Scotland’s NC500

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The next leg of our trip up North started with a disaster.
Die nächste Etappe gen Norden begann mit einem Desaster.

Our satnav was leading us from Ullapool over the most exciting and beautiful road we ever drove,
Von Ullapool verführte uns unser Navigationssystem zur aufregend schönsten Straße, die wir je fuhren,

with the characteristic name “Wee Mad Road”. Siri steered bravely the camper van around the sharp bends of the extreme narrow road which went steeply up and down. “I wonder if one can call this a road?” our dear Dina asked. The photo below is the first and only one Dina made on the Wee Mad Road . The stomach lifting, topsy-turvy drives forced both her and our dear Master to cling to whatever they could.

mit den bezeichnenden Namen „Wee Mad Road“. Kühn lenkte Siri den VW Bus um die scharfen Kurven auf der extrem engen Straße (“kann man das eigentlich als Straße bezeichnen?” fragte Dina), die dazu noch steil auf und ab führte. Das Foto unten ist das erste und letzte, das Dina auf der Wee Mad Road machte, denn die Magen umdrehende Fahrt ließen sie und unserem lieben Master sich nur noch im Auto ängstlich festhalten.

Well, driving along was like sitting in a rollercoaster with yelling and holding tightly. Maybe it was Selma shouting too excitedly that made Siri miss the road in a sharp bend, not much, but enough not only to ruin the tires on the left but breaking the axle as well. But this couldn’t spoil Siri’s and Selma’s 👭 good mood. With abracadabra and other Bookfayrie tricks they made a wrecking truck bringing them a new VW camper van, in which they reloaded sweating and with drastic fairy curses (we aren’t allowed to recall here) all their stuff. After a big sip of cranberry juice Siri went on driving and Selma sat proudly on the passenger seat because she had made sure to take out an excellent insurance.

Kurzum es war eine Achterbahnfahrt mit Schreien und Festhalten, dass die Knöchel weiß wurden. Wohl weil Selma zu laut gekreischt hatte, kam Siri links von der Straße ab und raste in einer scharfen Kurve nicht weit über den Straßenrand, aber genug, um nicht nur die Reifen zu ruinieren, sondern auch gleich die Achse zu brechen. Aber so etwas lässt zwei kleine Feen 👭 nicht verzagen. Mit Abrakadabra wurde ein Abschleppwagen herbei gezaubert, der gleich einen neuen VW Bus für unsere lieben Buchfeen mitbrachte, die darauf schwitzend und mit kernigen Feenflüchen all ihren Kram umluden. Nach einem mächtigen Schluck Cranberrysaft setzte sich Siri wieder ans Steuer und weiter ging’s, wobei Selma mit stolz geschwellter Brust neben ihr saß, da sie für eine Super-Versicherung plädiert hatte.

Our disaster was the admission ticket to Ultima Thule, which the Greek geographer Pytheas describes as a place where the laws of nature don’t work. We believed that seeing Siri’s art of driving. Besides this we were taken by the colour scheme of the nature around: dazzling yellow gorse in front of the aquamarine of the shallow sea in contrast to the deep dark of the peaty lochs.

Unser Abenteuer war wie die Eintrittskarte zu Ultima Thule, von dem Pytheas fantasierte, dass dort die Naturgesetze nicht gelten, dem wir bei Siris Fahrkünsten gerne Glauben schenkten.
Besonders verblüfften uns die Farben: der leuchtend gelbe Stechginster vor dem Aquamarin der flachen Meeresbuchten und zum Kontrast die moorig schwarzen Lochs.

Up and down we went on getting excited by grand views and frightening bends. Despite being a relatively small country, Scotland has an unusually long coastline which we followed. Including the numerous islands, it is 10,250 miles long. Only Dina’s Norway 🇳🇴 has a longer coastline (the longest in the world). The Scottish coast quite often resembles the Norwegian shoreline with its fjordlike deep cuts and high mountains kissing the deep sea.

Weiter ging’s kurvig auf und ab der großartigen Küste entlang mit atemberaubenden Ausblicken. Obwohl Schottland nicht so groß ist, besitzt es eine erstaunlich lange Küste von etwa 16.500 km (wenn man die Inseln mitrechnet), was nur von Dina’s Norwegen 🇳🇴 mit der längsten Küste der Welt überboten wird. Die schottische Küste ähnelt bisweilen der norwegischen mit fjordartig tiefen Einschnitten und Bergen, die das Meer küssen.

We didn’t amuse ourselves only with wild drives. We also loved hiking to the steep cliffs. Even we Bookfayries 👭 got dizzy looking down at the sea. Here we could flutter happily in the un-Scottish hot sunshine. We watched the birds nesting at the steepest cliffs. Dina wanted to see the funny puffins, which wasn’t granted to her, not yet. What a pity, because we wanted to fly with these birds. But we saw quite some birds, we already knew from Greenland and Svalbard like the kittiwakes, guillemots and Arctic skuas. 

Wir haben uns keineswegs nur mit aufregenden Autofahrten amüsiert! Wir mussten auch unbedingt hinaus zu all den Klippen wandern. Selbst uns Feen 👭 wurde dort schwindelig, als wir hinunter zum Meer guckten. Hier durften wir fröhlich im unschottischen heißen Sonneschein herumflatterten. Wir beobachteten Vögel, die in den steilsten Klippen nisteten. Dina wollte unbedingt Papageientaucher, die lustigen Puffins, sehen, was ihr aber noch nicht gewährt wurde. Schade, denn wir wollten mit ihnen um die Wette fliegen. Dafür sahen wir einige Vögel, die wir aus Spitzbergen und Grönland kannten wie Dreizehenmöven, Lummen, arktische Skuas und Gryllteisten.

At the tip of Scotland – “Surely, of all the wonders of the world, the horizon is the greatest.”
Siri and Selma, still trying to discover what’s behind the Horizon.

Lying later in our cosy hotel beds Dina read for us from her knowledgeable book that about half of Europe’s seabirds are breeding in Scotland. And she found the under the entry “Wee Mad Road” that it is so called because one has to be mad to drive this desolated road to Lochinver. Selma thought that this road feels as though it has been in place since the Picts were in charge.

Und wisst ihr was, im Hotelbettchen las uns Dina später vor, dass etwa die Hälfte aller Seevögel Europas in Schottland brüten; außerdem fand sie den Hinweis, dass die Wee Mad Road so heißt, weil man völlig verrückt sein muss, um diese totale einsame Straße nach Lochinver zu fahren, die wirkt, als ob sie die wilden Pikten im Suff angelegt hätten.


The sun going down in the very North of Scotland as seen from the inside of our cosy camper van.

David Mitchell writes  in “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet” that Northern Europe is the place of cold light and straight lines. Disagreeing we bid farewell with a photo from our hotel room in Bettyhill.

Dass Nordeuropa der Ort kalten Lichts und klarer Linien ist, schreibt David Mitchell in “Die tausend Herbste des Jacob de Zoet“. Wir finden das falsch und verabschieden uns lieb mit einem Foto aus unserem Hotelzimmer in Bettyhill.

Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma 👭 , the clever Bookfayries

 

 

© Text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers and Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea, 2017

490 thoughts

    • Going up North along the Scottish west coast is really magnificent. We can recommend this trip. And you wouldn’t believe it, we haerd in the radio yesterday that the Orkneys (we will blog about them later) and northern Scotland had the most hours of sunshine in the UK this year until now. We were very lucky with our trip having actually un-Scottish weather 🙂 🙂
      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 7 people

  2. Absolutely gorgeous photos and words for this journey, Klaus. Thank you so much for sharing them with us. I, too, am ready for the next flight to Scotland.

    Someday…
    Ω

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Thank you for liking Dina’s photography 🙂
      Well, Scotland is easy to reach but for this road trip on the NC500 and smaller roads you need a car. But no problem there are enough car rentals. We rented those VW camper vans.
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Sandy
      it’s really worth the wild road trips, we would immediately do it again and we will. We are planning going up North on the Scottish westcoast in wintertime.
      With lots of love from the sunny sea
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 4 people

  9. Your photos are indescribably beautiful and the light! I love the little white beach. Our car went off the road as well in Scotland and had to be lifted out of the gorse, but so many people stopped to help (not a likelihood on the wee mad road) that it seemed more an adventure than a mishap. I think it’s just the sort of thing that happens in Scotland, even if fairies aren’t driving!

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    Reply

    • We saw lots and lots of cars in the ditch and with damaged tires. And actually Siri did very well driving this fancy but very old, hard to drive camper van. With the new one the driving was much easier and anyway our dear Master was following in his Volvo. We experienced the same that the Scottish people were VERY helpful, but on the Wee Mad Road there are hardly any other drivers. We didn’t meet another car there.
      Thanks and wishing you a happy day
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  10. What an an amazing journey you took me on! I imagined myself being there in the camper van with you, shrieking delightfully at the mad bends and joining Dina for photo excursions along the way, what fun! 😄😄😄. I adoooore the magical photos! Made my somehow think about Wuthering Heights a bit. 😊. And also about Kristin Lavransdatter which I am reading now. 😊. I love your magical fairy-travels, thank you for letting me tag along, if only in my imagination 😄😄😄.

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    • Good morning, dear Trini,
      as you mention it, in northern Scotland as well as on the Orkneys we had quite often a feeling like in Sigrid Undset’s novels (we liked reading “Kristin Lavransdottir” very much, amazing how Undset could turn into the mood of the middle ages).
      Thank you VERY much for liking Dina’s photography 🙂
      And our beloved Bookfayries are happy that you like their adventures 🙂 🙂
      With lots of love ❤ from
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Lots of love to you too! 💖💖💖. I have just finished the Wreath and I loved it! Sigrid Undset’s characterization is just amazing!! Everyone is so very real! No one is flawless, or just bad, they are humans, a mix of goodness and selfishness, fear and love, passion and sense, like we all are. It is rare to find such good characterization in a book. She really really deserved that Nobel prize in literature! 😊😊👍🏻

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    • To make it quick, dear Trini, we are writing from our dear Master’s notebook:
      We just want to send you an extra portion of finest fairy dust – hui … here it comes
      Good luck
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Trini
      concerning Undset
      If you like “Kristin Lavransdatter” you would love her novel “Olav Audunsson” as well.
      In the Norwegian literature there was quite often the question Undset or Hamsun. They represent two different literary trends, and not only literary trends but political ones as well. Undset was in the resistance against the fascist occupation and had to flee via Sweden to the US whereas Hamsun was a lifelong admirer of Hitler. Although most critics wrote that there is not trait of fascism in Hamsun’s work Knausgard shows in his latest analytical novel of his cycle “My Struggle” how fascist structures dominating Hamsun’s novels. Undset on the other hand became a writer fighting for feminism, that is for freedom.
      We admire very much how Undset could turn into the everyday life of the middle ages. She and Duun influenced the Norwegian literature entirely of the 1920th and beyond.
      We wish you happy reading 🙂 🙂
      The Fab Four of Cley

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    • I have read a little Hamsun, but I have not really liked his work. Of the other classics I like “Hellemyrsfolket”, and I also enjoy some of Ibsen’s plays and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s Stories ( Especially “Fiskerjenta”). I have to finish the two other books in the Kristin Lavransdatter saga before I start a new one. But I love her writing! Earlier this year I read Gøsta Berlings Saga by Selma Lagerløf, I liked it, but not as much as Kristin Lavransdatter. 😊😊

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    • Dear Trini,
      our dear Master had to read all this classic Norwegian authors as a student and he liked Selma Lagerlöf very much. With “Hunger” Hamsun was avantgard by introducing a protagonist with neither a history nor a name. We find Hamsun too depressiv but brilliant in describing nature.
      Do you like modern Norwegian literature?
      We really like Karl Ove Knausgard’s books, he is so well read and reflected and on the other hand to write his unfictionalised – well, kinf of – biography in “My Struggle” is new. For us that’s a new style of writing, the non-fictional in a world where nearly everything turns to be virtual = fiction. We love Saabye Christensen and especially Jan Kjaerstad and Herrbjorg Wassmo as well. Our Dina is really well read in Norwegian literature, she always give us the hints what to read.
      Happy reading
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • I do not read much modern Norwegian literature. I mainly love classics and poetry 😊😊. My favorite poet is Hans Børli. Another favorite Scandinavian classic is Maria Gripe, her books are amazing! I have read more contemporary Norwegian books for children. Like Klaus Hagerup. 😊😊😊. Happy reading to you too! 💖 📚 💖📚

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    • Dear Trini
      oh dear, oh dear none of these authors you mention we know. Thanks for the hint 🙂 🙂
      We read a lot of contemporary literature, especially our dear Master likes post-modern novels. But of course we are interested in the classic literature as well. It’s funny we kind of know the temporary and the medieval literature and love both. We read the classic novels as well but we quite often find them aged not so well. On the other hand most of the temporary authors, especially Knausgard, refer to the Scandinavian classics.
      We hardly ever read poetry, except the medieval one of the 12th and 13th c. we really love. We like the poems of the minstrels like Walter von der Vogelweide, Hartmann von Aue, Kürenberger etc. We actually know some by heart. And of course we love the Sagas.
      Happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

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  13. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and seeing the wonderful photos. I was reminded of the rental car breakdown my sister and I had at the Kylesku Bridge on the A894 a couple of hours north of Ullapool which resulted in a tow to Ullapool where we missed the daily ferry to Stornoway and almost didn’t find a room for the night. (Someone on our two-hour search for a room suggested that if all else failed, they might let us sleep at the jail. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that because a nice young woman who did not run a B&B let us stay at her house. She was the embodiment of Scottish hospitality!) This was our second rental car and second towing experience on that trip. Not much fun at the time, but turned out to be memories we’ll never forget. We missed the Wee Mad Road, but part of the way driving from John O’Groats to Ullapool I do believe we were on a single-track road much like the one you so aptly described. Ah, the memories! Thanks for sharing your Scotland trip with us!

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    Reply

    • Sorry, but it’s good reading that you had this accidents too and coped with it quite well in the end. We saw many cars in the ditch and even more with wrecked tires.
      We took the road from John O’Groats to Ullapool as well, the Wee Mad Road is a detour of about 40 miles from the NC500.
      Lots of finest fairy dust
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma, the clever Bookfayries

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Janet,
      driving on these small roads in northern Scotland is really an adventure. And afterwards the adventures are great.
      The Scottish hospitality is amazing indeed!
      A night in the jail would have been an experience as well.
      We nearly missed the ferry from Harris to Ullapool, we just made it, but only just. For us it would have been a desaster as we booked all the hotels in advance. Well, we could have slept in the camper van, what we actually did sometimes. Siri and Selma liked that very much.
      Thanks and have a happy day
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  14. Sorry to hear about the disaster with your van, but glad you were able to continue your journey.
    Your Photos are magnificent (and make me feel almost homesick for the Scotland I saw in the mid 1970s).
    I think Scotland is one of those places that it’s well worth getting off the main roads and travelling around the smaller rougher roads that take you to the wonderful coastline views.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Dear Vicki
      we agree one has to travel on the small roads following the coast to see the magnificent scenery of Scotland’s west coast.
      We could make this journey again right away. Next time we want to go in winter.
      With warm greatings from the sunny but breezy coast today
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  15. Gobsmacked again by the beauty shining through those photos. Alas, we have missed out on the North Coast trail and this wonderfully named Wee Mad Road. I read somewhere that it is like the narrow and crazy Amalfi Coastal route. I am sold. And your lead photo does remind me of our Norwegian coast drives. The blue camper van must be the perfect way to ‘fly’ along this Scottish route!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  16. There is something beautiful about the harshness of the land (and sea) in that part of the world. Wonderful photos. I wanted to say to Siri, don’t feel bad about the broken axle. I’ve done exactly the same thing in Greece (also in a VW camper) when I brushed against a rock disguised as a shrub on the side of a very narrow road.

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    Reply

    • Dear Anneli
      we love the harshness of the unsettled land as well. It radiates a certain clarity.
      Thank you for liking Dina’s photography 🙂 Well, she had time taking picture when we were waiting for our new camper van.
      Driving such a camper van on narrow bendy roads leading steep up and down is not easy. Siri did very well and we are sure you did as well. And as Charly Brown used to say “shit happens”.
      Thanks for commenting.
      Lots of love from
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Yes, it sure does happen!! When we were in Greece there was no tow truck to save us, but the Greeks are very resourceful people. Panos, a fellow camper, brought over a sledge hammer and a mini gas campstove and he and the Captain heated the twisted metal and pounded it back into shape, enough that we could make the drive from Kardamili to Kalamata (carefully) to have it repaired properly. Only, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t let me drive….

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Anneli
      we really like your Greek experience 🙂 🙂 We admire people for having this know how.
      Well, such an accident can happen any time, even for the most experienced driver. Siri told us later that she had to go on driving immediately otherwise she would have become a too cautious driver.
      Have a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Siri thought she was the best driver on the road – and actually she was VERY good. And she is even a woman- and fairy-driver 😉
      She wants to drive that “road” the next time in a sports car.
      Well …

      Liked by 2 people

    • You did? Where? For how long? Of course I love Vermont. Who wouldn’t? My greetings are from northern Massachusetts, a stone’s throw from New Hampshire, and very close to Vermont. FYI, when my husband and I visited the Vermont Marble Museum, we learned that Vermont and Colorado are the only places that have pure white marble. Anything west of the Green Mountains is marble (as in Vermont). Anything east of the Green Mountains is granite (as in New Hampshire). I find that fascinating, and thought you’d want to know. Yet you may already know. Apologies if this is boring!

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Jennie
      I used to live here: https://www.facebook.com/FrogRunFarm/ while I was teaching at the McGill University/Montreal. I stayed there for more than 2 years and one more year near Burlington when I was writing a book about farm communities in the US. During my stay in Vermont I travelled quite a lot around, especially in Vermont to gather infos for my book that became a bestseller in Germany and Austria. But that’s long ago.
      I find it interesting that there is a clear border between granit and marbel. I suppose that has to do that the Green Mountains divide the silurian and devonian stones in the east from the older cambrian and even pre-cambrian rocks. But that’s a guess only.
      I wish you a happy weekend
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • I think you guess on marble and granite is correct. It sounds like you had wonderful experiences in Vermont. I can believe that you were quite a good teacher. Thank you for sharing your travels experiences in New England. A happy weekend to you, too! 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Jennie
      at the end of my stay in the US and Canada I travelled through most of the US. Vermont and Maine I liked best from their atmosphere. I really had a great time in Vermont.
      Happy weekend
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Robert
      already in classic Greece geographers and philosophers like Herodotus and Pindar thought that in Hyperborea, the land beyond north wind, the mind of the people get changed. Actually for them it was the paradise with a dominance of clarity, but too much clarity boggled the mind of our beloved fairies.
      Thanks for commenting and praising Dina’s pictures. She loves it!
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  19. Events like the one you had with the VW camper is what make the trip more adventurous and interesting. Great story for conversation or writing a short story. The main thing here is that all of you did not suffer any injuries, thank G-d. Beautiful photos! 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear HJ
      We absolutely agree, it’s important that none of us got hurt.
      A real journey needs such events for remembering and telling afterwards. Good idea using it as material for a short story. Actually we are just reading short stories of Roald Dahl. To write something in his style would be fun for our beloved Bookfayries.
      Thanks for your kind words!
      With warm greetings from the sunny sea
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear David,
      thanks a lot for liking our story and Dina’s photography. We try to combine on our blog well written texts with excellent photos – and sometimes we succeed.
      Greetings from the breezy coast of North Norfolk
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear John,
      thanks for liking Dina’s photos! 🙂
      The blue van was great. Much easier to drive than the fancy but very old camper van Siri drove before. Our bookfayries immediately fell in love with this VW and Selma made very sure that Siri wouldn’t crash this van.
      Warm greetings from the rough sea today
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  26. What incredibly beautiful landscapes. And what an adventure by car!
    You make me dream of Scotland.
    My daughter is now leaving for Scotland. I hope she will enjoy all this beauty, just like you guys. Thank you for taking me to Scotland in this beautiful blog post. With kind regards!

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • You are very welcome.
      Driving these small roads – actually more like paths – along the west coast is breath taking, it’s a magnificent scenery there. And it’s an adventure as well.
      We hope your daughter will like her Scotland trip as we did. She is very lucky as the Shetlands, the Orkneys and the very north of Scotland had so far the most sunshine in the UK.
      Thanks and kind regards
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  29. Ihr lieben Vier van de Waterkant,

    das ist schon eine einmalige Landschaft, die ihr hier in Wort und Bild so wunderbar beschreibt.

    Mir gefällt das raue, zerklüftete so gut und dieser völlig andere Himmel. Ich kenne Norwegens Küste durch Dinas Reiseberichte ja soweit ganz gut, und kann mir die Ähnlichkeit gut vorstellen.
    Aber mir war nicht klar, wie ellenlang diese Küste ist.

    Ebenfalls nicht klar ist mir im Nachhinein, warum Siri unbedingt die Wee Mad fahren musste – oder doch, ein Abenteuer auf so einer verrückten, herrlichen ‘Straße’ ist schon etwas herrlich auf- und anregendes und da kann so ein Achsbruch schon mal in Kauf genommen werden. Zumal Ihr ja hervorragend versichert gewesen seid. Also Kopf hoch, Siri, alles ist gut. Und schließlich hast Du die Cleybande ja gut ins Ziel und zum verdienten Hotelbett gebracht.
    UND wir Blogleserinnen haben eine spannende und sehr amüsante Geschichte bekommen,!

    In diesem Sinne bedankt sich das alte 🎪🐎 für den wirklich tollen Beitrag und grüßt euch Fab Four ganz herzlich

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Ach, weißt du, eine Reise ohne Abenteuer ist doch langweilig. Man muss doch für aufregende Erinnerungen sorgen und dafür, dass man Spannendes zu erzählen hat. Eigentlich, unter uns gesagt, war das gar nicht schlimm. Der neue Bus kam schnell und das liebe Dinalein hatte Zeit zum Fotografieren.
      Lots of finest fairy dust
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma, the clever Bookfayries

      Liked by 4 people

    • Dankeschön für deinen lieben Kommentar 🙂 🙂
      Klar doch mussten wir die kleinen Straßen – eher Pfade – entlang der Westküste fahren. Das ist ja nicht nur aufregend, sondern auch atemberaubend schön. Und wie du schon schriebst, so ohne Abenteuer ist eine Reise fad, sie sind das Salz in der Suppe.
      Ja, die Nordwestküste Schottlands ähnelt sehr der norwegischen Küste, was daran liegt, dass sie so in der gleichen Eiszeit ausgeformt und dann vom Meer überspült wurden.
      Mit herzlichen Grüßen von den sonnigen Küste
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Hej er 4FF!
    Fantastisch – Hanne, Deine Bilder gleichen denen, die der mir Angetraute vor nicht langer Zeit auf unserem Nordkapptrip machte. Mittnattsol i Bodö über dem Jachthafen aus dem Hotelfenster gemacht, steht auf meinem Schreibtisch. Ja, wenn die Sonne nicht unterginge! Was wäre dann? Am dritten Abend habe ich dann einfach doch geschlafen. Wir sind schon eine merkwürdige Spezies! Und das Auto einer Kusine, wir waren auch zu viert, fuhr bello – es war ganz neu, was keine Garantie.
    Mich ruft jetzt das Südkap (-kann ich das so sagen?). Die Bilder von den feinen Badehütten an einem Strand in Kapstadt verschönern in Grossformat meinen Abend und Morgen im Badezimmer. Wirkt irgendwie auf mich entspannter, was ja nicht sein muss.
    Sensommarliga hälsningar och goda minne av Scotlands resan Ruth

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Guten Tag, liebe Ruth
      wir schrieben es gerade im Kommentar hierüber, dass die norwegische wie die schottische Nordwestküste geologisch in gleicher Weise geformt wurden.
      Wir können uns auch an eine Reise zum Nordkapp und nach Kirkeness erinnern, wo wir ähnliche Küsten sahen. Auch bei der Fahrt waren die Straßen eine Herausforderung, da es Sandstraßen waren. Wir nehmen an, dass sie heute geteert sind.
      Uns zieht es weniger zum Süden. Außerdem, bis auf Ausnahmen, stehen wir gar nicht so auf Reisen, zumindest nicht unser liebes Masterchen und Sirilein, und lieben es, gemütlich zu Hause zu sein.
      Dir wünschen wir eine feine Reise zum Südkap!
      Mit lieben Grüßen von der sonnigen Küste Norfolks
      The Fab Four of Cley

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  31. Wonderful pics, great story and I can feel with you! I drove the very dangerous Drumbeg Road (B869) near Lochinver. Believe me: All the time I said to myself: Simone, you have to breath!! Blind summits and rocky legs where you can’t see nothing. Where is the next passing place?? Luckely I only met four cars and everytime in a good situation.
    But the landscape was so fascinating I couldn’t believe it. It’s a place I will definitely come back! I felt in love 😉

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Exactly, so we felt driving as well. Those small roads around Lochinver are great but a challenge as well. And we Bookfayries did well, didn’t we?
      Lots of finest fairy dust
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma, the clever Bookfayries

      Liked by 3 people

    • Hi, dear Simone,
      we drove the Drumbeg Road (B869) as well. Well, one has to drive those small roads to have the full experience of Scottish magnificient scenery.
      We would drive it any time again! Next time we plan to go up North the Scottish westcoast in winter. But unfortunately our Volvo is not a four-wheel-drive. So we have to rent a well equipped car, otherwise we will not get far.
      Thanks for commenting and warm greetings
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Liebe Annette,
      wir können Schottlands Nordwesten SEHR empfehlen. Mach es, sonst vermisst du etwas und mach’s bald, ehe Horden von Touristen diese Gegend entdecken.
      Mach’s gut!
      Liebe Grüße vom kleinen Dorf am großen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  39. What an exciting up-and-down-story, please excuse me for chuckling. 😉 Superb, absolutely stunning photos!! So now we have to drive the Wee Mad Road (what a fun name) and see it for ourselves. My husband and I’d love to go there one day. The North of Scotland seems to be a gem, not overcrowded with tourists. Norway, my home country is great for travelling too, but at the moment the most scenic parts are just too full, especially in the fjords and along the coast when the cruise ships let go of thousands of tourists in one go. Restrications are being made now. I hope Scotland will be wise enough to foresee the problems with the ever expanding cruise travels.
    Great post, Siri and Selma (and Hanne and Klausbernd)!!
    Ellinor

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Ellinor,
      we travelled quite often in Norway before this horrible cruise ship tourism started. Well, in NW Scotland we met that only on the Orkneys where a cruise ship was arriving when we were there. The locals hated it. It’s horrible all these people flooding a peaceful place and they don’t get a feeling for it anyhow. But in the rest of Scotland we didn’t heard of cruise ships. Fortunately there are no bigger harbours at the NW coast. It’s very hard to understand for us why people are booking such a cruise: They are hated where ever they land, they don’t see anything that matters of the place they are landing and, we suppose, they have more privacy at home. Anyway, we hope that Scotland will not open up for cruise ships – they are a pest. We can well understand that folks in Norway are hating this mass tourism.
      With warm greetings from the breezy sea today
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  40. Sorry to hear about the mishaps with the van and so glad you still got to see the beautiful beaches along the coast. A wonderful journey and the light up here is always very special. Thank you for sharing and we wish you lots of fun and safe travels on your next adventure ☺💜

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  44. I marvel at how you mange to seem to be the only people in that vast landscape. You are right that Scotland has had an unusually good summer in the west. Lucky for you indeed. The combination of travelogue writing and photos that are almost beyond compare allows us to journey with you, and to experience the beauty of the far north, without any accompanying discomfort.
    Love from Beetley, Pete and Ollie. X

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  45. It’s around twenty-five years since I was up that way. My friend, Eugene, and I were in his brand new Range Rover. Less fun, but perfect for the roads. We stayed in Ullapool for the night, before taking the road further north. Good to see things haven’t changed much. Not even the weather, insofar as it does little else but change all the time round that neck of the woods. Still as beautiful as ever.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Bryan,
      the first time I was up North in Scotland as a kid many years ago. I had the feeling it hardly hadn’t changed and, without being conservative, I think that’s good. Nature is still nature there instead the illusion of nature. It is beautiful as ever as you write.
      Thanks and all the best
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  47. …dass die Wee Mad Road so heißt, weil man völlig verrückt sein muss, um diese totale einsame Straße nach Lochinver zu fahren, die wirkt, als ob sie die wilden Pikten im Suff angelegt hätten …
    Ihr Lieben Fab Four, ich habe mich über diesen Reisebereicht einfach schlapp gelacht. 😀 Gut gemacht, sehr gut und die Fotos sind schlicht weg atemberaubend. Auf nach Schottland, kann ich nur sagen. Meine Frau und ich planen eine Reise für nächstes Jahr und werden eure Ratschläge befolgen. Medio Mai geht’s los! Danke für die Inspiration. Wir freuen uns sehr auf den Folgebericht!
    Jürgen

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Guten Tag, lieber Jürgen,
      das ist toll zu lesen, dass dich unser Reisebericht lachen ließ und die Bilder dich erfreuten. Genau das ist ‘meant to be’.
      Mitte Mai ist die ideale Reisezeit, denn ab Ende Juni/Anfang August kommen die Midgets und außerdem ist’s dann am beständigsten in Schottlands Norden.
      Ihr könnt euch schon jetzt auf die Reise freuen.
      Alles Gute
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, I know. I saw your lovely photos. 🙂 Did you have any problems with your car at all? We have never seen so many cars with flat tyres or other problems. Thank you so much for visiting and commenting.
      Have a great weekend,
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

  51. You sure know how to travel! Great report from your adventures. It looks marvellous. I wonder if you need a motorhome to drive the NC500 – or bring a tent? John

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear John
      well, we couldn’t drive a motorhome on the small roads following the NW coast. We think a tent is much better. We suppose it isn’t fun to drive a motorhome even if you stay on the NC500 but on this road we saw quite a lot of motorhomes. But don’t leave the NC500 with such a big car, then you are lost.
      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  52. Nothing like a little excitement along the way to add that extra spice to your fondest memories.
    Beautiful photos and wonderful post
    You new VW bus reminds me of the one I had back in the early ’70. I loved it! This is simply amazing

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Eddie
      we absolutely agree!
      We loved the new VW bus, it had a much stronger engine than the old one and was much easier to drive with power steering and brake booster. It’s the idal car for such a journey because it’s not so big as a motorhome but you can easily sleep and cook in it. Besides it doesn’t need that much fuel as these motorhomes. Siri and Selma loved this bus and didn’t want to give it back.
      Lots of love ❤
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Well, “shit happens” as Charly Brown used to say.
      It wasn’t really a desaster that could change our good mood. Within a hour we had a new car and in this hour we had a fine picknick and Dina was taking photos. But we have to say we drove with two cars, with our own Volvo and the rented VW bus.
      Anyway we didn’t mind that little rest in the sun at a most scenic place.
      Thanks and all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  55. Fab Four of Cley,
    I could visualize the havoc in the vehicle as you leaped and pounded down along the Mad Road, sorry but I had to chuckle now and then at your description. And of course Siri and Selma had a van delivered – NEVER underestimate the power of Bookfayries! Great photographs between the squeals, Dina!!
    Have a great day all,
    GP Cox

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Our dear friend GP Cox
      we hoped to make you chuckle!
      We don’t want to bore our dear readers. Especially not with accounts of our journeys. We are damaged from boring evenings when relatives showed pictures of their travels without ending and we had to sit it to end of it. That was quite a challenge and we decided that we would never ever bore other people with talking about our journeys and showing too many pictures that no one wanted to see.
      Wishing you a wonderful day.
      With warm greetings from the rough but sunny sea
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Klausbernd,
      You have accomplished your goal! I have never felt bored with your journeys, especially when the whole family is involved!
      Enjoy your weekend,
      GP Cox

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks a lot, dear Louis,
      great that you like our post. Actually it was quite fun to write it and looking for the best pictures.
      Wishing you all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

  58. Wonderful. Both pictures and text. To be on the road is to deal with the potential failures of so many systems. As long as everything is accompanied by a landscape of breathtaking grandeur, all is fine.

    Best Regards

    Achim

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Achim,
      we absolutely agree.
      As we wrote before we didn’t had any problem with our little accident. It was extremely hard to drive this old VW bus without power sterring and brake booster – but actually our brave Siri liked drivimg it. On the other hand we were so happy about the new VW bus, easy to drive and all the comfort we needed.
      Greetings from the breezy sea
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

  59. I have just discovered your wonderful blog through Amanda’s blog “Forestwoodfolk”. You have some amazing photography skills here….just beautiful. I have never been to Scotland or Norway so I look forward to discovering more about these places through your posts. Great to connect. Lorelle 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  60. My dear friends
    what a great trip that was! You presented it very very well in text and pictures. It is different to all those travelling blogs, which are quite often utterly boring for somebody who hadn’t been there. I see here a new quality of travelling literature combining excellent pictures with extraordinary texts like in the tradition of classic travel writing of Bruce Chatwin and Theroux.
    Thanks a lot. It was great fun reading your post. Siri and Selma are getting better with every post – CONGRATULATIONS!
    Love from Svalbard
    Per Magnus
    XXXX

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Our dear Arctic friend
      thanks a lot for your VERY kind words. We feel really honoured! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
      Well, our dear Master with the help of our beloved Bookkfayries and dear Dina tried out some styles of travel writing when he wrote his novel about the Arctic and he studied most of the important travel writers. So it was not in vain.
      With lots of love ❤ ❤
      The Fab Four of Cley
      xxx

      Liked by 1 person

    • Good afternoon, dear Sue,
      we don’t wanted to have missed driving the Wee Mad Road and of the other little roads following the coast line.
      Yes, we have been very, very fortunate with the weather. Well, Siri and Selma talked to their friends the cloud-pushing-fairies before we went up North. We would be lost in fog and rain without them.
      Lots of love
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Well, I have driven some interesting roads in my time, and particularly recall th Pass to Applecross in the Scottish Highlands, and a good few small roads in that area…..

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Sue
      you seem to like driving special roads as well. It’s fun, isn’t it?!
      We know this pass to Applecross as well where we felt like high up in the Alps.
      Wow, we have such a wind that we have to tie Siri and Selma that they don’t get blown away.
      Love from
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • I most certainly do….I drove the Stelvio (Stilfserjoch?) pass nearly two decades ago, when the road surface was crumbling, and it just blew me away , metaphorically!

      Liked by 1 person

    • WOW! When I was a child in the fifties I drove it with my parents in a VW beetle and I remember seeing quite a lot of cars with overheated engines on the side. But driving it in a 30 year old English sportscar that’s really something. May I ask what car it was?
      Yes, Stevio is called Stilfserjoch in German and it’s still great and not easy to drive if one isn’t used driving in the mountains, I was told by a friend.
      But with a sports car … I envy you!

      Liked by 2 people

    • It was, without doubt, one of the most fun drives of my life… The car was a lowly Healey Sprite, but it handled like a go-kart.. One of my friends had an Aston DB4, and cracked the cylinder head going up there….

      Liked by 1 person

    • Your driving, dear Sue, sounds like great fun. The Healey Sprite was a very special design, so round. Well done. Did you race your friend too much? This Aston DB4 had a much bigger engine than your car. It must have been great to be able to steer a car like a go-kart through all those bends. A couple of years ago I drove the new Mini Coooper of a friend of mine that reacted like a go-kart as well – quite a difference to my Volvo estate, but I like it. At least it has 6 gears.
      Wow, we have quite a wind here right now. A bit frightening.
      Love
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Sue
      Obviously you did a lot of driving on the continent.
      We have a dear friend in Freiburg. He likes to show us his surroundings, therefore we know the Ballon d’Alsace.
      Now we’ll cook and have a drink.
      Enjoy the evening
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  62. Einfach nur hinreißend und bezaubernd diese Fotografien!!! Sie versetzen mich immer wieder ins Schwärmen und Tagträumen! 🙂
    Und ich bin froh, dass euer Abenteuer auf der Weg Mad Road so glimpflich ausgegangen ist! Wünsch euch vier ein wundervolles Wochenende! Liebe Grüße aus Berlin! Sarah 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Sarah,
      prima, dass dir Dinas Bilder gefallen 🙂 darüber freut sie sich sehr 🙂
      Ach, dieses kleine Abenteuer war gar nicht schlimm. Wie ja viele in den Kommentaren zuvor beschreiben, solche Mißgeschicke sind auf den Nebenstraßen Nordschottlands normal. Uns konnte das nicht die Laune verderben, und wir, Dina und Masterchen, waren im Grunde froh darüber, dass unsere beiden geliebten Buchfeen nun einen moderneren, leichter zu fahrenden VW Bus bekamen.
      Mit lieben Grüßen vom stürmischen Cley nach Berlin
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  63. Also, ich denke, dass es nur noch im Paradies schöner sein kann, als auf dieser abenteuerlichen “Wee Mad Road”, ausser die absolut spektakulären Bilder von Dina geben mir ein falsches Bild!! Wie bin ich froh, dass ihr in dieser Gegend wart und sie uns vorgestellt habt. 🙂 Cari saluti Martina

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Martina,
      es ist noch viel großartiger, aber Fotografie ist begrenzt und kann eben nur einen Ausschnitt präsentieren.
      Solch ein Abenteuer gehört zum Paradies, sonst würde alles zu kitschig und unreal.
      Mit lieben Grüßen von dem heute stürmischen, aber sonnig warmen Cley
      The Fab Four
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Liebe Martina
      wir haben hier sehr angenehmes Wetter, sonnig und immer um die 22 Grad. Es ist allerdings windig.
      Dir wünschen wir kühleres Wetter zum Wochenende.
      Mit lieben Grüßen vom Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Lieber Klausbernd, das ist schon ein Unterschied zu unseren 35 Grad! Zum Glück gibt es zur Zeit das tolle Filmfestival in Locarno, wo wir in klimatisierten Kinos ganz tolle Filme sehen, wie z.B. “die göttliche Ordnung” zum 100 jährigen Kampf der Frauen und im Speziellen der Appenzellerinnen für das Wahlrecht hier in der Schweiz. Der Film ist auch sehr kämpferisch, amüsant und wider den tierischen Ernst! http://www.fm1today.ch/goettliche-ordnung-will-einen-oscar/554327
      Liebe Grüsse ans Meer. Martina

      Like

    • Liebe Martina,
      oh dear! Da fließt man ja weg.
      Von dem Film haben wir auch schon Gutes gehört. Im ZDF (Nachrichten) wurden sogar einige wenige Szenen dieses Filmes gezeigt, der sehr gelobt wurde.
      Dann wünschen wir dir besseres Wetter, so wie hier Temperaturen um 22 Grad und Sonnenschein.
      Liebe Grüße und herzlichen Dank für den Tipp und Link
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • We are really impressed!
      Have you ever travelled there in winter time? We use to escape the Norfolk “winter” because it isn’t a winter at all, much too mild. Our idea was going up the west coast to the Orkneys – like we did this time.
      We suppose driving there in winter time we need a four-wheel-drive.
      Anyway, if you have been there in winter we would be very happy about some hints. We only drove further south in area around Inverness during the Scottish wintertime.
      🙂 🙂 The Fab Four of Cley 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • The year before last we went at the end of April.. and we hit a large snow storm as we arrived to our destination.. But it cleared over night.. But there was a car which had skidded into a wall.. Very exposed roads to snow.. SO I would not wish to be driving in winter there, no..

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you very much, dear Sue!
      We learned a bit of winter driving living in Finland doing lots of practising on the frozen lakes which was great fun. It was there were Siri and Selma learned their driving. And then later we lived in Norway where we practised our winter driving and in the Swiss Alps. So we feel actually quite fit driving in winter. But the question is always the equipment.
      Thanks for answering.
      Love
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Ha, it comes better, Steve: we had two, almost three days with 30° C between Durness and John O’Groat’s! We found it hard to believe. I have so many photos from Northern Scotland that looks like the Caribbean and I don’t know what to think of it. It was too hot, we’re complaining about the heat making us lazy. The next day when we went to the Orkneys, it cooled down again and we had some rain and wind and we were all smiles. 🙂
      Thank you very much for your lovely comment!
      Tropical greetings from the Rhine Valley,
      Dina

      Like

    • Dear Steve
      I suppose that were Siri and Selma talking to her friends the weather-fairies. They actually did a bit too much. But we can’t complain. This year the Orkneys, the Shetlands and the very north of Scotland had the most sunshine since more than fifty years and the best weather in the UK. Very un-Scottish.
      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • And I just heard that the city of Portland, Oregon, in the northwestern United States, has hit or is forecast to hit a temperature of 40°C, the highest recorded since that city began keeping weather records 140 years ago. In Texas everything is air-conditioned but in Portland many buildings don’t have air conditioning because even in the summer the temperature has traditionally been so much cooler there.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Steve
      for the last years we had similar situations in Europe: The best weather, warmest and most sunshine, we had in the North, in Scandinavia and now in the north of Scotland. Global warming we suppose.
      We actually don’t like it too warm, meaning more than 25 degrees C. Here nobody has air condition.
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Auch dieser Kommentar ist im Spam gelandet! Nach welchem Muster ist mir jedoch völlig dunkel.
      Und im Trash sind sind nur Doppelkommentare etc die von uns persönlich gespammt oder getrasht sind …
      Es tut mir sehr lied, lieber Pt.
      Gosh, es ist so heiß in Bonn, fast wie in Texas, schätze ich.
      Liebe Schwitzigrüße nach Texas,
      Hanne

      Liked by 2 people

    • Guten Morgen, lieber Pit,
      auch bei mir bist du nicht getrashed worden, naja müsste das Gleiche sein wie bei Dina. Keine Ahnung, was da schief läuft. Wir hatten das Problem nie, zum Glück. Ich antworte immer direkt von der jeweiligen Blogpost aus und gehe nie über den Reader. Hanne geht, glaube ich, stets über den Reader.
      Wir drücken dir fest Daumen und Flügelchen, dass dieses leidige Problem bald behoben ist.
      Mach’s gut und halte dich wacker.
      Mit lieben Grüßen von
      Siri und Selma und Klausbernd

      Liked by 3 people

    • So, da mein erster Kommentar zu diesem Blogpost nun wohl ganz “verschwunden worden” ist, versuche ich, ihn hier einmal zu rekonstruieren. Er ging ungefaehr so:
      Als wie finde ich denn das, einfach einen schoenen alten VW Campingbully zu ruinieren? 😉 Siri, dsas geht aber nun gaaaar nicht! Wie waer’s mit einem Rennfahrerkursus fuer Dich? Zum Beispiel auf dem Nuerburgring? Da hat’s Kurven genug. Oder auch hier in Texas. Hill Country hat da auch prima Straesschen zum Ueben. Aber unseren Escape kriegst Du dafuer nicht! Sorry. 😉

      Like

    • Aber hallo, hallo, lieber Pit
      als wir in Finland und Norwegen bei den Trollen weilten, habe ich auf zugefrorenen Seen richtig toll Autofahren gelernt. Wir haben aus Schnee auf dem Eis kleine Parkours gebaut und ich bin dort kühn immer schneller durchgefahren. Aber dieser alte Campingbus brauchte Megafeenkraft zum Steuern, nix Powersteering, und ich konnte nur mit Hilfe meinem lieben Schwesterlein Selma bremsen. Da brauchte man Elefantenfüße für, auch nix Bremskraftverstärker, und der Motor soooooo schwächlich. Ich geb’s zu, ich war über den neuen Bus 🙂 froh und geschrottet habe ich ja den alten VW Bus nicht, aber hallo.
      Aber ich freue mich darauf, Dina und Masterchen haben mir in der Tat einen Autofahrerkurs auf dem Nürburgring zum Geburtstag geschenkt, DA ICH SO GUT GEFAHREN BIN!
      Ist nun meine Feenautofahrerehre gerettet? Ich hoffe JA.
      Feinsten Feenhauch von mir
      Siri 🙂 Autofee

      Liked by 1 person

    • Bully bin ich auch mal gefahren, den ganzen Weg von der portugiesischen Atlantikkueste bis nach Bonn, im Wechsel mit noch einem Fahrer. Der Bully hatte es aber in sich: da war ein 90-PS Porsche hinten drin. Hat unheimlich Spass gemacht, damit auf der Autobahn Andere zu “vernaschen” und die unglaeubigen Gesichter der Fahrer zu sehen. 😉 Und in der ersten Nacht, als ich mich noch an das Auto [Leistung der Maschine plus Tatsache, dass man ja ueber der Vorderachse sass] gewoehnen muesste, habe ich in den engen Kehren in den portugiesischen Bergen oft Stossseufzer von meinen Beifahrern gehoert, wenn sie tief unten im Tal mal wieder die Lichter von Doerfern sahen, und dazwischen kein Gelaender!
      Ach ja, noch etwas: selbstverstaendlich ist Deine Feenautofahrerrinnenehre gerettet! 😉

      Liked by 1 person

    • Lieber Pit
      Gerade war hier Geisterstunde, zu der ich 🍋 Lemonsorbet mit Wodka genossen habe. Voll yummy 😋 Siri bat mich, dir zu schreiben. Sie war so müde 😴 und liegt schon als Schnarchnase in ihrem Kuschelbettchen auf Regalbrett 3. Also im Feenreich hat sich seit dem Mittelalter nichts geändert. Die Ritter ritten ja auch im Linksverkehr aneinander vorbei, da sie doch ihre Schwerthand frei haben wollten. So fahren auch die Feen in ihrem Reich mit den Feenautos. Die sind übrigens voll ökologisch. Sie haben einen Feenstaub-Kombustionsmotor, der gute-Laune-Schwingung ausstößt und sonst noch 🌺 Blumenwasser 💦 Das ist alles. Sie ist also Linksverkehr gewohnt. Bewundernd las sie von deinem Bully 🚐 mit Porschemotor. Da hast du ja was ausgelöst, jetzt möchte sie auch solch einen Camper Van haben.
      So, jetzt gehe ich auch ins Bett und lese noch eine Kurzgeschichte von Roald Dahl. Von Siri soll ich dich gaaaanz lieb grüßen und Danke 🙏 für die Rettung ihrer Feenfahrerehre.
      Liebe ❤️ Grüße von mir, take care and so long
      Klausbernd 🚶

      Like

    • Das mit dem Freihaben der Schwerthand hatte ich auch schon mal gelesen. Aber wenn dann die Deutschen rechts fahren, muss man daraus scholiessen, dass die alle Linkshaender waren?
      Ach ja, der Bully mit den 90 PS war schon ein Ding! 150 ging der auf der Autobahn.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Lieber Pit
      was mich ja sehr interessiert, wie kam es vom mittelalterlichen Linksverkehr (z.B. bei den Tjosten und über Land reiten) zum neuzeitlichen Rechtsverkehr auf dem Kontinent? Ich konnte darauf keine befriedigene Antwort bis jetzt finden. Irgendwie scheint das mit der Entwicklung des Autos zusammenzuhängen. Hast du eine Ahnung?
      Liebe Grüße
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Like

    • The Northwest of Scotland is magnificient and as the weather is changing constantly you have those dramatic skies there.
      We wish you a happy weekend and say ‘thank you’
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  76. This is a very fun post, Klausbernd. Dina’s accompanying pictures are always beautiful. I would love to hear the conversation, scream, and all expletives that went on in the van while going through the twist and turn “road”. Glad that everyone was safe. Best wishes to the Fab Four.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Keng,
      great that you enjoyed our post.
      We had a look at your blog, your enourmous van wouldn’t fit on the Wee Mad Road. Our VW camper van just did.
      The conversation, screams and tense silence inbetween was fit for a soundtrack of a film full of suspense.
      We are wishing you a wonderful weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Joanne
      well, Siri and Selma in their fairy wisdom make sure that there is always a happy end.
      The new camper van, the blue one, was much easier to drive and really a fun car we fell in love with.
      Thanks for liking Dina’s pictures 🙂
      Wishing you a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Cornelia
      thank you very much for your kind words. It was fun to design this post and we experienced this exciting part of our trip again doing it.
      We wish you an easy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 3 people

    • Thank you so much for your respond, Klausbernd, as I know you had to respond to so many comments and I appreciate your time reading my comment. Here on the other side of the globe in California we experience high humidity and heat, feels almost like monsoon. Yet dipping in the ocean for a heavenly swim brings relieve and pleasure. Wishing you a wonderful weekend too.

      Like

    • Dear Cornelia
      indeed, it’s quite a job to answer all the comments, but they inspire us. Sometimes they even start interesting discussions like those long comments and reflections about travelling in this post. And I learn quite lot to think about how to answer.
      But thank you so much for thinking about all the work we put in here 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
      We have a glorious summerday, 22 degrees C and sunshine, a little sea breeze and very dry. We don’t like temperatures above 25 degrees C then we stay in, but now we are off into our garden and maybe later a little stroll at the beach.
      Thanks again! Have a happy weekend
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  80. Hallo fab4, bin jetzt in 7 Minuten die ganze Strecke via youtube abgefahren…immer die Sonne voraus….my gosh! Habt ihr unbewusst einen besseren Bus gewollt, ne….
    Außerdem gibt es das schöne Buch über eure Abenteuerstraße, hinten im kleinen schottischen Wörterbuch steht z.B. : Come by! Tells dog to guide sheep going clockwise…
    Außerdem hatten wir Besuch von Roger, er hat sich einen blauen Bus gekauft, mit dem er im Notfall nach Schottland fahren möchte, ich dürfte mit, hinten mit Amy, dem Hund, in der Ecke eingerollt, hat er versprochen…
    Außerdem wollte noch am selben Tag ein Schotte bei Josis Freund in der WG einziehen, er möchte unbedingt die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit und in der EU bleiben, er ist Übersetzer….
    Abends waren wir bei Alvin Ailey, sie zeigen gerade Revelation aus dem Jahre 1960, well, well, all shall be well, ne…
    Jetzt hole ich mein Fahrrad bei Reginald ab, habe ich mal reparieren lassen!!

    Ich danke euch sehr herzlich für den megaschönen Reisebericht und sende herzliche Grüße und hoffe, dass es allen gut geht….

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Guten Morgen, liebe Pia,
      hui, hier bläst ein Wind, aber es ist angenehm warm und sonnig.
      Klar doch, Siri war es leid, diesen schwer zu fahrenden, untermotorisierten alten Bus durch die kurvig engen Straßen zu steuern. Das war echt muskelbildend ohne power-stearing und beim Bremsen ohne Bremsverstärker musste auch Selma helfen, mit ganzer Kraft das Pedal zu drücken. Den neuen Bus zu fahren, war dagegen eine Wohltat 🙂
      Na, du hast es ja gerade viel mit den Schotten. Ob das ein Zeichen für dich ist, auch einmal in Schottlands Norden zu fahren?
      Wir wünschen dir ein rundum schönes Wochenende
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

  82. Stunningly beautiful work from the Fab Four!
    Going on a road trip in Scotland is a challenge and driving the roads up north demands attention and a skilled driver. (No offence, Siri!, I have seen so many wrecked cars up there) I remember a sign at the foot of Bealach na Bà reads “not advised for learner drivers”, but that advice could easily apply to the majority of roads that you’ll encounter along the NC500. You were very lucky to be up North when it was not too crowded. I was up there recently (July) and met convoys of exclusive Ferraris, Porsches, bikers racing. Obviously, someone is making a lot of money on the NC500 and it gives work to many people. The idea behind is very good, strongly funded by the EU, but what’s next? We are all tourists, we love to travel and explore. It’s not good to be elitist, but allow me to question the hype to promote something in a way like visit Scotland is doing that’s going to diminish the qualities that made it worth promoting in the first place.
    Hugs to my friends,
    Sarah x

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    Reply

    • Dear Sarah
      thanks a lot for raising a very important question about travelling. How many people write on their gravatars “I like to travel”. That’s shockingly naiv and unreflected like writing “I love junk food”. What started in the 18th and 19th c. as widening your horizon has turned nowadays into a desater. Under the influence of the tourist industry tourism became more and more destructive, ecologically destructive as well socially destructive. Of course the trick is that every tourist is fed with the illusion that his journey is an individual one to make him and her blind for mass tourism. Actually the sound reaction would be to become archchair tourist like Gallivanta (see her comment some comments above). On the other hand, as you write, tourism provides an income. But if one studies the impact of tourism of an area it drives the locals out in most cases and provides an income for investors coming from outside. If you see Iceland, Norway and New Zealand, as in-places of tourism right now, the locals are getting that annoyed by the tourists that they fight them. We experienced the same on the Orkneys when a cruise ship landed there. But, of course, we were tourists there as well and by driving around we polluted the area as well. The question seem to us where is the limit between a kind of soft tourism and an ecological unsound tourism. No doubt about it going with the camper van AND our Volvo was unsound. If we look at the history of tourism the individual tourist doing the grand tour like in the 18th and 19th c. became the forerunner of mass tourism in Italy and Greece. During our youth we were the hippies going to Katmandu being the avantgarde of mass tourism that destroyed what we loved. That seems to be the fate of the individual tourists that they destroy what they are coming for and what they love. Actually like we do here with blogging about our road trip to northern Scotland. Shame on us! Maybe the sound tourism of tomorrow will be a virtual one, the armchair tourism without all the hardship of real tourism. No doubt there lacking something, virtuality cannot replace the wholeness of experience of the reality. But maybe we have to sacrifice the real travelling for saving the nature and social structures? On the other hand we have to admit we loved driving and hiking in northern Scotland and we don’t want to have missed this. What to do? It would be a start to see our travels with a critical eye. We should remember this Flaubert quote: “to move is to destroy”.
      One aspect of tourism is turning everything alike. Doris Dörrie shows in her story “On the Inka Path” pictures from tourists rooms all over the world. They look amazingly alike, in Korfu, Djerba, Sri Lanka, Tenerife and Sotchi they all look like the same room. Tourism kills the cultural differences the tourist is so keen to explore. Actually they could stay at home.
      Anyway, we just wanted to rise the awareness – in us as well – that travelling has become problematic. And maybe this is the first step to a new attitude towads travelling.
      Thanks again for inspiring us to write about this VERY important topic.
      With lots of love ❤ ❤
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 4 people

    • My clever friends,
      WOW, what a clever and important reply that makes me think. Thank you very much, my dears!
      I gave up travelling far because travelling is becoming more and more unconfortable. Flying is horrible nowadays and a cruise ship is a nightmare. So I travel from Stockholm a couple of miles to my stuga where have designed my paradise. I am quite happy with a kind of staying at home where I have got everything what makes life easy and beautiful.
      Thank you very much for this text. I agree, it was so necessary to be written especially in the world of blogging where travelling is dealt with like a fetish.
      Love xxxxx
      Annalena

      Liked by 4 people

    • My dear friends
      I just phoned Annalena and we talked about your ideas of travelling besides our chitchat.
      Travelling has a long tradition. Goethe and Byron like many other went on a Grand Tour to learn about classic European culture, in a way Mark Twain did the same when travelling through Europe. Sir John Woodroffe (Arthur Avalon) travelled to India in the search to a better culture than the English culture he came from. All those travellers had a practical aim, they wanted to research and experience something new they could use in their writing or art like Gaugin. In Klausbernd’s generation and mine three trips were a kind of initiation: As high school students we hitchhiked to the Cape North, as university students we bought an old car for going through the Sahara to Tamanrasset and maybe further on and the last big tour was to India and Nepal following the Beatles. We didn’t had the clear idea as these travellers before us. Well, the Beatles had one as well as Janis Joplin going to Mexico seeing Maria Sabina (you, Kb, did this as well), they knew why they were travelling. But the hippies did only have a vague idea and the modern tourist just wants to take pictures that are are many times taken before and they all look alike. Or he travels because booze is cheap, the sun is shining and sex is easy at his destination. That’s quite a different to the classic travellers of the 18th and 19th century! I suppose this difference matters. It’s the motivation why we are travelling. Maybe everyone who wants to travel should ask himself why he wants to go away. What is he looking for.
      That was just an idea Annalena and I had talking together.
      I find this a very interesting discussion because at home in Longyearbyen we have quite some problems with all the tourists we actually can’t take (fortunately in summer only).
      Take care
      Warm greetings from the cold Arctic
      Per Magnus

      Liked by 3 people

    • Our dear friend Per Magnus
      that’s an interesting point your are writing about: the motivation why we are travelling. It seems to us that many people are brainwashed in a way that they think they have to travel. It’s maybe frustration, like Gaugin and Arthur Avalon they looked for something that they were lacking. But the tourists will not find it because they carry their unsatified desires with them like a rucksack. They don’t want to understand the other culture of the place they are travelling to. It’s too much work and there is not enough time. Or they all read the same guides telling them what to look for and therefore they all find the same what is docemented in their picture they show after their trip. Those pictures are all alike as the stories they tell later at home. Individual travelling has became an illusion, we are told where to go, what to look for and even how to see it. A bit different are the nature freaks as they use to turn on in their surroundings and they really see without having deligated their seeing to guide books, guides and other tourist’s hints.
      Actually our clever Selma made us aware when going through the reader in WordPress how most of the pictures are alike. Even how they are presented, well, all this sunsets spoilt by lightroom or photoshop etc.
      Anyway, we go on nursing our illusion that our tour to northern Scotland was unique and individual as Dina’s pictures are – at least they are not destroyed by postproduction.
      With lots of love ❤
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Annalena xxx
      our dear Master thinks like you! He loves it at home as has everything there to feel happy. Why going away? Travelling for the sake of travelling?
      Is it age or wisdom being happy to stay at home?
      Thank you very much to contribute to our questions concerning travelling. We were a bit afraid raising these questions here where travelling is very popular. We feel a little bit like heretics. Do you as well?
      With lots of love ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • I’m amazed, what a response to my comment!! 🙂
      I like to travel light and green. Is that an oxymoron? I bring my own water bottle, fill it with tap water every morning, bring my own toiletries etc, try to use public transport when possible. On my recent trip to Scotland visiting friends, I switched off my computer for the trip, but my brain continued thinkingor rather worrying. One question in particular caught me: Can traveling ever be justified from an environmental standpoint? I too struggle with balancing personal benefit against environmental impact. Admittedly, some of my most enlightening experiences have occurred while traveling abroad. Yet I am also acutely aware of the environmental (and cultural) impact my travels have upon this planet. Really, how bourgeois we are to even be concerned with this dilemma and its ramifications!
      Love to be tuned in with you all,
      Sarah x

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Sarah
      that’s the ideal way of travelling, well done!
      We like to travel with dear Dina and our Master and we are neither wasting energy nor do we consume over the top. We try to tune in in our surroundings and being nice. We don’t want it like at home when we are travelling and we take our litter home. No blame, we suppose.
      With lots of finest fairy dust from
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma

      Liked by 1 person

    • Ohoho, this is a very tough subject! And admittedly, very interesting. Spot on Sarah, you are totally tuned to Klausbernd. As far as I’m concerned, I love to travel and will not give it up entirely. I still want to see and experience certain parts of the UK and northern Europe, but I have changed my opinion totally about traveling. When I was younger I had the aim to see most of the world. There’s no such thing as a must-see list any longer. Now I solemnly go for what I love and and try to do my best and leave the rest. To do my best, meaning green travels like Sarah mentions and leave the rest, the no-go in my eyes. It was a long standing dream of ours to go on a 30 day arctic cruise with a relatively small ship with max 500 guests, I but we’d feel awful doing that after all the recent reactions from Iceland, Greenland and Norway. Sigh. In our daily life in Cley, we try to be the most green persons we can be, so we justify our travels with that I suppose. Gosh, this is though.
      Greetings from Bonn,
      Dina x

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Dina
      that isn’t that tough, is it?
      It’s quite funny we mostly travel with aims, to take photos for our blogs, visit special bookshops and places connected with authors, places like museums connected with the Arctic and exploration, and look for an untouristy nature we want to experience. An important point we usually have enough time to turn into the surrounding we are visiting. Indeed, we try to travel green and like every tourist we try to avoid tourists – what a strange paradox. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t travel. Well, we don’t travel for the sake of travelling. But I have the feeling that we two together find always the right ballance – you love travelling, I like to stay at home and out comes one big trip every year and some smaller ones. That’s fine, isn’t it?
      Well, the Arctic: Antarctica is much too touristy and Greenland and Svalbard is getting more touristy by the minute. Tourism in the Arctic is a very touchy subject. On one hand the polar regions should be untouristy for ecological reasons, on the other hand if people don’t experience real wilderness any more they will not see a reason to react in a green way. But if you look at Galapagos, it’s a scene-park nowadays and I suppose a lot of people go there for image reasons.
      Anyway, I don’t have the answer and I have to admit I enjoy our trips very VERY much.
      With lots of love from sunny Cley
      Klausbernd 🙂
      Fairy dust from Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma

      Liked by 2 people

    • I found this quote from a novel by Karen Mailland “Company if Liars”:
      “Home is the place you return to when you have finally lost your soul.”
      One can read it like this: travelling is loosing your soul, home is finding it again.
      Lots of love and enjoy the weekend
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Amazing, this discussion here! Well, no matter what you do, traveling is not the most eco-friendly activity, but to be fair, it’s difficult to do just about anything without having some sort of impact on the planet. So what can we do? The best we can. Enjoy life, live to the fullest, be mindful.
      Have a wonderful Sunday evening!
      Sarah x

      Liked by 1 person

  83. What an adventure! I’m glad all went well after the slight mishap on Wee Mad Road; although it probably should be called Big Mad Road 😀 Breathtaking photos as usual, and I love that turquoise VW Camper Van!

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    Reply

  86. Atemberaubende Bilder und der dazu stimmige Text. Superschön anzusehen und zu lesen! Toll! Bitte weitere Schottlandartikel!! Liebe Grüße aus dem sommerlichen Freiburg! Konrad

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    Reply

    • Das wird doch glatt gemacht, lieber Konrad.
      Schrieb ich dir eigentlich schon, dass wir auf den Orkneys auf unserem Trip auch Scapa Flow besuchten, was mich an unser “Silent Hunter”-Spielen erinnerte, Herr Kaleun 😉 Aber von den Orkneys werden noch Bilder kommen. Ich muss jetzt gerade erst einmal Hausmeister spielen, da die Dusche im Gästeteil ausgefallen ist.
      Alles Liebe aus dem sonnigen Cley, wo ich bis eben alle Pflanzen im Garten goss, was nun richtig Action ist bei der Pflanzenfülle. Jetzt könnte es aber wirklich mal regnen. Stattdessen scheint die Sonne bei angenehmen 22 Grad. Also mach’s gut
      Klausbernd 🙂 und Feenstaub von 🙂 Siri und 🙂 Selma
      Dina ist bis Mittwoch in Bonn, endlich ist nun alles klar. Da fallen uns mächtig viele Steine vom Herzen, ein Bergrutsch!
      Sorry, mit Instagram bin ich stets etwas schlampig, aber mir ist das Bloggen genug. Mehr soziale Medien lassen mich zu viel am Rechner hocken und, ehrlich gesagt, mit deinen Fotos als rühmliche Ausnahmen, die meisten Bilder sind da ja grottenschlecht und die Kommunikation ist mehr als dürftig. Da ist Bloggen doch schon ein anspruchsvolleres Medium. Aber ich setze wacker das eine und andere Bild von mir da rein.

      Liked by 3 people

    • Also, lieber Kb,
      jetzt mach nicht alles im Social media schlecht.Es ist doch klar, dass einen Fotografen viel mehr am Instagram liegt als am Bloggen. Stumpfsinnige Kommentare auf Blogs gibt es auch. Auf Instagram kann man seine Bilder präsentieren und es gibt sehr viele ausgezeichnete Fotos von sehr gute Fotografen zu sehen, insbesondere im Umfeld von Konrad. Ich habe mich mit Otto von Münchow darüber ausgetauscht. Ich schrieb, ich hadere damit (wie du) und er schreibt zu recht, es liegt an einem selbst was man daraus macht. Er benutzt social media um seine Kreativität anzukurbeln, nicht um sie zu drosseln. Das finde ich eine gute Einstellung. Und letztendlich vielleicht die Einzige, die langfristig eine Berichtigung hat? Es muss Spaß machen, einem inspirieren, auf neue Ideen bringen. Instagram hat seine Schattenseiten wie auch Bloggen, man muss sich seine Kommentare und Anhänger “erarbeiten”.

      Etwas ganz anderes, was ich unglaublich finde: wir bekommen hin und wieder Spam auf WP. Wenn ich schaue was hinter steckt, lande ich bisweilen auf Seiten die Followers und Likes auf Instagram anbieten. 250, 500, 1000 …wieviele Followers möchtest du? 50.0000 Followers kosten 250,-$. Jetzt wundere ich mich nicht mehr, wenn ich grottenschlechte Bilder + null Aktivität sehe und der Account hat über 100 000 followers.

      In Bonn hat es sich fein abgekühlt und ich schicke liebe Küssigrüße aus dem Kottenforst,
      Dina-Hanne xxx 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    • @ Dina
      oh dear, SORRY, naja ich hab’s mehr mit den Worten als mit den Bildern und vielleicht ist deswegen Instagram für mich nur ein Zeitvertreib, der mich jedoch an den Rechner fesselt. Das wußte ich, dass es einen Markt für Followers gibt. Wer erstaunlich viele Followers hat, hat sich das oft etwas kosten lassen, es macht mich immer skeptisch. Ich weiß auch von Lektoren auf Talentsuche, dass sie im Gegensatz zum Blog bei vielen Followers auf Instagram die Person nicht mehr in eine Auswahl nehmen. Es geht hier um Bilder für Coffee Table Books.
      Anyway, ich spiele ja mit Instagram nett herum und erfreue mich als Chauvi an allen Frauen, die einem einen Einblick in ihrem Ausschnitt gewähren und somit keine Followers kaufen müssen. Was macht man denn da als Mann? 😉
      Ganz, ganz liebe Grüße xxxxx aus Cley
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    • Hi Ihr Lieben! Mir geht es bei Instagram sehr ähnlich wie es Dina ausdrückte. Es motiviert mich, insbesondere meine fotografischen Aktivitäten in jeder Hinsicht auszubauen. Dabei versuch ich mich auch, sicherlich noch mit unterschiedlichem Erfolg, meine Texte zu den Bildern treffend und manchmal poetisch zu verfassen. Ich glaube, dass dies auf lange Sicht gesehen, nicht wenige Menschen, die auf Instagram unterwegs sind, zusätzlich motiviert meinen Feed regelmäßig zu besuchen. – Ich möchte aber nicht verschweigen, dass es wirklich viel, viel Arbeit ist und Zeit benötigt, Follower, die ich wegen ihrer eigenen Bildern schätze, als Follower zu gewinnen. Wenn man viel unterwegs ist auf Instagram, bekommt man mit der Zeit einen Blick für Instagramer, denen es nur um möglichst viele Follower geht, sich auch Follower kaufen und nicht um die Qualität des Kontakts. Auf jeden Fall macht es mir zur Zeit noch sehr viel Spaß und bringt mich fotografisch und auch mit meinen nur rudimentär ausgeprägten schrifstellerischen Fähigkeiten, weiter. – Super, dass nun bei dir liebe Dina alles klar ist! Das freut mich total für Euch Beide!!!! Ganz liebe Grüße Konrad

      Liked by 2 people

    • Lieber Konrad
      deine Bilder sind wirklich toll. Wir können jedem einen Besuch bei dir
      #konradlenz16
      empfehlen. Dina hat ja auch Ehrgeiz bei Instagram, der mir (leider?) völlig fehlt. Aber nichtsdestotrotz macht es mir Spaß, das eine oder andere Bild von mir dort zu zeigen.
      Hier herrscht wunderschönes Wetter. Der Garten ruft.
      Ganz liebe Grüße auch an Astrid
      Klausbernd :-), Siri 🙂 und 🙂 Selma

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Jet, good afternoon,
      the broken axle was actually no problem at all, quite a nice rest in magnificent scenery.
      Thank you for liking Dina’s photography 🙂 and our post.
      Wishing you a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 3 people

  90. Hallo Ihr Lieben
    jetzt noch etwas zu den schmalen Strassen im UK. Damit habe ich meine ersten Erfahrungen im Lake District gemacht. Damals habe ich einmal so formuliert: solange es “A” und vierstellig in der Numerierung ist, geht’s ja noch. Danach kommt “unsuitable for lorries and buses”. Da wird’s schon enger. Und wenn es “B” und vierstellig ist, dann heisst es aber ganz eng zusammenruecken, denn dann kratzen die Buesche an beiden Seiten. 😉 Und ein geoeffnetes Seitenfenster mit dem Ellbogen draussen ist dann auch nicht mehr unbedingt zu empfehlen.
    Im Lake District kamen die Steigungen und Gefaelle mit den Bergkuppen dazwischen noch dazu. Da faehrt man eine steile einspurige Strasse bergauf, und ploetzlich kommt einem ueber die Kuppe jemand entgegen. Und die Einheimischen haben immer so ein Tempo drauf. Die glauben einfach nicht, dass da jemand in entgegengesetzter Richtung unterwegs sein koennte.
    Und noch etwas: ein Strassenschild mit typisch britischem Understatement habe ich im Lake District einmal gesehen, als es mit 33% bergab ging. Da stand dann nur drauf, “You have been warned.” 😉
    Liebe Gruesse aus einem heute etwas schwuelen Fredericksburg ins kleine Dorf am grossen Meer, und ein schoenes Wochenende,
    Pit

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    Reply

    • Lieber Pit
      da sprichst du Dina aus der Seele, die wie Siri stets einen Linksdrall auf den Straßen hier hat. Ich habe mich daran gewöhnt und muss sogar sagen, dass es mir Spaß macht, diese Straßen zu fahren, die ich völlig hinreichend finde. Wir haben hier hart gegen besser ausgebaute Straßen gekämpft. Sie würden uns nur mehr Verkehr bescheren. Ja, uns haben auch so einige Straßen im Lake District verblüfft. Dort fuhr ich eine Straße, auf der ich mich stark konzentrieren musste, da rechts und links die Botanik am Volvo kratzte. I had been warned 😉 Aber das ist nichts im Vergleich zum Norden Schottlands. Jedoch stell dir mal vor, wie es wäre wenn im Lake Distrikt und im Norden Schottlands die Straßen nach deutschen Standart ausgebaut wären. Da wär doch die Romantik hin und du führest dort Schlange in der Ferienzeit. So bin ich ganz froh, wie es ist. Das hält wirklich einigen Verkehr ab.
      Im kleinen Dorf am großen Meer haben wir angenehme 22 Grad und Sonnenschein, das ideale Sommerwetter für uns.
      Ganz liebe Grüße nach Fredericksburg – nach welchem Frederick ist die Stadt benannt, lässt Siri fragen – von
      3/4 of The Fab Four of Cley
      Nächste Woche ist Dina wieder daheim.

      Liked by 4 people

    • Lieber Klausbernd,
      was die schmalen Strassen angeht: da stimme ich Dir zu. Sie machen Spass. Vor Allem, wenn sie Kurven haben. In Anlehnung an einen Filmtitel sage ich immer, “Real Road Have Curves”. 😉
      Und ich gebe gerne zu, dass ich den Verkehr auf gut ausgebauten Strassen auch nicht so mag. Wenn es geht, dann suchen wir uns hier auch die kleineren Strassen aus. Wir sagen, “Not the highways but the byways”.
      Auf unserer naechsten Reise [am 18. geht es los, um in South Carolina die totale Sonnenfinsternis zu sehen] werden wir nur am ersten Tag – weiol wir da weit fahren muessen/wollen, wohl groessere Highways und Interstates nehmen, ansonsten aber die kleineren und landschaftlich schoeneren auswaehlen.
      Hab’s fein, und liebe Gruesse an Alle – in Cley und in Bonn,
      Pit

      Liked by 2 people

    • Lieber Pit, ich habe gerade die Linie der totalen SoFi nachgeschaut, das is ja interessant. Bei Charleston/South Carolina erreicht der Kernschatten den Atlantik, wo die SoFi etwa 600 Kilometer südwestlich der Kapverden bei Sonnenuntergang endet. Wo wird ihr sein? Eure Fahrt wird bestimmt sehr schön. Ich habe mir die Strecke im Netz angeschaut, so viele berühmte Namen/Orte die ich nur von Büchern und Filmen kenne. Gute Reise, kommt gesund wieder!
      Liebe Grüße, Dina-Hanne

      Liked by 2 people

    • Hallo Hanne,
      die Sonnenfinsternis werden wir vom Rad aus beobachten! Mary hatte das entdeckt. Wir sind ja Mitglied bei der “Rails-to-Trails Conservancy” und da hatte ein anderes Mitglied, aus Nord Carolina, die Idee von der “Great Solar Eclipse Chase”, auf einem dieser Bahntrassenradwege, in der Naehe von Greenville in South Carolina. Dieser Radweg liegt genau im Kernschatten! Und da Mary dieses Spectaculum unbedingt sehen wollte, haben wir uns entschlossen, da mitzumachen. Da es eine ganz schoen weite Strecke ist – wieder einmal – machen wir es in drei Tagen. Eine “Gewaltetappe” [1200 Kilometer] am ersten Tag, und danach zwei Kurzetappen. Die zweite Nacht werden wir uebrigens in “Bayern” verbringen. Genau gesagt, in Helen, einer kleinen Stadt [500-plus] Einwohner in Georgia. Da hat man, nach einer Wirtschaftskrise in den 60ern, die gesamte Stadt in bayrisch-alpenlaendischem Stil neu aufgebaut. Wir sind mal gespannt darauf.
      Fuer unsere Zeit in der Nahe von Greenville hanem wir ein AirBnB aufgetan, ganz knapp jenseits der Grenze, in North Carolina. Wenn wir der Beschreibunb trauen koennen, und die Bilder scheinen das zu bestaetigen, hat’s da eine fantastische Sicht auf die Blue Ridge Mountains.
      Wir werden 4 Tage dort bleiben, eben fuer die Sonnenfinsternis, und auch fuer die Feier unseres Hochzeitstages [am 28.], und dann noch einen weiteren Tag zum Radeln, in North Carolina, damit wir auch diesen Bundesstaat auf die Liste der Bundesstaaten kriegen, in denen wir mindestens 10 Meilen geradelt sind.
      Die Rueckrese geht dann ueber Chattanooga/Tennessee zurueck, Dabei moechet ich noch, den Silver Comet Trail in Goergia und den Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama radeln. Mal sehen, ob ich das schaffe, denn die sind zusammen ueber 90 Meilen lang.
      So, das ist der Plan. Ein Bericht darueber folgt im Blog, und zwar schneller als der ueber unseren “RailTrailsRoadTrip” im vergangenen Oktober, den ich ja geade erst fertig bekommen habe.
      Ich hoffe auch, vor der Reise noch ueber unseren “Geburtstagstrip” nach Galveston zu Ende zu kommen.
      Danke fuer die guten Wuensche, und macht’s auch gut,
      Pit

      Liked by 2 people

    • Bravo, lieber Pit. Es klingt absolut großartig. Ganz nach meinem Gusto, diese Planung. Ich bekomme richtig Vorfreude auf eure Reise! 👍🏻 Toll, dass North Carolina auch abgehakt wird. 🙂 Die Tage werde ich mich mit AirBnB auseinandersetzen. Letzten Sommer hatten wir Besuch aus Norwegen und die berichteten von einem Zimmer in Barcelona, gebucht via AirBnB. Es gab nur ein Badezimmer für 9-10 Gäste und diverse andere Geschichten die ich völlig indiskutabel fand und ich glaube, ich habe AirBnB zu Unrecht 👎🏻.
      Einen schönen Sonntag wünsche ich dir und Mary- In Bonn scheint die nach zwei Regentage. Ich werde die Landstraße nach Wachtberg Fritzdorf fahren, einer den schönsten Dörfer in der ländlichen Umgebung.
      Dina-Hanne x

      Like

    • Lieber Klausbernd,
      zu Deiner Frage hier nur ganz kurz [irgendwann einmal (bald) sollte ich auch mal etwas ueber Fredericksburg und seine Geschichte bloggen]: Fredericksburg wurde 1846 von Otfried Hans Freiherr von Meusebach [der sich hier uebrigens nur John O. Meusebach nannte] gegruendet, und nach dem Prinzen Friedrich von Preussen, der Mitglied im “Mainzer “Adelsverein’ [offiziell “Verein zum Schutze deutscher Einwanderer in Texas”] war, benannt.
      Wie gesagt: das hier nur ganz kurz, demnaechst mehr im Blog. Du kannst aber auch schon mal in meine beiden Blogs reinschauen, weil ich da in der letzten Zeit ein wenig zur Geschichte [wir hatten naemlich ein Powwow hier] geschrieben habe.
      Liebe Gruesse aus “Fritztown”,
      Pit

      Liked by 1 person

    • Lieber Pit,
      ich machte auch noch den größten unverzeihlichen Anfängerfehler den man machen kann. Aber nur einmal. Im Norden waren die meisten Straßen “one lane tracks with meeting points”. Ich fand diese Straßen nicht soooo schlimm, das Gute daran, man ist allein auf der Straße, man kann nicht von der Straße abgedrängt werden. 😉
      Wenn man als Ausländer Rechtsfahren gewöhnt ist, verliert man schnell das Gefühl fürs Linksfahren. Plötzlich taucht ein Auto auf. Die nächste Bucht zum Ausweichen liegt auf der rechten Seite … Genau. Ich fuhr schnurstracks in dieser Bucht auf meiner rechten Seite und blieb nicht vorschriftsmäßig still auf meine (linke) Seite stehen. Kb war fassungslos. Es ging jedoch gut aus.:-) Danach wurde ich gewahr, überall in den Hotels, wie auch in den B&Bs lagen Zettel mit vollfetter Schrift, wie man als Tourist diese Straßen richtig abfährt und Regel Nummer ein; wer in welche Bucht fährt. Übrigens stehen auf alle größeren Parkplätze “Thank you for visiting, remember to keep left! Have a safe journey” 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

    • Liebe Dina,
      die Erfahrung mit dem Ausweichen nach rechts auf den engen Strassen in Schottland kenne ich nur zu gut! Ging mir auch so.
      Ich bin in drueben bisher nur drei Mal auf die falschen Strassenseite geraten. Das erste mal war es mit einem Fahrrad, in den fruehen 60ern. Da war ausser mir keiner unterwegs, und bei Abbiegen bin ich dann zunaechst einmal (kurz) auf der rechten Seite gefahren.
      Das zweite Mal war in stockdunkler Nacht, als ich von einem besseren Feldweg mit einer 180-Grad Kurve auf eine groessere Strasse eingebogen bin. Auch da war sonst niemand unterwegs, und so fehlte mir die Orientierung. Das loeste aber dann einen dreifachen Aufschrei aus – einer in Deutsch und zwei in Englisch. 😉
      Und das dritte Mal war eben besagtes Erlebnis in Schottland. Ansonsten habe ich es immer als einfach empfunden, weil man sich ja nur an den anderen Autos orientieren muss.
      Probleme mit dem Linksverkehr habe ich in anderer Hinsicht gehabt: mit einem deutschen Wagen war das Ueberholen manchmal schwierig bis unmoeglich, weil man nicht am vorherfahrenden vorbeischauen konnte. Ganz besonders schlimm ist mir das einmal aufgefallen, als ich mit Bootsanhaenger hintendran mehr als eine halbe Stunde hinter einem Traktor hergezockelt bin. Und wenn ich ein englisches Auto hatte, dann bin ich oft zu weit nach links geraten und habe mit den Felgen am Bordstein gekratzt. Und mir einmal sogar den Aussenspiegel abgerissen.
      Aber trotzdem bin ich im UK immer gerne gefahren.
      Liebe Gruesse, nach Bonn und nach Cley,
      Pit
      P.S.: so, und nun kann Sirifee sagen, dass ich auch einen Fahrkurs brauche! 😉

      Liked by 3 people

    • Ja, lieber Pit, über den Linksverkehr schrieben wir Bookfayries schon. Wir fahren seit über 30 Jahren unfallfrei meist auf den kleinen Straßen Norfolks. Und weißt was? Mit unserer Feenmagie können wir die Fahrer vorund hinter uns beeinflussen. Toll, nicht?!
      Dir senden wir feinsten Feenhauch vom sonnigen Norfolk
      Siri 🙂 und 🙂 Selma
      Und gute Reise nächste Woche. Totale Sonnenfinsternis, das hört sich gut an, Feen lieben solch kosmische Spektakel auch!

      Liked by 2 people

    • Also das – die Fahrer vor und hinter mir beeinflussen – moechte ich auch koennen. 😉
      Danke fuer die guten Wuensche zur geplanten Reise. Hoffentlich spielt Petrus mit und wir haben keine Wolken. Bitte haltet Eure kleinen Feendaeumchen.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Guten Morgen, lieber Pit in Fritztown 🙂
      entschuldigung, dass ich nur selten deinen Blog besuche, ich bedaure es ja selbst. Aber bei stets über 200 Kommentaren, die ich zu beantworten habe und dem Schreiben der Posts bleibt trotz Siris Hilfe wenig Zeit für Anderes in der Blogosphäre. Wir haben uns ja zu einem kleinen Kommunikationsbetrieb ausgewachsen, was auch eine sinnvolle Arbeitsteilung mit sich bringt, bei der Dina mit Selmas Hilfe andere Blogger besucht. Jetzt darfst du mich jedoch nicht falsch verstehen, ich liebe das Beantworten der Kommentare und speziell wenn sie eine Herausforderung ans Denken (und an mein Englisch) bieten, wie diese klugen langen Kommentare zum Reisen bei dieser Post, wo es um die Frage geht, ob Reisen noch zu rechtfertigen ist. Es werden oft off topic Themen angesprochen, die mich besonders interessieren. Aber deswegen bleibt wenig Zeit zum Besuch von anderen Bloggern, da es auch noch ein Leben jenseits des Bildschirms gibt.
      Schönes Sonnenfinsternisradeln 🙂 🙂
      Liebe Grüße an dich und Mary
      Klausbernd

      Like

    • Dear Pit
      Sirilein und Selmachen sind schon gar nicht mehr ansprechbar, denn die weben nornengleich schon jetzt die rechte Wettermagie für euch und raunen rätselhafte Runen gen Westen.
      Möge es helfen
      Mach’s gut
      Klausbernd, der zumindest die Daumen hält

      Like

  91. Oh, the beauty of your Scotland came through in your poignant words and spectacular photography. The thought that came to mind was form the pen of Jack Kerouac: “Live, travel, adventure, bless and don’t be sorry.” May we all embrace the whole of life as we travel our personal journeys. Many hugs and lots of love to my dear, dear friends, The Fab Four of Cley.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Clanmother
      thank you so much for your kind commentary.
      When I taught at the McGill all the students in the literary department were asked about Kerouac in their final examinations. We read Kerouac again not that long ago, we were taken by his description of nature but the rest – at least of “On the Road” – hasn’t aged that well. But as always your quote is great 🙂 🙂
      With big hugs from the sunny coast of Norfolk
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • I agree, Klausbernd. Jack Kerouac was the voice of another time, another generation, another way of thinking that dramatically contrasts to our current reality. It will be interesting to see what people say of our generation 50 years in the future. Today, I remember the clear air of Cley. Vancouver is under a cloud of smoke that has no end in sight. The fires continue to rage in the B.C. Interior. Many hugs and lots of love to my dear, dear friends, the Fab Four of Cley.

      Liked by 2 people

    • When I was a student, dear Rebecca, Kerouac’s “On the Road” was the book you had to read, a kind of Bible of the hippies. But these times have gone, we are older and more bourgeoise now 😉 well, we call that settled …
      Oh dear, I didn’t know that you are having big fires in B.C. Interior. Here the news told about fires in southern France, Portugal and Spain only. I very much hope those fires will soon be extincted.
      With LOVE and HUGS from sunny Cley
      Klausbernd 🙂 xxx
      and the rest of the gang

      Liked by 1 person

    • I laughed when I read that we are more “bourgeoise” now. That is a brilliant description. I have given up my granny glasses, floppy hat, and long hair – it was a fun time. Now, I have short hair, thicker glasses and a sun hat. Somehow, with the aging process, I have become more free, more settled, as you say. Will keep in touch…

      Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you!
      Well, writing bilingual is a bit more work but our readers are half English and half German native speakers and we Fab Four are a mixture of Norwegian, German and Fairyish living at the coast of North Norfolk for more than 30 years now.
      Wishing you a great weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Lieber Ernst,
      Siri und Selma hätten dich gut in ihrem Bus mitnehmen können 😉 da hättest auch du Anteil an unseren Abenteuern gehabt.
      Schottlands Norden ist atemberaubend schön, einsam und fast untouristisch (noch). Absolut zu empfehlen.
      Mit lieben lieben Grüßen vom sonnigen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Kerry
      well, we are not that smal and anyway we are very special Bookfayries with a fairy-driving-licence for all cars there are! We drive not only fairy-cars on the busy roads of fairyland we drive in your world as well and we are good drivers because we have a special feeling for the roads and can influence the drivers in the cars in front of us and behind. Well, on the Wee Mad Road that was a little mishap.
      Sending you lots of finest fairy dust
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma, the driving Bookfayries

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Kerry
      our beloved Bookfayries are actually not that smal as we see them. We are like all the parents seeing our kids like kids even if they are grown ups. And with fairies it’s even more complicated as the live beyond time and age. Anyway, they love to drive.
      Thank you for liking Dina’s photography 🙂 🙂
      Have a happy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you very much, dear Julie 🙂 🙂
      Magic, good luck and a clever insurance helped us to get a new VW camper van and so we happily drove on to our aim, the Orkneys.
      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

    • Scotland is great, we love it, especially the northwest and the Orkneys. We want to go back as soon as possible as well. Maybe next time in winter as we always look for a real winter. It’s much too mild for us here at the North Norfolk coast during the wintertime, no snow, nor ice – boring.
      Thanks and wishing you an easy week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

    • Hi, dear Dennis dog 🙂
      well, wrecking the first bus wasn’t such a desaster, we didn’t mind that much. The second VW camper van was much easier to drive. The scenery got more magnificent as further north we drove.
      Have a happy week full of bones
      The Fab Fab Four of Cley

      Like

  108. Congratulations on this entertaining piece of writing with excellent illustrations! I think I’ll make a detour around the Wee Mad Road when I go to Scotland in September. 😉 Hope the midges are gone by then. You were lucky not to meet them. 🙂 I just read there are 37 species of them.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Per,
      well, Siri and Selma were frighten the midgets off with their fairy magic 😉 and it was too early in the year.
      This little detour via the Wee Mad Road is really worth it, you shouldn’t miss it. But drive carefully!
      Have a happy trip 🙂
      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

  109. Gosh! I am exhausted after scrolling down to the end to comment – you have attracted a lot of comments with this post! What adventures the four of you got up to – I hope Siri learned her lesson and drove a little slower on the rest of the trip – those Scottish roads are not ones to tackle at speed. (It is the same here in Cornwall – especially of one is driving a large German motor home). You have seen some beautiful sights – the colour of the sea, the lovely winding roads, the mountains and Dina’s photos are so beautiful they make me want to go there straight away.

    …with its fjordlike deep cuts and high mountains kissing the deep sea.

    such poetry. I fell in love with the Norwegian mountains and the deep, still fjords. Sounds as though I need to explore Scotland too. Love to you all ❤ ❤
    Jude xx (and I can't wait to meet the puffins…)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Jude
      we are astonished about all the comments as well. We like it, because we blog for the sake of communication. It’s our first post for which we got more comments than likes.
      Actually the northwest of Scotland resembles the Norwegian coast, only that the fjords are smaller in Scotland.
      Thanks for liking our writing, yes, our Bookfayries are very poetic (and romantic).
      Scotland’s north is worth exploring!
      Thanks and wishing you a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      Oh dear, I am afraid that no puffins are coming but more about the very north of Scotland. We were too early for the puffins 😦

      Liked by 1 person

  112. Dear Hanne and Klausbernd
    Congratulations for wonderful pictures and descriptions and that picture “The sun going down in the very North of Scotland…” is like a paradise.
    With big hugs from Switzerland
    Paulo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  113. Wow, sometimes the great and most glorious adventures are born via a disaster. The opening shot had me thinking it was going to be weather related… 🙂 The twist and turns of the road were sure worth the photos, simply brilliant. It looks like you’ve driven through paradise and it must have been tough to leave.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Dalo,
      indeed, it didn’t want to leave and we could go immediately again. The next time we will go to the north of Scotland in the winter. We hope having lots of snow which we miss at coast of Norfolk. t’s too mild in winter fo us here.
      The northwest of Scotland is magnificient, very sparsely inhabitat, barren and fjords and cliffs like in Norway and then the mystical dark lochs. We loved it very much up there 🙂 🙂 And the people are very friendly.
      We read the best weather in NW Scotland is in May and June and we had georges weather there in June, sunshine and for us sometimes a bit too hot. Not a weather you associate with Scotland.
      With lots of love
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

  114. A hair-raising trip that I would have skipped! Was that road the only one leading to this beautiful beach? Two unoccupied chairs invite for a relaxing time at an amazing place. Where can you find a deserted beach of such beauty without the crowds? I guess only in Scotland and Canada.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • No, dear Peter, it wasn’t. We could have taken the main road but the Wee Mad Road was so much more beautiful.
      Wishing you a great 👍 day and thanks 🙏 for commenting
      💃👭🚶
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  116. hi Dina
    danke fur deine liebe worten , ja der heide bluht schon , hier ist es so um mitten august
    ich habe gestern noch ein schone wanderung gemacht , als du willst gibt es hier bilder davon
    https://gewoonkarel.wordpress.com/

    ja und Schotland ist ja sehr schon , schon und wild
    du redet von diese schone strassen , ich habe diese mit fahrad gefahren , habe mir viel als alleine auf der welt gefuhlt hihi
    ihnen habe ein wunderschone tour gemacht und diese sehr schon in ein blog gestelt
    in bild und wort , danke
    schones wochenende gruss , Karel

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Vielen Dank 🙏 für deinen Kommentar.
      Wir haben viele Fahrradfahrer 🚵 auf unserer Reise zu Schottlands Nordküste und zu den Orkneys getroffen. Auch wir fühlten uns oft wie die einzigen Menschen weit und breit. Die Fahrradfahrer 🚵 bewunderten wir ja 👍 ob ihrer Ausdauer. Wir waren bequem in zwei Autos 🚗 🚙 unterwegs, was uns viel Spaß gemacht hat. Auch wir haben diese Reise sehr genossen.
      In der Lüneburger Heide sind wir auch mal vor Jahren vor längerer Zeit auf den Spuren von Hermann Löns gewandelt.
      Mit lieben Grüßen vom kleinen Dorf am großen Meer 🌊 🇬🇧
      💃🚶👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  118. Got to admire the resourcefulness of those fairies 🙂 🙂 I had my eye on one of the cliff top chairs for the divine view but I’m so late to the party that they must be taken. I don’t suppose there’s the slightest possibility of squeezing in the camper to admire the sunset? Looks like I’m sleeping rough! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Jo
      Our dear 📚 Bookfayries 👭 are happily snuggle close together to make some place for you.
      And we have some more chairs.
      Thanks 🙏 and have a happy week
      💃🚶👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  120. I’ve driven a road or two like that, and my admiration for Siri and Selma and the seat-clutchers is unbounded. Sometimes, there’s nothing to be done but to keep going — at least, until the going gets stopped one way or another. The photos are as glorious as the land and sea, and now I know much more about Ultima Thule in all its incarnations. Many thanks for such a lovely and uplifting post!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Siri and Selma 👭 are quite good drivers 🚘 and they just keep on going whatever comes (like you do), and they love it.
      Thanks 🙏 for liking Dina’s photographs 📷 We always loved to visits all the incarnations of Ultima Thule like NW 🇬🇱 Greenland, 🇳🇴 Iceland, 🇮🇸Svalbard, 🇮🇸 Jan Mayen and last not least the north of Scotland.
      Great 👍 that you find our post uplifting 😊😃😁😀
      Wishing you a great week
      💃🚶👭
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  121. Oh, what a great time you are having. I lived in Scotland for 8 years with my late Dashing Young Scotsman and we travelled many such roads as you describe. He was from the West Coast, Dunoon on the Clyde and so delighted in showing his Sassenach wife the lovely places of his youth.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Judith
      We love your word “Sassenach”, which by the way was selected as Scottish word of the season. Well, we are Sassenach as well.
      We utterly fell in love to the NW of Scotland and will surely come back.
      Thanks for commenting. Wishing you an easy week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

    • Dear David,
      thanks a lot for your comment 🙂 🙂 Hire a VW camper van and get on the road heading north, it’s fun!
      Wishing you a great week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

  123. Danke für diesen netten Bericht mit den wunderbaren Fotos. Ja Scotland wäre schon lange ein Ziel mit dem Rennrad die Küstenstraßen zu fahren. Aber schön langsam zähle ich die Jahre die noch bleiben…Grüße zu euch aus dem Gebirge, Ernestus.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Guten Morgen, lieber Ernestus,
      wir empfehlen dir, bald mit deinem Rennrad die Küstenstraße NC500 zu fahren. Seitdem sie nach der norwegischen Atlantic Road zur zweitschönsten Straße der Welt von internationalen Reisejournalisten gekürt wurde, wird sie zunehmend touristischer. Wir trafen viele fahrradfahrende Gruppen aus aller Welt unterwegs.
      Mit lieben Grüßen vom sonnigen Meer zum Gebirge
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Dear Bill.
      the NW of Scotland is really a stunnigly beautiful place with misty mountains, the blue sea of the fjords and the dark peaty lochs. And the adventures of our journey added to that beauty.
      Thanks and wishing you a happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Like

    • Good morning, dear Julie
      The light and the skies are are always changing in the north of Scotland. Ideal for photography 📷
      Thanks 🙏 and wishing you a great 👍 day
      The Fab Four of Cley
      💃👭🚶

      Like

  128. There is so much I can connect to in your post even though I have never been to Scotland! Your description of the road reminded me of two places in our lovely state of Hawaii. The first is a road (one lane) on the very tip of the island of Maui. While this road runs away from the not too distant shore, it is steep, curvy, and one-lane, but not one way! Crazy! We did encounter a couple of cars coming towards us on the road and one of us (each car) had to back up to a space wide enough to let the other pass. There was no shoulder. The other place your post reminded me of was the trail of a hike in only beach on the island of Kauai. Great views, azure seas, pods of dolphins, and places were the “water is confused” are visible from a narrow (less than 12 inch) path through the rain forest to reach the beach which is almost always in view during the hot and humid hike. One mis-step and down you would go, several hundred feet, to the lava rocks and crashing waves below! It was both exhilerating and scary at the same time! We also like VW Camper Vans……Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your commentary 🙂 🙂
      We have never been to Hawaii. We didn’t exspect similarities between Hawaiian and northern Scottish roads. We were amazed reading about those. There are many places at the Scotland’s west coast where the water is confused (we love this expression!) and you can see whales there as well – but we didn’t. Fortunately there is not much traffic on those Scottish roads, we didn’t meet another car. This area is nearly unpopulated.
      VW camper vans are great: big enough to sleep in there but so small that they are easy to drive.
      All the best to you.
      With warm greetings from the sunny sea
      The Fab Four of Cley

      Liked by 1 person

  131. OHHHH Ihr Lieben, bitte macht weiter so! Ich kann mich nicht sattsehen an den wunderschönen Fotos und den Texten lauschen, die mir von den Feen und Elfen ins Ohr gehaucht werden.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Guten Morgen, lieber Konrad,
      WOW, das ist ein lieber Kommentar! 🙂 🙂 Unsere beiden Feen sind ja außer Rand und Band vor Freude. Wir sind so froh, dass dir unser Blog gefällt! You made our day :-):-)
      Mit gaaaanz lieben Grüßen an Astrid und dich
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

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