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vdubvanlife · 8 years

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Distant North - Hiking the Kungsleden

A film documenting the 440km trek through the arctic wilderness of northern Sweden.

Setting off in September 2015 from Abisko Mountain Station, we spent the next 30 days heading south for the finish line in Hemavan, encountering many wondrous sights and life changing moments along the way.

Special thanks to:

- Visit Sweden

- Swedish Tourist Association (STF)

- Swedish Lapland

- Lowe Alpine

- Rab

- Mountain Warehouse

- And our Kickstarter supporters!

Check out our: - Instagram - Twitter - Facebook - Snapchat: vdubvanlife

Filmed on: Canon XF100 / GoPro Hero 4

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vdubvanlife · 8 years

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“Jumping off the train laden with a 20kg pack and a strong determination to leave civilisation behind within the last largest remaining wilderness in Europe - the next 30 days would be life changing.”

Bee recounts her Kungsleden and first ever long distance hiking experience over at @she-explores. Check it out here.

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vdubvanlife · 8 years

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Summer in the Western Isles

Hushinish beach is the end point of the B887, and I can’t think of a reason why you’d turn back. The now customary golden sands of the outer hebrides washed out into the glittering ocean, the odd rocky island poking out. The coastline kept this cove secluded from the powerful Atlantic, but a slow circular walk around the headland showed us the waves battering against the cliffs.

Thousands of wildflowers carpeted the rolling land, a land many others also saw the beauty in. The multicoloured hues of buttercups, daisies, clovers and the like drew in a crowd - we weren’t the only people staying there - add in public toilets and this place only got better.

The following day we hiked the 2km to the North Harris Eagle Observatory, unfortunately not spotting any as they’d just departed (we were informed by the people leaving). Rain arrived as we hurriedly walked back to the van - avoiding downpours had become customary. Being in a small space that you can’t even stand up in, without a heater really makes you relish dry weather.

We drove into Stornoway for £2 showers at the Bayhead Bridge Centre and fish and chips, or actually to sample battered pizza (best to just leave that memory behind).

One area still awaited our exploration: The Butt of Lewis. The potential for seals and other marine mammals had us staring out to sea whilst the strong winds whipped around us. No sightings for us but the landscape was still worth the drive, especially the jagged cliffs leading straight into churning white waves. Belthy was buffeted by winds throughout the night, popping out for the toilet in the darkest of night was a surreal experience akin to a horror movie as large swathes of light swung across the area courtesy of the lighthouse - I was just waiting for some otherworldly being to lunge out from under the van or behind the rocks.

Our time in the Western Isles was drawing to a close, the mainland was calling…

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vdubvanlife · 8 years

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Life’s a beach

Waking amongst an army of other campervans under the beating sun, it felt more like Portugal than the Western Isles. Not ones to shy away from prime outdoor weather, we threw everything out, hooked up the solar, gave the rugs a good slapping, and relished the chance to dry out our home on wheels after - what felt like - an eternity of rain.

Turning right back onto the one-track road and discovering its end a few miles further on, we dawdled along the grassy curb-side to ogle the stunning golden beaches running into turquoise waters, lapping up the small islands scattered along the coast. Keeping a number of locations in mind we drove back to Mangersta sands with an afternoon stroll in mind; after the shortest walk of our lives - roughly 500m - to the beach we decided this was where we’d stay tonight. And in the tent no-less.

Such a short walk prompted a rather ridiculously giddy air; without a monster trek it allowed us to bring luxuries such as the Goal Zero to charge our phones and copious amounts of water for far too many hot chocolates: hello Glamping! Camping beachside allowed Theo to hunt for some prime burnable wood, and we sat around a camp fire bite-free whilst the mosquitos kept at bay.

Up early the next morning (well, 7:30am counts as early?), I sipped my coffee outdoors as Theo still slumbered, poking the ashes of the now defunct fire. Itching for something to do I strolled along the still quiet beach, peeking into rock pools, paddling in the shallows, admiring the sand formations, and slowly noticing the colossal amount of trash littering the shore. Camouflaged amongst the rocks it took me a good hour or so to forage an entire crateful of plastic, netting, rope, and toothbrushes which only made the smallest dent in the litter but was therapeutic nonetheless. Debris is no joke in the oceans, so every little helps in matters like these, especially in remote locations.

Theo is capable of sleeping in no matter what, so it came as no surprise to discover him still snoring soundly once I returned. The only way to rouse him was to remove the outer layer of the tent, taking photos of him until he emerged.

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vdubvanlife · 8 years

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We hope you’ve all had a very merry Christmas! In honour of the festivities we’ve slashed the prices of our much loved tee to a tenner, grab them whilst you can over at www.weleavetomorrow.co.uk - shipping worldwide!

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vdubvanlife · 8 years

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As West as we’re going to get

On a whim we arrived at Uig port a day early with the hopes of catching an earlier ferry; achieving all we’d set out to on Skye, itchy tyres had us moving closer to the Western Isles. As luck would have it, after hanging around for the morning, we just made it onto the ferry that day - within an inch of the massive metal doors locking us in. A slightly hairy moment ensued as we embarked when a crew member attempted to streamline the van by pushing in her wing mirror, except they aren’t flexible... I may or may not of screamed from the back of the van (you can watch our journey here).

We’d heard many stories from family, friends, and people on our social media accounts of the breathtaking scenery found on Harris and Lewis, so the next few days involved driving throughout both Harris and Lewis in awe of the fantastic landscape opening up through our windscreen.

Callinish Stones were on the list of places we wanted to visit here, other than the beaches, and the moody weather only added to the drama of the area. However, the many other tourists mingling throughout the stones did take away some of the mystery, but seeing such an interesting historical monument was excellent.

Driving into Stornoway we were overjoyed to find a different brand of supermarket in the bustling town, although compared to The Co-operative the price of Tesco still made our purse sad. Either way we stocked up on a bunch of things before moving onto the western side of Lewis to spend the night on the secluded Dalbeg (Traigh Dail Beag) beach. The van was parked up facing the beach with another van from Switzerland further away in the carpark, as well as a cemetery at the back of us - I think this is the first time we’ve stayed next to a cemetery. First time for everything!

Theo rose for an eyewateringly early sunrise: 4am. I, on the other hand, stayed comfortably wrapped up in my sleeping bag until 8am once he returned after an accidental 5 mile loop throughout the surrounding beaches, farms, and country lanes to make his way back to Belthy. His trusty camera also decided to begin acting up, souring his mood somewhat and quite right so; couldn’t the camera have waited until we’d left our final island to begin its temperamental streak?!

Desperate for showers we drove back to Stornoway where we’d found showers and laundry were to be had at Bayhead Bridge Centre in town, and for a bargain price at £2 each and absolutely no time limit. Showering throughout Europe in various locations we’d found our public shower preference to be untimed. It’s disappointing when you’ve only got 4 minutes under some hot water. An already indulgent day (showering and laundry) meant a decadent dinner of chips, perfect, before we headed southwards on Lewis to the remote Uig for the night.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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We’re happy to share with you all some new/old footage we’ve been hanging onto for the past year. Far too long to be confined to a hard drive.

We started filming our travels in October 2014 after returning to the Lofoten Islands after a flying visit back to the UK for Rebi & Als wedding (read all about it here). Using the Canon C100 we captured our trials and tribulations through Scandinavia and Europe for the next two months, resulting in a shocking end.

So here it is; Vanlife Europe Webisode 01. Enjoy!

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Waiting Game

The rain was persistent, giving us the ideal opportunity to hide away in the van at a campsite for showers, electricity, wifi, water, toilet disposable, all the good stuff. 24 hours flew by and before we knew it we were leaving the site and back on our way back to the Quiraing – this time for a good old fashioned hike. In hindsight this probably wasn’t the wisest of ideas, as it got a little muddy…

We met a busy trail with lots of other hikers keen to immerse themselves within the gorgeous location. Every couple of meters or so we would stop for photos; I’m used to slow going with Theo sometimes as he stops to set up a shot and find the right composition, but this day really was the longest we’d ever taken to walk 0.1km. At one point he ran off to get in the shot for me to take of him, standing with his arms wide open, taking in the landscape. It was at this exact moment that a couple passed me by, noticed my subject, and mentioned the resemblance to Titanic – all Theo was missing was his Jack. Regardless of our slow going we had a lovely stroll in the sunshine, yesterday’s continuous downpour was nothing but a memory as the sunshine warmed our skin and cast shadows through the valley. A pair of Ravens called to each other high above, gliding through the sky as their voices echoed off the rocky walls.

About halfway through the circular walk we’d taken we stopped to look back over the valley we’d come through, have a quick snack, and carry on across the cliff. Of course the weather now chose to turn a little, grey clouds rolled in around us as we continued upwards. The terrain also became wetter and muddier, one wrong foot and you’d be in a mud bath.

It seemed that the Quiraing had other plans for my clean self in that I jumped across a muddy puddle only for the cold stuff to slosh back up and right inside my boot. Inside my boot! I stood in horror, much to Theo’s amusement as my waterproof boot had now become home to a load of runny mud. Keen to now get back to the van and remove the offending boot I made another mistake, this time slashing a streak of mud straight up my clean, bare, leg and into my other boot. Never had I ever had such a messy walk. And then the rain came – great big droplets that turned the descending path into a slip ‘n’ slide back to the car park.

Diving into the van we made a move to the coast, spotting a trapped lamb in a graveyard on the way who we swiftly rescued (you can watch that here), before finding an ace overnight location looking over the coast just off the ‘main’ road. Contrary to the grim weather there was actually a beautiful sunset for us to enjoy as I wiped myself clean with babywipes.

Over the next few days we partook in a waiting game with the Scottish weather at Neist Point. We’d arrived at the most westerly point on the Isle of Skye during a rather drizzly day which wasn’t particularly pleasing on the eye, from a photographer’s point of view. Our ferry over to Harris was booked for a little under a week, so we literally had nothing other to do than to explore the area, including the creepy abandoned hotel/light house, and wait for the weather to turn. Which eventually it did; golden hour created gorgeous colours over the impressive and well known part of the island.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Photography on Skye

Awaking to a cloud of midges (again) we made our way to Portree for food shopping and a look around before walking up to the Old Man of Storr. The clouds were incredibly low, drifting across the trail and immersing the iconic shaped rock formations, as we approached closer to the view point the weather kept changing to create a moody landscape as the sun set.

Theo was keen to capture the landscape in a different light, so we made our way back to the van in the carpark below with plans to get up for sunrise and hike up for the golden light.

Alarms blaring at 3am we weren’t the only people with the same idea, once we hopped out with our bags packed for breakfast overlooking the Old Man we spotted a guy already on his way up another guy parked his car and began to prepare his stuff for the steep hike. Theo ended up chatting to the second guy as he left at the same time of us, and before I knew it they were storming ahead as my sore legs just couldn’t move fast enough!

The light was absolutely extraordinary, a rich red which bathed the landscape, changing the environment each passing minute as the red morphed into a warm golden glow, the sun illuminating the island as people woke up. We’d brought our breakfast with us, crumpets, which we toasted over the camping stove and lashed with butter to eat whilst looking over the still waters once sunrise had fully finished. By now we were knackered after two steep hikes in less than twelve hours and running on three hours sleep, we had ideas about napping for a couple of hours but seeing as the day had turned out to be gloriously sunny we couldn’t waste a single minute.

Knowing the Fairy Pools would be packed full of people by the afternoon we drove there once we reached the van, stopping at Portree on the way for the toilets, and managing to get a spot at the already busy car park at the beginning of the trail. With a shining sun we left the solar panel out on the roof as we walked along the bustling trail towards the emerald green pools strung out along the landscape. The amount of people bathing in the pools was high, as was the spectators ogling the brave people baring their bare skin to the frankly icy water – even with the heat from the sun the water was still unwelcoming (to us anyway!). Theo found the perfect angle of the pools and waited it out until the light was exactly as he needed it before leaving, which meant an hour squatting in the middle of the river on a precarious rock.

Next on the list was a drive back through Portree and north to the Quiraing – a landslip of Meall na Suiramach, wild and imposing. The road leads up through the valley and opens up on a plateau with a car park off the side of the road, perfect place to go for a walk and spend the night. Theo was hopeful that sunset would be ideal for the location but it was obvious there wasn’t really going to be much of a sunset sadly, meaning we decided to head over to Kilt Rock for a while before going back to the Quiraing spot.

It was another early morning for Theo as the light was gorgeous over the landscape in the Quiraing. He got some lovely shots before coming back to the van for a few more hours kip as the heavens opened at non-stop rain came crashing down for the rest of the day.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Return to Skye

We continued on through Ardnamurchan making our way to Mallaig for the ferry over to Skye. The midges were ferocious and persistent, even with the rain our van was still swarmed every time we parked up, leaving us feeling a little claustrophobic. The moment midges scattered and the sun was out so were we, sitting on the roof for a better view over the lochs.

Mallaig was the busiest place we’d been in days, since we’d left Tobermory we hadn’t seen another town quite as bustling. Queueing for a car parking spot overlooking Skye we had a couple of hours to kill before boarding the ferry, so we took out the solar panel to charge on the roof whilst picking up some wifi on the booster. We’d been without signal for a few days so there was a couple of things we needed to sort out in the time we had to kill which was perfect.

The crossing was short and a little choppy, so it was a celebration to get back onto land. We headed straight for Elgol along the one track winding road through breath-taking scenery dotted with sheep. A steep road takes you into the harbour overlooking the Cuillin across the water, the resemblance to Lofoten was striking as the peaks rose out of the sea.

‘No Overnight Parking’ signs prevented us from staying in that spot so we moved up the hill along with two other campervans for the evening. Swarming midges with heat and humidity meant another enclosed evening, but we made a make-shift net out of our left over midge netting for the front passenger window, allowing a strong breeze to waft through the van and help cool us down whilst keeping the biting insects out!

Skye has a lot to offer and we didn’t want to miss out, so a drive through Broadford the next morning to collect out midge head-nets from the post office and on to the Fairy Pools was on the agenda. If you’re unsure where to stop for the Fairy Pools then all you need to look out for are the masses of cars lined up along the roadside, the pools were incredibly popular at this time of year especially in the sunny weather. Theo had spotted a sunken boat in the loch so we stopped by there before heading back to the Fairy pools where we’d previously noticed a quiet car park set back into the forest, little did we know the reason as to why no-one else had parked there that night: swarms of midges.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Ardnamurchan

After some amazing showers in Tobermory harbour for £2, we topped up our water supplies from a convenient tap next to the car park before hopping onto a small ferry back over to the mainland and Ardnamurchan.

A wild peninsula with winding roads, rugged landscapes and epic beaches, we had a fantastic evening exploring Sanna Bay with its tropical appearance on the most westerly point of mainland UK. Moody weather ensured Theo had to remain creative in terms of evading the rain as it stopped and started repeatedly throughout the evening. Eventually he admitted defeat, decided to come back tomorrow, and we went off in search of somewhere to stay.

In the midst of the rain our gas decided now was the time to run out, much to our disappointment. Swapping the gas over is a tedious task involving removing both extra-large plastic boxes stored under the bed area along with the random items stored in front of them, removing both gas canisters before swapping them over and putting everything back. Whilst it’s raining it just isn’t worth that ordeal! Luckily for us we still had a lot of gas left over in our camping stove so dinner was cooked atop our small camping cooker, with more than enough for coffee tomorrow.

A torrential downpour battered the van all night, along with some strong wind, so it wasn’t looking promising the next day. Nevertheless, we drove back to Sanna Bay as Theo couldn’t leave this beautiful place without capturing it through a lens.

It’s not just the beach that’s interesting; surrounding structures all differ in design, ranging from new to old, quirky to ordinary. Theo found the local green, rusted, corrugated iron church and had a look around, finding empty pews and a wondrous view through the windows. Shifting clouds allowed the bright sun to illuminate the beach in short bursts, giving Theo the chance to capture the many moods of this remote area.

Our Kickstarter ends today! If you want to be part of bringing our documentary to life then head on over to check out what we’re trying to achieve.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Island Exploration - Mull

Grey skies greeted us the following morning. Happy we’d chosen yesterday to seize the wonderful weather and wild camp on Ulva, we packed away the tent in record time before walking back to the boat as our water supplies dwindled.

Having yet to find a tap on the island we drove back to Tobermory for some bottled water, then due to some deadlines and the need to charge up our weakling of a leisure battery we checked into the closest campsite for the essentials: water, electricity, wifi, showers, and toilet disposal. An incredibly large amount of signage meant you couldn’t get lost or struggle to find anything on site, which was great and rather amusing. Theo came back to the van telling me someone had asked him where the toilets were – he just pointed him to the nearest sign.

As Theo got into bed he spotted something on his calf; much to our dismay a small black tick had embedded its head into his leg, somewhat camouflaged thanks to his leg hair. The tick remover I’d purchased on Fur Island last year came into use finally, ensuring we could swiftly remove all trace of the parasite - but still a little fearful that disease could have passed over.

Refreshed, refilled, and tick-free the next day we made our way south as we hadn’t explored this part of the island yet. We didn’t get far before we found a lovely, peaceful, grassy spot overlooking the Sound and Isle of Ulva amidst Sheep, Greylag geese, Oyster catchers, Shelducks with ducklings, the odd Heron, and a few screeching Gulls. By now the rain had descended upon us allowing us to spend the evening looking out the window over the water, watching the birds whilst sipping hot chocolates.

Keeping our direction south in the morning we drove through the rain towards Iona, marvelling at the gorgeous scenery we passed through as we entered Ben More territory. Keen to explore as much as we could we took the road leading towards Carsaig, surprised to find an overgrown red telephone box next to a beautiful waterfall – probably the most picturesque phone box in the UK.

Unknowingly the drive to Iona wasn’t epic like we’d imagined for some reason, and we weren’t heading over to the island. After a while driving round trying to find a place to wildcamp, and finding nothing, we drove back to our spot from last night as it was the best we’d seen all day. Still raining, now for 24 hours, we spent another evening tucked away in the van, sheltered from the driving rain.

Determined to get out and about we drove to Tobermory for a coastal walk along the golf course to the secluded lighthouse. And it was muddy. Mega muddy. Rain stayed away for the whole day, in fact the sun shone down and we stripped down to our tees as we slipped our way downhill to the lighthouse with a pretty view over to Ardnamurchan.

Happy to try our luck we returned to Calgary Bay’s designated wildcamping spot that night for a fire as we really fancied some jacket potatoes. In the end it wasn’t the rain that drove us inside, but the midges!

Have you seen our Kickstarter? We’re heading to Sweden in September to hike the entire 440km of the Kungsleden with our good friends Cody and Justyna. Check out our project and help us create an epic webisode series and documentary.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Distant North – Hiking The Kungsleden

Last year our paths crossed with photographer Cody and his partner Justyna whilst we were exploring the amazing Lofoten islands. You can catch up on those stories here and here.

Since then we have remained good friends, keeping in contact through social media, meeting up in Bavaria, Germany, and now embarking on an adventurous project together – hiking the entire 440km of the Kungsleden.

The largest portion of remaining wilderness in Europe, the Kungsleden/Kings Trail is a hiking destination for many, but not as many complete the entire trail. Together we plan to create eight webisodes and a feature length documentary with the help of a Kickstarter. Cody is setting up a website similar to his hugely popular 68north.com to create an online resource for others looking to do the same, with hiking guides and an ebook.

Our flights have been booked but we can’t capture footage without your help. For more information regarding our project head on over to the Kickstarter now, the deadline to raise 100% of our funding is 30th August 2015.

Special thanks to Cody Duncan for the use of images and footage from the Kungsleden.

#kickstarter #Distant North - Hiking The Kungsleden #hiking #sweden #kungsleden #kings trail #arctic sweden #abisko #wanderlust #documentary #hiking documentary #european wilderness #filmmakers on tumblr #exploremore #getoutstayout #kickstarter documentary #kungsleden documentary #the kings trail documentary

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Wildcamping on Ulva // Testing out our Mountain Warehouse Microlite 1400 Sleeping Bags

Awaking to a glorious day we left our designated wild camping spot behind a flock of sheep who’d come bounding into the grassy campground a few minutes before, jumping for joy at all the fresh grass to consume. Much to their dismay they were shepherded further onwards down the road with us behind them, edging closer until we emerged on the other side with no sheep casualties limping away.

Theo had chatted to a couple that morning who were also in a campervan and had stayed nearby a waterfall some miles west down the road. The single track road from Calgary Bay is a wondrous drive, skirting along the coast with plentiful islands dotting the loch and trees along the roadside casting dappled light along the way.

Drawn by the mass of cars we could see upon the horizon we turned right towards Ulva, discovering the cars we’d seen glinting in the sunlight belonged to daytime pilgrims to the non-drivable Isle of Ulva.

Spur of the moment we packed our bags, emptying the last of our water reserves into our 2L water bottles, grabbing what food we could, and locked the van up for the night. Crossing onto Ulva requires the use of a passenger ferry – a small boat carries groups of people to and from the island pretty much every day, stopping after 5pm. Pushing the ferry signal over to display the red square requesting the ferries services we watched the boat approach from the other side of the short expanse of water, laden with excited looking people.

£6 per adult gives you a return back when you’re ready. Theo and I were the only passengers heading to the island at this time, anyone else entering the island this late would be staying the night along with us and the 15 other permanent residents somewhere along the secluded land. The quiet guy maneuvering the boat pointed out a Seal bobbing along the water around 30ft away from the boat, making its way to the shore. This was most definitely a sign of things to come.

We were handed a map in the small café by a member of staff once we’d paid for our return trip. The map became an instant hit as we used it to find a route for the evening and hopefully a place for the night. Choosing the trail to Ormaig, we spent roughly 2 hours hiking along a rugged path through woodlands, fields, and across the many hills of the island. The weather was hot with a slight breeze cooling us down occasionally. It was t-shirt weather in the Scottish weather and we were extremely chuffed with the outcome. If we hadn’t grabbed the tent and chosen to wild camp today then we would have been kicking ourselves for missing out on such an epic day.

Approaching the bothy we’d spotted on the map we were sad to discover it was closed. The guide didn’t mention whether it was a working bothy or not so we had no idea it had actually been rented out to a group of people for the week. Good thing they didn’t return to the house whilst we had our faces up to the window!

The trail continued once we’d passed Ormaig and the bothy, so we carried on for another hour or so, crossing through marshland peppered with blooming Iris and the constant peel of the Oyster catchers careening overhead. A golden beach beckoned us, overlooking Mull and Ben More we settled into our new patch for the evening.

We pitched our tent directly in the centre of the grass, giving us wonderful views through the fly screen. A light breeze ensured no midges could harass us as we spent the evening taking photos, cooking a simple meal, and watching the 10 or so seals who’d followed the two canoeists into the bay behind some rocks next to our beach.

We’d brought along our new Mountain Warehouse Microlite 1400 sleeping bags - sent to us when we arrived back in the UK to test out on our new wild camping adventures. We’d already been using the cosy sleeping bags in lieu of our extra duvet in the van, they seemed sensible as they inevitably provide better heat retention in colder climates (something we’re used to by now).

This was our second time trying them out in the wild, and once again we were happy with the result. The night was cool, with a constant breeze wafting through the ventilation in the tent; whilst we were cocooned in our microfibre insulated sleeping bags we didn’t feel a thing. We’d decided to test these out as they’re a season 4 bag, ensuring protection against temperatures as low as -21°C, and we wanted to make sure we’d be more than warm enough in the Scottish wilderness. We needn’t have worried; they kept us snug and toasty all night, especially with a multi cord system around the hood - cold air was kept out whilst warm air was trapped in.

Season 4 sleeping bags are never going to pack down small, and with a synthetic filling they’re not going to fit in the palm of your hand once stuffed into their compression sack (20cm x 44cm). Fitting within our medium sized packs (I carry a LoweAlpine Cholatse II 60 litre, whilst Theo carries a LowePro Rover 45 litre bag), there is still enough room for Theo to carry all his camera gear, clothing, and other camping equipment, whilst I carry the food, cooking equipment, and other camping equipment too.

Having sleeping bags gives us the freedom to move away from the van now and again, something we couldn’t do last year which we longed for on more than one occasion.

It was a long evening for Theo as sunset was a stunner. The light breeze had turned into more of a persistent chilly gust which made the option of staying wrapped up warmly in bed reading my kindle much more enjoyable than trying to hang around outside to watch the sunset.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Islay - Oban - Mull

Departing Islay the following morning amidst a shower of rain we drove off the CalMac ferry in search of three things: fish & chips, Beavers, and Oban.

The first we crossed off fairly rapidly as we drove through Tarbet, spotting the first chippy we saw since we hit the mainland. When you consume something you’ve thought about for days and not been able to get your hands on it’s a momentous occasion. It tasted divine - we had large portions as a ‘mini fish & chips’ didn’t exist on their menu. We devoured every last morsel.

The rain cloud from Islay had followed us over and continued to do so for the rest of the day. This didn’t deter us from checking out the Knapdale Beavers; we knew we were 99% guaranteed not to see them, but it was still exciting to walk along the loch and take in the landscape they’d undoubtedly altered with their dam, as well as the trees they’d felled with their very own teeth.

Oban was the largest town we’d been to since Ardrossan on day one, so large in fact that it even had an Aldi. Jumping for joy that our budget would be able to cover a large quantity of food (The Cooperative seems to be the only supermarket on the islands and it’s not cheap) I took my time in the aisles, relishing the cheap prices.

Not having a ticket for Mull we planned to check out Oban before going to the island in a couple of days. It was Friday night and 7pm when we pulled up to the port to check it out before realising there was a ferry at 10pm that night. On a whim we bought our unreserved ferry ticket and tried to join the 'unreserved’ queue, although the guy sorting the vehicles out told us to park in the lane amongst the reserved vehicles. We were 100% going over to Mull tonight!

By 10:45pm we rolled off the ferry amongst a torrential downpour, parked up behind the public toilets and swiftly went to bed.

Considering Mull isn’t hard to get to we were surprised to find it quite quiet. We’d awoken that morning shrouded in mist and drove northwards to Tobermory, passing some impressive shipwrecks beached at the roadside. It seemed all the tourists were at Tobermory; the town was bustling as we parked up in the free public car park overlooking the harbour. In need of wifi we headed into the first place we picked some up - MacGochans. Sitting in the window we commandeered a plug and eventually ordered lunch once we’d finished our drinks, the call of the vege burger was too strong to resist. The bar was lively and full of people, after a few hours we made our way down Main Street, window shopping in the numerous colourful shops facing out to the water.

Keen to explore more of the island we wound our way to Calgary Bay, stopping for sheep and other vehicles along the one track road. The bay was obscured by low lying clouds and rain that kept us inside the van for half an hour or so before we went out to explore the area.

Grassy fields pocked with rabbit warrens made way for undulating sand dunes and a wide expanse of beach - low tide created a mass of exposed sand, washed up sea weed and the occasional jellyfish lay strewn across the beach. Our wandering took us to a designated wild camping spot, a couple of campers were parked up alongside a few tents. The location was idyllic with a softly flowing river meandering below the pitches, fire pits and even a few grills, and the piece de resistance - toilets.

Moving the van 200m down the road from Calgary bay car park to the new spot we camped up between two vans and had a chat with the lovely woman next to us who was travelling solo for the next few weeks around Scotland. The evening stayed dry and sunny much to Theo’s delight allowing him to go out and get some shots of the beautiful place.

Rain greeted us the following morning, forcing us to stay indoors longer than intended. During dry patches we hiked along the edge of the bay, surprised to find hundreds of tadpoles thriving in the puddles along the path. We’d timed our walk perfectly as the heavens opened once more as we reached the van, keeping us in once more.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Spotting Seals and irritating Terns

Driving towards Ardnave along the single track roads we spotted numerous birds of prey soaring overhead as we trundled through the landscape in search of the seals off Ardnave point. Turning left and continuing onwards with Loch Gruinart to our right - an RSPB nature reserve for the thousands of Barnacle and White-fronted geese who descend upon the tidal mud flats yearly, we didn’t have much further to go.

With the road ending at Ardnave at a grassy car park we donned our walking garb and began the long trek through sheep infested fields to Ardnave Loch. Theo caused a commotion as he accidentally placed his camera bag within touching distance of a nest, completely unbeknownst to him the offended Tern aggressively swooped towards him, squawking at the top of its lungs for him to back off, now! Swiftly realising what was happening we moved onwards - we’d never intentionally cause distress to a nesting bird and are quite fond of our eyeballs so left the birds be. I know how aggressive Terns can become after a hairy visit to a nesting colony in Gambia (it was intense).

Fields with plenty of sheep and lambs, rabbits, the occasional cow, screeching oyster catchers and gangs of Lapwings flapped overhead before we eventually made it over the rise and followed the sign to the Loch (Ardnave) with the possibility of an Otter or Seal sighting.

With baited breath we scanned the shores, nothing there. Casting our eyes further afield we soon spotted a Seal bobbing, watching us before dipping under. Not long after it re-emerged some 100 meters away from its original spot, eyes still locked on us as we excitedly shouted to each other.

There’s something undeniably exciting about catching a glimpse of an animal you’ve ventured out to see - especially one you’ve never seen in the wild before. Without binoculars meant we didn’t have a detailed view of the Seal or its mates who joined it for a staring match. Overjoyed we got to see what we set out for we made the trek back to the van, parking up for the night by Bunnahabhain Distillery with Jura in view on the other side of the Sound of Islay.

Having initially planned to explore Jura the next day those plans were quickly void as we discovered a return 5 minute journey would set us back a whopping £45 as we had a campervan with us. If the weather had been decent (it was raining for the next few days) and we had a bigger budget then we would have gone over, but instead we chose to skip Jura this time.

A few days before we’d found a Leisure Centre in Bowmore so opted to visit it as we couldn’t do much with the bad weather, and may as well have a shower. For £2 we left the vicinity feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day, quickly grabbing some food from Co-Op (the only supermarkets on the island) before driving back to the Mull of Oa for the afternoon where Theo rescued a trapped lamb in a wire fence before we drove back towards Port Ellen, parking up in a buttercup infused field overlooking the water for the night.

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vdubvanlife · 9 years

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Coast

We really were blessed with stunningly hot and sunny weather whilst we were on Arran, giving us the opportunity to get out of the van and explore as much as we could. Kings Cave sounded like an interesting landmark; donning our hiking gear we slowly made our way to see the ancient carvings.

The trail had glorious views across the island, weaving its way through shaded pine forests and shrimp infested rockpools, before taking you to the gated entrance of the cave, sending Black guillemots noisily flapping through the tunnels to their secluded nests above us.

The cave itself was dark and damp - moisture pooling across muddy floors. The original carvings were lost amongst the modern inscriptions of random names and dates, although the large cross was still the most prominent; large portions of the rock had been gorged out.

Skirting the coast we followed the dusty orange path upwards as it brought us back into the forest and out of the midday heat. Views further down the coast drew our attention, the cliffs were wild.

Our time on Arran was up as we had Islay in our sights. Joining the queue for the ferry we were surprised at the amount of people waiting to get on – 28 cars filled the waiting spaces, but only 12 could squeeze on board. Dolphins circled the boat across Killbrannan Sound, bringing entertainment to a short and swift journey to the mainland once more. Disembarking we immediately drove to Kennacraig, purchased ferry tickets to Islay, then made the most out of the two hour ferry crossing by latching onto the first plug we found to charge our laptops, phones, cameras, and various other important devices.

Mull of Oa was our first port of call upon our arrival in Islay, we’d arrived early evening, and after dinner in the car park we set out around 9pm to survey the scene. Being so far north meant sunset wasn’t until past 10pm, so a late evening walk was more than possible.

Islay landscape appeared bleak at first – minimal plant life and drizzle didn’t paint a summery image. However the trail towards the coast from the car park was pleasant indeed; dodging cow pats and investigating a rather deceased Hedgehog, making eye contact with the Highland coos responsible for said cowpats before cresting the grassy hill to take in the incredibly rugged landscape before us.

Fields make way for jagged cliffs leading into a dark and raging sea, as the landscape bends down to the coast, drawing you down to the dangerous edge. Theo was lured to the coast; a photographer cannot resist an area such as this. Hanging back in the field I watched the calves in the fenced off area giving me side eye before Theo returned, promptly sending the feral Goats grazing along the cliff in a mad frenzy as they darted away from him across the rocks.

Walking back to the van as rain threatened to descend, big fat drops landing on his camera lens, we spotted a lone Roe deer on the horizon. Thus began a hide and seek style game; every time it trotted off showcasing it’s white behind, eventually disappearing behind a grassy mound, we’d eventually cross paths again as the wooden walkway we followed found its way within the Deer’s vicinity again.

Leaving the car park the following morning we marveled at the countless rabbit warrens dotted throughout the fields, briefly stopping in Port Ellen for WiFi and a food shop, before heading to Portnahaven – a small village on the most Western point of the island. A friendly yet grubby dog roamed the quiet streets, greeting every passerby who seemed to be visiting the Post Office. Theo wandered down to the harbor to get down to sea level, capturing the moody atmosphere of the day.

Wild camping on Islay was super easy and it wasn’t a challenge to find somewhere to stay wherever we were. Departing Portnahaven and traversing one track lanes through barren fields, large birds circled overhead, and we stopped every now and then in sporadic passing places. Eventually we found ourselves overlooking Loch Indaal with Bowmore in the distance. Rain had occurred on and off throughout the day so we chose to now to stop for the day on the grass a minute away from the rocky shorelines of the loch.

Machir Bay was a must-see location on the island and we made the short journey there the next day, along with quite a few other tourists. Heading northwards from the beach we went on the hunt for seals at Ardnave…

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