The daily creative - ramblings of a photographer living full time on the road ..
18th Oct - Today, we’re heading north to Birmingham for the Motorhome and Campervan Show. It’s astonishing how much van prices have shot up in recent years! Even though ours is nearly seven years old, I reckon we could get back about 75% of what we originally paid on the second-hand market. But what good is that if we’d just end up shelling out another £50k for a new one? The added comforts of a newer design are tempting, of course, but then we think about the freedom to travel and the stories we’d miss out on if we spent that money. So instead of splurging on a new van, we’ll treat ourselves to a cold beer at the NEC—which, considering the prices, might be the real luxury item anyway!
19th Oct - Rumours of a significant storm heading toward Scotland are swirling as I leave the NEC and point my compass north. Meanwhile, Nicola’s headed south to spend the next 10 days with her mum, and I’m off to scratch a little smoky itch that’s been nagging at me for a while. I decided to break up the journey with a stop at one of my favourite coastal spots, Glencaple—only to find the parking closed due to forecasted high tides. Fortunately, there’s another spot just a few miles away, tucked in the woods. But with strong winds rolling in over the next 24 hours, I’ve got a choice: risk floating away or getting flattened by a tree. Ah, welcome to Scotland.
20th Oct - I opted to stay in the woods, and fortunately, the winds arrived a little later than expected. With that in mind, I adjusted my plans and hunkered down in Gretna to let the worst of it pass. The van felt like a full-on rock and roll festival overnight, but no real issues to speak of. Today’s a social media Sunday for me, though I’ve already trimmed one branch—Instagram. It wasn’t adding anything useful, really; more like that guy who shows up late to the party, drinks all the beer, gets too friendly with your wife, then vomits in the bin and nicks your dog. As tempting as the chase for likes can be, I’d rather build a smaller community I can genuinely engage with. Right now, that control is with my newsletter (via MailChimp), my blog, and, to a lesser extent, here on Substack. More on this ‘trimming of the fat’ in this month’s newsletter.
21st Oct - Up early and heading north. It’s been a while since I’ve ventured beyond Glasgow, and as I cross the Erskine Bridge, there’s a flutter of excitement. Familiar place names, mountain views, and autumn colours all feel like a warm welcome back. I pull over beside Loch Fyne and treat myself to a sausage and black pudding roll from a little shop. Rain’s followed me north, so I’ll need to find a spot to wait it out. As I’m paying, the lady behind the counter kindly mentions I can park in their lot for the night, free of charge. No need to ask me twice! Soon, I’m settled in as rain batters the windows. Just as I’m about to call it a night, I spot a missed call from a Jura number—a worrying sign with a morning sailing to Islay booked.
22nd Oct - Well, that’s thrown a bit of a wrench in the plans. The missed call last night was indeed from CalMac Ferries, and thanks to the knock-on effects of Storm Ashley, my ticket has been canceled. Worse yet, there are no available slots for the rest of the week. I’ve been waiting to visit Islay for years, so I’m more than a little gutted. I’d also kept the van light on water, thinking I’d be at a campsite for a few days, so looks like a refill is on today’s agenda. After a bit of a false start, my buddy and I decide to meet up anyway and stay on the mainland. A few days of catching up, photography, and sketching (him) sounds like a decent plan. We take a quick walk up the hill behind the campsite, just as the last light fades over the hills, and find a grove of stunning Roman trees nestled among the scruff. All rather splendid.
23rd Oct - The weather’s a bit bland today, but in a very Scottish way, as I peer out over West Tarbert Bay. The wind is still, the air mild—and sadly, that’s encouraged a swarm of late-season wee beasties who are keen on breakfast-a-la-Cooke before I’ve even eaten. A ‘3km’ walk over the hills to Tarbert turns out to be closer to four miles, but it’s good to get fresh air in the lungs. On the return, the light even plays ball a bit, letting me snap a few shots with the iPhone. The big camera, though, has stayed well and truly in the bag this whole Scotland trip, and with the forecast ahead, it may well stay there.
24th Oct - What a spectacular start to the day—a haggis and square sausage roll. Not too shabby at all! A quick 30-minute drive took me to the small ferry port at Claonaig, only to find the ferry heading back to Tarbert (where we’d left just 30 minutes before) due to adverse weather. I left Alistair to catch his connection and set off north. A ping on my phone had me pulling over to discover my ticket to Mull (for tomorrow) has been canceled. That’s 2 for 2 this week. Time for a new plan, which may mean heading east to catch some decent autumn colours. I ended the day in the tiny hamlet of Easdale—a wonderful place, wild and windswept but with a warm, welcoming community feel. I even managed to get the GFX out for the first time in weeks. Tomorrow, I’ll explore the area on foot before pushing on.
But I guess that will be a story for next time.
