Passing Places Around Scotland

The Sounds of Scotland

In Passing Places this week I review the progress of the podcast over the past seven months and seek listener feedback on how to take the podcast forward in the coming weeks and months over the winter here in Scotland.  My podcast to date has been largely in a monologue format with a few interviews of people on my travels and a fair sprinkling of the sounds of Scotland.

I'm keen to record more audio out and about and I'm very interested in what you the listener would like to hear on Passing Places.  I often talk about where I am and what I'm up to.  I also stray at times into my version or recollection of Scottish history.  Of special interest to me however is to bring you more of the sounds of Scotland. I feel that might help you have the sense that you are there with me on location.

So please get in touch and give me your opinions and your preferences, if you have any, as to what you would like to see and hear by way of content.

I have I think improved the audio this week.  If you can hear the difference in the audio quality I would also appreciate you letting me know.  Why don't you try using the Speakpipe voicemail service which is free and available here on my web site.  You can practice your submission before finally pressing send. :)

Thank you so much for listening to and supporting Passing Places.  I do hope you get in touch.

Kevin

Autumn in Scotland

In this weeks episode of the podcast I consider why visiting Scotland is a great idea in the autumn. There are very few tourists around, no midges and the autumn display of our woodlands can be a spectacular sight for photographers and all visitors alike.  I suggest some great woodlands that you might like to visit and I look forward to the onset of winter, the shorter days and longer nights and the arrival of snow at any time from now on.

The jewel in the crown for autumn colours is Glen Affric fifteen miles west of Loch Ness.  Glen Affric is a national nature reserve and conservation work and replanting is ongoing to improve the remnants of the ancient caledonian pine forest.

I also cover the new Shure SM58 microphone which I have purchased from donations to the podcast.   I have also improved my setup to allow me to take Skype calls and record them directly into the podcast episodes.

Kevin

Talbot Motorhome Owners Club - Tarland Mini Meet.

What a fantastic week-end on Deeside.  I'm on a campsite at Tarland in the the North East of Scotland on a Sunday evening and I have just enjoyed such a good time with owners of  Talbot motorhomes and similar vans.

In this weeks episode I cover the week that was but focus on the mini-meet on Deeside.   If you are thinking about buying a van for the first time or you have a van consider joining the Talbot Owners Club as you will meet like  minded folk and get access to super support as well as making some great new friends.

For more information visit the Talbot Express Owners Club and join their free forum.

Dumbarton Castle

A week spent in and around Glasgow & Ayrshire with a visit down to Dumbarton Castle.

Dumbarton Castle is an excellent place to stop off on your way towards Loch Lomond to enjoy the great views from the top of the castle and to reflect on the amazing history surrounding the ancient fortress.  From vikings, William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots Dumbarton Castle has played a key role in Scottish history.

The castle sits on a prominent volcanic plug guarding the entrance to the River Clyde and the leven vally leading to Loch Lomond and the Highlands beyond.

I also touch upon shipbuilding and whisky distillation in Dumbarton as well recalling the impact of the slave trade in generating significant wealth on the River Clyde and Scotland as a nation after The Act of Union in 1707.

Kevin

Touring the Scottish Highlands

Some advice tips and information around planning a trip in the Scottish Highlands.  In this weeks episode I discuss possible routes through the Highlands and including a visit to the Isle of Skye.  We travel from the central belt as far as Ullapool and return via the Trossachs.

Its is possible to plan and book your trip around Scotland before you arrive but there advantages in being flexible too, not least the changeable weather.  I also mention a few iPhone apps that will provide you with weather, mapping and tourist information during your Scottish vacation.

If you do travel as far as Ullapool  you may well find that you feel compelled  to continue up the spectacular north west coast.  It's hard not to.

Kevin

Loch Ness and the scenery around Dores is just wonderful.  This week  I enjoyed a long weekend near the banks of Loch Ness in the highlands, with a group of like minded folk in their campervans and motorhomes.  It's the first time I have attended a meeting of motorhome users and I can't speak highly enough of the experience.

If your interested in campervans and motorhomes or if you are a new owner attending a meet is a great way to meet people and pick their brains in terms of advice and experience.   It is also just a great social experience.

The weekend was really well organised but also very informal so it was possible to participate at whatever level I fancied.  The podcast covers the weekend including an interview with the organisers and it wouldn't be complete without some reference to the Loch Ness monster.

I enjoyed another visit to The Mull of Kintyre this week amid some glorious late summer sunshine.  As I headed back I was acutely aware of the end of summer both in terms of less tourist traffic but also a real sense of Autumn being in the air.  In the coming weeks I hope to spend a lot more time in wild areas rather than on campsites.

I'm off to a motorhome mini-meet today on Loch Ness.  It will be the first time I have attended such a gathering so I'll provide you with an update on my experiences in next weeks podcast.

Well I did head over to the East coast after all and what a great few days I had.  I  based myself  in Johnshaven, a small fishing village between Montrose and Stonehaven.  The weather was good for the five days and I managed to visit the beach at Lunan Bay, the open air swimming pool at Stonehaven and a very brief visit to Dunnattor Castle, one of the most photographed castles in Scotland.

If you are visiting Scotland don’t discount this coastline.  There is so much to see and do.  From small villages, historic castles and some superb beaches the East coast offers a lot.  The East coast is also drier than the West coast of Scotland and is largely midge free.

I have just arrived back on Loch Lomondside and the podcast comes from the east side of  Loch Lomond this evening.

Back from France

Well I'm back from France and returning to my weekly podcast schedule about my ongoing travels around Scotland. France turned out to be a great trip and a country I would like to live in on a more full time basis at some point in the future.  However in the meantime let's get on with celebrating and enjoying the more remote and rugged parts of Scotland. In this weeks episode I reflect on my time in France and look forward to getting back out in the motorhome next week probably, given the weather, somewhere on the East coast of Scotland.

It would be great to hear from listnerews to the podcast so why don't you get in touch with Passing Places either by voice-mail, Twitter or Facebook.

It's good to be back online.

The podcast is recorded in Stirling this week with some reference to Birnam & Dunkeld in Perthshire where I stayed last week-end but also some outdoor recording of a local livestock sheep auction and reflections about my preparations for my up an coming trip to France.  I don't intend to produce my normally weekly podcast over the next five or six weeks but I will be podcasting during my trip on an ad-hoc basis.

A big thank you to everybody who is listening to Passing Places.  I have now been podcasting for four months and I have traveled far and wide across Scotland and it's islands.  I'll return to the normal weekly show in mid August when I'll get back out in the Scottish countryside to enjoy some wild camping as well as the facilities on some of the many Scottish campsites.

Have a great holiday if you are travelling this summer.