South to Killiecrankie and the Lin of Tummel

South to Killiecrankie and the Lin of Tummel

Bertie is off on his wanderings again. He has been parked up for too long. The plan is to spend all of October on the road including 11 days on the Isle of Man and then returning via Cumbria and South West Scotland. We cross on the ferry from Heysham on Thursday so we have four days to cover the 372miles from Forres to Heysham. We left Forres at about noon after a short visit to Lidl for iced buns

Sheildaig Trip

Sheildaig Trip

Over Scotland toward Skye! Eileen’s cousin Irene and her husband Bill were having their annual holiday in their caravan at Sheildaig on the west coast of Scotland. They had been in touch suggesting that they drove over to see us in Forres but on a wild impulse we thought let’s take Bertie over and have a night with them at Sheildaig! We did not want to be away for long as our daughter was expecting to give birth to our

Unexpected trip south to Staffordshire

Unexpected trip south to Staffordshire

We had only been in Scotland a few days when my wife was offered the chance to attend a family reunion of her mother’s family – people she has never met before but with whom she has been corresponding through her family history researchs. These opportunities do not come up very often, the sun was shining and Bertie was keen to be off. The meet up was in a large house with a big garden near Rugeley and we would

Bertie Goes North

Bertie Goes North

Today was the day that we left our house in Suffolk for the last time as residents and the next time we come her it will just be as visitors as we prepare to sell it. From now on our home will be in Forres, Moray and this journey was to move Bertie to his new home. We had taken the car north just a few days before and had flown straight back from Inverness to Luton by EasyJet for

Norfolk Broads Weekend – June 2017

Norfolk Broads Weekend – June 2017

This was a short trip just a chance to have a weekend away before all the work for moving to Forres next week. It was a glorous sunny week and it was too good to miss. We left home at 11:15 for the short but scenic drive to Horsey via Reedham Ferry. This was Bertie’s first trip on this tiny chain ferry across the River Yare. We had tried once before but the ferry was closed for winter maintenance at

Forres to Suffolk

Forres to Suffolk

This was a simple A to B drive with only two overnight stops. That is quite a quick drive for us with daily drives around 320Kms. We had a lazy start from Forres (via Lidl for pre journey top up!) and we were on the road about 11am. First stop was by the side of the old A9 near Newtonmore for a coffee stop. Easy drive over Drummochter but the traffic stopped just south of Pitlochry near Ballinluig so we

Cromarty Firth and the Black Isle

Cromarty Firth and the Black Isle

Tuesday 28th March We set off from Forres at 14:20 for Inverness. Tonight we have tickets for the Yamato Drums at the Eden Court Theatre and have decided to stay over in Bertie and then have a few days exploring northwards up the Caithness coast. We drove straight to Invermess, with a quick victualling stop at Lidl in Forres en-route, and filled up with diesel at Morrisons on the way into Inverness. We drove through the middle of Inverness to

Banffshire Coast

Banffshire Coast

We had a few days available before the Peat Bog Faeries gig that we had booked to see at the Universal Hall in Findhorn and we have long wanted to explore the coast as far as Fraserburgh. We had been as far as Bannf on day trisp from Forres but not further. We had 5 days and could get all the way and take our time. We set out from Forres at 12:45 and our first stop was Lidl to

Five days north to Forres

Five days north to Forres

Tuesday 28th February We left our house rather later than we had planned. Somehow we always leave too much to do at the last minute! It was just after noon as we headed off under a grey and gloomy sky but the atmosphere onboard was far from gloomy – it is always exciting to set off on another Bertie adventure . We followed the normal, well worn route or rather we intended to do so until we found our usual

Return from Luton and Bury St Edmunds

Return from Luton and Bury St Edmunds

The plan for this trip was to deliver Martin to Luton Airport in good time for him to catch his evening flight back to Inverness. That is a longish, cross-country drive from East Suffolk and the weather was gloomy and rainy. We broke the trip at Elveden on the A11 partly becuase we fancied a leg stretch but alos becuase in all the years we have lived in East Anglia and driven right past this impressive erection we have never