Portpatrick and Laurieston Forest

Saturday 20 September 2025

Nido's wild-camping at a rural parking area at Orton Quarry, a few miles off the M6 north east from Tebay.  It's absolutely tipping down and we're here with another motorhome.  The rain started as we crossed the border into England, but it's due to stop in the early hours and tomorrow promises to be a dry and sunny day.

Yesterday we visited the harbour town of Portpatrick, a small village in southwestern Scotland, historically significant as a port for ferries crossing to Ireland. Its development began in the 18th century, with the construction of a harbour to support trade and fishing. The village's strategic location made it a key stop for maritime activity, particularly during the 19th century when it was a vital link between Scotland and Ireland. Over time, Portpatrick evolved into a popular tourist destination, renowned for its scenic beauty and historical charm, including remnants of its maritime past.

First we walked up the steep steps and along a narrow bridge to the ruins of Dunskey castle. It dates back to the 16th century and was likely built by the Adair family. Positioned on a rugged cliff overlooking the sea, it played a defensive role and became a symbol of the region’s power and influence. The castle’s design reflects typical Scottish strongholds of the time, with thick walls and narrow windows. By the 18th century, Dunskey fell into disrepair, and much of its structure was lost to time and erosion. Today, the castle’s ruins remain a picturesque landmark on a dramatic coastal promontory.  We took our time exploring and trying to guess what would have been in each room and tower.  

Back in the village, we walked around the harbour to the RNLI station, watching the waves crash on the rocks, before returning to the van for lunch.  Our next stop was to be a wild camp in the forest, but first we stopped in Castle Douglas to get an Indian takeaway meal. Fifteen minutes later we were parked up alone in Laurieston Forest. The indian meal was delicious and it was soon dark with no sounds apart from the owls I heard when taking Salty out for his last walk of the evening.

This morning we walked the one mile circular walk that follows Kenick Burn.  The trees were dripping with dark green moss and there were loads of different fungi on the ground and fallen tree trunks.  The burn was flowing well after several days of rain and, apart from one section at the end, we managed to avoid any wet paths.    

Leaving our wild-camping spot, we drove to the Threave Nature Reserve and enjoyed following the trail around the river and wetlands, with several wildlife hides, plus a view of Threave castle on the opposite bank.

I'd found a car park in Dumfries where I hoped we could have lunch and take a walk, but being Saturday it was busy and all the parking was taken, so after a quick fill of diesel (enough to get us home), we drove on to this spot, with the aim of having a shorter journey tomorrow.

This is our last night of this trip and we'll be heading off early to drive home tomorrow.  Thankfully the weather forecast is much better so the drive should be easier.  We've really enjoyed almost a month in Scotland, despite some inclement weather.  The Outer Hebrides were amazing and, with the four ferry journeys, it did feel like a proper trip away.  We had a handful of warm sunny days and made the most of them, but even in the wind and rain, the islands and particularly the beaches were stunning.

Parked up on an airfield

Thursday 18 September 2025

Nido's parked up on the Scar Park CAMpRA aire, overlooking Stranraer and the two ferry ports.  This used to be an RAF Seaplane base and the five huge pitches are on the concrete plane parking spots.  Our nearest van neighbour is therefore at least 50m away!  It's a bit grey and drizzly but the views are still excellent and I can hear curlews calling on the low tide areas.

After leaving the Highfield campsite our next planned stop was in the town of Largs, on a free motorhome parking area next to the Yacht Haven. On the way we stopped at Lochwinnoch - with a view of the loch - for lunch.  It was quite a busy place and the huge piles of goose poo on the pavement sort of put us off having a walk!  It was quite warm out when we parked up in Largs and we walked along the promenade towards the town.  We fancied fish and chips for tea, but they were a 35 minute walk away (each way) and we wanted to eat them in the van, so it would have meant driving into town and finding (difficult to find) parking close to the chippy.  Also, whilst the park up was level and seemed safe, it didn't have a view and we weren't really feeling it.

Instead we drove another 20 minutes down the road to another free park up, this time in a car park next to Saltcoats harbour and looking directly west over the sea.  Saltcoats, a coastal town in North Ayrshire, Scotland, grew from a small medieval settlement known for salt panning, which gave the town its name. By the 17th century, it expanded into a hub for fishing and handloom weaving, later developing strong ties to shipbuilding and coal exports. Its sandy beaches and railway links transformed Saltcoats into a popular Victorian seaside resort, attracting visitors from Glasgow and beyond. Although heavy industries declined in the 20th century, the town remains part of the "Three Towns" area with Ardrossan and Stevenston, preserving its maritime heritage and seaside character.

The  chippy was just across the road from the park up, so that was ideal.  The fish and chips were tasty and cheap and afterwards we took a walk along the harbour wall, ducking from the occasional waves breaking over the top!  During the night the wind really picked up, but it was a quiet spot and we slept well.

This morning it took about 50 minutes to drive to Culzean Castle and Gardens, a NT Scotland property on the coast near Maybole.  Culzean Castle, perched on Ayrshire’s coast, was transformed in the late 18th century by architect Robert Adam for David Kennedy, 10th Earl of Cassillis. Built on the site of an older fortified tower, it became a grand example of Scottish baronial style, blending elegance with dramatic coastal views. The surrounding gardens and parkland, landscaped with woodlands and follies, enhanced its status as a showcase estate. In 1945, the Kennedy family gifted the castle to the National Trust for Scotland, granting U.S. President Eisenhower an apartment in recognition of wartime support.

We arrived early so there was plenty of space to park our van.  We did notice later, however, that a couple of larger motorhomes had to park across 2 - 3 parking spaces as none of them were long enough; NTS would benefit from creating some dedicated motorhome parking.  We weren't bothered about visiting inside the castle, but we did enjoy our walk around the large estate and gardens, in particular the walled garden and greenhouses were lovely.  We spent almost 3 hours walking around before returning to the van for a well-earned lunch.

On the drive to the Scar Park aire, we passed the Trump Turnberry golf resort.  It's a really weird place, looking like they've picked up fancy houses and buildings from Florida and just dropped them into this windswept part of the southern Scottish coast; they looked really out of place.   

As I'd already pre-booked and paid for the aire, we drove along the concrete runway to Pitch 5, which is the closest to the sea.  Having had lunch we're not feeling hungry so may just have something light later and catch up on YouTube.  In the meantime I'm enjoying looking out over the bay and watching the wading birds.

Caerlaverock Aire, Dumfries and Galloway

Tuesday 16 July 2024

We'd planned to stop at a pub in the Yorkshire Dales tonight to break the journey. However, on arrival (despite have recce'd it on Google Street View) it was clear the dog-leg entrance to the car park was far too narrow for Nido, so we had no option but to move on.  We pulled into a parking area and I had a look for another pub stop, but none took our fancy, so we decided to hit the road and drive the three hours to home.

We set off from Aberdour yesterday morning for a two hour drive to Caerlaverock, Dumfries & Galloway on what's described as a campsite, but is actually more like an aire, with an open parking area surrounded by trees, with servicing facilities.  It's run by the local community and they ask for a £10 donation, either an online payment or by cash (envelope provided) in the honesty box; I did the latter.  We've stayed here before as it's a good stop when either arriving in or departing from Scotland as it's only a short drive from the border.  It was a very warm and sunny day so we had lunch sat outside before taking a walk along the edge of the reed beds and salt marsh for about four miles.  I warmed up a pork and bean stew we'd brought from the freezer at home and cooked some roast potatoes in the omnia oven. By bed time there were eight vans here, including five Europeans and one of the huge overlander all-terrain lorry-type motorhomes.  One British family were in a 5m Vauxhall van with three very young children (a 3 year old and twins aged 19 moths) and two large dogs!  They had a large double roof tent but it must have still been very cosy.  Dad sat with the three children on the picnic bench by us, feeding them, as Mum sorted out the van. They must be exhausted!

Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve

This morning after breakfast we walked to Caerlaverock Castle, through the forest next to the aire. It's a proper looking castle, albeit in ruins, with towers and a water-filled moat. We just had a walk along the grassy mound rather than pay to enter the castle ruins; we had Salty and could see other dogs inside, so he would be much happier outside!  There were ominously dark clouds surrounding us and as we walked back through the forest it started to rain, turning torrential just as we reached the open are of the aire.  In the van we changed out of wet clothes and sat it out until the rain eased, before leaving to head south.

Those clouds look a bit ominous....

...and they're getting closer

That was a dry aire parking area!

We now have a few weeks to prepare the van ready for our trip to France next month.  We haven't decided how long we'll be away. We'll book a return crossing once we've we're ready but I suspect it'll be the very of September or first week of October.  The current rough plan is to head for Alsace/Lorraine, down into the Jura and then across into Burgundy before heading back up to Calais.  But much will depend on the weather.  So far - like most of Europe - it's not been a great summer.  So we'll look for some pleasant sunshine but not too hot...we don't like it too hot!  

Since we got home we've emptied the van to give it a good clean and give Paul from CMS a clear run to complete a Gas Safety Check on Friday.  I fixed the broken Remis blind with the replacement hinge waiting for us at home.  I've also checked the toilet flush; I think the Control Panel is kaput (it must be at least15 years old) so have ordered another.  

We enjoyed our trip to the Cairngorms, despite the changeable weather.  I think our next trip north of the border will be to the west and perhaps the Outer Hebrides.  That'll give me something to research on the dark winter nights to come. 

Craig Croft Aire, Laurieston

Nido's parked on a lovely little 'aire' (more of a very small campsite really) with 4 pitches (3 hardstanding and one grass), called Craig Croft (///collapsed.cadet.backers).  It's a lovely peaceful spot just on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park, close to the village of Laurieston.  The owner - Pauline - is very welcoming and told us all about the birdlife and wildlife here; she feeds the birds and the species visiting are too many for us to count!  I found it on the Search for Sites app and the reviews speak for themselves. It's £10 per night with electricity charged separately on a meter.  We hadn't planned to use EHU as we have plenty of leisure battery power and a full-up Ecoflow, but this afternoon I noticed the van fridge had stopped working on gas and all the frozen food had defrosted; it was fine yesterday.  So I hooked up the electric and the fridge is now cooling down and the freezer is doing it's thing again.  There are no error codes being displayed, so a quick read of the user manual and a Google would seem to suggest a problem with the burner or thermocoupler (whatever that is - I don't touch electrical or gas systems!).  Luckily the remaining nights of our trip are all on EHU, so at least I won't be forced to drink warm beer!  I've emailed the company - CMS North Wales - I use for van maintenance and repairs (a husband and wife team based in Conwy, to ask Paul to come out and take a look when we get home.  The fridge is only 6 years old and we've had a few issues with it in the past.  Top tip - avoid Thetford motorhome fridges!

Our night in the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse car park was extremely quiet and peaceful.  There were only two other vans staying, plus there was no wind at this highpoint so we all slept well.  I was up at about 0630 and took Salty for a good walk around the circular path that runs on the clifftops and alongside the lighthouse and attached buildings. It was cloudy and still and a little cool. After a lovely hot shower (I'll never get over the novelty of showering in a car park!) and breakfast, we made our way back down the single track road, making use of the regular passing places to allow oncoming traffic to pass.

After a brief stop in the Red Deer Range car park (///rock.feasting.areas) for a cuppa (we were in tea deficit again!), we arrived at this place. Pauline had emailed to explain the road up was signed as closed, due to a bike race (not any old bike race - it was a qualifying event for the UCI World Gravel Bike championships!), but we could carry on up as the road has been closed after the site entrance.  It's a cosy little aire and again very quiet with no artificial light.  The sun came out when we arrived so we took her advice and followed a circular walk that took us through the forest, which is mainly temperate rainforest, as seen by the beautiful green mosses everywhere. We stopped off at a bird hide where the locals feed the many species of birds.  We didn't spot any of the red squirrels, pine martens, adders (thankfully!), slow worms or deer, although Salty did try to roll in a few patches of fox poo!  Luckily I was on the ball and got him away in time.  But just in case we carry a tube of Fox Poo shampoo for dogs, plus the aire had a fresh water hose and I wasn't afraid to use it on him - he had a lucky escape!

Apart from a couple of walks we've not done much here.  There's no mobile or internet signal, so we've both been reading and after a simple meal, we walked the circular walk again, only anti-clockwise this time.  It's cooled down a little and there are a few spots of rain, but nothing to worry about.  We've been very lucky with the weather over the past week.

Tomorrow we leave Scotland and head for the Lake District to meet up with old friends for a few nights on two different campsites.  We've loved our time in Dumfries and Galloway and I've no doubt we'll return in the future to visit some of the areas we missed this time.  Initial thoughts are to return to Scotland in July for a tour based on the Heart 200 and North East 250 routes.  It's my 60th birthday (eek!) in mid-July and it would be nice to be away in the van...so long as the fridge can be fixed in time.  

Temperate rainforest - there's not much of this left in the UK

Craig Croft aire

Mull of Galloway Lighthouse

Nido's in the car park at the most southerly point in Scotland at the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse (///flattery.seatbelt.iceberg).  It was very hot and sunny when we arrived but it's now cloudy and has cooled down quite a bit.  Despite that, the 360' views from this highpoint are stunning.  There was just us and another van for most of the evening, although one more has just turned up.

After about half an hour of rain last night, it was warm and sunny as I took Salty for a walk at Whithorn at 0700 this morning.  We'd had a recommendation from Carol Kubicki to visit the Logan Botanical Garden on our way to the lighthouse.  She'd kindly sent us a link to one of her blogs listing some gardens she'd visited in Scotland.  I had Logan on my list and was happy to take her advice - diolch Carol!

It was about an hour's drive to get there and the drive up to the gardens was lined on both sides of the road with hundreds of palm trees (///catching.exists.acquaint); we thought we'd been transported to Spain or Morocco!  The garden's aren't too big to walk around and the entry fee is reasonable at £8 each.  We really enjoyed our tour, admiring the many specimens of trees and shrubs from as far afield as Chile and New Zealand.  It's definitely worth a visit.

Just a few minutes down the road is Port Logan (///roadblock.taken.trying).  We parked up for lunch, before walking along the beach to the old harbour, with a quay and bell tower designed by Thomas Telford.  Salty enjoyed being back on the beach, with lots of zoomies into the surf and sand.  If you ever watched the BBC series 'Two Thousand Acres of Sky', starring Michelle Collins and Paul Kaye, it was filmed in Port Logan.

Once parked up in a level spot at the Lighthouse, Cathy had a snooze while I sat on the van step enjoying the heat of the sun.  Dinner tonight was a chicken madras, followed by a short walk around the cliff tops and up to the lighthouse.  It's weird to think that from here John o' Groats is almost as far as London - Scotland is a BIG country!

Now enjoying the peace of the evening, in the warm of the van and after a hot cup of tea. it's time to settle down for the night.  Tomorrow we move on to a pre-booked aire close to Galloway Forest, which will be our last night in Scotland (for now), before we head for a campsite in Glenridding in the Lake District to meet up with old and very dear friends.

Port Logan