Culbin forest with Tara and Kasey

This story happened a year ago in July 2010, Sheila my partner had gone to a music festival for four days, Tara and I were at a lose end, I decided to take my old motorhome a 1978 Ford transit based 4 berth for a run out, i got my maps out and pondered where we would go, I decided to take in some beach walks. I started getting the Motorhome ready, with water food maps dog food etc.
Tara was excited she loved riding in Kasey the name I had given the motorhome. her registration number was KCE so thats how Kasey was named.
When I bought Kasey she was going to be used for my retirement, i had modernised her inside. when I retired in 2009 Sheila was not fit enough to travel in a motorhome the steps were to steep for her to climb, so reluctantly I took the passenger seat out,Fixed a large board down onto the floor covered it in carpet tiles and introduced Tara to her sitting position, I had left the seat belt in position so I could put Taras harness through it and she would be safe.
One oclock on the Friday Tara got onto her board I strapped her in and we set off up the northeast coast of Scotland, I found the first campsite I wanted to try, stopped asked the guy in charge if I could stay one night, sorry he replied we are full up, ok no problem off we set to the next one along the coast same story, after five attempts no joy.
What were we going to do, i pulled up into a layby, I got my maps out and looked at them, “Right Tara I said lets head for Culbin lots of forest walks there for you.
I belonged to a forum that dealt with wildcamping for motorhomes and Culbin was one that had been used so that is how we decided to give it a try.
Culbin forest was a good forty mile drive along the A96 but I decided to take the coastal route along narrow roads, because that way I would not hold traffic up, Kaysey could jog along at fifty and when she reached that speed she was happy so off we set.
The weather was beuatiful sun lots of sun and very warm, ohhh I had set the Sat Nav up and followed the directions the lovely lady told me to follow. She did well, and guided us to the forest, we drove in and came across a large carpark almost full of cars whos drivers were out walking the forest trails with their dogs or partners. We found a spot away from the crowd, opened the door tara jumped down sniffed about a bit came back to the motorhome wagging her tail, i knew it was ok, if Tara is happy so am I. I opened the rear doors lit the gas and put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea, I filled Tara,s bowl of water put it outside with the steps and settled down to enjoy my cup of tea.
In the next pull in place was a couple camping in a tent, and had a fire alight, cooking something that smelt good. Now any one with food on the go is Taras freind, Tara is the best scrounger I know, and she will sit for hours with her doe like eyes looking at you, one thing Tara wont do she does not help her self, you can put a steak out on a plate and she will not touch it, you have to give it to her, she will take it very gently, and eat it like a lady should.
I looked out where was Tara? I should have known sitting on the path leading to where the couple with the tent were eating, I walked over apologised for Taras manners, they were ok about it and asked if she could have a piece of sausage, which she gently took from them and came back with me.
I decided to get a map that was available to every one free of charge, the map showed you all the routes for walking some were numbered some where coloured red brown and green, red the easy short route brown a little longer and green for a long route march.
We cooked something to eat and after I cleared up, I grabbed the map and took a short route around just to familerise myself with the start of the walks.
As we walked along one path a couple of guys came along on their mountain bikes, behind them ran a couple of collies, I looked at Tara thinking that that was agood Idea, Tara looked at me and said forget it mate, dont ever think about that, I laughed at her expression.
We headed back as it was getting late, I put my mp3 player on and read a book, Tara laid at my feet gave a big sigh of contentment and we both chilled out.
It started to get dark, after doing my duty to phone Sheila to tell her where I was and to find out if she was having a good time with her mates and enjoying the music I climbed up into the overcab bed to sleep.
Up in the overcab bed I had a feather matress with feather pillows and a nice king size duvet, plus extra blankets if I got cold, folded where my feet where. Just because I was camping rough didnt mean I slept rough did it.