What do you do, when you go on a road trip style holiday? Rent a campervan if you don’t own one, stock up on food and drink from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, plan which villages to stop in, which ones to skip, and off you go.
Why?
How much do you see?
My village shop began in the back of a van, driving up and down the road, always armed with a cheery smile and friendly chat. Most tourists missed the charm of it, instead experiencing the fluorescent impersonality of a self checkout supermarket. So why come to the Highlands if not to experience it?
The campsite which I grew up on was one such spot the village shop would park up at, before it parked up for good. Now the campsite has the Applecross Bothy, waking campers with artisanal flat whites, the mouthwatering scent of crisp bacon on fluffy pancakes, maple syrup dripping down the stack.
A home cooked breakfast from a box trailer, surrounded by the brilliant green of Scottish summer, a local finding joy in sharing their home. You likely wouldn’t see this from a campervan in a passing (not parking) place, locals and tourists alike grumbling as they’re forced to reverse around a blind bend while you enjoy your roadside instant coffee.
Of course, this is Scotland, breakfast ends with the turning of the weather. You pack up your camping stove, secure everything in cupboards and, with nothing to do in the rain, keep driving a rented camper on unfamiliar roads. There is the book you planned on reading, but with the roads so narrow, winding through jagged rocks and sheer cliffs, visibility low and the driving seat occupied by white knuckles, reading only leaves a pit of nausea.
If you had just stayed, waited out the rain, maybe you would have found your way to the Walled Garden. There’s no better spot for reading, rain or sunshine; you’re greeted with a welcoming grin and the urge to pull out a chair and spend the day watching the world go by as the sun shows her face once more.
You know it’s a good spot because the girl who cooked your pancakes this morning just came in for her lunch. Local flavours float from the kitchen as you gaze across a Victorian aged garden, re-purposed for beauty and tranquillity, your book open on the table before you. You still won’t get it finished, staring out the window and all, but isn’t this more pleasant than the nausea of the Bealach na Ba, than dry air from a car heater, the rear numbing seat for hours on end?
Now you’re out of time, whether you’re back to work or school’s starting up again. Your book is still unfinished, you didn’t get to every village you wanted, and sure, you spent a bit more on food than you would have with your tesco club card. You also didn’t spend your whole holiday in a van, driving, passing by all sorts of wonders. You met locals, you relaxed, you saw the place you have travelled to see rather than just passing through. Isn’t that better?
– Danny
Photo credit to Applecross Walled Garden and The Applecross Bothy
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