the kitchen cupboard

Yesterday's shopping trip to Aberdeen went well and I now have some memory foam and heavy-duty pvc to make waterproof cushions to go on the bench seat. I'll make loose fabric covers to cover the pvc, thus combining dog-proof and comfy to sit on. I also have 60m of bubblewrap ready to insulate the roofspace as soon as my perspex sheeting arrives - tomorrow I'll phone the company and sort out what went wrong with delivery!

Today, once Charlie had been to the vet for his second set of jabs, his microchip and a general check-over, we plunged into the question of the stove. I emailed Windy Smithy to ask advice on size of stove and length of flue yesterday and got a wonderfully detailed email back with all the details. The stove I'd chosen will do fine but I need to fit in more flue length for the best draw on the stove - vital with a woodburner if I'm to have a nice clean burn, no smoke drifting back into the van and for the stove to keep 'in' over a long winter's night. Some hard work with protractors and even Gareth and I scribbling measurements and marks on the walls of the van (in pencil) was required before we figured out that a couple of 45 degree bends will allow us to shoehorn another 50cm of flue into the space available, so all is now in hand to get the stove ordered and paid for. I'll pick it up on the way back from Exmoor after midsummer!

Having cleared that problem up, the way was clear to get the final dimensions of the 'kitchen cupboard' sorted and the frame built ready for cladding. The end nearest the rear doors will take a sheet of ply on top of a small locker to make a bed across the rear end of the van, then the remainder of the free space along the nearside wall of the van, some 5 feet in length, will be the work-surface with the twin-burner gas stove let into the top surface. Snatching my chance while the weather was nice and the dog fairly settled to nap the rest of the morning away, I set to work and got the timber frame measured, cut and assembled. Two coats of varnish later, it just needs to finish drying overnight and tomorrow the tricky job of getting the top surface cut to fit the gas stove begins!

Some thought was also given to the placement of the gas cylinder. It has to be secure for travel (obviously) yet able to be removed when it needs replacing, as it regrettably does from time to time. Some brainstorming between Mum and I came up with the idea of putting low wooden 'fiddles' around the base of the cylinder to keep it stable on its shelf, with the top end of the cylinder then secured with a bungee to a sturdy eyebolt in the frame behind the cylinder. Once the worktop is done, putting in the shelves and sorting out the gas cylinder will be the rest of the day's project. If I get as far as measuring for doors before the end of the day, all the better! I still have to source some child-proof (or more accurately, dog-proof) locks for the doors, too.

I've also now figured out how to do the top-level lockers above the bench-seat, which will take light-weight items like spare clothing. I'm still mulling over how to sort out the cupboard for laptop etc that I plan to put behind the driver's side bulkhead, on top of the 'table' over the whippet's crate.

Finishing touches on the bench

Again, more delays due to poor weather, together with a desire to make the next trip to B&Q on a Saturday so I could take advantage of a money-off offer, have delayed work on the van. Today, however, the timber is in hand for the kitchen-side of the van, the stove dimensions are written down and while there wasn't time to launch into anything major, there was definitely time to get the final bits done on the bench seat.

With Charlie's help (or at least company!) the interior divisions have gone in - only hardboard but enough to stop everything sliding merrily over long distances every time I brake or corner - and the ply seat is hinged on and secure. There's enough room at the rear to put a jerrycan tidily out of the way - either the 10L green water can or one of the 10L red diesel cans - and tomorrow's plans involve a trip into Aberdeen in search of memory foam to make the cushions, a big roll of bubblewrap to start insulating the roof and Charlie's first mid-distance car ride. The poor pup so far has done Lincolnshire to Aberdeen (breeder to home) and the 15 minute run to the vet for his jabs - he had one trip in the van to Aberdeen so now it's time to get the car seat harness out and take him on a day-trip to the shops.

An adrenaline workout

The weather's not been kind so not much has happened for a few days. Today, though, the windows have arrived ready to fit to the van, so Gareth and I pulled ourselves together and snatched a space of dry - if windy and cold! - weather to do this job.

I'd chosen my window size on the basis of (a) being big enough to see through but (b) not big enough for a whippet or fox terrier to escape through. The result was 700mm by 300mm, which also happened to be a nice size on the Seitz window size chart from O'Briens. They had a good clear website and when I phoned yesterday they were very helpful and quick - and I can't say anything bad about the delivery time, either! Overnight delivery from Salisbury to Aberdeen is pretty impressive.

The idea of taking a jigsaw and hacking holes in perfectly good walls had me biting my nails somewhat but having worked our way through the instructions there was only one way to find out how thick the walls of the van actually were - I had my fingers crossed for 26mm so the windows would fit exactly, but having drilled a hole in the wall big enough to fit the tape measure through, our luck was out. 20mm exactly - so we trotted off to B&Q (yet again) to try and find some suitable wood to fit the space.

We returned with 6mm pine stripwood, which was perfect, and having measured and cut it to fit the interior frames of the windows, we marked out the spaces on the walls for the two windows to fit.

Having marked out the spaces, however, we had to bite the bullet and start cutting the van up. Holes drilled in the corners was a start, then the jigsaw blade was inserted and Gareth vanished as the noise began. By the time I'd cut half the first hole, my head was ringing and I went in search of more ear protection - the reverberation chamber effect of the van's interior having kicked in nicely again.

With cotton wool stuffed in both ears, ear muffs and a woollen hat pulled well down, the job was completed without further trouble and we offered up the first window to its hole. Amazingly it fitted straight in and we had it screwed into place, weathertight and looking smart within minutes!

Hole number 2 was duly hacked into the van, window number two inserted and.... it didn't fit. Somehow the hole was smaller at one end than the other. Quite how, given every line had been measured by me several times, all angles drawn with a set square and then double-checked by Gareth, is a mystery but some more work with the jigsaw fixed the problem and we got the second window in and secure at length.

bench seat

Another fine day for working outside - not having anywhere undercover with room to work makes for a weather-dependent schedule. All the same, the sun was shining today so the tools came out, the new assistant was distracted into digging in the garden instead of howling at the gate and I pushed on with the woodwork.

Charlie the Fox Terrier - not an ideal workmate....

Today's plan was to get the framework in place for the bench that'll run the rest of the way along the driver's side of the van. A lot of metal brackets on the corners substituted for my inability to do fancy joinery but the result is solid and square. With a sheet of plywood on top, it's strong enough to be slept on or indeed stood on without a creak or a wobble, and that's what I was looking for! The next stage will be to fix hinges to the plywood and put in some simple interior dividers to help keep the contents of the locker in place while I'm driving - I envisage this as being the main storage for heavy and bulky items that don't need to be hauled in and out too often, like a selection of tinned food/soup for emergency use, the tents, spare bedding, camping gear, etc. Charlie's crate fits under the front end next to the framework, next to the whippet crate, although he prefers by far to sleep in my sleeping bag with me.



Back in the groove!

After a long pause for a holiday down south with family, I'm back! And the work of converting the Kite Wagon has really got underway, not without some tension. After furious work with the tape measure and graph paper, the plan for the interior has been completed and the first section of the woodwork has been done. It's a shaky start since I can't use a spirit level to check my verticals - the van's parked on a slope!! Not all the interior angles are right angles, to add to the fun, so the initial piece - the corner-table over the whippet's crate - had to be put together somewhat by eye, which would probably be a lot easier for a more experienced carpenter but it's there, it's solid and it's done! From here on I'm hoping the speed and quality of my work will improve....

Train Trekking

Having left the Kite Wagon parked in the old station yard in Maud, safely out of the way of everyone (I hope) for a few days, this morning was a dash into Aberdeen to catch the train south. We changed at York and again in Manchester Piccadilly – the old station hasn’t changed a bit since I last saw it quarter of a century ago! – and then on down to Hereford. It’s interesting watching the scenery change, the seasons shooting forward as we go south, and it’s also encouraging to see how many wild bunnies are around the countryside – everywhere. When I get my whippet pup later this year and hopefully a smooth-haired terrier as well, we will at least have lots of furry food to aim for!

At Rest and Tidying Up

Having parked up in Maud and got a good night’s sleep under our belt, today was about emptying the Kite Wagon out completely, storing everything away as tidily as possible and getting ready for the long train trek tomorrow, back south to collect the car. All washing was done and sheepskins/cowhide aired in the sun before being folded up in the dry for a while – after I get back with the car I have to see about fixing the few holes we’ve discovered in the back of the wagon, then arranging to get her insulated, windows fitted and lining installed. After that, I’ll set to work building the furniture and getting her properly set up as a home-on-wheels. All in all, a quiet day for recuperating and planning.

Stromness, Scotland and Hairpins!

We were up early fofr a weather check (look out of window, sea flat calm with ripples; excellent) and then brewed some hot chocolate for our morning drink rather than tea. This was because the previous night’s Horlicks had left us with a mix of water and milk in the teapot which needed to be used up before we could brew tea! Once this minor problem had been disposed off, we stowed everything securely for sea, dismantling the gas stove and tying everything down with bungess safely. The diesel in the jerrycans was decanted into the main tank, bringing us up to ¾ of a tank.

The ferry terminal in Stromness was rather boring, with only a tea/coffee machien for refreshments, so having wandered slowly about inside it for a while, we headed off to investigate the town of Stromness. It has narrow streets, paved in the ubiquitous flags but with a narrow strip of cobbles inset – possibly for grip, or so a local woman implied after Anny successfully fell over on the main street again! This time the damage was minor and lacking in bloodshed, so having achieved verticality again we proceeded with more caution for a while.

Stromness soon proved not to be fascinating, however, and we turned back to the ferry terminal to get the Kite Wagon booked in. This time, for variety, we drove forwards into the ferry (a much bigger vessel than the last) and then swung around to park up facing the stern. From there it was up to the passenger decks and a search for a good window to park ourselves by, in case of seasickness. A kindly steward advised that the best place was aft behind the reception desk so we found a good window and having dumped our bags, I left Anny guarding them and raided the café for breakfast. A bacon roll with extra egg and a mug of hot chocolate having been acquired and scoffed, I returned to the port side window and readied the phone to do photos of Hoy in passing.

The Pentland Firth turned out to be in the mood of a placid millpond, barely managing even a visible swell let alone anything perceptible. We docked without problem in Scrabster, reclaimed the Kite Wagon and headed out in search of the A9 south.

We’d agreed that our original plan – sleeping at one of the higher car parks on Cairngorm for a night – would turn out to be a cold option, so we changed our minds and decided to go for a slow reintroduction to civilisation by going straight to Maud  and journey’s end. This would also enable us to do the washing and shower!  Having decided this we set off down the A9, only to find that just after Latheronwheel and before Helmsdale, the road entered a series of h9orrendous steep hairpin bends that weren’t marked on the map! It was quite exciting to be heading apparently directly at the North Sea, visible over a few-hundred-foot cliff, only to then whisk around and be heading at 180 degrees in the opposite direction within yards. Signs saying ‘check your brakes now’ and ‘stay in low gear’ did not induce great confidence, either.

Once past all this hair-raising stuff, however, we parked up for a steadying cup of tea and some food, it being about lunchtime, and called ahead to warn that we were on the way early. Assured of a bed and dinner, we pushed on south, achieving a fine run all the way to Maud with still ¼ of a tank in hand and just about 1,300 miles on the tank since I bought the wagon exactly 14 days before!

Alas, last day on Orkney!

Leaving our overnight berth tucked behind the old WWII emplacement on top of the cliffs, we headed north to Skara Brae. Here the staff were just opening up as we arrived and we wandered slowly around the indoor display before exploring the reconstructed house just outside the centre. We agreed that probably no self-respecting Neolith would have kept live lobsters on top of their dresser, even one made of stone, but otherwise there was plenty of headroom under the high domed roof, the smoke-vent let in a good degree of light and there was as much storage space in the house as in most places, with comfortable-looking box-beds which could have accomodated generous bedding allowances of bracken, heather or dry grass rather than merely having a few deer and shep skins draped forlornly over them. With the big central hearth, we felt the house was probably quite snug and warm even in the Orkney winds – the tunnel that linked the house to the rest of the village being insulated nicely under a thick layer of refuse, seashells and assorted midden contents for that purpose.

Outside the reconstruction, we walked unhurriedly along the path, admiring a wide sandy beach that curved beautifully before a marvellously blue-and-green sea, finally reaching the enclosure where the genuine village is preserved. A kind lady there was armed with a brush and a bucket of water for cleaning seabird guano off the paths, but explained that the pair of fulmars nesting on the roof of hut 1 have been friends for 14 years and are now mates. They make a habit, apparently, of landing inside the hut and then not being able to get out again, but recently a workman carefully herded them through the door and along the corridor, thus showing the birds the correct exit procedure, and now they remove themselves from the hut without assistance.

The huts are fairly small, perhaps twenty feet across, but provide all the basics of civilisation; beds, hearths, storage facilities, a place to display one’s treasures on a stone dresser facing the door and the neighbours (perhaps close kin?) living next door along the corridor. One hut even appeared to have a granny-flat annexe to the main building! Apparently the midden was laid down first and only when it had accumulated sufficient depth and density was the village tunnelled into it and the individual rooms built in the typical flat, nicely-laid flagstone architecture of the Orkneys.

Having completed our slow perambulation, we headed back to the visitor centre and breakfast; Earl Grey tea and the local cheese board for me, scone and jam for Anny. We followed the good food with a tour of the gift shop (naturally) and then enquired about refilling the water tank, which had just provided us with our morning tea before running empty on us. The kitchen staff kindly shoved our 10L tank under their tap and even apologised for not knowing how to work the complicated sealing arrangements!

With everything now at hand and no need to be anywhere before the ferry terminal tomorrow, we decided that a lazy afternoon on a beach somewhere would be good. We ran down to Stromness, getting a feel for the ferry terminal’s position, then on over the hill to a little carpark at the end of a narrow lane with a lovely view over Pulse Skerry to the Atlantic, Hoy and Hoy Sound to the south. We spent the afternoon unwinding in warm sunshine, buzzed gently by a variety of seabirds and visited by various dogs and their walkers, as well as the antics of the local sea-kayaking group practising emergency drills off the beach.

We decided to follow up last night’s limpet deluxe with crispy fried nettles to accompany a ham-and-cheese scrambled egg dish, which all turned out to be delicious. More glorious sunsets ensured in due course, captured on the phone (pics later!) and we settled down for our last night on Orkney. Alas!

The Rings

(Post should have been 28th but no phone signal to post!)
Today began with groans and moans as yesterday's bruises took their toll on Anny's back and legs, but the application of a heat pad overnight was declared to have been a great help and the application of tea, heat and breakfast helped greatly. We headed for Maes Howe for the second attempt, arriving safely as before and parking with great deliberation, extremely close to the kerb, with the aim of foiling any attempt on Anny's part to trip over again. I stood close at hand and prepared to catch any staggers but in fact this time the disembarkation process proceeded flawlessly and we made it inside safely to be greeted by anxious staff. Having satisfied themselves that Anny was in fact recovered and healthy, we were ushered into an excellent tour of Maes Howe.
The chamber itself was fascinating and it was a pity (but understandable) that all access has to be by guided tour. I would have enjoyed ferreting into the side chambers and reading all the runic graffitti in peace but it was not to be. Interestingly both Anny and I felt that the place was not a tomb at all but an initiation space, since it felt so very different from the Tomb of the Eagles and Banks Chambered Cairn, neither of which had provided any kind of echo or reverberation when we were in them while Maes Howe provided excellent echo space and, of course, has the three internal chambers to be shut up individually and the famous light-box for midwinter sunrise.
Maes Howe completed, we checked a few directions with a compass to confirm what we felt about the landscape alignments (such as where the sun would rise and set behind various hills) and then set off to investigate the Stones of Stenness, which were visible from Maes Howe quite easily (as indeed was the Ring of Brodgar). The Stones turned out to have a very fine wide layby so we had a pot of tea.
Thus fortified, we sallied forth into the field to investigate the Stones of Stenness, a fine tall monument of five standing stones (surviving) and a pair of slim pillars with a fallen slab of a dolmen next to them.We paced both ways around the circle individually, both of us finding that we were drawn to enter the circle at the same place (which turned out to be the 'correct' entrance spot according to the archeology/interpretation boards at the entrance when we checked later). Standing on the dolmen and looking through the gap between the two uprights by it gave a view of Maes Howe, which was interesting as these two monuments were in use at the same time (c.7,000 years ago).
Having pranced about the Stones for a while, we investigated the village a couple of hundred yards away which was also in use at the same time as the Stones. This turned out to be fascinating as we both immediately felt sure it was a 'ceremonial' settlement rather than a normal everyday village, where the population were perhaps serving a period looking after the Stones. One building in particular was very definitely used, we felt, by groups of people, as it had an outer wall which enclosed an inner building. The outer area felt watery, with a covered drain in one corner, a wider section that felt like a seating area and lots of moss and soft ground underfoot. It felt like a place for ablutions. Proceeding around this space, one came to the diametrically opposite entrance to the inner area, which had a low doorway section and then a hearth set in the doorway of an inner room, which had another very large hearth in its centre and low walls that proved ideal for sitting on while, perhaps, story-telling, feasting or other communal activities in a wall, enclosed (perhaps sauna-like?) atmosphere. There was also a small drain in the corner that led out into the covered drain we'd noticed outside, so providing indoor sanitation as well!
After this, we had a look at the Watchstone at the end of the bridge to the Ness of Brodgar, a narrow space of water separating south-west to north-east land between the Lochs of Harray and Stenness. it was a very imposing guardian of the crossing point and an offering of three red-skinned potatoes, a neep, a bulb of garlic and a carrot lay tidily at its foot, which was fascinating.
We retired to the Kite Wagon and proceeded across the Ness of Brodgar to the car park at the Ring of Brodgar, the younger and much bigger ring of standing stones on a slight hill above the lochs and all of perhaps a hundred yards from the Stones of Stenness. They also had many fascinating aspects and we took several photos and a number of compass bearings before retiring to the Wagon to lunch, drink tea and rest fevered brows and over-worked brains for a time.
Deciding that doing Skara Brae on the same day was too much, we drove to a marvellous clifftop WWII ex-gun post on the western coast named Yesnaby and collapsed to rest. A short walk gave us a fine set of views of the coast, some sunning seals, lots of seabird roosts and, on the way back, a pocketful of limpets hammered off the rocks with a pebble. We boiled them briefly in butter and Raven beer (a fine Orcadian brew) before consuming them with bread and butter. It was a very fine end to a magnificent day!

Kirkwall. Repeatedly!

All began nicely this morning with a pot of tea, and then the gas cylinder ran out. Admittedly we've been using it for supplemental heating in the uninsulated Kite Wagon as well as tea and cooking! We had planned a slow trundle north over the Churchill Barriers, pausing on Lamb Holm to see what the Orkney Wine Company might offer before achieving Kirkwall and shops, but the idea of going tea-less until 11 when the Wine Company opened its doors was intolerable! We traded possible opening lines for novels beginning 'By the faint glimmer of a dying gas stove' while drinking our tea, then went straight to Kirkwall instead. After various wanderings and directions gas-cylinder-wards by randomly chosen but uniformly friendly and helpful natives, we located (in chronological order) the banks, a local arts shop selling all sorts of hand-made items, book shops, the main Calor dealer and a shop which sold us the remaining map of Orkney which we needed! All missions thus achieved, we went back to the Orkney Wine Company shop where we enjoyed a tasting session, acquired various gifts and some North Ronaldsay sheepskins!
After this we turned north again, passing through Kirkwall again and taking the road for Maes Howe.
We arrived at Maes Howe in due course and parked in a super big space in their car park. So far so good! I hopped out and paused while Anny alighted, and then - oh, drama! Anny fell over the kerb in stepping back and performed quite the most polished and dramatic full-length hurtle to the ground I think I've seen! Leaving the keys in the door lock I hurled myself after her, although I landed tidily and compos mentis on one knee rather than landing on the back of my head and tailbone, and for a minute or two tried the strategy of informing the patient that she was to take her time, all was ok. This worked well. All was not altogether well, however, as a pool of blood was becoming visible under said patient's head. I tried a calm and reassuring tone of voice while saying 'you've cut your head a bit, when you're ready let's get you inside and sit you down safely', which also apparently worked well. Anny got herself on her feet without screams of agony, although dripping gore vividly in all directions, and we tottered the 30 yards or so into the visitor centre. Greeting the receptionist with a request for their first aid kit set the scene nicely and in very short order a chair was produced, their staff first aider summoned forth and I was able to ferret through the gore and decide life threatening injuries had been avoided. To be on the safe side, however, an ambulance was summoned and I had the interesting experience of chasing the ambulance at 60 miles an hour back to Kirkwall and the Balfour Hospital.
X-rays proving nothing had been broken, the offending scalp was given a stitch for safety's sake and we were sent off to enjoy some sunshine. We toddled a few miles back towards Maes Howe at a far lower and less hair-raising speed, then parked up in a nice layby and put the kettle on. Enough for one day! The patient accepted tea, fudge and adopted a lateral posture in her sleeping bag to doze and rest for the remainder of the day. We've had some highly therapeutic creamed rice and are now settling for the night. We'll try for Maes Howe again tomorrow!

Orkney!

Wow! After a seriously rocky night in our quarry (heaven only knows how bad it would have been without that shelter!) we headed to the ferry at crack of dawn (or at least early in the morning). The ferry terminal has a well-equipped cafe with excellent draught-proofing and heating so having checked in and paid up, we settled to wait for the ferrry with bacon roll and mugs of hot chocolate. Sheer luxury!
Boarding the ferry turned out to be by swinging around and reversing down the loading ramp - slightly nerve-wracking as we were surrounded by very competant commercial coach, lorry and tanker drivers so I felt somewhat on my mettle! The manouvre was safely acheived in one go however and the similarly competant ship's crew marshalled all the vehicles into place, tight-packed as sardines, then chained them all down very securely. We repaired to a comfortable lounge area to enjoy the view.
Once underway we were soon heading into a quartering four-foot chop that did for Anny's stomach. Fortunately they were plenty of sea-sick bags provided and it wasn't far to the ladies'! I confined myself to handing fresh bags and tissues over, interspersed with time-checks and encouragement to admire the view and watch the horizon! Once we landed all was soon well however and we arrived safely at the Tomb of the Eagles in Isbister at the southern end of South Ronaldsay within 40 minutes of landing despite a pause to change clothes and regain land-legs!
The Tomb of the Eagles is a 5,000 year old chambered tomb, consisting of five chambers in which various human remains were found. The walls are built from slabs of the local rock, which naturally fractures into flat slabs of excellent size and sturdiness. I crawled into the tomb on hands and knees, although Anny chose a giant skateboard and hauled herself in hand over hand along a rope fixed for this purpose! Once inside, skylights in the modern concrete roof (necessary protection) allowed us to see the chambers clearly and we fossicked about happily for half an hour or so before setting out on the mile-long and incredibly windy trek back to the interpretation centre in search of a cup of tea. About halway back we passed a bronze age structure, again stone built, which we agreed was definitely a sauna house!
The interpretation centre, although excellent in many regards, sadly offered only a coffee machine and no seats. It was by then gone 2pm and we agreed to sally forth and try the bistro next foor. Never has a better decision been made! Not only was the bistro superb, providing us with a pot of Earl Grey tea, locally-sourced beef lasagne and homemade salad followed by coffee and Orkney ice-cream for Anny (I passed on putting anything cold into my core in the face of the icy gale blowing outside!) But they also had a neolithic chambered tomb!! We're both hugely envious of the people here - everyone seems to have masses of fabulous archeology on their doorsteps and oin this case, right smack in the middle of their car park! Stunning!
Better yet, the Banks chambered cairn is hardly even touched by archeologists yet - a major surprise given its size and the vast array of human remains found in the only chamber (of 6) that has been excavated to date. We spent some time in a little hut that sits by the side of the car park and were shown photos and some of the very finds excavated just last month, even handling some of them (they're in the process of being slowly dried and warmed to avoid them fragmenting) while the very man who owns the place told us the story of the tomb's discovery and exploration as he and his wife had lived it! After that it was into the tomb itself, crouching under the original roof to examine bones jutting from the ground at our feet, 5,000 year old marks carved into the roof and peering by torchlight into the still rubble-filled remaining chambers, all guided by a super young supply teacher who'd taken the job just that morning as a summer job! It was a privilege to pay £5 each towards the future excavation and preservation of tha site.
Stunned and surfeited (and provided with inside info on other stunning tombs to visit on Rousay!) we thanked the Skerries Bistro and Banks Chambered Tomb folks for a fabulous afternoon and trundled off to find our campsite for tha night. Weemys campsite was soon found and is proving very satisfactory so far; there are hot showers and we've been able to park nose to wind in the lee of a caravan and half-built bothy, so for now the Kite Wagon is lying in relative peace under blue skies and we're allowing our excitement to subside gently. Tomorrow we plan to drive round to the north, leaving South Ronaldsay behind and arriving on the Orcadian Mainland, where we hope to visit a craft and food centre promoting local artists and artisans, then on west to the heart of Neolithic Orkney.

John O'Groats!

Dornoch gave us an amazingly wet and windy night (but no leaks in the Kite Wagon - we slept very well despite the weather) and having collected our dry washing and refilled the water tank, it was off for Forsinard and the Flow Country. By half past eight we were thundering up the A9 with a topped-up fuel tank and all set, despite the continuing northerly winds and showers, for another great day's adventuring.
At Helmsdale we turned off the A9 and took the lovely, scenic and single-track-with-passing-places A897 to Forsinard, where we had to turn round and come back to find the tiny RSPB centre, housed inside the old station buildings. We browsed the souvenir badges and picked up a red kite (naturally), a magpie, a wildcat, a barn owl and a golden eagle! Having done merchandising and wandered around the small but very informative displays, we girded our loins and sallied forth on a short walk through the bogs - on a safely paved path. We heard curlew and saw larks, the dwarf birch just budding and the bog cotton nearly flowering but otherwise the country was still very wintry.
Our expedition completed, it was back to the Kite Wagon to heat up tomato soup, brew a pot of tea and devour bread and cheese with the soup for lunch. By half past one we were on the move again, continuing north for the coast. We spotted the vanishing rear end of a very stocky, thick-tailed tabby cat vanishing up a bank at a place called Trantlemore, so we think it may have been a wildcat, who do live in the area! If so, that's quite a notable sighting for us as neither of us have seen one in the wild before!
We reached the coast road and hung a right, reaching Thurso before half past two, so decided to push on for John O'Groats - it seemed a shame not to get there while we were so close! On the way we checked out Gills Bay, where we catch the ferry tomorrow, and on parking at John O'Groats, the trip meter read 1009! I set it when I first filled the tank just tten days ago almost at the other end of the country so this feels like a significant milestone.
Once we'd frozen our fingers taking proof-we-were-here pics, we made hurriedly off in search of a less windy overnight spot. We're now parked in an old quarry above the village, kindly pointed out to us by a lovely lady in the post office, and drinking hot chocolate. An early night awaits, then early tomorrow we go to meet the ferry!

From Caves to Coast

This morning we were on the move swiftly, pausing only for a pot of tea before donning waterproofs and setting off to find the Inchnadamph bone caves. The path took us past a chambered cairn, which we paused to examine. Thus beguiled from the path we strayed into botany, spotting various interesting plants such as mountain thyme, sundew, some beautiful potentillas with silver leaf edges and others we couldn't identify.
Reclaiming our attention from the flora we resumed the walk, accompanied by larks ascending all over the place and a pair of buzzards courting high over the ridge across the valley. We paused to breakfast in the shelter of some trees, then pushed on towards Cnoc nan Uamh, the Hill of Caves, where we could already see a cave mouth beckoning.
After a further half mile or so across a landscape pocked with sinkholes and sometimes unnervingly hollow underfoot, we reached the caves. Inside a wide, steeply slanted entrance a veritable torrent of white water was hurtling through the cave - we admired with awe from a safe distance, jaws dropped, before retreating slightly to have a steadying cup of tea from a flask.
The second cave we reached was much less staggering, being a gently-dripping affair some seven or eight feet high rather than a dizzying fifteen or twenty feet down in rapids; we could hear the river from beyond the cave's first chamber but since we lacked equipment, skill and inclination to take up serious spelunking, we went no further than daylight would reach! It was, surprisingly, colder inside the cave than outside in the wind-driven rain in the valley.
Having satisfied our cave-dwelling impulses for the time being we carried on up to the top of the ridge and enjoyes stunning views right down the length of Loch Assynt to the hills beyond. Deer were grazing on the heights north of the valley, a good 500 feet higher than our best efforts.
Returning to the Kite Wagon parked in Inchnadamph village, it was all change on the clothes front despite our waterproofs, then eastward on the road to Dornoch. Yet again the Kite performed superbly, handling single track roads, cattle grids and passing places as to the manner born. We stopped at one point to offer assistance to four young tourists who'd fared less carefully and ended up parked five feet down a steep bank, but they were all safe and had a phone signal to summon a tow-truck so thanked us and declined further assistance.
Dornoch is as far as we want to go for now, so we're parked overlooking the Dornoch Firth in the local caravan park, where laundry and hot showers were delightful. Despite the zig-zagging across the countryside the disel tank is still half-full from Tyndrum; we'll top off tomorrow at a garage we spotted on the A9 just past the Dornoch turning, then aim for Forsinard RSPB reserve in the Flow Country before ending tomorrow's adventures near the ferry terminal for Orkney.

Assynt and Stags

We got away from Rannoch Moor early this morning and enjoyed a fabulous run through to Fort William, then on to the Commando Monument at Spean Bridge, where we paused for photos and some stunning views as well as to pay our respects. Following that we pressed on, breakfasting in a layby with views of Loch Lochy. We paused again at Invermoriston to admire the falls and stroll in the woods around midmorning, taking advantage also of some superbly kept public loos and a drinking water tap on the village hall by the car park! A delightfully well equipped village! With a sparkling fresh 10L of water in the jerrycan, it was on to Inverness, then over the Kessock Bridge. We turned west again on the Ullapool road (A835) thus achieving a double crossing of the entire British Isles in one day and arrived in Inchnadamh (the Isle of Stags) in Assynt for a late lunch.
Having examined maps and finished lunch, we strolled through the little village, spotting some of the eponymous stags grazing by the road. The car park in the village being of the 'no overnight parking' variety, we drove on a couple more miles to a fine big carpark by the ruins of Ardvreck Castle on the shores of Loch Assynt, wandered around for half an hour or so and then, encouraged by a brisk shower falling heavily from great heights, returned to the Kite Wagon to pack our rucks and lay out hiking clothes for tomorrow's planned trek up to the caves under Cnoc nan Uamh, the Hill of Caves.

In the Land of Giants

After a fabulous run up round Glasgow and west of Loch Lomond, we pushed on over Rannoch Moor, pausing for diesel in Tyndrum and dinner at the King's House Hotel in Glencoe. Their venison casserole was excellent and the utterly wicked raspberries and cream confection called cranachan snared us afterwards. We're now parked in the land of giants; Munros all around, with Buachaill Etive Mor, Buachaill Etive Beag, Bidean nam Bian and Meal Mor all spread in front and more peaks behind! Stunning views.
The Kite Wagon is doing marvels, handling the desperately narrow roads around Tarbert and Ardlui with aplomb and fairly storming the high passes over Rannoch and into Glencoe.a greater change in geography from her previous life in Buckinghamshire would be hard to imagine!
Tomorrow we hope for an early start, to get through Fort William early, pause to pay respects at the Commando Memorial in Spean Bridge around breakfast and then on up the Great Glen for Inchnadamph.

North of York and Trucking On!

We left York a few minutes before 8 this morning and are now paused for coffee at Annandale Water services after a super run up and across. The York ring road was bearable early on a Sunday morning and we quickly picked up the A19 to Thirsk, then cut across to the A1 and up to Scotch Corner. From there the old Roman road (A66) to Penrith provided a fast run and super views over north Yorkshire and Cumbria. At Penrith we took the M6 north, which then became the A74(M) at Carlisle. We're about an hour south of Glasgow now and hope to be parking somewhere round Loch Lomond for a late lunch!
Last night has shown us a few minor leaks in the fibreglass in the back of the van that will need patching before insulation and lining can take place but nothing serious and we slept dry and snug. Better to find the leaks before lining the back, anyway!
No photos just yet - I haven't yet figured out to upload photos from the blackberry so there will be a slew of them when I get web access with the netbook!

York

It was late last night when we arrived in York after a wet trip up from Herefordshire; the fronts kept rolling in and hurling quantities of heavy rain around but the Kite Wagon kept on truckin' without missing a beat! There's a minor leak somewhere in the back but we'll track it down and fix it in due course. The campsite is fine; we've parked in the carpark facing the fishing lakes rather than on the grass camping pitches but it's handy for the shower block so no complaints! Today I'm at the Pagan Federation North East Spring Conference doing a workshop on runes and their use so it'll be back to the campsite for the night. Photos later!

Welcome to the Kite Wagon!

This blog is specifically set up to track the progress of a major work of transformation - the metamophosis of an ex-Rentokil van to a unique motorhome! Here she is, four days after purchase and parked in a friend's yard, just as she was when I bought her except for the magnetic adverts stuck on the front doors.

Right now she's about to set off on her first long-distance trip - Hereford to York, then up to Glasgow, Tarbert, Fort William, Inchnadamph, Durness and on across the top of Scotland to Forsinard, then John o'Groats and onto the ferry for Orkney. Once in Orkey, we'll be touring South Ronaldsay, Mainland and Hoy before taking the ferry back to Scrabster and heading down the east coast of Scotland, pausing in the Cairngorms before washing up in Aberdeenshire. Right now the interior arrangements are very rough - more camping in a van than a motorhome! - but in due course the interior will be done over into permanent living space for myself and my dogs.

View forward from the back into the cab - lots of space for 2 but the real bonus is the instant access into the rear to get at a cup of tea without having to step out into the rain!

Storage of the stuff we're lugging with us - spare fuel cans in red on the left, water in the green can, food and cooking equipment in the two clear boxes, the luggable loo stored in the wooden box on the right and various oddments in the crate on top of it for good measure! At the moment everything has to be bungee'd to the side of the van for security in transit - in due course there will be cupboards and lockers.

The cooker - for now, a very portable 2-burner gas stove but in due course, this will be incorporated into a proper worktop unit and a wood-burning stove will provide heating in cold months.

View of the rear doors and current sleeping arrangements - four-season sleeping bags laid on sheepskins on top of closed-cell sleeping mats on an Aberdeen Angus cowhide, laid in turn on carpet tiles. All in the name of insulation! Tons of headroom inside - I'm 5'2" and can just touch the ceiling without going on tiptoe!

More photos and reports from around the country as we trek, and in due course there will be details of how the conversion progresses. Keep watching!