“….and free men you are” William Wallace, Braveheart.

I’m writing this parked up overlooking the sea and the Isle of Man. It is the morning following a fabulous evening after a cook-up on the beach.

We finally had the opportunity to try out the Firebox, a Christmas present two years ago. It was fantastic and worked exceptionally well. Twiggy was in her element and loved helping me to gather kindling. Paul is always keen to jump at the chance to take on the innate masculine role of ‘man makes fire.’ Fear not to all those who shout out for equal opportunities; Paul does step aside.

We had a beach to ourselves, almost a full moon and some veggie haggis, perfection.

Arriving in Scotland four weeks earlier, we crossed the border and felt the same tingle of excitement we experience when rolling off the Eurotunnel in Calais. With the feeling of space and an open road ahead of us, we felt full of anticipation and a buzz for the next chapter of our adventures.

We’ve spent quite a lot of time in Scotland. A few years living and several holidays. This time seemed different. We appreciated it on a whole new level. 

Allemannsrätten – Right to roam

It might seem I’m going to get a bit waffly now, but please bear with me. All will become clear.

In 2019, we travelled to Scandinavia and found the trip refreshing and liberating. They have ‘allemannsrätten” meaning ‘everyman’s right.’ A right to roam the countryside. People can walk, swim, kayak, light a fire and pitch a tent, providing you respect nature and private property.

Our understanding was Scotland is similar, although slightly trickier in a campervan than in a tent. However, we still felt somewhat unsure. Parking up in England, you sometimes expect a knock on the door and a, ‘Please move on.’ Previously when motorhoming in Scotland, we stayed in campsites, so this was our first time using park-ups. 

We had no problems during any of our stays. The local people were friendly and recommended places to visit. 

After a peaceful night and a loch swim the following morning. At one of our park-ups in Galloway Forest Park, a forest park ranger knocked on the door to check if all was well and if we had any questions. Ah ha! We thought. This is a perfect opportunity to discover all the answers to our questions, and they were:

• Yes, it is okay to spend a night in the forest
• Yes, we can take our kayak to the loch
• Yes, lighting a fire was one of the best ways to keep the wee Scottish beasties at bay. Providing it was safe
• Yes, it is okay to go swimming in the lochs. However, this particular ranger said he feels apprehensive about seeing people swimming as the water gets deep quickly. Some lochs have currents and can be cold. So, swim at your own risk, know your abilities and consider all the people required to rescue you.

On our travels, we saw signs that advised us to be aware of the dangers of taking our kayak onto the loch and swimming in potentially cold water. However, we didn’t come across signs saying don’t swim or kayak. 

This positive approach was uplifting and encouraging to take responsibility for yourself, rather than ‘Don’t, don’t, don’t!’

We did stay in the Southwest corner of Scotland, so we can’t speak for other areas. Although, we believe it is the same in most parts.

Back to the travels

We spent last week walking and swimming in beautiful locations. However, the time came to move to the coast. 

Before arriving at this idyllic beach spot, we visited Wigtown’s quaint and bustling town. Scotland’s answer to Hay-on-Wye. Wigtown became Scotland’s official book town in 1998. The charming town is attractive to bookworms and nature lovers.

We stayed at Wigtown Harbour. The area is peaceful and hard to believe it was once a harbour for exporting agricultural produce and importing coal and materials for making fertiliser. Today, the site is a wildlife sanctuary and part of the Wigtown Bay Local Nature Reserve. Covering an area of just under 3,000 hectares, it is the largest LNR in Britain. The salt marshes and mudflats provide a natural habitat for numerous birds. If you’re lucky, you might see a visiting Osprey.

The weekend is forecast to be warm, which isn’t a big problem. However, the wee Scottish beastie, ‘the midge’ around lochs and forests, makes it difficult to leave roof vents open at night. The mesh on the roof vents keeps out flies, not midges.

This is why I find myself writing this, gazing out at sea.