Hello from Dora

[dora]

My husband and I are novice Romahome owners but keen for adventures. We are planning to tour Scotland for 2 weeks in August hopefully getting as far as Thurso. Does anyone have any tips/advice for us on sites, places to see (or avoid) and how bad are the midges in August??
One thing we have discovered is the Remoska cooker - sold at Lakeland Ltd. A bit pricy but does everything it claims and certainly widens the menu choices.

[Graham]

Hello Dora

Welcome to our forum, you'll find us a friendly lot and there's always someone who knows something about any subject on Small motorhomes.

Regarding the midges in Scotland, we have been to the West of Scotland at Dunoon in August and they were pretty bad, we had a tent at the time and decided to leave early one morning to get on the road home and we were nearly eaten alive! I don't usually suffer from insect bites but even I was covered from head to foot in bites. Pauline must be a lot tastier because she gets bitten anywhere (not just Scotland), she had lots of really nasty bites too. In the end we threw the tent unfolded in the back of the car and made a hasty retreat.

Having said that we stayed in our Romahome Duo at the Caravan Club site at Oban and we didn't have any trouble at all, we were told this was because it was right on the coast.

The forum may be a little quiet this weekend as a few of our regular posters are coming to the meet at Devizes but I'm sure there will be lots of people on to welcome you soon.

Regards
Graham

PS Just seen your entry in the guest book on the main website, thanks for the kind comments, Pauline puts a lot of hard work in and we appreciate feed back.

Sorry to hear about your experience with the dealer. Regarding sites in Scotland the site we visited was called Stratheck International campsite which is just outside Dunoon but it was a long time ago, it was a lovely campsite apart from the midges.

[Pauline]

Hello Dora, glad to see you made it into the forum.

Like Graham says it will be quiet in here over the weekend but I'm sure come monday there will be some suggestions for nice sites in Scotland.

I can recommend Boots insect repellent wipes to keep the midges away!

[viv]

Hi Dora
Nice that you have joined in. I have not been to Scotland in August but do get bitten regularly wherever we go. Last year ended up with very bad swollen legs. I have been told that Avon Skin so soft products act as a repellant and I have bought loads to try this year.

[wendy]

Hello, Dora, and welcome to this very friendly forum.

We are intending to go to Scotland in May/June this year, so if you can wait until then we will report back after our visit. We also hope to go along the north coast and possibly visit Orkney.

[dora]

Thanks Wendy ....hope you have a nice trip....

[Barbara and Graham]

Hi Dora

I'm a comparative newbie too, returning to (motor)caravanning after a long gap, but welcome from me!

In reply to your enquiry about Scotland it's hard to know where to start. We've been living here for 36 years and still haven't seen it all by any means. The east coast is our home territory and parts are well worth seeing - the fishing villages in the East Neuk of Fife, beautiful beaches at St Cyrus and Lunan Bay north and south of Montrose respectively, Dunottar Castle, Stonehaven and, of course, Edinburgh. The Festival is on 10 August - 2 September and the Fringe 5-27 August. There's a great buzz about the place then. Even if you don't go to any events there's plenty of street entertainment. I believe the CC site is very convenient because you can get on a bus into the city centre. I would guess you'd have to book at that time.

For scenery most folk head for the west coast and it is spectacular - see a couple of photos we posted recently in a new thread, Bonnie Scotland. We stayed on the the CC sites at Onich and Kinlochewe - very different but both excellent. Onich is beautifully located and if you like to be able to walk to the pub/for a meal out you can do that at Kinlochewe. The drive through Glen Torridon is stunning and Shieldaig is a pretty little village but they're just examples - wherever you go you won't be disappointed - unless the rain is lashing down!

In the Highlands, unless you're right on the coast and it's windy, the midges can make life misery, particularly in August. The bad news is that they're reported to be moving east. There are various anti midge products available. Some folk swear by Avon's Skin So Soft - even the Marines are said to use it. It's also supposed to help if you take brewer's yeast before and while you're exposed to them. In our old camper we used to use coils that you lit which were quite good, though we did all smell as if we'd been sitting round a camp fire. I think you can also use an electrical gadget with tablets that give off some sort of vapour. Whether you're happy about breathing the smoke or the vapour is a different question. There's a web page where you can find a midge forecast but it's not operational till May: www.midgeforecast.co.uk/home/forecast_fx.asp

Another of our favourite parts is Perthshire - Loch Tay, Dunkeld, Pitlochry, all of which can be busy in the summer (although the Scottish schools go back in the middle of August). There's a good site at Blair Castle in Blair Atholl (though we haven't been there for many years). In Pitlochry there's a genuine repertory theatre where, if you're interested, you can see a number of different plays in a few days, though it is quite pricey. The main route north, the A9, is very scenic but has a reputation for being dangerous because it alternates between dual and single carriageway.

I could go on and on! The Argyll coast, the Trossachs, Loch Lomondside, Loch Ness, Deeside, Dumfries and Galloway are also worth a look, as are the Borders. If you enjoy walking there are opportunities just about everywhere and there's a fair sprinkling af National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland sites all over. If whisky interests you then head for Speyside, although you'll find distilleries in many other areas too. Two weeks won't be enough and, especially if the weather is kind to you, I guess you'll come back.

I hope that helps. If there's anything else you'd like to know, just ask and I'll try to answer.

Enjoy your holiday when it comes

Barbara

By the way, I fully endorse your comments about the Remoska - from reheating ready meals to cooking from scratch, I still can't quite believe how good it is!

[Pauline]

Barbara you really make me want to go! We've already booked France for this year's holiday but maybe next year.

The midge forecast sounds great - I would certainly make use of that!

[dora]

Thanks Barbara you should work for tourist information! I will digest all the info you sent over the coming weekend when we are going for a break to Settle. After browsing the internet we decided to book a campsite called Clachtoll way up on the West Coast stopping at The Woods in Alloa on the way up and Onich on the way back. Hopefully with Clachtoll being right on the coast the midges wont bother us too much....I will report back ...watch this space!

[Barbara and Graham]

Hi Dora

Clachtoll looks lovely. I've never been that far north ... yet. Hope the weather and the midges are kind. Bog myrtle is reputed to keep the little 'biters' at bay too.

Barbara