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15 Aug 20, 08:11 PM |
#1
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Imagineer
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One mad woman and her dog, NC500 Aug 2020 - pre travel and day 1
Day 0 - pre travel day
I decided to do a quick pre travel day, and just a brief run down of what we are doing. Full info is on the pre-trippie if interested. But it’s Me, Mitch, 35 (but not for long) and Max, 2 (and furry), driving Scotland’s answer to Route 66. https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho... php?t=1176948 We also decided to go a full day earlier. I love Aviemore, and didn’t want my 2 nights and 1 day there to be absolutely exhausted due to the 6 hour odd drive. So I decided to book a cheapie room only 30 mins south in Kingussie, get all the driving done on the Saturday, then wake up Sunday, have brekkie and then basically 2 full days to explore Aviemore and the surrounding areas. So brief itinerary is Home to Kingussie Aviemore Aviemore Wick Tongue Ullapool Lochcarron Pitlochry Home So 8 nights away. Hotels were an average of £80 a night for very basic accommodation (on the whole). So total accommodation bill (70% including breakfast) was £630. I usually do a solo cruise, and I can get an AI cruise for well under £1k even with the single supplement. Therefore I’m loosely trying to stick to £70 a day spending money, not at all likely to happen, but that would bring the 8 day holiday in for around the £1200 mark, still rather a lot but we’ll see. I’m going to track spending just to see where we get to. It’s also the amount which means I don’t have to dip into my ISA which I really don’t like doing but after 3 months of DH not working and reduced income, it may be inevitable. I am working today but I take the opportunity to nip out at lunchtime to get a pedicure. Crackers really as I don’t think Max cares about my toes, but they do rather look like hobbit feet. I also fill up the car with diesel whilst I’m out. 113.9p per litre so likely cheapest diesel I’m seeing for a while but i have 2/3rds of a tank left so it only costs £20.43. I deduct this from my first days budget. I’m a bit lost with the packing, I have to bring the dog bed and loads of stuff for him, but as I’m moving nearly every night I don’t really want my huge suitcase. I decide to take a small wheeley bag which I can slot the dog bag over, and then a hold-all with spare clothes that I can switch stuff in and out of, as well as a reusable shopping bag of shoes and coats to leave in the car, and a second with the dog bed, towels and his coat. It’s a biggish task trying to remember everything so I write some lists and get myself sorted between trying to complete some fairly meaty work tasks. In the end I give up, and resign myself to having to take my laptop to Scotland to get things finished up. I nip down the farm at 4pm to say goodbye to my pony Lottie, it’s still too warm to ride her so I just give her a brush, and feed her polos whilst the dog runs about like a loon. I have a slight panic when I get back as there is a big puddle of water underneath the car when I get back which is obvious as it’s bone dry here. I frantically text my BIL who is a mechanic, who assures me it’s just condensation from blasting the air con. Crisis averted. Come back, shower and hair wash, then make an easy dinner of a pasta bake and open a bottle of wine whilst catching up with the new series of Married at first sight Australia. Day 1 - travel day Eeek it’s here... I wake up quite early in the morning and bring coffee upstairs to bed with Max for a last cuddle. I’m going to really miss DH but I do understand him not wanting to close his business again so soon. It might seem odd me holidaying on my own so often, but we are very happily married - honest. I start getting my stuff together. I’m not a big fan of breakfast early on after waking up, but I have a long way to go today so I grab a muffin. I get myself ready, then get DH to walk with me to the park, so that Max can be thoroughly emptied 😂 and he gets a good run around. He’s not over pleased with his new car harness (he usually travels in DH’s car with a dog guard) but I strap him in and off we set. 334 miles to go... I blast some tunes and Max goes straight to sleep, and I push through until Gretna Green which takes just under 2 hours. I’ve often driven past here, but never stopped, but I need a wee and think it’s time to let Max out too. We have a quick walk through around the visitor centre complex. I then hop back in the car, and my next stop is the Starbucks at the services. I had made myself a packed lunch but I annoyingly left it in the fridge and so I pick up a tuna melt and an iced coffee from some credit on my app. I’m breezing along at this point, the scenery looks stunning and I can’t understand why the sat nav is saying it’s going to take so long to arrive. I make a quick stop at a lay-by just to see if Max wants a wee or a drink. Then I hit the outskirts of Perth... What should be the last hour takes 2, in fact it takes 30 minutes to drive a mile. I’m absolutely exhausted by this point and Max is telling me he’s understandably fed up. We start moving again and I’m so tired it’s getting dangerous, and I notice that some of the lay-bys have access to a lovely riverside path, so I stop. I put Max on his lead and we just do a 10 minute walk, which makes both of us feel better. Then the last 30 minutes through the most stunning scenery, and we’re here. Kingussie in the Cairngorms I check in, this was one of the cheapest hotels and it’s great, they upgraded me to en-suite which was super kind, and the room is great albeit very hot. I dump my bags and head straight out with Max. I find a couple of places to let him off, then a lovely river for him to cool off as he’s super warm. Then to the hotel bar for a well deserved cold pint. The staff and (fairly well lubricated for 5pm) locals are so unbelievably friendly, couldn’t have picked a better place to stay. I shower as I’m dripping, get changed into something cooler, which I sweat in immediately as the room is boiling, then we walk out to where I have booked for dinner - the tipsy laird. The staff again are super friendly, and I order a cider, and the Tipsy burger with cheese. Everyone loved Max and he was brought water straight away, but the only problem was that the table I was given was on the through flow to the toilets/kitchen so he was up and down like a yo yo saying hi to everyone, and I didn’t get the most relaxed meal 😂 The burger comes though and it’s massive! Onion rings were an extra £2.50 but they have given me a portion (hopefully for free). So kind of them but I don’t like onion rings unfortunately. I break up a couple to feed the dog a couple of bits of batter to look like I tried, but dogs can’t have onions (or to be fair batter ideally) so I have to leave them. Big feed for £12 though. I decide to leave after this, we’re parked in the middle of the through flow really, and it’s not super restful for either of us, so I pay the bill £15.65 and walk back the same way as earlier Max can have a run around and I phone DH for a quick chat. I head back to my hotel and buy a bottle of wine. £15.50 that I drink a glass of in the bar, a glass in bed, and pack the rest for another night. I watch a bit of tv on my iPad, and have an early night as we have an adventure tomorrow... Miles travelled - 334 Amount spent - £55.64 including the half tank of petrol
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Mitch xx Edited at 10:55 PM. |
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15 Aug 20, 10:56 PM |
#2
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Thread Starter
Imagineer
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Got more planned tomorrow so will hopefully be a bit more interesting x
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Mitch xx |
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15 Aug 20, 10:57 PM |
#3
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VIP Dibber
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Great start.
I’ve also had a panic about a puddle under the car. And dashed off to the garage to be quickly reassured it was just the air con. I still find it disconcerting to see. |
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16 Aug 20, 07:21 AM |
#4
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Thread Starter
Imagineer
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Super disconcerting! Thankfully I just bombarded my BIL with texts and photos though before going to a garage! 😂
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Mitch xx |
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16 Aug 20, 07:39 AM |
#5
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Apprentice Imagineer
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Just found this. Great start will be following along. Lots of pictures of Max please! My lab puppy would love a trip like this with lots of rivers, beaches and pub food!
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16 Aug 20, 07:47 AM |
#6
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Thread Starter
Imagineer
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Don’t worry, my ability to take photos of Max is unrivalled 😂 how old is your pup? Max loves water and food too...
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Mitch xx Edited at 08:04 AM. |
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16 Aug 20, 08:15 AM |
#7
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Apprentice Imagineer
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Pup now 10 months old - loves all water even a puddle gets rolled in 😂
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16 Aug 20, 08:56 AM |
#8
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Imagineer
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Great start. We're lucky enough to live in Fife so my son has done the NC500 earlier this year and loved it. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip.
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2004 - 2014 WDW 2016 - 2019 WDW |
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16 Aug 20, 01:34 PM |
#9
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VIP Dibber
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Great start, although a lot of driving today. Shame about the hold up's around Perth but sounds like a reasonable journey despite that. Nice looking meal at night... glad you're finding the people friendly so far
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All of my trip reports are in this INDEX My most recent reports are below: *Complete* A Tale of Two Cities - Washington D.C. & Boston - March 2023 We Love Food! An Offsite Dining Report - May 2022 |
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16 Aug 20, 03:31 PM |
#10
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Thread Starter
Imagineer
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Everyone has been incredibly friendly, you never feel alone as everyone wants to stop and talk to us (well Max really)
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Mitch xx |
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