Glasgow and Beyond – Our Trip to The Highlands

We’re back and have sat down to write our new stage of the travelogue. You may have read my anticipatory blog post a while back, but we finally did it. Here’s how our journey to Ben Nevis and the highlands went. It’s a long post, so bear with me – or, just read the bits you’re interested in, with the handy titles!

Note: The images, unfortunately, aren’t as good or as often as I would have liked, due to the weather conditions.

Preparation

Before leaving we had a lot of prep to do. Organising our Travel and where exactly we were going. Not to mention ensuring we had all the correct equipment to survive for a week in the wilds of the highlands!

I was pretty insistent that we needed a new tent. My £15 tent, bought hastily from The Range for a festival (the one that got me soaked at Dartmoor when it didn’t even rain!) was not going to cut it for a week in possibly rainy, windy conditions. So, after much online research, I had narrowed it down to the Vango Banshee range. Both in my budget, and reasonably lightweight, this tent seemed perfect to carry with us and to camp in slightly more heavy weather conditions. You never know what weather you’re going to run into, so best prepare for the worst. I found a local shop that sold the tent and tried out the banshee 200 and 300. They’re essentially a 2 and 3-man tent, but they’re a squeeze. Due to the fact we’ll have a week’s worth of supplies with us, I opted for the 300 as we needed that bit of extra room, and I’d shoulder the extra weight. It wasn’t much more anyway at 400g heavier, the weight of a tin of soup!

Also, I needed a slightly better rain jacket and a few extra bits for warmth, but nothing too pricey!

Next was the issue of water. We wouldn’t be able to carry tons of water with us because of the weight, so we bought some filters and purification tablets, planning to boil any water with our trusty Kelly kettle.

And finally, I considered taking a week’s worth of supplies in the pack I took to Dartmoor and laughed to myself. As much as I love the Forclaz 30 Air + (It is a thing of beauty) I needed something much bigger. I did some hunting on Gumtree and found myself a Gigantic Vango Sherpa 65L rucksack. Being second hand, it’s a little more rugged than I hoped, with a broken clasp and some tears, but it would do the job. It successfully Packed everything we needed safely inside! Both the huge sleeping bag and the tent, with all my clothes and extras on top, with room for lenses and bottles etc. in the added pockets. Amazing!

Setting Off

On the 17th we set off on our journey. Not the most exciting start, as it began with a Megabus ride (as most of our budget trips do!) at 10am from Cornwall to London. A long journey throughout the day, which was helped to pass a little quicker with good company (of course my other half, S was with me!) and my trusty DS. A journey on a mega bus isn’t the most comfortable, but for the price, it’s unbeatable. Plus, you get the bonus of Wi-Fi and charging ports along the way, meaning your electronic distractions will keep you occupied until arrival!

We eventually arrived in London at Victoria station; unfortunately, our budget travel option meant we now had a 5-hour wait until the next leg of the journey! We had arrived in time for dinner and headed to a nearby pub for some well-deserved food. Sitting on a bus for 8 hours with no food means you work up quite the hunger!

Luckily the Wetherspoon’s at Victoria station has a nice big sofa for us to chill out at, eat a giant burger, have a drink, and generally, waste some time before heading back to the coach station departures area refuelled and ready to catch our next ride at 11:00pm.

The Sleeper

Now this was a new experience. We had ordered a Megabus sleeper coach to take us from London to Glasgow. Scheduled to leave at 11pm and arrive at 7am, we figured it’s the best and cheapest way to get to our destination. Close your eyes, and the next thing you know, you’re in Glasgow!

Upon boarding (loading our GIANT trekking bags onto the bottom of the bus) We’re greeted with a box of water and a box of muffins. That’s our sustenance for the trip. Tasty! We had pre-booked a double bed, so were ushered upstairs to find it. The beds are folded down seats, with sheets laid over them, and a big divider between us. A bit weird to have a board between us, but perhaps a welcome addition if you’re paired up with someone you don’t know! Although it’s a bit disconcerting that they have a single hammock that hangs above the double beds – so we had someone we don’t know sleeping directly over us!

Everyone quickly settled in, electronics connected to chargers/ Wi-Fi and the lights go off. I’m a night owl, so find it harder to drop off at night. I stayed up with my DS, entertaining myself before finally dropping off!

Dropping off is, unfortunately, easier said than done on a coach, however. The road can be quite bumpy, and woke me up a few times! Whenever the driver reaches a roundabout and applies the brakes, be prepared to slide down the bed a little. Every time the driver goes around a corner, be prepared to roll to your sides! I eventually found it easiest to sleep in a foetal position with my face against the divider to block out passing lights! (there are curtains but they’re not perfect!)

Eventually, I drifted off, and although I did wake up a few times to bumps and corners, I got an adequate amount of sleep! S seemed to sleep like a log.

Glasgow City. 6AM

I awoke to some sharper turns and more bumps. We must be off the main roads and in a city! I turned my head, and notice it’s pretty light already!

We’re an hour earlier than we expected. I’m sure that’s great for the driver and most people on board, but I’d have preferred some more time to rest! Oh well! We were the last one’s off the coach, groggily gathering our things into my dry bag and heading off. Stopping on the way out the door, to grab a complimentary apple juice and croissant! Lovely! We sat at the Buchanan bus station and gathered ourselves.

Now – Where do you go when you arrive in a new city at 6am? My first instinct was to head for Glasgow Central Station. Surely it would have 24-hour coffee shops? After a bit of wondering and finally finding it, we had no such luck! After a bit of waiting around and googling, I managed to find a Coffee shop nearby that opened at 7.30 (6am if it wasn’t a Sunday!) Perfect for another waiting period, taking us on to 10am, when we pick up a rental car. Heavy usage of phones to keep us occupied, meant charging points and comfy seats were a great bonus to go alongside my absolute love of coffee!

Glasgow Also Has a Lot of Beautiful Graffiti!

Rental

As 10am rolled closer, we headed towards the company building in advance.

Our train of thought in regards to travel was that 2 coaches could get us to Glasgow on a budget, but then we would need the freedom to travel around the highlands. I managed to find (using Skyscanner) a car for the week at just £40. Perfect! This combined with the coaches would be much cheaper than running our car all the way up here, and we avoid putting 1000+ miles on the clock.

As we neared the rental building, we see what we’re going to have for the week. We’d ordered “A Fiat 500 or similar”. Nothing fancy, but cheap and gets us from A to B. It turns out we had a Smart Fortwo! Oh god!

After a surprise insurance payment (paying extra means my excess reduces if something happens!) and an extra £30 for the fuel in the tank, we were on our way. Giant bags in the boot and back seat, heading off up the M8 out of Glasgow and beyond.

Towards the highlands

Unfortunately, (as was the care with most of the trip) the weather wasn’t on our side. Clouds loomed over us as we drove, and rain was almost always with us. It’s a shame, as I was sure driving up through the roads of loch Lomond we should be seeing towering peaks and a beautiful Flat Loch next to us. Instead, we had fog and clouds obscuring any beauty, leaving us in a mysterious grey void for much of the journey.

It was on this journey that I realised maybe this Smart car wasn’t a bad thing. Being a new model, it has some clever little features like a speed limiter and cruise control. Something I don’t have on my own car. It also has an eco-monitor, which gives you a score out of 100 telling you how economical you’re driving! Perfect for our 200+ mile round trip! I think I managed to keep it around 75. Not bad considering my usual ‘lead foot’! It also had a handy mount for our phones to navigate, and two USB chargers we could use each. A great little mobile base camp!

Our destination unclear, we just kind of… drove! We had a few ideas, but nothing set in stone. We knew we had to find somewhere to sleep for 5 nights in accordance with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. With no knowledge of the area, it’s difficult to know exactly what’s a good spot and what isn’t. We considered camping on some smaller hills and Bens, perhaps around Loch Lomond and Glen Coe; leading up to Ben Nevis to conquer it on Wednesday when the weather forecast was best.

Ultimately we decided to go straight to Ben Nevis first. S suggested we tackle the big peak first, then see how much energy we have for everything else, as it would be a shame to leave Nevis at the end of the week and be too tired to climb. I think this was the best idea, and I’m glad we did!

As we travelled, we caught a glimpse of Loch Lomond and as we drove out into Glen Coe we were in awe of the peaks reaching out into the clouds.

If only it was clearer!

Fort William

Still in shocking weather, being pummelled by the rain, we arrived at Fort William, the home of Ben Nevis. First stop: the supermarket. As we’re tired, our plan was to camp at the foot of Nevis that night and make our way to the top the next morning. We needed supplies!

Buying some water bottles to take with us, and some easily-heated tinned food, we made use of the supermarket to keep us strong and well-fed as we climbed the next day.

Next on our list was to visit the outdoor stores nearby. It’s no surprise that Fort William has a wealth of outdoor and climbing stores in the town! Catering for all budgets and ‘seriousness’. We got some extra fire lighters for the Kelly kettle to ensure we had hot food. I really should have purchased some waterproof trousers, but I remained foolishly optimistic about the weather. Lesson learned I suppose!

By this time, the day had almost passed us by, and we needed to find a place to camp as soon as we could!

Finding Flat Ground… On The Side of a Mountain

The first thing we did on leaving Fort William was to go the wrong way! With our phones directing us the wrong direction, we almost climbed the north face of Nevis. Not what we wanted for our first time in this weather! We were after the mountain track.

We turned around and headed back to Glen Nevis. The valley at the base and the start of the Mountain Track. Driving around, we found one car park, which didn’t mention anything about staying overnight, plus we’d neglected to bring any change, so the public car park was out of the question! After much deliberation, studying the Scottish road laws, and researching other people’s anecdotes with our phones, we finally decided to leave the car in a layby right next to the youth hostel. This adjusted our path a little, as I think the hostel path is slightly steeper. We parked up, unloaded anything completely unnecessary, loaded up with our new food and water, and headed towards the track.

I’m still not completely sure on the rules, but I read online before leaving that camping around Glen Nevis is not allowed, because of the proximity to the road and to alternative sleeping options. Therefore, we continued onwards and upwards, higher and higher up the track, hoping to find a flat area to pitch the tent – there were a few viable areas at Snowdon, so Ben Nevis can’t be too different right?

Wrong!

We climbed higher with our packs. Keep in mind, my 65L weighed about 30KG, and S’s 45L bag weighed about a third of her body weight too! It was pretty tiring, to say the least.

The rain was non-stop too. Freezing cold wind battered it against our faces, and we pushed on higher. We met a few groups of people who were on their way down, and they looked at us like we were crazy! “Be Careful” was heard a few times, and by all accounts, the wind at the peak was 80mph. I don’t doubt that; The wind on the first half of the mountain alone was strong enough to move us as we walked! We kept to the inside of the path and took it slowly and carefully. It wasn’t long before we stopped for a break. I removed my bag’s rain cover, went to grab my water supplies, only to find there weren’t any. The bottles I had placed in the bag’s side pouches were empty! They must have dropped out as I removed my bag from the car. We shared the small amount that S had brought with her and pushed on. The climb got harder as we continued, with the weather getting worse, visibility low, and energy running out. We made it out of the initial Zig Zags, continued around the first peak, and up the side of the valley of the Red Burn. We could see clouds rising up through the valley, covering us and continuing upwards. We followed and eventually made it to the first flat ground of the climb.

Taken 2 days later in much clearer weather!

Loch Meall an t-Suidhe

Known as the half-way lochan, we had climbed a bit higher than we expected. Absolutely drained of energy and desperate for shelter, we left the path and searched for a flat section of ground offering some cover from the wild winds. Most of this area is wet ground, due to the runoffs of the mountains, draining down into the loch. 30 minutes of searching for the perfect spot and we finally found one that would do. The ground slightly wet, but certainly not the worst. The best part is that slight lip sheltering us from the wind.

Setting the Bag down on its waterproof cover I opened it up and pulled the tent from the separate lower section. I’m glad I packed it separately and see why it’s a much-appreciated feature of the bag! We needed to work fast to get the tent up. Now we’d stopped moving, we were getting considerably colder fast.

We now had to face a new problem. We bought the tent 2 days before we left, and have AstroTurf at home in the garden. Do you see where this is going?

How does the tent go up?

Barking orders at S to stop things blowing away, and give me pegs, I worked out getting the tent laid out in the flattest area I could find, battling the wind and trying to stop as much rain getting in as I could. This seems straightforward, but assembling a tent in the wind and rain is never easy. Especially when you haven’t done the important dry run! The outer layer up, I rushed S inside with our bags. Keep her safe and warm with our stuff – I’ll peg everything out and make sure it stays in place! Once I was finally happy the tent was secure (And I had done it properly) I jumped indoors to help S hang the inner sleeping pod.

It’s warm in here. And dry. I think the feeling is coming back to my hands…!

The wind whipping around and the rain battering the outside of the tent, we were warm, drying off with our amazing little microfiber towels, and attempting to warm up in our sleeping bags. The tent was amazing! I’m so glad I bought it. I could stretch my legs out this time, and I was dry! And there’s plenty of room for us both, with bags. Amazing. Exactly what we needed, and it’s doing an impressive job keeping the weather at bay. And what weather it was. I think I can admit now that I woke up frightened more than a few times. The wind was blowing hard, and I constantly checked everything in the porch and near the edges to make sure it wasn’t getting wet. The Banshee did well, though. Not a drop of water. No condensation. No wind damage. She held strong through the night.

As we settled in, tired from the climb with our bags, tired from 36 hours of travel, tired from a restless night on a coach; Sleep didn’t take long, even to the sounds of nature mercilessly shaking our tent trying to get in, we slept pretty well.

The Day 2 Dilemma

It turns out that we had camped in a cloud.

Or multiple clouds, I suppose. The problem with being on the first bit of flat ground is that all the clouds that rise up out of the valley, follow the path of least resistance over the Loch. And us. The entire night we were pummelled by wind and rain and awoke to the same. Opening the tent flaps gave us no indication of where we were or what the weather was up to. You could barely see 10 meters! It wasn’t raining, but rain was hitting our tent! I guessed that perhaps the moisture in the air, coupled with the strong winds, was blowing all the cloud and its rain over our tent, rather than it falling from above. An odd experience for sure.

We waited in the tent for the weather to blow over. It didn’t leave, however.

We had three options. Staying in the tent and wasting a day doing nothing, Take the tent and our heavy gear down and climb back up with water and food provisions only, or leave our base camp here, and continue up in the treacherous weather without our bags.

Wasting a day didn’t seem like a good plan, so we kept a close eye on the weather, opening the tent flaps whenever the wind and ‘rain’ calmed down. We decided we certainly needed to eat before anything else, so I dressed, got a few rocks to prop the kettle up, and started heating our breakfast. Tinned mac and cheese; delicious.

Now we have some strength, it’s time to make a decision. 12 o clock came by and after constant squinting, through the fog-clouds, I thought I saw someone on the trail.

Not just someone, but multiple people! I counted 14! Are people climbing even though we can barely see the Loch most of the time? They’re crazy! But if they can do it, we can!

It turns out the weather wasn’t as bad on the trail. I mean it was bad, but at least you could see.

It turns out the weather was only really bad where our tent was.

It turns out we had camped in a cloud.

The Climb

Nobody will steal our tent or sleeping bags, we’re halfway up a mountain. Let’s just go up with the bare minimum. I took my camera in a dry bag, S bought a small bottle of water we had filtered from a stream. Covered in waterproofs (other than my legs, jeans still wet from yesterday) we started the rest of the climb. It soon became pretty obvious that the weather wasn’t as bad as we thought. I think being in a tent amplifies every little gust and rainfall, making you feel like the whole world is against you. It wasn’t a clear sunny day, but there were parts of the path where you could see back to the tent! Imagination was needed in most places, and I was often left wondering what the view could be like if we had a clear day!

Climbing mountains is tiring.

It turns out that a small bottle of water isn’t enough for two people sharing to climb another ¾ of a kilometre upwards! The climb was very hard, our legs still wobbly from carrying the bags up the 600m elevation to the loch, we struggled much more than with Snowdon, although the path was clearer. I’m not sure how we managed Snowdon without any real provisions, it must have been the difference in rest, as this time was much different.

I’m sorry to say I really struggled, even carrying just my camera in the dry bag. As we reached around 1000m I had no energy, I felt like a zombie. I continued on autopilot, but in this weird void of cloud and dampness, I was no longer happy or excited to continue onward.

Cara

Stopping for a break on a rock, tempted to start licking them for water, a man stopped approached to pass us. He was also heading upwards. He stopped for a quick chat, and on realising we stupidly didn’t bring water, he very kindly offered some of his own, and not only water but a jelly baby each! Never have I appreciated the sweet taste more! Almost instantly my morale was raised, my energy was back, and I found my feet again. The difference in my spirit really taught me an important lesson, and I now know how stupid we were to continue onwards without bringing our own water.

Realising my stupidity and the value of the water up here, I felt bad even taking a sip; but he insisted. Being prepared, he had two large bottles.

The man was walking with Cara, a very soggy, very sorry looking dog. I think she felt the same way we all did. He had wrapped her up in a jacket and obviously loved her very much, making sure she had energy and wasn’t too cold. I love dogs, so seeing her making her way up the mountain was another boost in spirit! I’m tempted to say Cara is an Irish wolfhound, but being so damp, it was hard to tell!

We started walking together, chatting as we went, Cara wagging her tail at people we passed – not far now! Only another 300 meters or so.

Energy back and some new company, the rest of the way went pretty well. Then, as we got out of the zigzagging pathway, and onto the last straight, we reached snow!

It’s too cold for paws, Cara wouldn’t be able to follow the rest of the way. The man wrapped her up in a fresh under layer and reapplied the jacket, hoping to warm her up. They wouldn’t make it all the way, and I respected that. He had helped us both this far, and his dog’s safety was more important than reaching the top.

He gave us both another sip of water and jelly baby as a farewell. An act of kindness that sounds so small in everyday life, but in the cold, drained of energy, and soaked through, it was exactly what we needed to push on once more! Thank you very much.

Summit

Not much farther now. As you reach the top of Ben Nevis the ground straightens out. You follow a trail straight ahead that leads you to a flatter section the levels out to the summit.

Up here, again it was clouded. There was little visibility, so we continued following the trail, looking out for cairns in the cloud cover to guide us.

The snow on the ground was gone again. It only seemed to be on a slope and hadn’t continued all the way up to the top. S loves the snow, and it’s one of the main things she was looking forward to. Luckily there were a few more areas it could be found, especially on the cliff edges of the summit. Again I imagine they would look incredible in clear weather!

After stopping to appreciate the cliffs and snow, not much further we saw the marker ease out of the fog– we had done it! We made it to the top!

Just like Snowdon, No incredible view, but a great feeling of accomplishment! We snapped a few pictures, and of course looked inside the emergency shelter – it doesn’t look very cosy, but I’m sure it’s been kindly accepted by many a climber!

We were getting colder and wetter the longer we looked around, so it was time to head down. I’m glad we had the extra layers of warmth with us: I think my nose would have fallen off if it wasn’t for my bright red buff! It was really handy as a bandana when hot, and a balaclava/nose warmer when cold!

Me in a Highly Recommended Buff From Kitshack

Descent

It’s funny how much quicker and easier you go down a mountain! Excited at the prospect of food and water and a hot cup of coffee, we flew down the mountain, giving encouragement to anyone still heading up!

As we started downwards, we were treated to some gaps in the cloud cover and were in awe of the expanse of the highlands revealed to us. I’d love to return on a day with fewer clouds, just to take photos!

This was an extra boost in my morale, happy to have seen some beauty up here (other than S!), not just grey!

We continued our descent of the mountain, me snapping much more pictures now with the amazing landscape below us and feeling a little less tired!

We even passed a few people with tents and cameras, I’d love to see if the cloud cleared for them. Although slightly envious, if it stayed how it was in the day, they wouldn’t get many shots!

At the Loch, reaching the tent, our legs collapsed under us and we snuggled back down into our sleeping bags, warm and relaxed again.

I made sure to gather a load of water in the 5L container we brought with us. Filtered and boiled, we cooked tonight’s food and made ourselves coffee and tea. This is the life. We conquered a mountain, we’re warm, we’re dry, we’re full, and we’re together. Sleep came easily that night.

Back down

We awoke, now on Tuesday. Day 3 of our trip. Aching but content, the weather looking a little clearer today, but knowing we had to head down. We weren’t in a cloud anymore. The wind was still strong but the rain was all but gone, and we could see the loch!

It’s tempting to go back up and see how it looks in the clear, but we were way too tired for that!

Packing our stuff and heading down – these bags are a nightmare! We literally had all day, though, so we walked slowly and surely, taking frequent breaks, and drinking water (we finally learned).

It took a few hours to get back down, being passed by many bag-less people! The mountain was path much clearer, It’s a shame we didn’t get that kind of weather going up!

Reaching the car, we were exhausted! Being clear, it was hotter. I had sweated through my jumper and shirt! Gulping down water and collapsing in the car seats, we chatted to a couple of people in the camper next to us – they told us they were waiting for their friends: They were cycling from John O Groats to Land’s End and doing the three peaks on the way! I couldn’t even imagine cycling at all at that point: they had already achieved 60 miles this morning before they arrived to climb. Incredible.

Safely on lower ground, we decided our next step was to get a well-earned giant meal! A quick Phone charge and a TripAdvisor search later, and we found exactly what we needed: The Ben Nevis Inn.

We had a couple of Gigantic, delicious burgers and a refreshing pint of Crabbies ginger beer. On any normal day the food and drink here would be amazing, but as we sat here exhausted from our journey so far, the food was like no other! Exactly what anyone needs after an arduous climb! The views from the Inn are beautiful too. As the weather had cleared up by this point, we were treated to stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Great location, food, and drinks left us extremely happy!

Southbound

Satisfied and full, we went back to the car and thought of where to go next.

We needed to start heading back to Glasgow, as our car needed to be returned on Thursday morning. We had one more day to spend sightseeing on the road, and two nights to find good camping grounds!

S wanted to visit some waterfalls. Apparently, there was a sign on the way up, near Loch Lomond. That sounded like a good start. Also, now the cloud cover had cleared, I wanted to check out glen Coe. We had to drive through there anyway, so it seemed like a good point to stop off.

Driving South, we headed down alongside Loch Linnhe, stopping off at a couple of spots on the way to appreciate the stunning natural beauty of the area.

As we drove, the vast Loch was left behind, and replaced by the Breath-taking Glen Coe mountain range, the Bidean nam Bian and the three sisters. We decided we definitely had to sleep under these giants for the night! Seeing a tent near the road solidified this in our minds: We had to find a good spot!

Just after passing The Meeting of the Three Waters, we stopped off at a car park because we spotted a track leading away from the road.

I jumped out of the car and scouted it out. Further up the trail, it opened out to a stunning view of the mountains. The ground was dry and level too: the perfect camping spot!

I ran back down the trail to tell S the good news. It wasn’t too far from the car, but far enough away that we were out of sight from the road. We took only what we needed for the night, to make our bags a little lighter than before!

As we started setting up, the heavens opened! Not again! Running around trying to set the tent up in the pouring rain, it was much quicker this time! We both knew the drill, had it up fast and jumped inside to the warm and dry. It was getting late at this point, and the weather was getting worse, so we opted to stay inside and read to each other in the safety of the tent. I opened the flaps once to try and get a picture of the mountains but was instantly swarmed by midges! “Maybe not tonight!”

As we settled down, the weather did the opposite. I think camping up on the small hill attracted a lot of wind. We had the luxury of dry ground, but the winds were much stronger than the night on the mountain, it really whips through Glen Coe! Again, I found myself waking up during the night to check everything was dry and in place, but finding everything was safe. This tent is perfect!

Loch Lomond

Awake and packed up, in the car and on the road. Our next destination is Loch Lomond and the Waterfalls S wanted to visit. We drove in awe of the landscape once more.

Arriving at Loch Lomond, we stopped off at a few tourist spots and viewing areas to take in the beauty of the glasslike Loch. Taking the opportunity for lots of pictures!

Eventually, S saw a sign. “That’s the one!” It was Falloch Falls we were after.

Accidently driving by it, turning around and finding the entrance, we parked up and got ready. I recommend lots of anti-midge spray here! We had some jungle formula and mosquito bands, which did a pretty good job in the places where we were covered. You’ve been warned!

Following the trail down to the river, you catch a glimpse of the rapids, and further along, it opens out to the falls! Beautiful! It’s definitely worth a quick stop off from the road.

There’s also an awesome viewing platform where you can see it from higher – we particularly like how it reminded us of the walkway from Jurassic Park 3! (The bit with the Isla Sorna Aviary and the Pteranodons)

Lots of pictures and midge bites later, we were back on the road, singing the Jurassic Park theme tune for the rest of the trip. Away from loch Lomond and getting closer to Glasgow City.

The Last Night

We had to take the car back to the rental place in the centre of Glasgow at 10am, which meant our camping spot would need to be really close to the city to get us there in time. We pulled over to find somewhere that suits that description; not realising in advance how difficult it could be to find a wild camping spot near the centre of a big city!

Driving to a few spots, we eventually settled on Cochno Loch, near to Glasgow but also wild enough for camping!

We got lost a few times, started to worry as a couple of hours were wasted, but finally found a local car park. Apparently, you could leave your car here, and walk to the reservoir nearby. We loaded up our bags one last time and got moving. Making sure to bring all our cooking gear and everything: This time, we had some tasty looking noodles to eat!

As we walked, we slowly realised it wasn’t as close as we were led to believe. The path went on and on, and we were too tired from our week of climbing! It would take forever to get back to the car tomorrow in time for the rental return!

I left the bags with S and ran on ahead, climbing up the ever steepening Cochno hill. (800ft) I think it’s about 2 miles uphill, and it was just too much for our final night. I reached the top, and it was a nice enough spot, but the lines between farmland and public land were a little blurred and after walking back to S, we decided it wasn’t worth risking a night out here. We returned, defeated, to the car. Would we have to sleep here in a car park?

A campsite.

Although not exactly wild, a campsite would get us a pitch near the city for a small price. It was our only option, as it got later and our ideas ran out. Our final night wasn’t spent wild camping, but pitched on some flat grass for a fee, in a local campsite. On the bright side, there were showers! We wasted no time making use of this luxury before feeding ourselves and settling down for the night, to an almost completely still tent! What a treat!

Final Day in Scotland, Then Home

First thing in the morning: our alarms didn’t go off, but S woke up on perfect time. Great work! We packed up quickly and packed our bags completely back up. We couldn’t rely on the car as a base camp any longer, so everything had to go back! We made use of another luxury here: bins! We’d been carrying around all our collected rubbish from the trip, so it was good to clear some space and get rid of it all!

Heading back to Glasgow, panicked about running out of Petrol on the rental car (they said return empty, but I hoped not to do that literally!) one eye on the petrol gauge, one on the GPS directions, and one on the road – we arrived in perfect time; if a little unorganised! Still half packing our bags on the pavement, the car returned. What now?

Our Coach leaves at 11:30 tonight, and we’ve got time plenty of time to waste until then!

We rang a hotel and asked how much a day at their spa is. Relaxing in Jacuzzi, sauna and pool is exactly what our bodies needed, and one of the best ways to waste time! Finding a voucher online for a reduced rate and heading across town, we lugged our bags another 1.3 miles to the hotel. It was so worth it! We wasted a few hours here, and headed off rested and partly recuperated – food! An amazing lunch in Slug and Lettuce, with some more time wasting, then off to the cinema to watch the Conjuring 2. A great sequel to a great horror film, and the first time I’d watched a scary movie in the cinema. I really enjoyed it!

Still with even more time to waste, we settled around the corner in a bar, charged our phones and had a few drinks, before jumping on our sleeper coach and repeating the whole journey in reverse.

That was a week ago now, and life has been hectic – I’m glad to finally get round to tell you all about how the trip went! Although the weather could certainly have been better, and we could have spent even more time in these incredible place, I’m so glad we went on this trip, and can’t wait to do it all again.

I definitely learned to bring more water next time, though. And jelly babies.