Horny locals!

[jagmanx]

Thanks @Fisherman
It will be May next year and obviously many dependencies

My alternative is to use ferries from West of Glasgow
Either from Wemyss Bay
Or McInroys point to Hunters Quay Looka the most useful
Or Gourock to Kilcreggan
This last one is the shortest I think
Then we need Partavadie to Tarbet

More nearer the time !

 

[Fisherman]

Thanks @Fisherman
It will be May next year and obviously many dependencies

My alternative is to use ferries from West of Glasgow
Either from Wemyss Bay
Or McInroys point to Hunters Quay
Or Gourock to Kilcreggan
This last one is the shortest I think
Then we need Partavadie to Tarbet

More nearer the time !

The Isle of Bute has some lovely spots kilchattan bay 9 miles south of Rothesay is well worth a visit and finding a spot to spend the night won’t pose any problems. Then you have Ettrick Bay, port Bannatyne, Loch Fad. Then to get of the island you can do the short 300 yard crossing from Rhobodach to Colintraive across the kyles of Bute and head north through argyle from there. Rothesay itself well worth a visit is unique amongst the Scottish islands in that it has a fairly large population and with some poor behaviour particularly during the summer months. But away from Rothesay it’s a rural island with some lovely views. If you want to visit Canada Hill avoid the serpentine road and drive there past the golf course instead.

 

[jagmanx]

 

[barryd]

Apart from the Irish, you wont get a better welcome anywhere else in the British isles than you will up here in Scotland. But of course there are over 5 million living up here, and we have our fare share of morons with opinions.
But be considerate, friendly, and show an interst in your surroundings and it’s odds on all you will receive will be a feeling of being made welcome.

However the islands may be a different matter. First there are limits on how many the ferries will accommodate, and locals are having problems getting on and of their islands at short notice due to this. So I would be careful about visiting any of the islands whilst these restrictions are in place. I doubt if you will receive open hostility, but possibly some resentment and not so friendly a welcome. For the first time in 30 years I have not visited Arran due to this,

The roads on Arran are narrow in parts. But the big problem is not just their width, but the water courses positioned close to the edge of the roads in places. But careful driving and extra vigilance will get you safely from place to place. The road on the west of the island needs maintaining some of the pot holes are to be avoided. But the road is very quiet on that side of the island.

As you know we are long term Arran fans. We toyed with the idea of going there in August but opted for a rally field on Flamborough head in Yorkshire instead. Just felt like it might all be a bit too sensitive for the reasons you mention above. I would hate to go there and find we maybe were not that welcome. Having seen a lot of the comments on facebook regarding the NC500 I would hate to think the people of Arran were starting to feel the same. I know things kicked off a bit there when the ferry fees were reduced and a lot of motorhomes were then transiting through the island so there was already some sensitivity.

I have also witnessed some of the "anti" feeling around here in the Dales, mainly when restrictions were first lifted and there was a lot of bad behaviour. We just decided wilding was just not worth it anywhere this year. Dont want to upset anyone and I wouldnt feel relaxed at the moment. We managed 17 days on Flamborough head which is our shortest trip ever before we gave up due to crap weather, too many people and a few issues in the van.

This year is a bit of a right off but hopefully things will one day return to normal.

 

[wildebus]

interesting. I got honked at on Thursday when pulling in to a campsite entrance. No idea why but maybe it was anti-Motorhome tooting? Or maybe Anti-Scottish as I was in England in a Scottish Registered MH

PS. On my way home, I stopped at Morrisons in Hawick and took up FOUR spaces. Maybe I should be flogged?

Well done that'll show em

Decided I better treat the English in an equal manner to the Scots .....

Morrisons in Berwick-upon-Tweed this Lunchtime

 

[SquirrellCook]

Decided I better treat the English in an equal manner to the Scots .....

Morrisons in Berwick-upon-Tweed this Lunchtime
View attachment 87732

Looks like a perfect fit to me, helps others socially distance too.

 

[Wully]

Only one thing to say on this there’s more to Scotland than that one rd. people using it are all like lemmings all fallowing the yellow brick rd get a map out spread out see the real Scotland I highly recommend Dumfries Ayrshire cowal and kintyre. Argyle at this time of year is probably one of the most gorgeous places on Earth

 

[barryd]

Only one thing to say on this there’s more to Scotland than that one rd. people using it are all like lemmings all fallowing the yellow brick rd get a map out spread out see the real Scotland I highly recommend Dumfries Ayrshire cowal and kintyre. Argyle at this time of year is probably one of the most gorgeous places on Earth

Its the same the world over. Someone once told me (an Italian) that all the Italians flock to Lake Garda because they are lazy and its the most famous, Yet there are hidden gems far nicer than Garda. Im not mad keen on the very north of Scotland and prefer the lower western coasts or the Isle of Arran. To me the islands always appeal the most as that ferry puts a bit of space between you and the hordes but even they have suffered a bit it seems since they reduced the ferry fares. I spent a lot of time round the south coast of Scotland when I was much younger. Not as spectacular but equally rewarding and not very crowded. To be honest the weather and midges put me off which is another reason I like places like Arran in the spring early summer.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

Decided I better treat the English in an equal manner to the Scots .....

Morrisons in Berwick-upon-Tweed this Lunchtime
View attachment 87732

Is that a parking ticket on the screen for taking other peoples parkings spaces up ?????? or maybe having an unreadable number plate.
I was parked like that and one bloke turned and backed into me, the only vehicle in the carpark.

 

[wildebus]

Is that a parking ticket on the screen for taking other peoples parkings spaces up ?????? or maybe having an unreadable number plate.

where would that ticket be? I am sure if people needed to park, there are plenty of spaces available. If they cannot see those empty spaces, they shouldn't be driving.

 

[GeoffL]

It's not just motorhome there's a lot of anti visitors feeling here in Cornwall at the moment just that in a motorhome your more easily recognised as a visitor.

I agree. A tourist in a car isn't distinguishable from a local in a car whereas a big white box immediately suggests outsider.

I'm not too sure about that now that registration numbers give easily-decoded regional information. Anything seen in Devon and Cornwall with a 51-onward registration that doesn't start with "W" is either secondhand, non-local, or both. Very few of the motorhomes kept at the same storage facility as mine have 'local' registrations -- including mine -- but they're all local. I suspect that it's actually easier to recognise visitors in cars than in motorhomes as a lower proportion of locally-owned cars probably have 'foreign' registrations than do locally-owned motorhomes.

 

[Robmac]

I'm not too sure about that now that registration numbers give easily-decoded regional information. Anything seen in Devon and Cornwall with a 51-onward registration that doesn't start with "W" is either secondhand, non-local, or both. Very few of the motorhomes kept at the same storage facility as mine have 'local' registrations -- including mine -- but they're all local. I suspect that it's actually easier to recognise visitors in cars than in motorhomes as a lower proportion of locally-owned cars probably have 'foreign' registrations than do locally-owned motorhomes.

Can't disagree with that, but will people be looking at registrations of every car just to see if it might be a furriner or not? Whereas a big white motorhome immediately suggests that it might be?

Most cars wouldn't be given a second glance in my opinion. I don't think that registrations will come into it, but I could be wrong.

 

[GeoffL]

Can't disagree with that, but will people be looking at registrations of every car just to see if it might be a furriner or not? [...]

Perhaps it's just me, but I do; particularly at locations where not knowing the road can present issues. I also tend to notice where almost all the registrations are 'foreign' in an area, as this is where the 'second-home brigade' have possibly driven out the indiginous population. I suspect the same might apply in Scotland (where anything other than "S" means 'foreign') and Wales (where local registrations start with "C").

 

[trevskoda]

No way could you spot an N Irish van then.

 

[wildebus]

I'm not too sure about that now that registration numbers give easily-decoded regional information. Anything seen in Devon and Cornwall with a 51-onward registration that doesn't start with "W" is either secondhand, non-local, or both. Very few of the motorhomes kept at the same storage facility as mine have 'local' registrations -- including mine -- but they're all local. I suspect that it's actually easier to recognise visitors in cars than in motorhomes as a lower proportion of locally-owned cars probably have 'foreign' registrations than do locally-owned motorhomes.

A "W" Plate ("W" for West Country) is actually one of the most commonly seen letters on vehicles around in fact throughout the country. This is due to Fiat and other having massive storage facilities near the docks (you see masses of cars and vans there as you go over the raised section of the M5 heading north towards the city) and getting pre-registered at the local DVLA area.
All the Post Office vans I see in my area are "West Country" vehicles. But I doubt the Post Office have been buying used vehciles in Avon and Somerset.

So really little indication in reality. However, having said that, I am quite pleased that my new Motorhome has an "S" Plate, as less likely to get some idiots taking offence at it not belonging if I go somewhere local.

 

[GeoffL]

No way could you spot an N Irish van then.

Easy to spot an N Irish registration (my car has a Belfast reg). However, a lot of NI regos have been used as 'vanity' or 'personal' plates in Great Britain. For example, my car got the registration from new as the orignal owner held the rights to it -- and it stayed with the car when the original owner sold it on.

A "W" Plate ("W" for West Country) is actually one of the most commonly seen letters on vehicles around in fact throughout the country. [...]
So really little indication in reality. [...]

The thing is that, although a "W" registration doesn't suggest 'foreign' in Devon & Cornwall, anything else does since all vehicles first registered in the West Country either have "W" reg or personal plates. For example, the prevalence of 'foreigners' stands out a mile in 'second-home' territory!