Heading North
I really began to wonder if I was ever to reach my destination this summer as I stared horrified at the broken tent pole poking through the fabric of my tent. Screaming with fury was not an option on this occasion as few other campers seemed to be up yet. I also knew this would mean yet another delay as I would have to pick up a new tent in Inverness. Sometimes I really think that someone ‘up there’ has it in for me. Managing to find a large retailer on the outskirts of Inverness I prayed they would have one of the tents that I prefer, so when I walked in and saw a picture of a Terra Nova Laser on the their display I was elated!
I had had one of these super lightweight tents before, in fact not only had it stood up to some pretty rough weather on the Outer Hebrides but I had slept in it for six months whilst travelling in Australia. So although an expensive purchase it is one that is worth every single penny. Whilst I was busy deciding which credit card was going to suffer this purchase I grabbed a passing shop assistant, pointing to the display whilst gabbling away about the merits of this particular tent. He soon returned and much to my dismay informed me they had run out! I then had the tough job of trying to select another from a collection of makes that I had never heard of……..no vango, no north face no anything that was familiar. Now whilst I am normally quite happy to discuss the merits of various makes and models of tents this was not one of those occasions. Unfortunately the shop assistant was a young man who also did a lot of camping and as business was slow that morning he was soon rolling out and erecting a variety of tents for me to look at and pondering over the virtues of each. For a variety of reasons I finally decided on this particular retailers own brand of tent and hastily paid for it practically running out of the shop glad to be on the move again.
I then rapidly became convinced that every delivery vehicle in the north of Scotland was also on the same route, it seemed as fast as I overtook them……which wasn’t that fast at all…..I would immediately be behind another or else behind one of those maddeningly conscientious drivers who adheres to every speed limit and slows down ages in advance of the limit changing. Time was steadily ticking away a lot faster than I was clocking up the miles to Gills Bay but eventually I could actually see the ferry, and while I expected it to sail at any moment I sped on for the last hundred yards practically screeching to a halt by the booking office next to another driver who was also hoping to get on.
Anxiously we waited until we were finally told there was room. I then realized with alarm that we had to reverse onto the ferry whilst being observed by an audience of male crew. Normally reversing into spaces is not something I usually choose to do unless really neccessary. Being female I have to confess I don’t find it easy and it certainly not an accomplishment I could boast. Therefore having to reverse down a ramp onto the ferry and then maneuver and park whilst being watched, filled me with horror. However, as is so often the case it actually was not quite as bad as I had envisaged and while I only stalled the car once, at least I had managed to park it straight!
Finally we arrived in St Maragarets as I had decided to take the Pentland Ferry rather than Northlink. This outfit is the Easijet answer to crossing the Pentland Firth – a no frills boat that is much cheaper but get you from A to B, which is all I was interested in. Arriving at last on Orkney soil I made the short journey to Stromness where upon it started to rain and continued to do so whilst I worked out how to put up the new tent which seems huge as it actually sleeps two. I usually have and prefer small little tents but this one seemed the best option out of the stock that they had. And so begins my summer sojourn and escape from the ‘unsunny’ south.
