Friday 26th – Sunday 28th September, 2025 – Southampton to Ã…lesund Despite not being wholly convinced by the whole “let’s go on a cruise” hype, we found ourselves handing over our car to the parking people at Southampton, dropping our luggage off with the baggage handlers, and embarking on Cunard‘s newest ship, Queen Anne, ready…
Category: Hospitality
Travel 2025 – France – Day 1 to Day 4 (London to Epernay, Epernay to Lyon, Lyon to St. Remy de Provence)
And so to France. It all started a little before Christmas with a conversation with our friend A. Recently widowed, and keen to find her feet travelling again, she said she missed the south of France, where we had spent quite a lot of time together back when I worked for various companies in Sophia-Antipolis…
Travel 2024 – North Coast 500 – Day 14/Day 15 (Shieldaig to Hawnby, Hawnby to Home)
Friday 11th/Saturday 12th October, 2024 – Sheildaig, Aviemore, Hawnby, Home Distance driven: 429.0 miles/177.0 milesTime at the wheel: 7 hours 38 minutes/3 hours 15 minutesHeiland coos spotted: 0 (but then we hardly expected to) And so we left Scotland and completed the leg of the NC500 to Inverness, skimming by the edge of the city….
Travel 2024 – North Coast 500 – Day 13 (Gairloch to Shieldaig)
Thursday 10th October, 2024 – Gairloch, Kinlochewe, Lochcarron, Strome Ferry, Applecross, Sheildaig Distance driven: 110.0 milesTime at the wheel: 3 hours 43 minutesHeiland coos spotted: 0 After the storms that rolled through overnight, the temperature had dropped significantly and there was snow visible on the higher ground. The weather was still wildly variable, with sudden…
Travel 2024 – North Coast 500 – Day 12 (Around Gairloch)
Wednesday 9th October, 2024 – Gairloch, Inverewe, Badachro Distance driven: 36.0 milesTime at the wheel: 1 hour 14 minutesHeiland coos spotted: 0 After the previous day, Wednesday started out looking like it would be an easy day without much in the way of driving. The initial plan was to go a few miles in one…
Travel 2024 – North Coast 500 – Day 11 (Lochinver to Gairloch)
Tuesday 8th October, 2024 – Lochinver to Gairloch Distance driven: 86.0 milesTime at the wheel: 2 hours 26 minutesHeiland coos spotted: 0 (Normal service has resumed) We’d done two nights at the Old Coach House (Cosy Highland Fireside Escape) so again it was time to move on to our next two-night stop. First, though, we…
Travel 2024 – North Coast 500 – Day 7 (Dornoch to Thurso)
Friday 4th October, 2024 – Dornoch, Golspie, Helmsdale, Thurso Distance driven: 64.0 milesTime at the wheel: 1 hour 19 minutesHeiland coos spotted: Still defiantly 0 We were on the move again so said goodbye to Strathview Lodge, though not before sampling their full Scottish breakfast. I would certainly recommend them as a place to stay…
Travel 2024 – North Coast 500 – Day 6 (Around Dornoch)
Thursday 3rd October, 2024 – Inverness, Cromarty, Udale Bay, Portmahomack Distance driven: 126.0 milesTime at the wheel: 2 hours 53 minutesHeiland coos spotted: 0 (I hope they’re not turning into the equivalent of the moose on our Finland trip in 2016) We made an early start because we needed to be in Cromarty by 9:45…
Travel 2024 – North Coast 500 – Day 5 (Inverness to Dornoch)Â
Wednesday 2nd October, 2024 – Inverness, Fortrose, Chanonry Point, Rosemarkie, Cromarty, Dornoch Distance driven: 78.0 milesTime at the wheel: 1 hour 50 minutesHeiland coos spotted: 0 We were back on a highish mileage day, made more so because the Cromarty-Nigg ferry does not run after September 30th so we’d missed it by a day, a…
Travel 2024 – North Coast 500 – Day 4 (Around Inverness)Â
Tuesday 1st October, 2024 – Inverness, Culloden Distance driven: 19.0 milesTime at the wheel: 40 minutesHeiland coos spotted: 0 After a lot of mileage the previous day it was very pleasant to start the day with a leisurely 20-minute drive to Culloden and the battlefield centre, which is run by the Scottish National Trust. As…
Smtfhw's Travels 
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