Teeside trip

 Back to Hartlepool to see the bits I missed during the folk festival. Tapas lunch at the marina (which had weird stalagmites in the water  - what's that?) Then a trip around the museum. All very nautical but some lovely engines. I drove along the headland road but the wind was too biting for a walk. 

Then booked in to Stockton on Tees camp site and a trip to Asda. 

Sunday

Next morning after a fantastic red sunrise I walked down to the Tees Barrier. Then along the riverbanks to the Infinity Bridge. Slicing cold wind. The barrier has 4 Archimedes screws! And massive hydraulic rams!

Monday - Mount Grace Priory

Really windy drive back. Finally got to stop at Mount Grace Priory, which I had been passing for years. Big open site but I think a visit in spring/summer would be fabulous for the gardens. 

Grassington at Xmas, and Storm Darra-aargh!

Well it seemed like a good idea when we booked it. Grassington Christmas market was to be held on December the 7th, so Hugh, Sharon and I booked a couple of nights at Wharfedale CMC. We can take a leisurely walk in from there, we thought. 

Storm Darragh was forecast with 50mph winds on Saturday, and so the market was cancelled. But we made the best of it! Lovely meal in the Gamekeeper's on Friday night - the pie experts with me were very complimentary about the steak pie. Chips and beer, yum, and item one on the To Do list ticked off.

Decision time on Saturday morning, do we stay or do we go? We decided to stay, grabbed our boots and coats and walked into the village. Miraculously it stayed dry, and so we had a wander around Grassington, including the Folk Museum - not, as we joked, full of elderly Yorkshire people but full of interesting 'stuff'. Then into the packed Town Hall which was holding a craft fair. I won a Terry's Chocolate Orange in the tombola - result! Finally cakes, croissant and hot drinks in a cafe - item two on the To Do list complete.

By the time we reached the site, early afternoon, the wind gusts were enough to stop you in your tracks, so we got back just in time. My van was rocking away, it's so unstable! I took the silver screens off in case they ripped, or even tore my windscreen wipers off. We stayed inside that evening, with wine and a pub quiz book, very nice.

The next morning after a sleepless night for me, we headed home, and noticed a conifer tree had come down on the site but no other damage. I was a bit concerned for my roof lights at one point but all was fine. Driving back on the A59 needed some concentration over the tops but it was OK.

And then when I got home..... part of my fence had blown down. Oh happy day.

 

Hartlepool Folk Festival

Excellent folk music, but a bit of an odd venue. The town is obviously struggling but the Headland area where we were looked really interesting. I didn't explore though because it was such a long walk from the Borough Hall and other music venues back to the site. It was quite wearing. A day trip in Spring might be worth it.

Not sure if I'd go again, or at least I'd try not to have to use the campsite - no drinking water!

Deepdale festival

 

The annual trip to see bands at Deepdale, good weather and company, with some fine music and some awful stuff.

RSPB Leighton Moss

 

I had been sad to leave Scotland, and my first impressions of the campsite weren't great - I needed levellers and it was very busy with lots of family groups - but then it is the weekend! I'm just used to the quieter Scottish roads I suppose. After a grey, boring, drive I did eventually have a fine view of the bay from my pitch. 

I went for a walk around the area and past a very odd statue which I thought must be intended to be seen from the sea. I found out later it was called the Praying Shell and overlooks the site of the cockle picker drownings in 2004.

The next day it was off to RSPB Leighton Moss, where we hugged the coast hoping to see a bore at high tide, but not a sausage. The birds were quite a way off on the sandbanks, but we did see a cattle egret and avocets. Eric Morecambe has a hide named after him there.

We spent day 2 in the main reserve, and had a fantastic close-up view of small flocks of bearded tits. So beautiful. Also red deer, mergansers, a large clutch of cygnets and more.

As I left, the heavens opened and it was a long, wet, and tiring drive home.

Eastern Scotland - Part I

This trip is a bit of a litmus test, if it is as stressful as my S. England trip, it is time to think about downsizing the van.

Sunday 8th - Stopped at great Italian deli in Morpeth for lunch, then overnight at Dunbar which was probably nice but shrouded in mist. A return visit is needed to do their art trail but I did see the Dunbear (by Andy Scott, the same sculptor who designed the Kelpies). 

Monday 9th - In the morning it had cleared enough to see Bass Rock from my pitch.  But I headed off to Rosslyn Chapel (of The Da Vinci Code fame) just south of Edinburgh. Interesting building, but no photos allowed inside. The guide gave a good talk, and the place was pretty full with coach tourists.

Over the Forth road bridge, trying not to gawp too much at the fab rail bridge to my right, on to the East Wemyss caves. I'd found these on an app called Atlas Obscura. Right on the coast, it was a nice spot for a lunch break but I didn't really see the pictish carvings as the caves were gated. (Several days later I read you can get the gate key from the local shop! Well that's handy to know....) I did see Sandwich terns though. Then on to Anstruther, and a couple of nights at Bankside Farm CL.

Anstruther

Tuesday 10 - After a wild and windy night, I awoke to brilliant blue skies. Caught the bus to St Andrews and had a terrific day. Such a pretty, tree-lines town. First stop the museum, then walked down to the castle on the coast. 

Over to Wardlaw museum in the University grounds - what a view from the top! 

Lunch of Cullen skink in The Bothy, (nice, with a slurp of rose too, well I am on holiday) and down to the harbour for an ice cream (same excuse). Quick nosy at the cathedral then I took the bus halfway back.

I got off the bus at the lovely village of Crail and walked the last few miles back to the campsite on the coastal path - redshank, cormorants, heron, oystercatchers and a really good look at a vole! Beautiful coastal views and more caves.

Wednesday 11th 

On to Banchory, via lunch at the Aberlemno stones (standing pictish carvings) and the St Cyrus nature reserve.

It was warm and sunny at the reserve and I could hear the seeds popping from the gorse and broom. I met an interesting man at the abandoned cemetery who helped me identify the martins and fulmars overhead. He told me the story of George Beattie the poet, and victim of either murder or suicide, quite a sad story for such a beautiful day.

Thursday 12th

Walked from the Banchory site along the Dee, to the Milton of Crathes Arts Centre. A lovely river where I saw an enormous salmon. There were various art displays at the arts centre, and I had a lovely bacon butty and coffee. 

 

Over the road was Crathes castle, with beautiful gardens and fabulous painted ceilings in most of the upper rooms. The one to the right is the muses ceiling.

Bus back to campsite via Tesco. A long day, 18k steps!

Friday 13th

Aberdeen - the inspiration for the whole trip, but sadly we didn't get on. It was a cold day and the city wasn't at its best - even the Art Gallery seemed unfriendly and patronising. I walked up to the old town, and St Machar's cathedral via the botanical gardens. 

I probably should give it another try one day. I didn't explore it properly but did see enormous ships right in the centre of the city.

Saturday 14th

From Banchory along the tourist trail through Ballater and Braemar. Lots of walks around here, you could spend a week in either one. Then it was over the Snow Road! (The A939 more prosaically). 

After a slightly narrow start, the road opened out and there were fine views all the way to Tomintoul. It is one of the highest roads in the country, and the satnav didn't want to take me up it, but I found the van handled the long hills really well.

The Watchers

There were sculptures along the route, and a good cafe for tea and flapjacks. Tomintoul Bowling Club was putting me up for the night on an honesty box principle, with four other vans parked there too. The eating places were all a bit 'hotel-y' so I stocked up at The Village Shop.

The end of week one - and what a brilliant time I am having, I could get used to this!

Eastern Scotland - Part II

Sunday 15th

Down the other side of the range to Grantown-on-Spey, where I'm booked in for 2 nights. 

I drove over to the interesting coastal village of Findhorn. There is an eco-village just on the outskirts but it was jammed with vehicles ironically, so couldn't stop. Walked out along the river mouth and watched the turnstones. I got soaked in a sudden shower, then headed off to Cardhu to visit the distillery. 

Cardhu was run by the Cumming family, and after the husband died it was taken over by his wife Mary and then by their daughter Elizabeth. They were the first distillery to become part of the Johnnie Walker conglomerate. Very posh tasting rooms but I didn't try any. The rather bonkers statue shows the founder waving a red flag because that's how she used to signal to the illegal hooch makers that the revenue men had come to town. 

Monday 16th

A beautiful day so I had some R&R and did my washing, showered and then sat in the sun. 

Great views from the top of the site. In the afternoon walked in to town and spent a while in the comprehensive museum. Steak and strawbs for tea, with a nice G&T.

Booked in for an extra night.

Tuesday 17th

I caught the bus to Aviemore, which was a busy commercial centre for the various sporty-types who come to walk, climb, cycle, kayak. Mountain Warehouse etc spread along a clogged road, so I was able to buy a skirt for £12 - guess who hadn't brought her shorts? From there I got the Cairngorm Explorer bus up to Glenmore visitor centre (closed!). A flat, easy trail of a couple of miles led to Loch Ilaine, a beautiful green loch surrounded by sand and pines, basking in the hot sun.

Wednesday 18th

I made a prompt start the next morning, to get down to Moffat and beat the heat. A fine drive under blue skies. Understandably the site was busy with people who couldn't believe their luck with the weather. 

Thursday 19th

Another cracking day, after breakfast in the sun I walked in to the small town which has indie food shops and spent an age in the Moffat museum, which was excellent and had an exhibition about Merlin and Wales - it sort of made sense at the time. Also one on the 1935 Moffat Ravine Murders which were solved using some of the first forensic techniques. Popped in to Moffat mill to get some extra tee-shirts. 

This was my last night in Scotland, and on Friday I reluctantly set off for Morecambe Bay to meet up with the RSPB group at Leighton Moss.

Many more trips needed to explore - maybe next time stay in one or two places for longer and do some proper walks.