Day 1 - Saturday 25/04/15

I did manage to sleep OK but it was fitful. I woke about every half an hour from 6am until I decided to get up at about 8.30am. Excited by the prospect of being somewhere new I hastily got dressed and took myself to McDonalds to get breakfast (yes I know, 2 meals in a row. In fact I ended up in 3 in 24hrs but the last one was to do a McPiss), packed everything away and hit the road. The first hour was a bit humdrum as I circuited Newcastle but whilst there I spotted a retail park and took the opportunity to sort a few things out. Firstly I needed windscreen wipers. The current ones were useless and I would have been better to stick my head out the window. The other thing I needed was a curtain to split the drivers section from the sleeping quarters. The light poured in quite early which probably contributed to my early waking. I found a Hobbycraft and, like a good boy scout, found a fleecy fabric and some Velcro.

Not long after I left the scenery began to take my full attention. Travelling up the A68 I entered Northumberland National Park and Kielder Forest and I was greeted by rolling forested hills separated by winding rivers. The greens and browns were beautiful despite the rain, with mists floating through trees like they were on fire. I felt like my adventure had started.

A little distracted, I caught at the corner of my eye a monument in some woods, so I did a handbrake turn (not really) and went back to take a look. It was the site of the Battle of Otterburn where Scottish raiders led by James, Earl of Douglas, fought English forces led by Sir Henry Percy. James was killed but the raiders took the victory outnumbered 7,000 to 9,000. I stopped at the border after expecting to see Hadrian’s Wall but clearly Mr H must have been fairly short because I didn't see it. I took a few pictures of the view and studiously read the border information. I learnt that Scotland is in fact originally part of the Americas and England was part of Europe. The lowlands of Scotland are apparently the result of the colliding plates trillions of years ago. I also learnt more of the wars that England and Scotland have had over their borders, some which lasted hundreds of years. They united in the 1800's to form the United Kingdom which I found quite interesting considering the recent referendum. Thousands died on both sides during the many wars that ravaged both countries and I felt that the agreement was a testimony to lasting peace and unity. 

I wound back down the lowlands and approached Edinburgh with Arthur's seat high above the city. Like a distracted kitten playing with a cotton reel, I spent the next half an hour driving the wrong direction. Once corrected I crossed the Forth Birdge and ploughed on having chosen Aviemore as my final destination. I considered visiting Edinburgh as I hadn't been there before but the lure of the countryside was too great. I had heard that there might be skiing still be had in the hills and, with new snow predicted, I had to push on.

A couple of hours later I was circulating snow-capped hills when I decided to turn on the radio. The news was being read and I heard that there had been an earthquake in Nepal. I felt sorry for the folks there and then it suddenly hit me like a freight train. My best friend and his wife have gone solo hiking in Nepal and would have been in the region where the earthquake hit. They will be completely off the grid so I can only hope that they were in a safe place when it struck as there is no way of contacting them in the mountains. My best friend Tom is one of those people that you hope to have with you in a disaster situation because he's really good at physical things so I'm sure they will be fine. I guess we won't find out now until his return at the weekend. All my limbs are crossed!

I arrived in Aviemore and headed down a forest road to the Glenmore Forest park. I pulled up at the entrance and was greeted by a very jovial receptionist. I was in the mood for banter and had a good laugh with her and two other members of staff. She told me where all the activities, amenities and facilities were and took my payment. "If you want food you can head to the Glenmore Lodge. Go past the little green man, turn left at the reindeer and head towards the snowy mountain". "Erm, did I somehow overshoot Scotland and end up in Lapland? Am I going to be awoken by Father Christmas trying to fit down my van's exhaust pipe in an attempt to fill my socks with presents?” I left it there and went off to set up camp.

I had a shower and then took some pictures of the beautiful landscape. The campsite is nestled in woods beside a lake that is surrounded by the snowy Cairngorms. A little skip entered by step as I noticed the ski lifts and decided what tomorrow's activity entails. I then took off towards the Glenmore Lodge for food to stock up on energy. I passed the reindeer as instructed and headed up a long path. After a half hour I was thinking that I had somehow gone wrong when the lodge finally appeared in a clearing near the mountain. I ordered food and a pint and sat at the window to update my journal. I had 2 beers and they were my first in quite a while so I felt a bit warm and squiffy. I decided that I had best take myself off to bed. At 9pm it was still light but I had my head torch just in case. I got back to the van in the dark and set myself up to watch a horror film on the laptop.