2020 – The Autumn Tour – Week 1
This is the first week of a two or three week break in Bessie. We’ve missed using the van over the summer months and were determined to have a good longish break. There was only one objective and that was to be at Lowdhams near Nottingham to have a twice cancelled habitation check to maintain the vans warranty. Apart from that we were free to wander there and back at our leisure.
Wednesday 7th of October – Beecraigs Country Park
With the increased covid restrictions announced today it was as good a time as any to head for the hills – the Bathgate Hills that is.
The Navigator and I were both born & bred and lived in the Falkirk area until we moved to the East Midlands in 1996. A few miles from where I was brought up in the village of Standburn are the Bathgate Hills which lie between Linlithgow and Bathgate. It is a hilly, unspoilt area dominated by Cockelroy, the highest of the hills which has stunning views and on a clear day you can see from Berwick Law to the east right up the Forth Valley to Stirling.
We used to come up here a lot and it was a particular favourite for the girls to roll their Easter eggs but we have only been once in our previous van so decided to make it our first stop on our leisurely way down to the East Midlands. Since we were last here the camping site has been upgraded to a high standard and the hard standing pitches are a huge improvement on the quagmire it used to be.
When we arrived in mid afternoon we had a cuppa then set off for a walk. The Beecraigs Country Park is owned by West Lothian Council and apart from the campsite there is a visitor centre, deer farm and miles of forest walks. There is a loch stocked with trout and boats are available for hire and back in the day there was a trout farm but it seems to be closed now. It was clear but overcast and the lights flashing on the Forth Bridges stood out. We walked around the deer farm then did a circuit of the loch before heading back to Bessie who was in splendid isolation in the section we were on.
Heating on, Spag Bol then YouTube and Netflix rounding off the night.
Your weather has,nt been to bad.Hope you were not hurt after your fall.