45. Day 40 – Crossed into Scotland near Gretna Green and headed towards Loch Lomond

Monday 20 November 2006

The sun was peeping out again as we got up.  We looked out across the lake and could see the highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike in the distance, but it may have been our imagination because the clouds lowered soon after!

At 7.30am a beautiful hot cup of tea was delivered to our room as a wake up call. We don’t get that in the Earthroamer! 

We filled the water tank using the garden hose and departed at 9.45am. After a lovely cooked breakfast.

We had a beautiful drive along the shores of Lake Windermere, then Rydal Water and Lake Thirlmere towards Keswick.  We decided that we would like to come back here in good weather and relax around the Lakes and do some walking.

44° Fahrenheit outside but very comfy in our vehicle.  Still of course concentrating on keeping to the left of the roads – difficult with a left hand drive vehicle!

We followed the A66 back onto the M6 and headed north taking a quick turn off to Gretna Green, the home of shotgun weddings in the early days.  It appears that English people would head to Gretna Green just inside the Scottish border where they could marry quickly.  It all looked very tacky but interesting with some wedding chapels there, so maybe people still do it for historic reasons!

The sun was out but it was windy.  On the A74 at 12.00 noon we were driving at 60 miles per hour listening to Scottish radio.  For some reason our vehicle compass says we are heading south when we are actually going north.  It is probably because it is set for the USA and something to do with the angle of the dangle, Dick reckons!

We passed Lockerbie – the site of the small village which became famous because of the PAN AM terrorist attack. 

Just as we were heading north Dick got ten points for seeing a Virgin train, Pip managed to get the pictures so she claimed 20 points.

So far we have been driving in magnificent farming or forested areas, but now we are now in a major logging area.  Everything is completely logged nothing standing.  I wonder how much the conservation movement approves of this clear felling.  Then again we will be told that it is all plantation forests so no one should worry.

We pulled off at the Abington Services Centre for lunch of a salad and a scotch egg, it was freezing outside.

At last the sun was out as we headed off past open brown paddocks.  Winter had really set in, in Scotland.

Using the GPS we managed to drive around the city of Glasgow, then almost through it on an excellent expressway. 

We headed towards Loch Lomond, Dick had keyed the address of the Lomond Woods Holiday Park into the GPS we thought we should at least experience a Scottish RV park.  We also needed to do some washing after a week of travelling.  Even at 3.00pm when we pulled in it was very low light – of course it was raining and freezing cold. 

We quickly realised why Australian aviation regulations, which follow the UK, are so onerous and prescriptive compared to the United States.  This park was full of rules and regulations and it even had huge bear claws on the road so you couldn’t leave the park after a certain time.  Not only did we pay for our night by credit card but we also had to pay ₤5 as a cash deposit for the key.  There was a notice posted for just about everything you could do or not do:- not allowed to make a noise, not allowed to move, not allowed to talk, no doubt not allowed to breathe, but we suppose it’s the way of our forefathers.

At 6.00pm in the pitch dark we drove back into the town of Alexandria and bought fish and chips and then back to our number 9 spot at the caravan park.

285kms Today            14,722kms Total

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