Making the trip north with me were my Mum and my friend Mark and after filling the tank we made our way northwards for a draining 9 hour drive. After dropping my Mum off in Cupar Angus, Mark and I made our way to Dundee to settle in with my Dad, Gran and Uncle Frank and set about exploring Dundee the following day.
Scotland's forth largest city, Dundee in general can have a somewhat grey and unwelcoming feel due to the huge numbers of old gothic buildings in thick stone and the surroundings of identikits little pebble-dash houses but there are plenty of hidden little gems around and the place can really grow on you.
My favourite area was the Victoria Dock area set on the huge Firth Of Tay riverbanks before it flows into the North Sea. Here, the mix of old buildings and classy modern development complement each other well and the docks are home to two old ships - the HMS Unicorn (where your humble narrator was christened) and the North Carr Lightship.
Both of these vessels are dwarfed in both size and importance when compared to the RRS Discovery which sits in it's own bay just down the road. This ship and it's next-door museum are probably Dundee's biggest tourist draw as it was the ship used by Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton to tackle their Antarctic expedition back in 1901 which resulted in the ship being stuck in the ice for two years. Scott was later beaten by Roald Amundsen as the first man to reach the South Pole and his whole party perished on the return journey.
Dundee's city centre is no different from other Scottish cities but buildings such as the impressive McManus Gallery stand out along with the statue of Desperate Dan. The comics of The Dandy and The Beano were both published in Dundee.
In the centre of town is a large hill known simply as The Law. From the WWI memorial on the top, there is a great view out over the city which takes in the Firth Of Tay and the two Tay bridges for road and rail. On a clear day, you can also see the North Sea to the east as well as the close proximity of the Dundee FC and Dundee Utd FC stadiums (Den's Park and Tannadice respectively) which are virtually opposite each other.
After a couple of days in Dundee and a nice meal out to catch up with family, we took to the road (with the van needing a little persuasion to start!) and headed north-west towards the Highlands in search of adventure with no real destination in mind. The winding roads took us up to Lock Tummel, the Tay Forest Park, Lock Rannock and Queen's View - a point overlooking these sights which was said to be Queen Victoria's favourite spot. From here, a dead-end road meant we had to backtrack past the equally spectacular Lock Tay and the road eventually spat us out at the little town of Crianlarich.
Queen's View
It was in this little town that we finally found a destination for our trip after picking up two Danish hitch-hikers, Ninna and Camilla, who were heading to the coastal port of Oban while we had plenty of spare room and no-where to go. If you haven't put two and two together just yet, the four of us set course for Oban.
After dropping the girls in the centre of Oban to find their hostel, Mark and I explored the town which has a pretty little harbour and some great views out to the surrounding islands. The town has great island links but this obviously makes it a great base for tourists and the place was over-run with people and colossal ferries which slightly ruined it's small town vibe. Likewise, large tourist shops have taken over the promenade while the houses which line the waterfront are now all B&B's jostling for customers.
A short walk out of town provides a bit more respite from the crowds and some great views out to sea while the relatively new McCaig's Tower sits like a crown on the town's hilltop and provides one of the best views of Oban.
After meeting up with Ninna and Camilla for a drink and few games of pool with a fella from Budapest called Lazlo, we had all come to the conclusion that one afternoon in Oban was probably enough and decided instead to head back inland. The van just about started once more and the four of us were back on the road... for now.
To be continued...
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