Kelpies and a wheel, following the canal to Glasgow
Zagan’s lights are blazing in competition with the illuminated Craigend and Garthamlock water towers across the Glaswegian skyline. This is because he’s hooked up to 240V mains electricity for the first time since we got him, so we’re testing and charging everything. Jay cooked a lovely dinner in the Remoska
We slept quite well in the Park and Ride, it was peaceful, but I still get edgy when we free camp. We spoke about it this morning, Jay is worried that someone will ask us to move on, I’m worried we’ll be attacked. I’m not fussed about our stuff so much as us. Our things are insured, we’re insured but we aren’t replaceable. Fortunately it rained most of the night, and my rationale believes that baddies don’t go out in the rain. After breakfast we headed off to look at a couple of things on my list of stuff I wanted to see while in Scotland – the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel.
Fortunately they are just a few miles apart, so after another crossing of the Forth Road Bridge, we were soon there. The rain ceased, so we drove around the car park attendant and parked in the slightly further away car park which was free, as opposed to paying £2 (well that’s an ice cream for the future paid for!). We walked back along the canal to the Kelpies. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re two giant statues of horses heads to commemorate all the horses that used to work on the canals. At 30m high they are the largest equine sculptures in the world and even on a rainy, dull, grey Tuesday they still looked beautiful.
After a while the rain got heavier, so we headed back to Zagan and made tracks to the Falkirk Wheel. We followed the signs rather than our satnav, so once again found ourselves in the free, but slightly further away, coach park. We had a spot of lunch, then headed over to see if it was moving. We’d timed it perfectly as a queue of people were boarding one of the boats, this gave me chance for a very quick look around the visitor’s centre before the action began. As the wheel started to turn, the water jets for the locks around were turned off so all you could hear was the sound of someone playing bagpipes in the car park – the wheel itself was virtually silent.
Very happy that I’d crossed two things off my bucket list today, we headed to the campsite which we are now at. The Craigendmuir campsite (now Red Deer Campsite) (N55.88483 W4.14265) is spotlessly clean, and so are we now after hitting the showers. Strangely it’s surrounded by mobile homes for the over 50’s, the advertising promotes releasing the equity in your home by selling it to live the life you have always wanted – I’m not sure this caravan park is the life I’ve always wanted, well not for more than a night or two.
Ju x
Visited the Kelpies ourselves last month, did the boat lift trip as well, during a visit to the Highlands for a week.
Today I’m up here in central Aberdeen working overnight. Had wonderful drive up from Loughborough in sunny autumn weather until I passed “The Mermaid” just south of Gleneagles turn, hit a real “monsoon” of a down poor, it was so heavy wipers were pretty useless, and roads were awash with several inches of water.
Several vehicles aquaplaned in the opposite carriageway due to conditions, heavy rain lasted for around 15-20miles followed by thick low cloud all way to Aberdeen!! Typical Sottish weather really.
Hopefully be leaving Aberdeen by 23:00hrs and back home for a trip down to Harlow pm 2moro.
May do the East coast route on way back usually fairly quiet overnight.
Hi Ja and Ju, my friend travels full time in Europe with his Hymer and he does a lot of free parking, his two top security tips are a pair of size 13 workman’s boots in the front window and a huge dog bowl at the door
safe travels
Bill
All Scottish gentlemen can play the bagpipes – but don’t
Greetings and Salutations!
Wild camping:-
During our two years of Motorhoming throughout the EU, we ‘wild’ camped whenever we could, the exceptions being when we negotiated a deal, 7 to 10 Euro per night all in, and stayed for several weeks at some Italian (on the Med) campsites during the 2012/13 winter. In Greece we free camped most of the time during the 2013/14 winter.
Do’s and dont’s:-
– If the place feels dodgy move on
– Park where there is lighting after dark, it’s vital you see what’s around you.
– Once in bed leave the ‘van in a state of ready-to-move if you need to.
– If you’re near cafes or businesses go and say hello and ask. Same with hotel car parks.
– Woods and forests, park out of sight and tucked away, arrive after 5pm and leave before 8am.
– When free camping one more ‘van is company but four is a crowd, we would move on.
That said, every now and then you need and want a proper well equipped campsite. Don’t be afraid to negotiate the tariff. Travel safe and have fun!
Marius!!! You bad lad! What are you and Joan up to mate? Appreciate the free camping advice. We just need a bit more practice, which we intend to get. Hope you guys are well and enjoying life, the odd sundowner and a few BBQs? Cheers, Jay
I’m so pleased you’re back on the road, even if it is for the selfish reason of giving me something good to read on a regular basis :-)
“My rationale believes that baddies don’t go out in the rain”. I generally work on this principle myself, even after January’s experience … a dump of snow meant it wasn’t sensible to be navigating little lanes to get to a nice quiet sleepy spot, so we ended up in Ludlow Park & Ride car park for the night (we generally avoid big town car parks for the perception that they’re more likely to attract undesirable night time company), and I was heard to say “Who’s going to be out and up to no good on a cold, snowy Tuesday in January anyway?”. The answer turned out to be every blimmin’ boy racer in the district, who enjoyed revving their engines and tearing around the snowy car park for just over 5 hours of the night. Of course, we could laugh about it by the next morning (having not had an out-of-control car hit us!), but it wasn’t too funny at 2am when I was convinced they were never going to go home.
As for being attacked in the night, in a rational state in the light of day, I feel nice and comfortable, reminding myself that you just don’t hear about motorhomers being attacked in their beds in this country (with one exception, but that turned out to be an ongoing feud). I struggle to be quite so rational in the dark when I’m by myself. I spent one particularly bad solo night in Scotland in May this year where my overactive imagination spent the night convinced that there were mad axe murderers patrolling outside.
I reckon your SatNav went wrong and your’e on the set of the new Star Wars movie :-)
Believe me Ian, it feels that way at times! Cheers, Jay
I wild where I can and trust my best friend to tell me if anythings about……… my jack russel Jess. So have faith in your pooch. :)
We have faith in him Tony, to be bribed by any thief with a gravy bone! Nah, he’s a good little man, he’d see off any would-be robbers no problemo, then get back to sleep. Cheers, Jay