8 Days Solo in my Berlingo Micro Camper in Scotland: Loch Tay, Arrochar Alps, Loch Long, Eskdalemuir

[@donnavansenior]

If anyone would like to support the channel they can at: www.buymeacoffee.com/donnavansenior Thank You Xx

[@jimmy.mccutcheon.1961]

Done 😉👍

[@donnavansenior]

@@jimmy.mccutcheon.1961 Aw thank you Jimmy! I've opened a savings account and anything donated on the Buy Me A Coffee page is going in there until I have enough for either a drone or 2nd hand E-Bike 😁

[@catherineweaver9302]

@@donnavansenior I supply you with empty clueless chatter and nonsense..be grateful for that...🤣

[@donnavansenior]

@@catherineweaver9302 🤣😂

[@Upinthills68]

Great vid of your travels , Happy Belated Birthday 🎉😊

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Richard, only 9 more years til retirement 🤣🤣

[@Upinthills68]

@donnavansenior happy days all the best....more advantures and adventures 👍

[@LundysWildcampBushcraft]

Happy birthday Donna good to see Annie back some great places atvb Jimmy 😎😎👍👍

[@donnavansenior]

Cheers Jimmy, aye had quite a canny week, great to have the Lingo to use instead of a tent sometimes - and great to have a meet up with Llama Annie as well, I always fancied visiting Samye Ling Monastery & she gave me a guided tour round the place 😁

[@LundysWildcampBushcraft]

@@donnavansenior happy day's mate I'm hoping to get out for a tent camp this weekend with my hexpeak got the green light for two nights so should have at least one in the tent 😎😎👍👍

[@donnavansenior]

@@LundysWildcampBushcraft Fingers crossed for you Jimmy - are you headed back back to the forests or up a hill? The Hexpeak is a lovely tent, I've been tempted ⛺😉 but so far resisted buying any tents this year, trying to save some money up, but it's boring lol

[@LundysWildcampBushcraft]

@@donnavansenior looking at cheviot hills and a forest camp this week mate I'm trying to do different types of camping this year 😎😎👍👍

[@catherineweaver9302]

@@donnavansenior You can borrow mine Donna😉.

[@catherineweaver9302]

57 again......🥳..SO young!!...The envy overpowers me, truly...Happy birthday,,,,again...

[@donnavansenior]

57 and looking like a spring chicken 😁🤣 Just 10 more years til retirement 😬🎂 Cheers Llama Lady :)

[@sassyshewolf2784]

Have you tried thatchers blood orange cider Donna ?? Its bloody lush !! Happy birthday pet !!!! ❤❤❤

[@donnavansenior]

Thank you Sassy 😁 Yeah, I had a few cans of the Blood Orange on NYE, not bad at all! I love Thatcher's Hazy, it's packed full of taste. My favourite cider though is Thistly Cross Whisky Cask Cider 6.7% and it's as smooth as anything! If you ever see that (only available in bottles) I highly recommend it ;-)

[@sassyshewolf2784]

@@donnavansenior I'm currently having a kraken black cherry n madagascan vanilla rum with cherry Pepsi max !! N that's lush too 😍 will have to try both of those x

[@donnavansenior]

@@sassyshewolf2784 Ah wow, that sounds amazing! I don't mind a rum when it's mixed with something nice - I've got a half bottle of Spiced Kraken somewhere...hmmm.... X

[@sassyshewolf2784]

@@donnavansenior I love that one too !! It's vury nice !!!

[@emz_adventure]

Then boom shes watching pheasants courting 😂😂😂. Bloody lovely park ups and that hike looked amazing. Definitely just about getting out and not bagging the tops. Hurrah minge n briquette are back together and a cider review to top all cider reviews. Xxx

[@donnavansenior]

Hahaha, ah great stuff Emz, that comment has cheered me up after a bit of a downer day at work 😂 The 'Tiny Camper' vids are all about the Lingo park-ups, the locals having sex and the hikes / sight-seeing in-between van nights, it makes a nice change to the wild camping vids. Good that Minge and Briquette both have Lingo's now 😂 and I'm slowly introducing Annie to cider - not this nasty grapefruit one mind, christ that was bad! Yak!! 🤢 xxx

[@otf.outdoors]

Cannot think of a better way to spend a birthday Donna 👌, class…looks like some cracking places, spot on…🤣🤣the cider review🤣🤣, and a good laugh with Annie, atb Mick 👍

[@donnavansenior]

Hya Mick - yeah, can't complain about my 57th, even though it was too darned windy up the tops for the camps I'd fancied, I scouted out some great spots for future visits. Love my little Lingo for when the weather's not playing ball, it's the perfect home from home. Excellent to meet up with Llama Annie as well, it's always a good laugh & great to have another woman to talk gear talk with (she's a dark horse wor Annie, knows a thing or two about camping she does 😉⛺)

[@RamblingRuth]

Happy birthday Donna! I’m glad you had a good trip. I’m just a couple of years behind you (54) and you really inspire me to get off my increasingly large arse and get out more. Preferably without the grumpy partner and moaning teenagers….. so thanks for that!

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Ruth 😊 quite a canny way to spend my 57th. All I had planned was a meet-up with my son on the way to Loch Tay, then I wanted to camp up the Ben Lawers Trail & see the Monty Python Mine. The winds were brutal up the tops, so the Ben Lawers camp was a no-no, but I saw the Mine, which was cool. I walked passed a tourist information board in Killin & it had a map on it, I never knew the Arrochar Alps were only 30 miles away, so that's why I headed there, I'd seen loads of KZbin vids about the area. I love random days! Arrochar was amazing, so pleased I went there. And nice to meet up with Annie. Get yourself out Ruth, you'll never remember the days you spent in the house wondering if you should.....you'll only remember those days where you went out and explored, and felt wild and a little bit free X

[@ervinslens]

Fantastic filming and editing my friend! Thsi upload is simply marvelous!

[@donnavansenior]

Thank you Ervin, that's a lovely comment 😊 I'll have a look at your channel tonight 👍

[@djsiimz]

Happy birthday Donna 😀🎂🎈

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Siimz, not a bad way to celebrate my 57th 😁

[@thegeordiewildcamper]

Happy Birthday first and foremost. Really enjoyed that some of scenery was amazing. Thanks for sharing...Steven

[@donnavansenior]

Ah thank you Steven😊 there's no wild camping in my 'Tiny Camper' vids, but that little Lingo is worth it's weight in gold for when the weather gets a bit out of control - wind speeds like those I filmed on my anemometer up near Ben Donich are no fun to camp in, unless I had no other option. A snug overnight park-up after a good days hiking was ok by me on this trip lol. Thanks for stopping by :)

[@emz_adventure]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU CRAZY BEAUTIFUL LADY XXX

[@donnavansenior]

Aw thank you Azda's! 😊😁 57 and don't look a day over 56 Xxx

[@emz_adventure]

@@donnavansenior ya absolutely divent lass xxx

[@thecampervanmotorcyclist]

Happy birthday 🥳 🎉 great video as always 👌🏻 xx

[@donnavansenior]

Thank you TCM, had a pretty chipper 57th, nowt better than a week off work 😁 Xx

[@thecampervanmotorcyclist]

@@donnavansenior Nothing better indeed 😊 doing what you love best therapy ever 😊 keep at it lass, looking forward to the next episode 😉xx

[@emz_adventure]

Just popped for a cuppa and this came up and the first 10 seconds I'm filling up 😊xx

[@donnavansenior]

It's nice music on this vid, and nice photo's - and a nice way to spend my 57th. Drove straight to Loch Tay after spending a few hours with my son at Haddington on my b'day. I'll tell you the tale about 'Duncan' next time I see you - Duncan is why I could only have the one night parked up at the first place hahaha xx

[@emz_adventure]

@@donnavansenior such a beautiful video dvs. Moved me. Ooh I love a rippin yarn. Look forward to hearing about that xxx

[@MiriamKennedy]

Bath bomb cider 🫣 A lovely way to celebrate your birthday Donna!! Some fab views with great places to park up and explore…a great adventure 😍

[@donnavansenior]

This is when my wee Lingo is worth it's weight in gold - when the forecasts change and heading out with a tent would be stupid or miserable. I'd had a few places I wanted to camp at but the winds were fierce all week, as soon as you hit the hills/mountains they doubled. So forest hikes it mostly was, with only the one camp (previous vid) which is unusual for me, I must be getting soft lol. Scouted out some beautiful valleys and hillsides though for next time I'm up that way, but this trip was all about my Lingo, and the joys of having a tiny camper. No joy in that cider mind Miriam - steer well clear of that one in B&M's 🤢😂😂

[@MiriamKennedy]

@@donnavansenior 😂😂

[@ailsascott2725]

Beautiful scenery Donna loved this video brilliant as always x ☓

[@donnavansenior]

You can never go wrong with a trip over the border Ailsa 💚 so much to explore and see, views for miles on a clear day & just wonderfully relaxing at the end of a day out hiking xx

[@craig3401]

Looks like you had a cracking time👍

[@donnavansenior]

Only managed the one camp (separate vid) due to the strong winds all week, I'd planned on camping high, but 40+mph winds put me off. Wimp, lol. Still had a great relaxing week, hiking and enjoying using the Lingo 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😎

[@helenneilson5453]

Very belated birthday Donna. Looked like a stunner of a week. Loved the Ben Howard sound track and your Attenborough commentary 😂

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Helen, not a bad way to spend a birthday 😁 and as soon as you got out of that wind the sun felt great. So much to explore up there, but I'll not be filming any more bird courtships 🙄🤣🤣 X

[@catherineroseslater3411]

Great video very entertaining and how lovely when Llama Annie turned up 😊

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Catherine, I had a lovely week away in my Lingo and it was great to meet up with Llama Annie for my last night. X

[@julieann-lz7wg]

Love this Donna ❤

[@donnavansenior]

Thank you, there's some amazing area's to explore up there 💚

[@bluecheese1066]

Happy birthday, Donna! I've only started watching the video but I know it's going to be a good one. I always like to slip away for a solo camp on my birthdays, so I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this with a cuppa. :)

[@donnavansenior]

The last few years I've taken the week off for my birthday, any excuse for a week away lol. It was a great way to spend my 57th, no real plans, just being outdoors and seeing where the day took me was enough. Only managed the one camp, sometimes the comfort of my Lingo is too much of a pull lol - plus those winds were really strong when any height was hiked. Hope you enjoyed the vid BC, always good to hear from you X

[@bluecheese1066]

@@donnavansenior "no real plans, just being outdoors and seeing where the day took me was enough"

[@jimmy.mccutcheon.1961]

Nice one Donna 😉👍

[@donnavansenior]

Living life like the Royalty 😊 haha Cheers Jimmy

[@kathwaterston3505]

Happy belated birthday Donna.Looks like you had a fantastic few days , apart from that cider 😂.Don’t we have some fantastic scenery in this country , if we were only guaranteed some half decent weather . Safe travels x

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Kath, had a lovely and relaxed week doing what I love best. I'll probs not be buying that cider again though 😬🤣 It was sunny most of the week, but the winds were punishing up high. Loved it though X

[@hedgerowsandzeros]

Belated happy birthday Donna lass 😊🎉 Great vid... didn't watch it all yet tho... Will watch on TV later. Glad you got the glasses back 😂

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Graham - had quite a canny 57th - only 10 more years a slave & then I can enjoy some retirement lol. And I was so lucky to find my glasses hung off that fallen tree! Christ, they're my only pair haha.

[@raspberryleaf3741]

Lovely Donna. Happy belated birthday! Some smashing views there. 😊

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Jeanette 😊 Being 57 hasn't been too bad so far 😁 X

[@DaveandBuddyOutdoors]

A very enjoyable watch, some stunning scenery and it looked like you had a fantastic time. Your love of the outdoors is plain to see and that cider review was hilarious 😂 Thank you for sharing All the best Dave (and Buddy the doggo)

[@donnavansenior]

Hi Dave (and Buddy) and thanks for stopping by 😁 Yeah I like nothing better than being outdoors, I'm like a caged animal when I've not been out for a while, so this week off work was great to recharge and relax and just enjoy seeing where the days took me. I had some fantastic overnight park-ups, and as much as I love camping, I love my little camper as well. That cider however wasn't the best.....🤢😂😂haha TFW, Donna :)

[@jdmillar1958]

Keep em coming Wee D. xx

[@donnavansenior]

Will do David, thanks for stopping by 😁 xx

[@ruthybabe571]

Happy Birthday 21st again Donner🎉 great video lmao at the cider review 😂 take care x Ruth

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Ruth - 57 has been quite chipper so far, only 10 more years to retirement when I can live wild and free without having to head back to reality 💚 Steer well clear of the Grapefruit Cider mind - what type of evil monster would even think up something nasty like that?? 😬😂😂 Xx

[@thegeordiefellwalker8878]

Canny way to spend ya birthday donna 🔥🥂👍 your a year behind me🤨love it when a lost item turns up😊

[@donnavansenior]

Cheers Geordie, 57's not been too bad so far 😊 and I was so flipping relieved to find those glasses! £180 they cost me and they're my only pair. I'll have to get one of those old women's neckchains to keep them on 😂😂

[@helenreeves6978]

Happy belated birthday. You had really good weather (ok a little windy) and the scenery was lovely, it reminded me a little of the lakes. Looked a nice holiday😀

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Helen, yeah I had a pretty good week up in Scotland, as long as I stayed low or did forest hikes, I kept out of the worst of the winds, the sun was warm and glorious when I was sheltered, and the scenery up there is stunning X

[@sarahblakemore2559]

Happy birthday Donna. You must be just a little bit younger than me, it was my 57th in March. Thanks for the bad cider review-very funny! Pink grapefruit really does sound like a crime against cider! I think Brothers do a toffee apple cider too which doesn't sound much better! Cheers!

[@donnavansenior]

Aw thank you Sarah, not a bad way to spend your 57th ay? The Brothers Toffee Apple cider is surprisingly good, as is their Strawberries & Cream one - but holy moley, don't touch that Pink Grapefruit, leave it sat on the shelves with it's head hung in shame, no wonder they were selling it off for 69p 🤣

[@donnavansenior]

@@sarahblakemore2559 Ah no...when was your birthday? Sorry to hear you got Covid as a present, that's such bad luck. I had my first (and so far my only) dose of Covid on Mothers Day last year, it hit me really bad, one of the worst things I've ever had (I'm on immunosuppressant meds) X

[@sarahblakemore2559]

@@donnavansenior Sounds like your covid was worse than mine. Mine was like normal flu really but still feeling tired after 2 months. Could be worse though. My birthday is 14 March (1966), a classic vintage year eh? Take care...

[@normanscout1864]

Happy birthday donna (we share the same birth month ) 🎉🎉😊 absolute outstanding video your location's were excellent i just luv the lingo and the way it's set up the home on wheels what about putting on the van donna on tour 😀 ❤ just a shame about those winds to dangerous to up to high but you can always go back and do it another day next birthday try merrydown cider and stella artois you'll sleep well and to top up the end of you're holiday your friend turns up fantastic ending thanks for sharing take care xx

[@donnavansenior]

Merrydown!! Crikey, there's a blast from the past! I had a misspent youth with Merrydown lol, no chance I'd ever mix it with Stella, but we did used to mix K cider with Special Brew for what was known as a 'Dragon-Bite' and sell it at the pub I worked at. Potent stuff indeed! Yowsa!! So you're an Aries as well? No wonder we get on, actually I get on really well with Taurus as well, so you must have had a birthday recently - hope it was a good one, Happy Birthday Norman🎂 I couldn't have had a better start to my 57th year, being where I was and stumbling across places that words can do no justice to 💚 My Lingo was the star of the show - those wind speeds were stupid up the tops, no fun in going out camping in that, when I didn't have to. As you rightly and wisely say, I can always go back another day & I've saw so many places I'd love to pitch a tent at, so as a fact finding mission it's been invaluable and it was a very enjoyable trip, great that I met up with Llama Annie before heading home, we always have a good laugh & we put some hiking miles in on the quiet xx

[@Kev_Russ]

Think I wished ye Happy Birthday oan Fbk but I'll say Happy Birthday again. A fine trip of exploration Donna. Indian feast that. 😋 Aye but windy for Donich like. Impressive monastery. Never knew it existed. Bath bomb fae Lush 😂

[@donnavansenior]

Ey-up Kev, aye not a bad way to spend my birthday - a week off work, no real plan & a van. The camps I'd half planned on doing got binned because of the wind, so it was great to have my wee camper, it's a home from home, actually I like it better than home It's amazing what you can do in those Ridge Monkey pans, Indian night up the Arrochars was a feast indeed 😋 and next time I'm up that way I'll try and do Ben Donich again....almost, but not quite! Lol. It's a very impressive view from up there, loads better than grapefruit cider 🤢

[@TheNeilo-Audiosound]

I’m on #5 Now Donna so I’m on a Roll👍 Firstly A very Very happy Belated Birthday and you certainly like to do the Miles on your birthday but I hope you got a cake either way with you or at home👍 Age wise I’m a year up on you🙈 Another Cracker so far We wherever you’ve jaunted off to.(Jaunted) remember that word from the TV Series “The Tomorrow people”😮 1973 I think it was🤔 and I watched it regularly.That and The Double Deckers👍 The Lingo seems to be performing well after the Work Done so Reliability is a must for you. Seems they dug up a mine and found Nowt🙈 now that’s a demoralising job. I gave it a 6 for a site because of the Rubbish but surrounding area looked cool and after all a killer Rabbit once resided there and I’m a Monty Python Fan. The Views were stunning and such a beautiful place.Big Thumbs up 👍

[@donnavansenior]

Just spotted this comment Neilo! Blinking KZbin hiding stuff again grrr!! But thank you for the Birthday greeting, I had a right good time over the border, nice and random again - mostly dictated by the weather, because the winds were fierce all week, so sheltered forest hikes were the order of the day. And The Double Deckers! I loved that show!! I always wanted a double decker bus to live on, after seeing Cliff Richards 'Summer Holiday' film, then the kids on this show, it was my dream vehicle for many a year, until I got older and realised one would cost a fortune in diesel to run 😢🤣 The Tomorrow People I vaguely remember, I don't think I watched it much though. But like you I'm a Monty Python fan as well - more so the films - so one of the reasons I headed back to Loch Tay was to visit the mine. A shame that fans had left it in a bit of a bad state, who would want to leave their blinking sweatshirt there? A mad little area though but nowhere sensible to park overnight, otherwise I'd have camped there that night. Cheers Neil :)

[@TheNeilo-Audiosound]

@@donnavansenior 😂😂 Keep Up Miss D😜 sorry my Binge watching and comments are a daily thing now but honestly I’m all caught up now so take a break and Have a Kit Kat❤️

[@margaretolover3316]

What a fabulous trip, belated happy birthday. What kind of cooker is that that you cooked the samosa's in please?

[@donnavansenior]

Thanks Margaret, not a bad way to spend one's 57th lol. The pan I use is called a Ridge Monkey, it's a very versatile piece of kit, ideal for camping or campervans / boats etc. I've even used it to cook a microwave Tesco Veg Lasagne in before, just low and slow. Got mine from Amazon a few years ago X

[@michaelsargeant5923]

Very enjoyable as always. I would invest in a cord which goes around your neck and the ends attach to the arms on your glasses

[@donnavansenior]

Hahaha - like a Librarian's glasses chain? Nope, lol, I'm too young for anything like that just yet, I'll persevere and try & keep my glasses on my face where they belong 😂😂 I'm usually very OCD about where I put them down, I have a dedicated spot in the Lingo where they get stored so I never lose them.....chuffed to bits I found them hung on that tree mind, what are the odds! Cheers Michael, hope you had a nice BH weekend 😁

[@michaelsargeant5923]

Well I sometimes I camp and I'm always knocking them off .Best investment I made for camping

[@donnavansenior]

@@michaelsargeant5923 I don't take my glasses camping, too risky because I've only got the one proper pair - but I've got a cheapo pair of reading glasses from Aldi and I take those camping instead lol.

[@999shaznay]

Where did you get that gadget for spreading the flame out under the Ridge Monkey?? Looks just the job.

[@donnavansenior]

Pop on Amazon & type in 'Wire Mesh Gauze Square - Ceramic Centre - Bunsen Burner' this one cost £4.45 and it's 15cm x 15cm Works an absolute treat for maximising the heat and also for stabilising the pan or kettle on my single burner.

[@martinconnolly9921]

Any signs of them little nasty things

[@donnavansenior]

Ticks? My last vid (the wild camp where I had first ticks of the season) was part of this trip, I found one tick latched on to my breast after that camp, when I was parked up & changing my clothes up the Arrochar Alps, after that no more ticks when I had the van nights. I've heard they're rife up Scotland already. Best to treat your clothes with Permethrin if you're planning on spending time outdoors in areas they like.

[@martinconnolly9921]

@Donna Van Senior - Wild Camping thanks Donna great videos you put a smile on my face because your mad as a bag of 🐸