, but after checking I think it may be a Triplofusus papillosus? I'm a paid up member of Historic Scotland, and there app provides some inspiration for travels in any area. So, we left for the short drive to Ardclach to see the Bell Tower . An interesting memorial at the entrance to the site. A very commendable mission this person was on, folk going crazy here over a perfectly survivable virus should take a note of this work. A steep climb up a flight of steps to this grand...

Howford to Cawdor

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This is night No.8/2020 living in my caravan. It's our third night at Nairn C&CC Site just outside the town. Slept well, and got up before 0700 to give the dogs an early morning run around the adjacent woods. In preparation for going out, I took a few photos of the site to illustrate how much this place has lacked investment over the last few years. This is the 'old' amenities block. The roof has collapsed, so it's been condemned as a toilet block, but still has the dishwashing (that open part), chemical disposal, and is a store for the bins. The site has only been open less than a week this year, and the 4 massive commercial bins are all full. They must have been stored here, stinking, since last October. For showers and toilets, there is a portacabin which is perfectly adequate but this building has been like this for probably 3 years? The pitches are a combination of dirt, and dirt with some gravel. A lot of mud and moss. This little hut is the...

Around Nairn

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This is night No.7/2020 living in the caravan. It's our second night at Nairn C&CC Site, on the outskirts of the town of Nairn. Woke up to fine weather, and after breakfast and a walk around the adjacent wood, we took the short drive to Hilton of Delnies, a farm on the other side of the A96 from where we are. Its a short journey ending on a dirt track down to near the beach. It's become known as 'The Secret Beach' in recent years, but it's certainly no secret to the locals! Took a wander through the shoreside gorse and scrub. And arrived at the beach. Absolutely spotless and miles and miles of pure sand, stretching all the way from beyond Nairn to Ardeseir. Like a spring day. We set of west to follow the beach to the Whiteness Head, a spit of ground jutting out into the Moray Firth. The odd boat out to the north. Seashell. Came across a huge expanse of grass moorland just by the shore. The old fishing bothy near Whitene...