Roger’s Place, Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire
Stonehaven treated us very well indeed. In return for the price of fish and chips we slept in comfort with the gentle lapping of the North Sea in our ears. Waking about 8:30, I took Charlie the 6m commute to the beach for some morning stone-skimming, before a brew and breakie. The four other motorhomes and campervans we’d spotted strung out along the beach and harbour had stayed the night too. I needed a shower, but Zagan was refusing to play ball. Only after rubbing my body down in a semi-freezing dribble of water did I work out how to bleed the air from the thing, shaking my aching head at the steady stream of hot water. Numptee…
Not a bad morning view! Stonehaven.
Next destination: my mate Roger’s farmhouse near Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire. I first met Roger about 12 or 13 years back, when we worked in the same computer company in Nottingham. Over the years we’ve done a few motorbike track days and bike forays up here to Scotland, and have just generally been good mates. Last time I saw him was 4 years back when he took the trip down to our leaving party for Madcap Journey #1.
A few breathe-in moments required – it’s harvest season!
Roger now works in Aberdeen, writing software used by the oil industry up here. His farmhouse, made from granite lumps the size of suitcases, is up either a ‘rutted track’ or past some ‘overhanging trees’. We opted for the rutted track, which Zagan managed fine, surprisingly since he has the ground clearance of an F1 car.
Roger was sat in the sunshine when we crawled up the track, waving us in and showing us around. The barn’s full of his much-hacked Range Roger, CBR600 motorbike and a whole range of other bits and bobs. ‘A man’s not a man unless he has 4 angle grinders’. I much imagined Roger as the bloke from The World’s Fastest Indian, happy to live in among his bike and tools, although Roger actually lives in the house next to the barn!
The rutted track to Rogers! Apologies for the fly splats – the good old rain has now washed ’em away.
Along with his friend Sheila, and well-behaved pooch Tom, we walked one of the surrounding hills, through fading heather and past the uninterested eyeballs of sheep, above the treeline to a 360 degree view of the hills. Pretty special, I can see the attraction, although the 6 mile round trip to get milk was less appealing.
‘There was frost last night’ Roger told us as we caught up over a whacking great pot of cassoulet and red wine. Ju nipped to Zagan and popped the heating on (southern softies we are). As we talked about the sights of Scotland it became painfully clear we (I) have cocked up a bit. We have only a few days up here, as our ferry to France is booked for 12 Oct, but why the rush? I can’t much remember, but think it was the ease with which we can motorhome through France, and the exoticness of all that crafted cheese and low-cost wine which tempted an early exit from the UK.
Last night’s kipping spot at Roger’s. No frost, and the heating kept us toasty in here.
Oh, hang on a mo. I’m cooking my first ever roast spuds in the double-skillet, need to check on progress…
Looking good! Okey dokey. So after being fed, watered and entertained by Roger and Sheila, we kipped until about 8:30, well after Roger had headed for work (it’s Monday today, and feels perfectly normal to not be working, how odd). Sat nav programmed for nowhere really, we headed out through the dramatic hills of the Cairngorms, down Glen Shee and out back South as the heavens opened.
Zagan gazes whistfully down Glen Shee. Ju’s supping a hot brew as the wind was in a howling-old mood
Our eyeballs twitched about for the last hour or so for somewhere to park up. Eventually we turned to our good friend The Internet whom advised us of a nice parking area a few miles north of Perth, a wee Park ‘n’ Ride facility, which we’re currently backed into (N56.42536 W3.39102). The sign says max stay 72 hours, and that the place is locked at night, but no mention of us not being able to kip here. We’re risking it for a biscuit.
Tomorrow, the luxury of a Glasgow Campsite calls! We have work in Glasgow centre on Wed, so need to be close enough to get in, and Zagan’s loo requires servicing…
Cheers, Jay
Aaahhh…… bonny Scotland.
We were over on the west coast this summer – wild brown trout for breakfast, yum, yum :-)
Sounds like you are giving Zagan a ‘shakedown’ before heading off the island.
Ian
Hi Ian
A bit of fishing? On my list to catch some fish and BBQ ’em up. Fairly clueless at it though, so will have a back-up supply of tinned beans. :-)
Still sat in our Park ‘n’ Ride watching the last busses turn up and waiting for the gates to be locked to see if we’ll be turfed out. Doubt we will, seem fairly easy going folks north of the wall.
Yup, he’s gettin shaken down nicely. Just a squealing alternator belt and some auto-collapsing shelves to sort out.
Cheers! Jay
Hiya,
Not sure if you’ll remember but we met briefly in Italy at the Lake Orta sosta a few years back (peejay on MHFacts).
Delighted to see you’re back on the road again, i’ll be following your travels with interest, keep up the good work.
Pete
Pete
Hi Pete, yeah, we remember you guys, you did some rather impressive reversing down a steep bit of road into that Lago d’Orta sosta! Apologies for not going over to the other sosta you mentioned, I think your driving skills scared me into thinking we’d not make it up there alive… Is it you guys who sorted all the Greece stopovers too? If so, many thanks, they were fabulously useful to us down there. Cheers from a campsite outside Glasgow, Jay
Hi all
Don’t know what made me check out your site after months of not doing…..can’t believe your back on the road “fantastic”. I can now look forward again to my daily dose of our tour. We are off for a 4 month shakedown tour in our truck in February then it’s back to work for Lynn whilst I sort the logistics and finances for some big trips. All the best and I hope our paths cross in the future
Phil
Weyhey! Cheers Phil. Yeah, we’re back ‘out’ for a wee wander or two. I’m dead keen to head for the top of Norway, but a general aversion to driving on frozen roads and an ongoing need to get some sun on our backs has delayed a detour to the Arctic until next spring. We’re currently in Glasgow, heading south to France in a week, then we’ll eyeball the weather forecast, check out the lay of the tea leaves and point Zagan in some random direction south ish. Hard life, I know. Take it easy, good luck with your tour and longer term goals guys, cheers, Jay
“Is it you guys who sorted all the Greece stopovers too?”..
Yes, that was me, its well out of date now though, we’ll have to go back soon and update it.
Btw you’re going the wrong way if you’re heading to France lol.
Only joking, have a good one in Glasgow.
Cheers
Pete