BarryG
Senior Member
Reading through Blobcats older post "1k in a day in the uk."
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=17470
Reminded me about a long trip I made when going on holiday to northern Scotland.
Most of the quoted figures are guestimates and cant even remember how much fuel I used.
We had booked a "Luxury" caravan in what was described as positioned in a "Beautiful Garden Setting " paying a £100 deposit this was over 10 years ago as my son was still in a baby seat.
It was just outside of Tongue way north in Scotland I was going to.
In the Honda Integra, I set off from Sunderland at 5 am on a saturday morning figuring to miss the traffic eaarly doors, and headed north. The roads were completely clear nearly all the way and for most of the early part of the drive I was doing 100 mph, even getting up to 120 mph on parts of the A9 only getting slowed down around Edinburgh early on.
Only a couple of things of note on the journey, I interchanged position on the early part of the A9 with a couple in a Jaguar, not reckless overtaking, just friendly changing who was leading. He waved bye somewhere around the Dalwhinnie area and turned off. As it was daylight by now I was amazed I was only passing 1 or 2 cars for long stretches at a time. It was just before Inverness and I was doing around 90 mph when I saw the flashing blue lights in my rearview. Dont need to repeat my language but you can guess . My family at this time were still dozing blissfully unaware. I slowed right down and waited for them to pull up to me and signal me to pull over. They kept coming up alongside and the policeman in the passenger seat wound down his window. Telling me to do the same which I did he glanced at my dozing passengers the car overloaded with baggage, then at me and said the immortal words.
"Slow the f*** down you English &&%**&* "
Wound up his window and carried on their way
No idea what the last word was as I couldnt understand it.
Now why cant there still be police like that using common sense? We were the only two cars on that stretch of road.
Rest of the journey uneventful, much slower driving over to Tongue on the minor roads and stopped for awhile for coffee and sandwiches..
Sunderland to Tongue approx 380 miles about 6 to 6 1/2 hrs reached there before lunchtime.
Pulled up at the address this is the only time I have been dissapointed whilst on holidays in Scotland. The house was a prefab and the luxury caravan was an ancient 28 footer with one bedroom. Squeezed between the wall of the prefab and a hedge. Very little light entered the caravan as the hedge was overgrown and the garden setting was a 6` square patch of grass.
The next points are all true.
The carpets were filthy, your feet actually stuck on the years of grease and dirt.
The fridge had large patches of mould all over the inside.
The beds were stained and absolutely stunk.
The cupboards and the rest of the van were filthy.
Direct sunlight wouldnt have penetrated the dirty windows.
My wife went to put down the baby still in his car seat on the seating in the caravan and felt something hit her hand. On examining the cushions they were heaving with fleas!
My wife ran screaming out of the sh**hole and I went and hammered on the door of the prefab. To cut a long story short. The woman hiring the van then said she had never had complaints before and would not refund our money. Being someone who would never hit a woman I asked to speak to her husband. Working on the rigs somewhere we were told . So with no one to punch and her refusal to refund our money I piled the tearful kids back into the car and drove away writing it of to experience.
(By the way they were an English couple.)
We had planned to spend a day during our week stay at John O` Groats so I headed that way.
Tongue to John O` Groats 60 odd mile but took about 1 1/2 hours.
Not a lot to do there when your family is miserable. Had a snack and drink less than an hour spent there.
So headed south and made a game of trying to spot caravan hire , holiday homes, holiday parks Etc.
Every place we found was fully booked 7 or 8 if memory serves me well. And by this time we had been driving back down the A9 for a few hours and I was thinking about trying for hotel accomodation. We had just passed Ballinluig when my son spotted a small practically hidden sign saying chalets, on the opposite side of the road. This was by a small place called Dowally. In traffic now and no where to turn off I said we would see if there were any others further down. They eventually wore me down and at the next place to turn off which was near Dunkeld I turned round.
Luckily for us! As we have since had 3 wonderful holidays there staying in large well appointed log cabins. Its a place called Dowally Farm if anyone is interested. Havent been there last few years as we have been trying the west coast of Scotland.
John O` Groats to Dunkeld and Dowally approx 230 miles about 5 hours much more traffic to slow me.
Over 13 hours of driving about 700 miles with a happy ending
On starting out I was expecting to do the 380 mile trip and have a snooze on arrival
I did find I was getting a headache near the end mind. But great drive through some of the best countryside anywhere IMHO. (It just so happens there were loads of distilleries in the area we ended up too )
Barry
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=17470
Reminded me about a long trip I made when going on holiday to northern Scotland.
Most of the quoted figures are guestimates and cant even remember how much fuel I used.
We had booked a "Luxury" caravan in what was described as positioned in a "Beautiful Garden Setting " paying a £100 deposit this was over 10 years ago as my son was still in a baby seat.
It was just outside of Tongue way north in Scotland I was going to.
In the Honda Integra, I set off from Sunderland at 5 am on a saturday morning figuring to miss the traffic eaarly doors, and headed north. The roads were completely clear nearly all the way and for most of the early part of the drive I was doing 100 mph, even getting up to 120 mph on parts of the A9 only getting slowed down around Edinburgh early on.
Only a couple of things of note on the journey, I interchanged position on the early part of the A9 with a couple in a Jaguar, not reckless overtaking, just friendly changing who was leading. He waved bye somewhere around the Dalwhinnie area and turned off. As it was daylight by now I was amazed I was only passing 1 or 2 cars for long stretches at a time. It was just before Inverness and I was doing around 90 mph when I saw the flashing blue lights in my rearview. Dont need to repeat my language but you can guess . My family at this time were still dozing blissfully unaware. I slowed right down and waited for them to pull up to me and signal me to pull over. They kept coming up alongside and the policeman in the passenger seat wound down his window. Telling me to do the same which I did he glanced at my dozing passengers the car overloaded with baggage, then at me and said the immortal words.
"Slow the f*** down you English &&%**&* "
Wound up his window and carried on their way
No idea what the last word was as I couldnt understand it.
Now why cant there still be police like that using common sense? We were the only two cars on that stretch of road.
Rest of the journey uneventful, much slower driving over to Tongue on the minor roads and stopped for awhile for coffee and sandwiches..
Sunderland to Tongue approx 380 miles about 6 to 6 1/2 hrs reached there before lunchtime.
Pulled up at the address this is the only time I have been dissapointed whilst on holidays in Scotland. The house was a prefab and the luxury caravan was an ancient 28 footer with one bedroom. Squeezed between the wall of the prefab and a hedge. Very little light entered the caravan as the hedge was overgrown and the garden setting was a 6` square patch of grass.
The next points are all true.
The carpets were filthy, your feet actually stuck on the years of grease and dirt.
The fridge had large patches of mould all over the inside.
The beds were stained and absolutely stunk.
The cupboards and the rest of the van were filthy.
Direct sunlight wouldnt have penetrated the dirty windows.
My wife went to put down the baby still in his car seat on the seating in the caravan and felt something hit her hand. On examining the cushions they were heaving with fleas!
My wife ran screaming out of the sh**hole and I went and hammered on the door of the prefab. To cut a long story short. The woman hiring the van then said she had never had complaints before and would not refund our money. Being someone who would never hit a woman I asked to speak to her husband. Working on the rigs somewhere we were told . So with no one to punch and her refusal to refund our money I piled the tearful kids back into the car and drove away writing it of to experience.
(By the way they were an English couple.)
We had planned to spend a day during our week stay at John O` Groats so I headed that way.
Tongue to John O` Groats 60 odd mile but took about 1 1/2 hours.
Not a lot to do there when your family is miserable. Had a snack and drink less than an hour spent there.
So headed south and made a game of trying to spot caravan hire , holiday homes, holiday parks Etc.
Every place we found was fully booked 7 or 8 if memory serves me well. And by this time we had been driving back down the A9 for a few hours and I was thinking about trying for hotel accomodation. We had just passed Ballinluig when my son spotted a small practically hidden sign saying chalets, on the opposite side of the road. This was by a small place called Dowally. In traffic now and no where to turn off I said we would see if there were any others further down. They eventually wore me down and at the next place to turn off which was near Dunkeld I turned round.
Luckily for us! As we have since had 3 wonderful holidays there staying in large well appointed log cabins. Its a place called Dowally Farm if anyone is interested. Havent been there last few years as we have been trying the west coast of Scotland.
John O` Groats to Dunkeld and Dowally approx 230 miles about 5 hours much more traffic to slow me
.Over 13 hours of driving about 700 miles with a happy ending
On starting out I was expecting to do the 380 mile trip and have a snooze on arrival
I did find I was getting a headache near the end mind. But great drive through some of the best countryside anywhere IMHO. (It just so happens there were loads of distilleries in the area we ended up too
)Barry
