QLeo
Established Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2023
- Messages
- 194
- Reaction score
- 295
- Points
- 93
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
- Driving
- MG4 SE LR
We have seen the future and it works.
We live in the north west Highlands, and do not have the ability to charge the car at home, so are reliant on public chargers. We left home knowing that it takes about 30% battery in Goth Leo our black SE LR. 45 miles of that leg is single track, but we know that road so well, as we tend to do our monthly shopping in Tain. For those unsure where Tain is, but who enjoy a dram, it's where Glenmorangie comes from. But we could bypass Tain and drive via Lairgand Rogart to get to the A9. We knew there are chargers in multiple locations up the A9, but we also know there is a good coffee shop and loos in the car park in Golspie, so that's where we headed.
A coffee (and minus morning coffee) later, we were back on the road, heading north via Wick to get to the Gill's Bay ferry terminal, where we arrived in good time. We prefer this ferry route to the Scrabster-Stromness one for a load of reasons, but in this case because the winter timetable of the other route is unfriendly, needing you to be there early morning or late at night. Top tip when using Pentland Ferries - head straight to the canteen and order an Orkney steak pie. Trust me on this. You can thank me later. If you get things tight, you can top up at the Gill's Bay ferry terminal where there is a charge point.
It was a visit to Orkney last April that got our thinking started about buying an EV, so we knew there were plenty of chargers. A mile from the ferry is the first, in St Margaret's Hope. There are more a few miles away at Burray. These are all operated by Orkney Islands Council and are pretty cheap - typically around 35p.
Because we have had Goth Leo for about 9 months, and have never done that recommendation of running the battery down to under 10% then a slow charge to 100%, we decided to drive around a while to enjoy the islands before heading to our hotel, overlooking Kirkwall Harbour. A final little trip got the battery into the zone, and we parked up at a set of slow chargers we cold actually see from the hotel window, they're that convenient. We also saw our first other MG4, also a black one, at a house along the route. That evening we saw another, weirdly also black, getting off the Shapinsay ferry, which again, we could see from the hotel window. Finally, we saw a white car pool MG 4 just a few metres from where we did the overnight charge.
Up towards the drag in Kirkwall where the supermarkets are lined up, there are also rows of chargers. There are a lot of electric vans as well as cars in Orkney. And Lidl have a podpoint charger.
We went to Stromness, where there are chargers - loads of them - near the ferry port. There are more in the hamlet of Dounby, as well as Finstown, not far from Kirkwall. Really it would be hard to drive more than 20 miles without there being some kind of charging capability. Again, it's best to choose the Chargeplace Scotland devices (you did order your rfid card before your trip, didn't you?) where using the rfid card makes things very simple. Present the card, plug in, or on fast chargers, present card, plug in. tap CCS and START.
We haven't been to some of the other islands on this trip, so I am not sure about the chargers on them, so if setting off to any of them, make sure if you'll need to charge. We were in Westray last April and I was in Hoy the October before that, but that was pre-EV days, so I was not aware of charge points.
If you are here for a while, note that, in Mainland, the main island, you do tend to do a lot more miles than you think.
The place is a wonder. Its history is incredible and of such long standing (by comparison with the Ring of Brodgar, Stonehenge is dangerously modern) while there are so many ways of seeing the past in the present. The islanders are very welcoming especially to respectful visitors, as everywhere. Seafood is rather good. They eat well here. Yes, the place has its social problems as everywhere, but island communities tend to want to do something about that.
Some tips - one is "in" the island, not "on" the island. It's never "the Orkneys" but always just Orkney or "the Orkney Islands". "Peedie" or "peerie" means small and is a common word, Orkney dialect borrows from Norn, the old language, so "all" becomes "aa" etc. Be grateful when folk use such words with you, as they are generously including you in their world.
Must-visit sites are St Magnus Cathedral, and if you can do an upper levels tour, take the chance. The Orkney Museum at Tankerness House opposite the Cathedral is worth a visit early in your trip as it will give a groundwork in understanding what you are seeing.. Stromness, and The Pier Art gallery (with more Barbara Hepworths than you can shake a stick at) Stromness Museum, the Scapa Flow museum at Lyness in Hoy, Kirbuster Farm Museum, and amazing place, the Brough of Gurness, the Brough of Birsay, Skara Brae, Maes Howe, Highland Park or Scapa distilleries and my favourite place in the islands, a place I could just stand an be in forever, The Italian Chapel. Shoulder seasons are good time to visit, as there are cruise ships that over-run the place in summer, and if your visit co-incides with such visits it may colour your experience.
You will notice the future, though. This includes many small (and some large) wind turbines scattered all over the landscape in such a way that it absolutely normalises them. Many places and houses have solar panels. Many houses have heat pumps. And always, EV chargers.
If you want to see the future working, come to Orkney.
We live in the north west Highlands, and do not have the ability to charge the car at home, so are reliant on public chargers. We left home knowing that it takes about 30% battery in Goth Leo our black SE LR. 45 miles of that leg is single track, but we know that road so well, as we tend to do our monthly shopping in Tain. For those unsure where Tain is, but who enjoy a dram, it's where Glenmorangie comes from. But we could bypass Tain and drive via Lairgand Rogart to get to the A9. We knew there are chargers in multiple locations up the A9, but we also know there is a good coffee shop and loos in the car park in Golspie, so that's where we headed.
A coffee (and minus morning coffee) later, we were back on the road, heading north via Wick to get to the Gill's Bay ferry terminal, where we arrived in good time. We prefer this ferry route to the Scrabster-Stromness one for a load of reasons, but in this case because the winter timetable of the other route is unfriendly, needing you to be there early morning or late at night. Top tip when using Pentland Ferries - head straight to the canteen and order an Orkney steak pie. Trust me on this. You can thank me later. If you get things tight, you can top up at the Gill's Bay ferry terminal where there is a charge point.
It was a visit to Orkney last April that got our thinking started about buying an EV, so we knew there were plenty of chargers. A mile from the ferry is the first, in St Margaret's Hope. There are more a few miles away at Burray. These are all operated by Orkney Islands Council and are pretty cheap - typically around 35p.
Because we have had Goth Leo for about 9 months, and have never done that recommendation of running the battery down to under 10% then a slow charge to 100%, we decided to drive around a while to enjoy the islands before heading to our hotel, overlooking Kirkwall Harbour. A final little trip got the battery into the zone, and we parked up at a set of slow chargers we cold actually see from the hotel window, they're that convenient. We also saw our first other MG4, also a black one, at a house along the route. That evening we saw another, weirdly also black, getting off the Shapinsay ferry, which again, we could see from the hotel window. Finally, we saw a white car pool MG 4 just a few metres from where we did the overnight charge.
Up towards the drag in Kirkwall where the supermarkets are lined up, there are also rows of chargers. There are a lot of electric vans as well as cars in Orkney. And Lidl have a podpoint charger.
We went to Stromness, where there are chargers - loads of them - near the ferry port. There are more in the hamlet of Dounby, as well as Finstown, not far from Kirkwall. Really it would be hard to drive more than 20 miles without there being some kind of charging capability. Again, it's best to choose the Chargeplace Scotland devices (you did order your rfid card before your trip, didn't you?) where using the rfid card makes things very simple. Present the card, plug in, or on fast chargers, present card, plug in. tap CCS and START.
We haven't been to some of the other islands on this trip, so I am not sure about the chargers on them, so if setting off to any of them, make sure if you'll need to charge. We were in Westray last April and I was in Hoy the October before that, but that was pre-EV days, so I was not aware of charge points.
If you are here for a while, note that, in Mainland, the main island, you do tend to do a lot more miles than you think.
The place is a wonder. Its history is incredible and of such long standing (by comparison with the Ring of Brodgar, Stonehenge is dangerously modern) while there are so many ways of seeing the past in the present. The islanders are very welcoming especially to respectful visitors, as everywhere. Seafood is rather good. They eat well here. Yes, the place has its social problems as everywhere, but island communities tend to want to do something about that.
Some tips - one is "in" the island, not "on" the island. It's never "the Orkneys" but always just Orkney or "the Orkney Islands". "Peedie" or "peerie" means small and is a common word, Orkney dialect borrows from Norn, the old language, so "all" becomes "aa" etc. Be grateful when folk use such words with you, as they are generously including you in their world.
Must-visit sites are St Magnus Cathedral, and if you can do an upper levels tour, take the chance. The Orkney Museum at Tankerness House opposite the Cathedral is worth a visit early in your trip as it will give a groundwork in understanding what you are seeing.. Stromness, and The Pier Art gallery (with more Barbara Hepworths than you can shake a stick at) Stromness Museum, the Scapa Flow museum at Lyness in Hoy, Kirbuster Farm Museum, and amazing place, the Brough of Gurness, the Brough of Birsay, Skara Brae, Maes Howe, Highland Park or Scapa distilleries and my favourite place in the islands, a place I could just stand an be in forever, The Italian Chapel. Shoulder seasons are good time to visit, as there are cruise ships that over-run the place in summer, and if your visit co-incides with such visits it may colour your experience.
You will notice the future, though. This includes many small (and some large) wind turbines scattered all over the landscape in such a way that it absolutely normalises them. Many places and houses have solar panels. Many houses have heat pumps. And always, EV chargers.
If you want to see the future working, come to Orkney.
