Last night it rained, it poured and there was some definite snoring going on! Never before had we experienced such a downpour that continued throughout the night. At 08:00, I gave up, ran to the communal showers (the womens’ showers had been updated much much more recently than the mens’) and started packing up for another day travelling. Amazingly, I managed to convince Colin to come for a damp walk to the Loch – you can’t be in Loch Lomond and not witness the magic – can you?

Just a short stroll from the campsite, the loch came into view, glistening in the sunlight and shrouded in cloud. We followed a pathway for a while, through an RSPB recommended area for bird spotting. The blue sky and calm waters created the most marvellous reflections and the atmosphere was eerily peaceful. Soon though, we headed back for organisation, tea and hitting the road again.

Today, we had no finite plan – just to be in Loch Ness/Inverness by nightfall so we would be ready to start the North Coast 500 route on Friday as planned. The route taken was great and clearly popular with caravans and campers alike. We headed through Glencoe, and North to Fort William and surrounding villages. The scenery was spectacular and the cloud/sun cast gloomy shadows across the Glen. It had been many years since I’d last been in Glencoe and the memories flooded back.

A short while later, we stumbled across the Commando Memorial – for those who trained and fought during WW2. Who would have thought it’d be so popular with the Italians? Still, after soaking up some culture and paying respects, we continued our journey – past several people with punctured tyres – towards Loch Ness. I don’t think either of us expected the Loch to be such an expanse of water, or that the landscape would be so breathtaking. I think I could travel to the other side of the world and not see such amazing scenery.

Eventually, we arrived and were inaugurated into the Camping and Caravanning Club – the Friendly Site. I must say this seemed extremely friends, comfortable and accommodating. Much more so that I expected. The setting was beautiful too and it was refreshing to see a young family dragging their kayak from the Loch at the end of a day. This is something we must buy!

So, what did we learn today?

• Two portions of deep fried brie is definitely too much.
• Scotland is full of drivers who may be inexperienced with driving such a large vehicles.
• Heads and rear-view mirrors don’t mix! It was me, Colin was not impressed, we referred to the Bailey Motorhome Owners’ forum for advice on putting it back on. That being said – it needs a lot of force and we do not feel happy applying that much when so far from a windscreen repairer.