Scottish Borders Holiday

[Tonybvi]

Sorry, phonetic typing is not my speciality

Is there not a Struan in Aberdeenshire too that is pronounced Strachan?

There is a Struan in Argyll and Bute but I’m afraid I have no idea how it is pronounced - you may well be right though.
Apologies for phonetic typing was not required but thanks!

 

[HenryT]

Some pretty heavy traffic at Grey Mare's tail while I was there too!

 

[Adopado]

Some pretty heavy traffic at Grey Mare's tail while I was there too!

Returning along the valley one day I was the only vehicle on a section where the road put me facing an oncoming low flying trainer (Tucano I think) at approximately the same height! I couldn't resist flashing my lights at him and I received a wing wave in return! My grin was as wide as the car!

 

[Roy W.]

Another wet start, so another lie-in. Golly, these holidays are tiring!

‘Twas off to Kelso today, with both directions via the suggested Swire Road. That was a really spectacular drive, with great scenery, cows and sheep roaming everywhere, and only the odd oncoming vehicle to force off the road negotiate



We made a mental note where the Swire Road came out, so we could find it on our way back, and then drove to Kelso. By now the sun was coming through, and it was very pleasant.

We found a nice cafe in Kelso that we remembered from our last time up here, and had a coffee and cake for lunch.



Then a little wander past the Abbey ruin and along the river to the bridge. And a few shops of course.



We came back to Half House Cottage via the CPS rapid at Selkirk, and got about 25kWh at a quite respectable 45kW.

 

[Roy W.]

The last day of our holiday. Today we’ve travelled the farthest, 65 miles to Falkirk, about 90 minutes drive. Our destination was the Falkirk Wheel, the world’s only fully rotating boat lift. This wonder of engineering was completed in 2002, and can transport four boats at a time 33m in height, replacing an original flight of 11 locks. Whereas the original flight of locks would have taken the best part of a day to traverse, the Wheel takes about five minutes to rotate.



We had a ride on a boat through the wheel, and also had a freshly made wood-fired pizza for lunch while we were there. It was delicious!



From the Falkirk Wheel we drove about four miles to The Kelpies at Helix Park, two metal sculptures of horses’ heads 100 feet high.



Before heading back to the cottage we went to the new CPS charging hub at Falkirk Stadium. This looks very impressive, with five 50kW Rapids and seven posts with twin 7kW sockets, making for 24 charging spaces in total!



However, in reality, the performance didn’t match the expectation. The first rapid I tried started to charge but then cut out. The second rapid I parked at had a dead screen, so was unusable. The third rapid worked, but started off at 29kW and only ramped up to 36kW once the battery was warm. Very disappointing for brand new chargers. At least it was free, I suppose.

 

[LongRanger]

All sounds great @Roy W.

Am going to try and persuade the wife that we need to do a Scotland jaunt, I really like the idea of spending a week just mooching about and deciding where we stay as we go with charging along the way, not sure she’ll go for that but we’ll see.

There’s also something very satisfying about getting a proper holiday on our shores where the emissions output is so ridiculously low, even with decent accommodation the difference to air travel is just crazy.

 

[Roy W.]

All sounds great @Roy W.

Am going to try and persuade the wife that we need to do a Scotland jaunt, I really like the idea of spending a week just mooching about and deciding where we stay as we go with charging along the way, not sure she’ll go for that but we’ll see.

There’s also something very satisfying about getting a proper holiday on our shores where the emissions output is so ridiculously low, even with decent accommodation the difference to air travel is just crazy.

We’ve had a really good time. We were both initially apprehensive about what might or might not be open due to the lockdown. In fact we’ve been able to see and do everything we’ve wanted, and felt quite safe wearing masks while shopping. The Falkirk Wheel boat trip was very well organised, with the boat less than half full, and the seats being used socially distanced.

I’d certainly say get away if you can. If you’re thinking of booking overnights as you go along just be aware that some parts of Scotland do book up well in advance, so that might be a problem.

 

[Adopado]

I’d certainly say get away if you can. If you’re thinking of booking overnights as you go along just be aware that some parts of Scotland do book up well in advance, so that might be a problem.

I should add that trips where people are thinking of single night stops will be more of a problem. The requirements for additional laundry/cleaning/de-sanitisation whilst staff keeping safe makes changeovers more of a challenge. B&B accommodation often struggles with one night stays at the best of times and a lot are just not able to offer that presently. (In our own self-catering cottage we don't do single nights anyway but we are also trying to make sure that wherever possible we allow a full 24hrs between guests but that does mean there are inevitably fewer bookable nights.) Half House Cottage St Mary's Loch – Self-catering cottage in the Scottish Borders

 

[interbear]

Great thread @Roy W. Enjoyed the read and the photos of so many places I know well. We are heading to the Borders for a week in August followed by a week up near Loch Tay in Perthshire. My parents, sister, auntie’s, cousins, generally entire family reside in Hawick so we’ve booked a wee cottage nearby so we can have our own socially distanced place rather than stay with them as we normally would for the duration of the visit. Having lived in Moffat for a few years before we moved south we also know that road to St Mary’s Loch very well, it’s a fabulous drive with beautiful scenery. We also looked at the cottage you stayed in but it was already booked for our dates. Had no idea it was run by @Adopado (or to be precise his other half ). Looks a lovely spot, I particularly liked the Tesla charger being available for use and the lift to and from the pub, so will look it up again next time we visit.

 

[Adopado]

Looks a lovely spot, I particularly liked the Tesla charger being available for use and the lift to and from the pub, so will look it up again next time we visit.

Pub 5 mins drive away is open for the first time this weekend ... bookings rather than general access. Yes, if people are staying for a week we do include a free drop-off and pick-up from the pub ... however, there are virus issues just now for car sharing. You would be surprised how rarely that offer has ever been taken up even in normal times! Our guests must either be abstemious or happier to cook and have their drink in the cottage! (Our Zappi charge point is at our own house next door. Roy has been providing a service for the forum by reporting on the charging options whilst out and about so hasn't needed to use it.)

 

[interbear]

Pub 5 mins drive away is open for the first time this weekend ... bookings rather than general access. Yes, if people are staying for a week we do include a free drop-off and pick-up from the pub ... however, there are virus issues just now for car sharing. You would be surprised how rarely that offer has ever been taken up even in normal times! Our guests must either be abstemious or happier to cook and have their drink in the cottage! (Our Zappi charge point is at our own house next door. Roy has been providing a service for the forum by reporting on the charging options whilst out and about so hasn't needed to use it.)

I hadn’t thought about the car sharing issue but it’s a valid point.

You do live in a lovely part of the world. As a proud Scottish Borderer it always annoys me that so many people visiting Scotland drive right through the Borders en route to Edinburgh or the Highlands. More tourists really should stop and enjoy what the Borders has to offer.

 

[Roy W.]

On the way home now. About an hour to Gretna Green, and a quick 15 minute zap at the SC, then off to Scotch Corner SC, where were getting 101kW while we have a drink at the Holiday Inn.

 

[LongRanger]

@Roy W. do you have an estimate for total time spent charging / eating cake for the whole trip ?

 

[Roy W.]

Home now, total journey time including toilet stops, food and drink and charging today was just over five hours. A nice leisurely journey, with a good mixture of motorway (Autopilot) miles and twisty mountain roads.

When we arrived at Scotch Corner there was one other 3 charging there. By the time we left 20 minutes later it was a little busier...



Thanks to @Adopado and Katie for a lovely break, I’m sure we’ll be back.

 

[Roy W.]

@Roy W. do you have an estimate for total time spent charging / eating cake for the whole trip ?

I can very safely say that considerably more time was spent eating cake than charging!

 

[Adopado]

Home now, total journey time including toilet stops, food and drink and charging today was just over five hours. A nice leisurely journey, with a good mixture of motorway (Autopilot) miles and twisty mountain roads.

When we arrived at Scotch corner there was one other 3 charging there. By the time we left 20 minutes later it was a little busier...

View attachment 568807

Thanks to @Adopado and Katie for a lovely break, I’m sure we’ll be back.

Great to see multiple Teslas parked at St Mary's Loch! Your wide ranging charging exploits mean that our own charger still remains unused by guests! (Though until/unless 2020.28 comes through we will be on half speed on Model 3s some of the time.)

We would be delighted to welcome you both back any time ... good to put a face to the name too (note to forum: @Roy W. is not really yellow you know!)

Best wishes to you both

 

[m-i-l]

Returning along the valley one day I was the only vehicle on a section where the road put me facing an oncoming low flying trainer (Tucano I think) at approximately the same height! I couldn't resist flashing my lights at him and I received a wing wave in return! My grin was as wide as the car!

I used to live around there too when I was young, and remember a walk in the hills where I was actually above the planes. Pretty exciting for a young boy with his feet firmly on the ground to be looking down on super fast flying jets with what looked like flames coming out of their tails tearing through the valley below. Nowadays they publish the training timetables at Military low flying: RAF operational low flying training timetable so you should in theory be able to plan a walk in the hills to co-incide.

 

[Cogarch]

I hadn’t thought about the car sharing issue but it’s a valid point.

You do live in a lovely part of the world. As a proud Scottish Borderer it always annoys me that so many people visiting Scotland drive right through the Borders en route to Edinburgh or the Highlands. More tourists really should stop and enjoy what the Borders has to offer.

We're driving up to Edinburgh next Friday to settle our daughter into a new flat for her final year at Uni. I have often enjoyed the beauty of the Borders, particularly as my favourite route to Edinburgh is via the Clyde Valley, and found the road from Moffat to be one of the best driving roads I know of, anywhere (although the spirited driving it encourages makes it unsuitable for driving with passengers..!). We have been seriously contemplating moving to the neighbourhood and sitting Brexit out until Scotland becomes Independent...!)

We shall be taking the opportunity this time to spend a couple of days after Edinburgh in a B&B just S of Peebles where we have relatives and I have found this thread most informative.If I'd known previously about Half House Cottage I would definitely have checked availability...!

 

[Adopado]

found the road from Moffat to be one of the best driving roads I know of, anywhere (although the spirited driving it encourages makes it unsuitable for driving with passengers..!). We have been seriously contemplating moving to the neighbourhood and sitting Brexit out until Scotland becomes Independent...!)

You will be talking of the A701 ... I know what you are saying! A few days ago I drove up that road from Moffat and unfortunately a section of several miles has just been done with the dreaded "loose chippings"... recommended speed 20mph! I drove along cringing at the plink plink of stones against the underside of the car and resisting the temptation to speed up, only for "white van man" in his work supplied Transit to come hammering towards us at 60+, chippings flying in all directions. I gave him a suitable hand signal (not found in the Highway Code). (With any luck the worst of the chippings will have been dispersed by the time you are next in the area.)

 

[Adopado]

I used to live around there too when I was young, and remember a walk in the hills where I was actually above the planes. Pretty exciting for a young boy with his feet firmly on the ground to be looking down on super fast flying jets with what looked like flames coming out of their tails tearing through the valley below. Nowadays they publish the training timetables at Military low flying: RAF operational low flying training timetable so you should in theory be able to plan a walk in the hills to co-incide.

There are some photographers that climb up the scree on the side of the hill that's directly across St Mary's Loch from our house (and the cottage). I believe they get some additional tip-offs from RAF contacts so they can be in position at the right time. The low flying planes are on their wing tips as they take the angle of the valley ... see below ... I've seen a print of the original full resolution photo and you can see everything inside the cockpit!

copyright Walter Baxter