Epic NC500 Campervan Adventure Part 2: From Clachtoll’s Bone Caves to Doune Castle and More

This is the 2nd part of our NC500 adventure – Part 1 can be found HERE.

Day 7 – Clachtoll to Gairloch – 100 miles (160km)

The weather was looking good, and It was 100 miles to our next overnight stop near Gairloch. This was longer than we really wanted to drive, but it was our best option due to several campsites now closed for the season. We decided to plan a short hike into our day and explore the Bone Caves en route. So we left early to squeeze in as much as possible.

Lochinver Village.

Out first stop was the lovely village of Lochinver and the famous (to me at least!) Lochinver Larder pie shop. A warm pie to help us prepare for our hike and a cold one for the backpack was a great idea. Writing this years later, I remember they can post the pies, excuse me for one minute. There’s a website I need to visit – Pies by Post.

Exploring the village lead us to a lovely local gallery for a small gift for home, a painted Highland Coo’ stone we still cherish today.

Amazing Roads, Lochs and Castles.

The road South along the entire leg of this journey continued to astound us. The views took our breath away, again and again. Every few minutes we stopped to explore whatever we took our interest through the windscreen. We stumbled across the ruined Ardvreck Castle on Loch Assynt on the A837, and just had to explore. It was just magical to have all to ourselves.

Bone Caves near Inchnadamph

This beautiful and popular walk leads up a limestone valley to visit the dramatic Bone Caves. These cave openings on a steep slope at the foot of a cliff have been excavated and were found to contain the remains of species such as lynx, reindeer and polar bear which once roamed the area.

Our walk may have been longer than most. We somehow diverted from the trail as we missed a turn. However, a healthy scramble up soon got us back on the path. The weather turned on us on the way back down, and we were thankful for waterproofs and warm coffee in Bellamy.

Sands Caravan and Camping Gairloch

Once nestled and camped in the dunes, we enjoyed a walk along another deserted beach before heading back to Bellamy to rest and exhaustedly watch the sunset from the warmth of the van.

Day 8 – Gairloch to Applecross – 60 miles (100km)

Today was going to be a shortish drive through as we continued South. The views continued to be spectacular, and we strayed from the route several times to investigate things that interested us. We stretched our legs on the shore of Loch Maree and came across a couple of wild campers in a Ford transit who had spent a night on the shore.

Following the shoreline, we decided for an impromptu walk and lunch once more around Beinn Eighe and Loch Marre Islands National Nature Reserve. The mist and rain added to the atmosphere, but nothing a warm coffee couldn’t fix when we returned to the van.

Staggering…..

Eventually, we turned away from the Loch and into more open countryside. We then spotted a magnificent Stag just off the road, and as luck would have it, there was a small car park very close. As I grabbed my camera, I assumed that the stag would be long gone before taking a photo or 2. Thankfully the Stag waited for us, and I was able to grab some shots. I had no idea a few days later, one of these photos would be in 2 national newspapers, discussed and smiled about on breakfast TV and later appear in other UK magazines.

Applecross

As we started to head down towards Applecross, Louise pointed out a massive bird of prey circling overhead, I managed to find a safe place to stop, and we watched it for a few minutes before searching Google to find we had been watching a Golden Eagle before it soared off effortlessly into the distance. A few more stops on the way down were made to investigate the local cattle as Louise has a soft spot for a Highland Coo.

We arrived late afternoon at Applecross and treated ourselves to coffee and cake at the lovely Applecross Walled Garden before making camp in Applecross itself. Of course, if you are in Applecross, you have to visit the Applecross Inn, a characterful place full of locals and travellers alike. A warm greeting was made, and we discussed our onwards route with the locals to find our planned excursion to Skye would most probably lead to some lengthy delays due to some road works. The de-tour was along a single train track for some bizarre reason, so the barkeep advised us to expect a couple of hours delay as the road traffic was allowed in only one direction at a time, and the road was also closed often to allow trains to continue to run.

But tomorrow had us traversing the Bealach na Ba Pass, so an early start was planned to allow us to have the road to ourselves as much as possible.

Day 9 – Applecross to Inverness, and further South to Balfron. – 238 miles (383km)

Overnight we had made the decision not to head to the Isle of Skye as planned. The North of Scotland weather forecast looked horrendous with 60mph winds and heavy rain forecast for the next few days. Added to the roadworks that we were warned about the previous night in the Inn, heading South to seek better weather seemed a good idea. We now had an excuse to return another time to explore the Isle of Skye.

That’s the beauty of a campervan, being able to change direction and plans when needed. I’d even planned a special surprise for Louise as it was her birthday the next day. However today we had to cover a lot of miles so early in the morning, we set off to drive 5 mile Applecross pass, Bealach na Ba (Gaelic for the “Pass of the Cattle” and pronounced byee-alluch nuh bah)

It has the steepest ascent of any road in the United Kingdom, starting from sea level and rising to 2,054 feet (626 meters). Its challenging hairpin bends are a magnet for bikers and its outstanding views over to the Isle of Skye and magnificent topography delight tourists and locals alike. However, it is not for the faint-hearted.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/applecross-pass One thing I’d learnt over the years was the brakes on our 30-year-old VW Campervan “Bellamy” were nothing like the modern brakes found on most vehicles. I’d planned to take the ascent & descent slowly. So leaving early, I hoped not to annoy too many other travellers on the single track road. Unfortunately, I took a wrong turn right out of the campsite! We then enjoyed a wonderful excursion along the shoreline, looking out to the brooding, stormy Isle of Raasay and Seals near the shore. After several miles, we realised that I’d made a navigational mistake and turned around to head back to Applecross to try again. We encountered a herd of sheep on the road on the way back, which we could only trail behind for a long time. So much for an early start over the pass, but happily, the wrong turn turned out to be a memorable one.

So a little later than planned, we started the ascent over the pass, 2nd and 1st gear all the way to the summit. We only came across a few vehicles (and cyclists!) traversing the pass, and we often stopped in passing places to allow more speedy travellers to pass with a friendly wave. Once at the top, we parked up to allow Bellamy to cool down a little as her temperature gauge had reached parts normally reserved for long summer traffic jams.

Then the descent, which to our relief was fairly uneventful as I tiptoed down in 2nd gear most of the way. It allowed us both to drink in the stunning views as the weather improved. It’s a magnificent road and should not be missed if you drive the NC500 unless you have a caravan! At the bottom, we stopped for a short time to allow Bellamy’s brakes to cool and lose the burning smell before we continued towards Inverness and the NC500 finish line.

Strathpeffer and Stovies

The road became wider and flatter as we headed east towards Inverness. We’d made plans to lunch in Strathpeffer, a leafy Victorian spa town, as we’d heard that they served Stovies. Louise’s family have a tradition for Stovies, with a recipe passed down from her Scottish Grandmother that the whole family enjoys. I’d never heard of Stovies before I met Louise, but I’ve been converted and find Stovies to be the perfect comfort food. It’s a potato-based dish, to which you can add pretty much any meat, although mince or corned beef is most popular. Ask 100 Scot’s for a Stovie recipe, and you will get 100 variations, is the saying.

The old Strathpeffer Station Museum Cafe was our destination, now converted into some lovely shops and museums. A hot Stovie and oat-cake lunch warmed us through in the old station waiting room, and after a little exploration before long, we were back in the van. As to the Stovies? They were very nice, but Louise’s Grandmothers recipe was better, obviously.

The end of the NC500. Inverness, but no time to stop.

With little fanfare, we reached Inverness, signalling the end of our NC500 adventure. Maybe a little bit of an anticlimax, but our journey still had a way to go, and we continued south for the next stop, which was still 175 miles away. It was Louise’s 50th Birthday the next day, so as a break from driving, I’d booked an Airbnb (Big View Studio) for us to recharge for a few nights and explore the local area. We arrived at our lovely accommodation near Balfron in time to enjoy champagne and a warming sunset across the hills before stretching out in our huge and luxurious bed. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was heavenly after spending 9 nights in a 3/4 sized campervan bed.

Day 10 – Exploring Stirling and Doune. 43 miles – 70km.

Louise’s birthday was spent with a leisurely breakfast in the Airbnb before driving out to Stirling to explore the town and castle. It seemed a little strange to be in such a populated area after so many days of being on the road and in deserted beaches. Some excellent coffee and lunch soon had us getting used to other people again, but we were yearning for the peace of the highlands again.

Doune Castle

Following lunch, we headed to Doune Castle, not far from the route back to the Airbnb. Whilst we like exploring historical places finding out they filmed some of our favourite movies and TV shows there was something we couldn’t pass up. Outlander, Game of Thrones and Monty Python and the Holy Grail all used the castle in their productions.

“Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Month Python and the Holy Grail.

Louise and I are suckers for an audio guide around old places, but this one was one of the best. Your tour guides are Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraiser), who starred in the Outlander series and a hilarious commentary from the late Terry Gillian, from Monty Python. If you visit, do not turn down the audio guide!

Late in the afternoon, we were back on the Airbnb for another relaxing evening, taking advantage of a full-sized kitchen for a nice meal. Tomorrow we will be leaving Scotland and heading farther south towards home. The plan was amble over a couple of days on the west of England and I spent some time researching places to stay.

Day 11 – Balfron to Seaton Sluice, via Falkirk and Rosslyn – 187 miles (300km)

Whilst a couple of days in the Airbnb was a nice treat and a nice rest for Bellamy, our trusty WV T3, we were looking forward to sleeping and eating in some cramped conditions again!

Today we would be leaving Scotland behind as we headed South towards home. Today, our goal was south of the border, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but we planned our route to take in a few more Scottish landmarks.

Our first stop was a local farm shop not far from the Airbnb where we stayed. In the Airbnb, we took a shine to a piece of art on the walk, and we found they were sold close by. So as another gift for ourselves, we purchased a Highland Cow wooden art creation, modelled here by Louise. Harry the Highland Coo, as he affectionately became known, still hangs proudly in our home today.

Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies

Our next stop would be the Falkirk Wheel, a rotating boat wheel connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The wheel raises boats and the water surrounding it by 24 metres (79 ft). Our minds struggled to comprehend the 500 tonnes of water and boats the wheel carried on every revolution.

Then we drove a short drive to the magnificent Kelpies, two 30-metre-high horse-head steel sculptures which are amazing. The scale and detail were breathtaking.

Rosslyn Chapel

The Da Vinci Code book (and movie) ranks highly in Louise and my own top 10 favourites, and we had always wanted to visit Rosslyn Chapel. It didn’t disappoint. It was refreshing to find that rather than distance itself from the fiction of Dan Brown’s bestseller, it acknowledges its existence and weaves it into the already fabulous history of being built by Knights Templars. The detail carved into the church is truly breathtaking. Some carvings seemingly depict Mazie, which at that time was only found in the Americas. Yet Rosslyn chapel was built 50 years before Christopher Columbus. Did the Templars discover the Americas? It was a great place to visit if you love or loath the books.

St Mary’s Lighthouse – Seaton Sluice

Our campsite that evening overlooked St Mary’s Lighthouse, and I set my alarm for an early start in the hoping of capturing a nice sunrise photo. In the evening we explored the coastline for somewhere I might want to take photos in the morning and then to a local pub for some food. Falling asleep hearing the sea again reminded us of how great it was to be sleeping in the van again.

Day 12 – Seaton Sluice to Robins Hoods Bay 82 miles (140 km)

As planned, I left Louise in the Van and made a short walk to the coast, hopeful to catch a nice sunrise photo of St Mary’s Lighthouse. Wanting to minimise disturbing Louise, I left my tripod as I’d forgotten to remove it from the wardrobe the night before. Improvising with a fence post, I spent an hour watching a spectacular sunrise.

Returning to Bellamy, I checked my emails and found a message from the journalist I’d been speaking with regarding my Cheeky Stag Photo. He advised that my photo would be in today’s newspapers. I dropped my camera gear in the Van before looking for the nearest newsagents, thankfully only a miles walk away.

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My photo had made it into the Times and Telegraph, it was even shown on the Sky Newspaper review. It felt great that my photo might have made some people smile over their cornflakes that morning.

Our next stop was a campsite near Robins Hood Bay. We arrived early afternoon as we wanted to explore the village. The shortcut across the fields was lovely, and we explored the small village, enjoying a drink near the harbour and a fabulous early evening meal before walking the hill back to Bellamy.

Day 13 – Robins Hood Bay, Whitby and on to Etties Field, Atherstone. 172 miles (275 km)

We decided to head to Whitby early to grab a late brunch as we were both stuffed from the fab food last night. We spent the morning exploring Whitby before we set off again.

We decided to add a stop on the way home to visit my parents. We booked into a quirky campsite Louise had been following on Facebook, Ettie’s field. It sounded like our kind of place, this is from their website. We were fairly confident Bellamy would qualify!

Ettie’s Field is NOT a caravan park or a campsite….

Ettie’s Field is for everyone who owns an interesting Glamping rig.

WE LOVE..

Airstream, VanLife, Bongo, Glawnings, Teardrop, t@b, Vdubs, Bikers with small touring tents, Classic Hymer, Eriba Touring, Bell or Lotus Tent, Tipis, Roof tents, converted ambulances

WE LOVE different!!! Ettie’s Field is different!!!

Ettie’s Field is NOT suitable for normal tents, normal caravans or normal motorhomes…

Onsite, there’s a Boho-tipue shop where Louise was in her element, thankfully we were nearly home, so loading the van up with more ‘items’ wasn’t going to be too much of a problem.

Somehow we had the place to ourselves and enjoyed the late sunshine. My parents drove over from nearby Tamworth, and we caught up in the funky clubhouse when it got cooler with its honesty coffee bar before turning in for the night.

Day 14 – Etties Field to Home. 130 miles (210km)

So the final day had arrived. The most direct route was chosen in the Sat Nav and we enjoyed some good roads as we ambled home. No stopping today, the van was creaking under the things we had purchased on our journey. It was a Friday so we still had a weekend ahead to prepare for returning to work on Monday.

Epic NC500 Campervan Adventure Part 2: From Clachtoll’s Bone Caves to Doune Castle and More