The picture above was taken on the crossing from Shetland to Aberdeen it looks deceptively calm at this point. In fairness it was a breeze compared to the outward journey. It was however a night of broken sleep. We were very smug as we had managed to book the van in first thing in Aberdeen to fix the handbrake only to get there to find that the van was to big to fit into the garage. So after a 12 hour crossing and waiting for an hour and half before they opened we were still without a handbrake. The crossing was managed with chocks and straps. We were just about managing with the van but van and caravan was not something that either of us were prepared to contemplate driving with no handbrake.
As we headed towards Inverness we started to call garages and on our second attempt managed to get someone to look at it for us. £36 later and a farewell wonder about in Inverness we were back on the road. The weather deteriorated as we wound our way back to pick up the caravan! A beautiful drive that we had enjoyed on many an occasion since we have been up here was obscured by clouds and rain.
Caravan picked up we headed off to Fort William for the night as we start our journey homeward. Just as our adventure started with snow on the mountains the circle was completed as there was a small dusting on a couple as we left the Highlands.
Not a lot but somehow fitting. We eventually got sorted and just about settled at 8.00 PM having started the journey 25 hours previously. The rain is torrential but wind has lowered.
We were hoping to visit Hadrian’s wall on the way but the weather forecast is frightful so we have added another day in Brecon and a stopover in Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales. Tomorrow. So 5.5 hours tomorrow 4 the next day manageable chunks.
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