Yearly Archives: 2011

Having arrived after a quite dramatic introduction to Perthshire, we awake beside our very own loch to howling wind and rain (which kept Katherine up all night and dogged her dreams with visions of a flooding Nettle), and rather quickly our plans for a day-long hike dissolve. To be honest, I’m personally not so shattered at the idea of spending … Continue reading

An oft-abroad friend had waxed lyrical about a spot in the lower highlands called Loch Tay, and so it’s there to which we point our trusty steed as we leave the sheep-dotted fields and tidy urban sprawl of Edinburgh. The countryside rapidly increases in prettiness, as we pass by escarpments adorned with ancient-looking rocky buildings that might well have simply … Continue reading

I’m really looking forward to Edinburgh. The Lonely Planet’s description of the city is enchanting: “Edinburgh is a city that just begs to be explored. From the vaults and wynds that riddle the Old Town to the picturesque urban villages of Stockbridge and Cramond, it’s filled with quirky, come-hither nooks that tempt you to walk just that little bit further. … Continue reading

Puffins are the cutest birds On. The. Planet. It is undeniable. Nobody who would disagree. And we are going to see hoards of them today! At least we better. I’ve got no idea what to expect, but from what I’ve experienced of these types of wild-life spotting tours in the past, I’m not getting my hopes up (except that I … Continue reading

Photo by Kris Van de Sande It just so happens that a Belgian friend of ours is going be in Glasgow at the exact time we’re in the area. We hadn’t actually planned on going in to Glasgow, as from what we know and have seen of it, it looks like hell on earth. At first, however I’m surprisingly keen … Continue reading

We awake to an ever-increasing bustle outside Nettle as our free camp for the night — a small car park by a stream, stone bridge and all — fills up with the other half of humanity whom I will never understand — morning people. It’s yet another beautiful day, although still very hazy, so we decide to take a sedate … Continue reading

Here’s what the Lonely Planet has to say about the hike up to the peak of Helvellyn: …the ridge narrows to about 2m in width and you’re on the jagged teeth of Striding Edge, with precipitous slopes on either side. You’ll need to use your hands in places and less experienced walkers may feel decidedly vulnerable. Our actual experience of … Continue reading

We spend the next four days recovering from our long trudge. I’ve never been this sunburnt in my life. I didn’t even know you could get sunburnt in the UK. I would dearly love to have a shower after our hot, sweaty hike but the best I can manage is a sponge bath a couple of days later. When I … Continue reading

An early start (well, for us), and we drive into the little village of Ambleside, all cute slate cottages and outdoor gear shops. We park in the overnight motorhome parking area, whip up some sandwiches, dutifully put our wet weather gear in the pack despite the summery day unfolding outside, put our hiking boots on, and set out for the … Continue reading

We set out towards the Lake District, scooting around Manchester and then back amongst the emerald fields that are becoming so familiar. Some scouting ahead I did in Google Earth while sitting in a supermarket car park along the way revealed a few possibilities for wildcamping by Lake Windermere, so that’s where we are headed. The roads narrow, and soon … Continue reading

To the frustration of my itchy feet, we ended up spending almost a month perched on the outskirts of Birmingham attending to life-overhead — dentist checkups and a Nettle check-up. Eight hundred pounds later and Nettle has new shoes (what those with less anthropomorphised vehicles might refer to as “tyres”). We spent some time before her check-up feeling anxious that … Continue reading