Trip 17 Shieldaig

Trip 17 Shieldaig

Where were we: Shieldaig

Date: 18-20 June 2021

Intended destination: Shieldaig

Car: Ewan’s silver focus god bless

It was 2021 and we were both lucky and absolutely delighted. There were a range of reasons for this. First of all the world was gripped by the coronavirus pandemic. The fact we’d managed to get away was why we were lucky. We’d managed to find a wee gap to escape with our friends and  go camping in Scotland. We were obviously delighted to be feeling the freedom of going camping with our friends for the next three days. It should be mentioned just now that my memory is a bit sketchy as it is December 2024 and we went in June 2021! I have some solid notes on my iPhone. I’ll print them below and you can use them like chapters in a book:

Close to solstice 

Best route 

Dr omelette pasty smasher

Inveraray Phil Colin’s is dead 

Garry’s are to be extinct

Most scenic spot yet

Watched football

Boydy

Up the road

Andy crashed

Andy c I’ll then eventually slept. World champion at dry boking 

Me and Andy great fire and sausage sandwich got rained off 

Wine giggles

Sleep

2d tics

Frankfurters

Deer communication with Andy T

I’m not sure what ungodly hour we left at but this picture was taken in Inveraray at 0745. Inveraray is the best part of an hour and a half and we almost certainly stopped for a McDonald’s at Linwood so I presume we left about 5. The weather was spectacular. It was close to the Summer solstice and it felt as if it never really got dark. 
There was some debate, as there always is, as to the best route. The main issue here is that I like the easiest way but Andy and Andy insist on visiting Inveraray. I can’t believe I listened to their directions as I was driving! God help us when we go south. The best hilarity was when we were talking about how easy it is to change your name these days and how I’d heard of a person who recently changed there name, as a bet, to Dr Omelette Pasty Smasher. It’s funny every time I think about it!  There was then some more chat as Andy Tait claimed Phil Collins was dead. Pretty sure he was touring at the time and is still alive as I write this! He then went on to say that Gary’s were going to be extinct in 30 years. This was three years ago and come to think of it I don’t know of any kids called Gary and any Gary I do know are over 40. So this is more likely than Phil Collins being dead! 
There are few things better than an early morning beer on a trip!
We found the most scenic spot yet and then headed to the pub to watch the football. 
It was here a fella sat next to us for a chat. It was going well until Andy Cowan told him he looked like Boydy from Peat and Diesel. Knowing what Boydy looked like this thoroughly amused me but also made me a little concerned!By great good fortune the guy loved Boydy. Later on Boydy mildly scalded us for wild camping! But all things considered. He was sound. 
We watched Scotland dominate England 0-0 with a Billy Gilmore masterclass before a magnificent walk up the road!

Andy Tait crashed out and me and Andy Cowan sat up blethering well into the night before crashing out too. That was the last of the good times for a while for Andy Cowan as he woke at 5 spewing and continued to spew and dry boke until about 12. About 9 me and Andy Tait decided it was best to leave him to recover so we took the stove, some food and chairs down to the loch side and made some magnificent sausage sandwiches. 
As we returned Andy had made an incredible come back. Something to do with not lying on his back as I recall! That day we went one of our best ever walks as we spent the whole day in the sunshine with some beers. A highlight was falling asleep lying on a hill. On the way home I had a real thirst on and had no water left. Beside the road was a pink metal water bottle that a car had gone over. It was still full of water so I enjoyed every last drop. The boys tried to put me off by talking about the pandemic but wild horses couldn’t have held me back from drinking that water. I actually use that as my work water bottle and still use it to this day. I get some odd looks at work but everyone enjoys the story when I tell them. 
When we got back we drank some wine and couldn’t stop laughing before discussing how tics were 2D after we’d found one in the tent whilst playing cards. We had frankfurters for tea. I can’t remember them. 
The car was close to the tent and myself and Andy Tait headed back to get some supplies. The bracken was up to our shoulders but there were paths through it. On the way back there were deers on the path that we couldn’t get by. We froze with fear incase it ran by us but it took a right turn. Andy claimed it was because he looked it in the eye and nodded that way. Fairly sure he was serious about this. Good skills if it was true to be fair! We headed home the next day and put an end to another wonderful trip. 
My friends were now full scale Dads and both fell asleep on the way home.

Nothing says magnificent camping trip more than us sitting in the tent here. With our friends, in the sunshine and no worries.