Although we were sad to have been leaving Lancaster, the excitement for the unknown of what lay ahead had been building. First stop Glasgow… well actually it ended up being Sterling instead.

There journey from Lancaster to Glasgow seemed to take an age, so, by the time we had arrived in a Park4nite spot by a pond, the sun had set and we found ourselves eating fish & chips and considering whether we were happy to stay on this spot. Neither of us were really feeling it, so we headed in towards Sterling. By 10:30pm we arrived at another Park4nite spot, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, with just one other camper for company. The tiredness had caught up with us, so it was pretty much straight to bed. We decided that exploring our new surroundings should be left for the morning.

However, when we awoke, we found that the weather had taken a turn for the worse, and the mist and rain seemed to hang in the forests around our camping spot. So we decided to head for Sterling itself as we had been recommended to visit the Sterling Castle (www.sterlingcastle.scot). It turned out to be a great recommendation as we really enjoyed the guided tour even in the mizzle. Our guide was funny, informative and energetic. The place would be a much more sombre place without the commentary and the guide part was free.

Sterling Castle, Sterling, Scotland

View along the barrel of a cannon, Sterling Castle, Stirling, Scotland

From Sterling Castle we decided that it was a must to visit the Kelpies (www.thehelix.co.uk) as we found out that they were only a few miles down the road.

The Kelpies, Scotland

These fascinating creatures are shrouded in mystery and myth and are represented by enormous horse heads that tower over you as you visit. It is also worth a note, we had a really nice walk around the whole area as it is on the edge of a network of canals, paths and walks.

Soon enough it was time for us to head on towards our overnight stopover at Monifieth.