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Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > Loch Lomond - Milarrochy Bay
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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 5725

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
Loch Lomond - Milarrochy Bay
A few days away in Loch Lomond, Milarrochy Bay campsite. 604 mile round trip in the 110.

We had arranged to meet with friends at the slipway at Balmaha and lend a hand launching their boat. By the time we left home and they left home, they where around 30-45mins ahead of us.

An unplanned meeting took place on the M74 as the twin axle boat trailer had a blow out. Assistance required with changing the wheel and a stubborn wheel nut that would not come off due to a couple of damaged threads on the stud. Using the wheel rim as a slide hammer while undoing the nut with a socket soon got it off. A bit of file action and the wheel stud is sorted and new wheel back on.

Onwards with the trip. First stop the slipway, and assist in launching - all good.

Then we left them to motor off towards the bay near our campsite and we left as well.

Got setup and then went for a swim in the Loch

Camping setup
Vango Icarus 500 with extra awning


Click image to enlarge


Night time around 22:45


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Spotted around the area this 110
Land Rover Club Netherlands just below the number plate.


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The bay near to the Oak Tree pub (nice food and nice beer)


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From across the bay we spotted this:


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I guessed it was a Unimog. Turned out it was a Mercedes Zetros 2733

Over all a good few days away, rain on the last full day and the morning of putting the kit away.
Campsite - nice and clean, good showers and friendly staff.
Oak Tree - nice food, nice surroundings, nice staff and nice beer 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #782092 19th Jul 2019 1:54pm
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G4V JW



Member Since: 24 Sep 2018
Location: Northants
Posts: 190

United Kingdom 
Lovely scenery ...

That merc is something else Twisted Evil Instagram; @gavin_walding
Post #782109 19th Jul 2019 5:39pm
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GREENI



Member Since: 22 Aug 2010
Location: staffs
Posts: 10354

United Kingdom 
Yeah that Merc. Cool

Beaut up there in them there hills.
Post #782110 19th Jul 2019 5:41pm
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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 5725

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
The scenery was nice, made better by lovely sun.

More info here > https://www.blissmobil.com/en/products/20f...zetros-6x6 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #782112 19th Jul 2019 5:44pm
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Tim in Scotland



Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3748

 
I live not far from there and windsurf from the public beach at Millarochy Bay - my brother-in-law and sister own The Oak Tree Inn. If you come back again then keep an eye on the events page of the Scottish Green Road Club www.scotgrc.co.uk if you want to do some gentle off road stuff on gravel and tarred back roads and private land around that area on both the west and east shores of Loch Lomond. Rules for off-roading in Scotland are different to England’s rules - we have no rights of way etc and you must have the land owner’s written permission (this includes public land owned by MOD, forestry land and utility company owned land ) to venture off the laid roads which means club activities only basically. The next drive out is 1September. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!
Post #783588 28th Jul 2019 11:19am
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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 5725

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
Hi Tim

The The Oak Tree Inn was very nice food, we went twice in the week, friends who we left in LL, went about 3 more times!
I shall have a look at the website. Could be interesting to see some sights. 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #783636 28th Jul 2019 4:27pm
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RoddyK05



Member Since: 08 Apr 2015
Location: Inverclyde
Posts: 633

Scotland 2004 Defender 90 Td5 SW Yellow
Glad you enjoyed your stay this side of the Border. I stay not too far away and have had my caravan to a couple of spots round Loch Lomond including Millarochy Bay in the past. It’s a nice base to explore further or just to chill out - midge depending. In saying that, I’ve not noticed the midges to be bad this year at all Thumbs Up Thanks also to Tim for posting that link, it’s exactly what I’ve been after and I’ve printed my forms out already.
Post #783648 28th Jul 2019 5:55pm
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JWL



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

England 2002 Defender 110 Td5 SW Coniston Green
I still have nervous twitches of when I dragged my twin axle tin tent to the Caravan and Camping site there, the sharp bend with the rise as you exit Balhama. I lost a plastic jack pad at that point and created a few sparks!

I did the Three Lochs Forest Drive in the Queen Elizabeth Forest and would highly recommend anyone to take a trip there
Post #783699 28th Jul 2019 10:11pm
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Tim in Scotland



Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3748

 
There is one downer for that campsite............ it can be midge Central in damp weather - they love all the wet grass! There is also another nice Forestry Commision site at Gartmore near Aberfoyle, the Three Lochs Forest Drive is lovely, if you don’t mind a bit of a drive there is a much longer drive in the Argyll / Lochgilphead Forest that starts from the Auchendrain Folk Museum, it is much much longer but SGRC gets access to an even longer drive annually in that Forest
Roddy I hope to be back in the UK in time for the 1st September drive which is a cracker and the final mile down to the Loch is a great challenge. I’ll be in the one on the right but if I don’t get an MOT in time i’ll Try it in the one on the left.......


Click image to enlarge

But I have done it several times in this


Click image to enlarge
 Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!
Post #783704 29th Jul 2019 12:02am
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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 5725

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
JWL wrote:
I still have nervous twitches of when I dragged my twin axle tin tent to the Caravan and Camping site there, the sharp bend with the rise as you exit Balhama. I lost a plastic jack pad at that point and created a few sparks!

I did the Three Lochs Forest Drive in the Queen Elizabeth Forest and would highly recommend anyone to take a trip there


That is quite a steep rise up the hill. Only ever done it in the 110, never towing. 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #783727 29th Jul 2019 7:10am
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Retroanaconda



Member Since: 04 Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2520

Scotland 
Tim in Scotland wrote:
There is one downer for that campsite............ it can be midge Central in damp weather - they love all the wet grass! There is also another nice Forestry Commision site at Gartmore near Aberfoyle, the Three Lochs Forest Drive is lovely, if you don’t mind a bit of a drive there is a much longer drive in the Argyll / Lochgilphead Forest that starts from the Auchendrain Folk Museum, it is much much longer but SGRC gets access to an even longer drive annually in that Forest


The Leacainn Forest Drive at Auchindrain closed a few years ago I'm afraid.
Post #783762 29th Jul 2019 10:52am
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Tim in Scotland



Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3748

 
Thats a pity. 4-5 years ago we were stopped driving the other forest tracks in that forest with the Argyll 4x4 Club run by Ian Hamilton because of timber harvesting going on, which is also possibly why they closed the Forest Drive - too many big trucks thundering through the forest at speed. There were also several mountain bike and quad bike accidents that made the management quite risk averse. Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!
Post #783835 29th Jul 2019 5:16pm
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RoddyK05



Member Since: 08 Apr 2015
Location: Inverclyde
Posts: 633

Scotland 2004 Defender 90 Td5 SW Yellow
Many many moons ago we did a drive from Auchindrain to Loch Awe. It was quite a wee challenge as far as I recall, the ground conditions were a bit soft at times. We had all stopped for lunch, but unbeknownst to us we were on sphagnum moss and everyone settled down until their chassis rails were on the ground! I think we rescued the Suzuki’s first as they were the lightest and they started pulling us all out. As long as we kept going we were fine, stopping for more than about 5 minutes saw us starting to sink again. Happy days as a carefree daft boy.
Post #783858 29th Jul 2019 6:21pm
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Tim in Scotland



Member Since: 23 May 2007
Location: The Land that time forgot
Posts: 3748

 
But that’s all part of the team effort of a great off-road drive, have done a few Argyll Forest Drives across the The Plateau above Glashan Loch where you didn’t sink that much......... what stopped your vehicle sinking further were the submerged tree stumps you got hung up on, but by god it took a lot of team work, winching and waffle board use to get 10 Landies across 50 yards of bog often in pouring rain and being eaten alive by midges, but supposed to be all part of the fun isn’t it? Pangea Green D250 90 HSE with Air Suspension, Off-road Pack, Towing Pack, Black Contrast roof , rear recovery eyes, Front bash plate, Classic flaps all round, extended wheel arch kit and a few bits from PowerfulUK Expel Clear Gloss PPF to come
2020 D240 1st Edition in Pangea Green with Acorn interior. Now gone - old faithful, no mechanical issues whatsoever ever but the leaks and rattles all over the place won’t be missed!
Post #784060 30th Jul 2019 3:32pm
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