Hi folks, this Covid pandemic has got us into a bit of a rut, stuck in Thailand last year for 3-months (very good 3 months and not complaining) followed by being stuck in Germany since June 2020. No Christmas, no New Year and no Easter. We had the break in Croatia at the end of May, a fantastic week, but just a week. It's been all work and no play for most of the year.
Anyway, work has offered an extension to my contract (again) and the post brexit terms have been removed making it attractive enough to stay a couple more years. The Jag is 14 years old, just passed its HU/MOT for another 2 years but isn't really transport I'd want to use for any very long journeys. It needs replacing.
The wife has been talking about a touring holiday of Scotland. She wants it to be a camping holiday and would be really happy if it was a roof top tent. We have a good tent as a backup in case I don't manage to decide on one but the idea is a camping holiday, touring the wilds of Scotland.
So I need a new car and possibly a roof rack and tent and the car needs some off road ability to be able to go off the beaten track but nothing extreme. I also need a route and all of it has to be done in reasonable comfort.
My first thought was to hire a camper van but this was frowned upon as it was not within the rules of camping that the loved one has been dreaming.
Picking a car has been a difficult start. Mrs Troy has been dreaming of a Landrover Defender Sport; a mini version of the Defender with a mini engine and no "sport" features that I can see. As I am in Germany, I have given her the sensible, economical options of Audi A3/A5, VW Tourag, Merc GLB and etc., but she has referred to them all as 'boring', lacking style and too expensive.
I have reached a compromise with a Landrover Discovey Td6 HSE, low mileage and we are off to see two of them next week, one is 2018 and the other 2017 *HSE Luxury). They certainly meet the power and ability for me and the luxury for her. Unfortunately, she spotted a 2018 Range Rover Sport for just a few dollars more...so we'll need to see that as well. (how do I put her off the Range Rover?)
The Discovery Sport is the cheapest option and is certainly capable so I haven't ruled it out yet.
Next the tent...anyone tried a roof top tent; soft or hard top? They all look okay and the hard tops would suit the wilds of Scotland, although they are bit on the expensive side. Scotland allows for camping off-piste so the idea appeals more and the idea is to take it back to Thailand to mount atop the Pajero Sport.
The basic route is...
Dover -> Lake District
Lake District -> Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond poodle around for a couple of days around Glen Coe, Ben Nevis area
Glen Coe (or similar) -> Loch ness / Inverness area
Inverness -> John O' Groats
John O'Groats -> Aberdeen
Aberdeen -> Edinburgh
Edinburgh -> York
York -> Dover
Whole holiday to cover 14-17ish day period including trip to/from Munich
Any ideas on car and tent would be good but expect it to be a Discovery (because I love them)
Anyone got pros and cons of roof tent (apart from the obvious cost) and more importantly, soft or hard top?
Help with camping sites on the route would be good as would places to see. We are going up the West side and down the East...
I'll keep you posted with the build up....
Holiday will be sometime between late September this year (too optimistic), May/June 2022 and September 2022.
Step one getting the car....