By Emma Dodd
A couple who were holidaymaking in the Scottish Highlands thought their trip was going to end in disaster when a falling tree crushed their campervan.
Stefan Baranowski and Alice Radford from Bedfordshire had parked up at Golspie in Sutherland for the day and gone off exploring, reports the BBC.
When they returned, their van had been squashed when a tree fell down, leaving them feeling completely heartbroken.
The Volkswagen T4 has been Mr Baranowski’s lockdown project and he had spent £4,000 turning it into their dream getaway vehicle.
Taking it to Scotland was the first trip they had planned after the total renovation.
He said: “We’d had an amazing first day, we came back at about 16:00 and discovered the van – it was heartbreaking.
“It was strange to think we’d been eating our sandwiches in the back just a little earlier.”
The most immediate consideration was where they’d sleep that night and they were offered the porter’s lodge at Dunrobin Castle free of charge.
With demand for campers so high at the moment due to so many people staycationing, the couple could not find one available to hire.
After seeing their plight on social media, Donna Mullen from Thurso drove the 60 miles to where Mr Baranowski and Ms Radford were holed up and lent them her van for just £25 a night instead of the going rate of £120.
The couple were able to continue their touring trip around the Highlands before making the decision to buy the campervan they had borrowed to drive home.
Mr Baranowski summarised: “This holiday has been all about the people and the kindness of strangers.”
