Tag: help

NC500 Day 2 – Itinerary

Hello and welcome back to the Scotland itinerary series. 

The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below. 

As you may have seen from the itinerary from Day 1 (link below) we started our trip on the eastside of Scotland which is quite unusual as it approaches the NC500 in an anticlockwise manner. Most tips tell you to combat the route in a clockwise form, however as we had plans in Edinburgh and we had plans to finish in the Lake District this worked better for us. Mr W had also heard a tidbit about travelling anti-clockwise too. In all honesty, everything I heard prior to our trip suggested that the east coast of Scotland is vastly different to the western side. In a way I would agree, they are very different. However, in the opinions I read it became quite obvious that people favour the west coast of the Highlands which is a shame. The east has so much to offer and I found it was just the best build up to the rest of the journey. It gradually envelops you into the route. The villages are pretty and the coastline is easier to navigate on foot. 

So without much ado, let’s continue with the itinerary. This was one of the easiest days in terms of navigation.

Day 2 was such a beautiful day filled with wonderful activities to help you stretch those legs as you introduce yourself to Scotland.

We ate in our hotel room in order to save time and money. We used our pre-packed oats and our hotel had a kettle so this really helped us. 

Start your day as early as sunlight allows. The Old PackHorse Bridge needs at least the beginnings of sunlight to fully appreciate. We made sure to get here mega early so we were alone and there was just one other vehicle in the car park when we arrived. The walk to the bridge is along the main road in the town of Carrbridge. It was very easy and yet packed a punch for those early morning thrills. To get the best view of the bridge itself there is a wooden staircase just a few metres off of the current bridge. Please take care using these stairs, they can be extremely wet. 

From here we journeyed to the House of Bruar which stands in front of the pathway to the Falls of Bruar. Parking is free. There is much advice online to use the toilets in this establishment as they are rumoured to be the ‘poshest’ toilets in the highlands. I cannot confirm or deny this fact as we were quick to leave after spending a lot more time on the hike than we originally planned. There is advice online about the walk itself. It says to turn left as you approach the first bridge on this walk. One thing I can advise to the unsteady on their feet is to cross the bridge and take the walk up the hill on the right hand side of the river. It is a steep walk which I for one could only tackle uphill. If I were presented with that steepness on the descent I would not have been happy. We did the loop walk anticlockwise in its entirety and still got to see everything. The descent on the left hand side had long stretches of large rocks embedded in dryer earth to walk down. This is something for you to consider as you approach this walk. 

Something I do wish we had done is visit the House of Bruar which is a huge complex of shops with clothing, trinkets and even plants. It looked so decadent and by the time we had returned from the falls it was really filling up. Maybe add an hour onto your day and take time to look around? I also spied a coffee area which would be a welcome treat after your walk!

Having spent so long at the falls, we head straight to Clansman Harbour, Inverness for our Loch Ness Cruise. Our cruise time was at 2pm. There are other times for the cruises so you could potentially get a cruise at 4pm if this suits you better. We went with the 50 minute Clansman cruise which was perfect for us. If we had had the time, we would have approached Inverness via Fort Augustus to give us the perfect introduction to Loch Ness. By doing this you will drive from Fort Augustus up the left hand side of the Loch to Canmans Harbour and be able to peek out at the water as you go. 

Not usually one to jump on the typical tourism bandwagon the cruise was a welcome relief from walking and driving. When you think of Inverness and Scotland in particular you, or maybe just I, always think of Nessie. So I just had to include this on our trip. It was relatively cheap and, as expected, packed with tourists. We had no trouble getting a seat. The only trouble was the grey sky and the condensation on the inside of the windows. It meant we didn’t see much of the Loch itself and as it is a looping cruise, you see the same bits out and inwards. Would I do it again? No. Am I glad we did it? Yes. It feels like a rite of passage for sure. I have linked the website below for you to book your tickets. The car park for the harbour is located across the road so don’t let the location fool you. Try and arrive ahead of your journey time as there aren’t many car park spaces and there are lots of people arriving by coach. There is a walkway that gives you safe passage under the busy road to the harbour. This is conveniently located next to a large ‘Nessie’ statue at the far end of the car park. A large gift shop can also be found at this location. 

Be aware, there are not very many gift shops on the route and therefore you should buy any desired trinkets when you see them. Prices remained similar in the few shops I did see. For example, magnets were generally £2.50-3.99.

After our brief cruise we made our way to Plodda Falls, which was well signposted on the approach. There is a charge for the car park which is very reasonable. We found there were quite a few midges here so grab those midge nets or deet sprays. We didn’t fare too badly on this entire trip but it is always good to be prepared. The waterfall here is exceptional and the observation deck is NOT to be missed. There are two trails you can try. The white marked Plodda Falls Trail and the green marked Tweedmouth Trail. Somehow we started on the white trail and finished on the green trail. I know I know, we did not start very strong on our trial following. But there are no complaints about doing it this way. If you have time constraints, definitely do the first trail and if unsure, just retrace your steps. 

A perfect end to a fantastic day! We stayed in Strathpeffer and booked in for two nights for the next few days’ activities. (Review to be linked below soon!)

Oh and your car will be absolutely filthy from the dusty, single track road to Plodda. Sorry about that! The Scottish rain will soon sort it right out.

https://www.jacobite.co.uk/tours

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/09/highlight-two-of-the-nc500-a-tall-observation/

NC500 Day 2 – Bruar, Loch Ness and Plodda Falls
NC500 Day 1 – Itinerary

Positivi-tea

One cup of positivity

½ cup of reality

3 spoons of sugar

One cup of gratitude

And a pinch of looking around and taking it all in

A cup of positivi-tea. Boil yourself a brew. 

You may have read my piece ‘Mental health: triggers’ (linked below). If you did, you’ll now know about the impact negativity has on my mental health. The problems of being a people pleaser and an emotional cheerleader is draining. In my own being I am inherently a negative person. I look at myself with less than loving eyes and foresee potential problems to safeguard myself against future worries. Silly when tomorrow’s worries become today’s sleepless nights. Ironically I don’t want others to feel bad in their lives and try to be a positive influence on them. I am the epitome of not living by my own advice. Silly girl.

I have started to view the world in a rather ‘off’ way recently as I recognise my own mental health triggers. I have seen maybe what I have not seen before and wondered if my eyes have deceived me. Has my new awakening conjured up the negative people or have they been there all along?

It wasn’t until I was watching the news reports on the passing of our Queen that a particular phrase struck me. The man being interviewed had been asked how he thought the world would react to Her Majesty’s passing. He said the obvious things about sadness and grief and yet went on to say how the world of late had become very angry. Though this is a natural reaction when grieving, he said it in a way that it would be outside of the grief, and just how people are used to reacting today. It got me thinking about how true he was. I started to wonder why the world is so angry. 

Is anger the go to emotion?

Covid. Lockdowns. Money. Bills. Elections. Politicians. 

The unrest of the last 30 months has been so unprecedented that the human race has become the tennis ball being hit backwards and forwards at such a rate that we are all worn and befuddled. I understand the reaction. I even understand the anger. We are the proverbial two year old who is tired and yet doesn’t want to sleep. We want ice cream, a pony ride, a big fluffy blanket, pasta, our favourite movies, a day at the beach and hugs all at once. Now! We need constant reassurance. We are catching up with the events of 2020 while navigating 2022 and wondering where on earth the year 2021 went. We are battling through a kind of PTSD while engaging with more battles foreseen and wondering when the peace will return. I understand entirely. 

What is happening is unbelievable. Incredibly implausible. Far-fetched. Unthinkable. Impossible and preposterous. What has happened is the same. What will happen is enough to make us sink to our knees and beg the world to stop spinning. 

And yet it won’t.

The only thing you can control is how you react. Everything that has happened was hard and everything that will come to pass is hard. At each step we are tested. There has been no rest. Just a hard slog through. And yet you are still here. You are choosing to continue. To not give up. Just waking up in the morning, making a cup of your favourite hot drink and walking out that front door proves you have not given up. I promise you that your reaction is your armour against whatever this life throws at you. If you need to scream. Do it. If you need to shout. Go for it. Stomp that foot. Throw those arms in the air. Bow that head with frustration. But do not give up. 

Anger is the one emotion that controls you. So let it in. Let it do its thing. And then throw it into the wind. Let the wind carry it far away. You are not anger. You are who you choose to be. Don’t let anger rule your heart. It will win. You will lose yourself. You will sink to your knees and not regain your composure. 

How you react to whatever life throws at you is the person you will be moving forward. I feel your pain. We all do. Life is damn hard. Don’t let it change who you are. You deserve so much more. 

One cup of positivity

½ cup of reality – it sucks, but it is all we have.

3 spoons of sugar – there is sweetness locked into the smallest moments, if you only take the time to seek them out. 

One cup of gratitude – put your hand on your chest. Inside is a heart that beats to keep you breathing, walking and talking. Feel the breath in your lungs. The pulse in your wrists. You are alive. 

And a pinch of looking around and taking it all in – go on, do it. 

Drink it all up. Let it warm you and comfort you. You are not alone. 

Mental health: triggers

Broken/Beautiful

‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.

Doesn’t it rely on an individual’s definition of broken? Or even their care of something being broken? Their care of it being fixed?

Splinters irritate and cause pain but ultimately you can’t fix the wood, mould it back to what it used to be. Take the splinter, pair it with another, and another, press them together to form what it once was, no. Really, the wood was broken long ago, cut down from its leafy reachings, chopped, bleached and not seen or looked at in the same way again. It is broken to suit others needs.

You have the people that will watch a tree grow, its branches bloom and its roots grow deep. Others cut it down in its prime, never seeing its true potential. After all, if you cut down a tree that’s the end; you have the underlying memories that linger and die underground, the chunks of its past life thrown away and its tiny reminder left at its base. One look at the potential and you’ll see that it will weather any storm because it won’t give up its fight for survival. It bends and adapts to its harsh environment; it knows no other way than this.

However, one day, the storm will be too much, the branches will break, its leaves will die and no flowers will see the sun. The fight is over. The clouds hover above the carcass that can’t be fixed, can’t be put back together and be what it used to be.

But if you are lucky someone someday will see new potential, carve something beautiful out of the destroyed wood and save what once was, preserving its beauty forever.

Like I said if you are broken, others may not care, they may in fact be the ones that broke you but out there the one person that sees you grow from sapling to sky-reaching tree will help you shape life again. They will give you your roots back.

Photo by Dave Watson
Please check out his work on https://www.instagram.com/davewatson_uk/ or at https://davewatson1980.picfair.com

Northumberland in 4 days

So, as you may have seen, we’ve been in Northumberland on a little holiday recently and I thought I’d share my initial itinerary with you. So that’s below, in its most basic forms…

After the first itinerary I’m going to tell you all about the changes I would make and then create a brand new itinerary for you to follow should you ever want to visit one of the Uk’s most magical areas!

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Edits:

DAY ONE.

Arriving into Alnwick as early as possible would be great for the sake of seeing the gardens to their full extent. The poison garden is absolutely awesome and even though I’m not a tour type of person, it is a must as there are government regulations concerning the Class A, B and C drug plants they have on site. The central fountain and serpentine interactive fountains are just so much fun. The ornamental garden at the top of the site is just absolutely stunning, I recommend taking a book and a sandwich so after you wander you can find a bench and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the streams of water bubbling over their pebbly paths. There are some huge shaded tunnels which are perfect to hide away from the midday sun and yet enjoy the views over the gardens. If you choose to go to the gardens I think you should give a good four to five hours to immerse yourself completely. When buying a ticket for the gardens you can use the Pavilion restaurant which has a beautiful outdoor seating area. The food and drink on offer is tasty enough but light, so as we planned to have dinner here, I now know this is not possible. Also, if you choose to visit Alnwick Castle and not the gardens you cannot go into the Pavilion restaurant, however The Bakery located just outside the entrance to the Alnwick Gardens serves the same food. So don’t despair too much! Should you choose to go into the Castle I believe you only need two or so hours. Which means you can start your day later or spend more time in the town!

After leaving your entrance of choice, I recommend a visit to Barter books, if you choose to use the car park I mention, it’s not too far a walk. The car park closes for new cars at 4/5pm, but they leave the exit open so you can park all day without a worry. It is £3 for the whole day which I think is really reasonable.

Barter books is a used book shop housed in an old train station and it is phenomenal! Nothing about the actual building has changed and everything feels so traditional and unchanged, mainly because it is!

There is a tearoom in the old waiting room, and even on our second visit to this place we have missed its opening hours. So, another itinerary edit is to make sure you get there before it’s 6pm closing time! After this you have an hour to look around the building and make sure to look UP in the second room as you enter. It is an absolutely stunning building and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back when in the area! 

DAY TWO

Honestly, when I say have a big breakfast I mean it. The weather changes rapidly in Northumberland and if it’s raining your body is going to need the pep up to keep you moving. IF it’s sunny, you are going to sweat! So good food and slot of fluids! We take our metal drinks bottles or a 2L reusable bottle on our trips and refill them regularly from a 5 litre bottle we keep in the car. Keep hydrated!

We stay in Bellingham when we are in the National Park, it works nicely with visiting Kielder, accessing the petrol station in the village and is only 25 minutes from the A1. There are lots of areas to stay in the National Park and each have their own merits. Most will be self catering so check out the locations for shops for supplies. On this trip we had a lodge in Bellingham and took all of our own food as the hotel shop nearby is a Co-op and they can be pricey at the best of times.

To get the best out of the Hareshaw Linn walk, start early to avoid the majority of all the visitors. Take a long pause at the end of the trail before making your return. There is a cave to sit in, stop and just listen to the waterfall. We allowed 4 hours for this walk, but I’d say it’s easy enough to finish with lots of breaks in 3 hours. These breaks are for the amazing scenes on each of the 6 bridges and the carefully selected locations for the benches. Make sure to keep an eye out for the elusive red squirrel. On both of our visits to this spot we have spotted squirrels and this time even saw a full size deer! Take your time and enjoy!

After your walk, take a short drive down to the amazing Tea on the Train experience to enjoy the home-made sandwiches, cakes and treas on offer. You will not regret it!

Now here is where things got extremely tight on time. The Kielder reservoir is enormous! and the Lakeside way walk is 26 miles long. With multiple art installations it is hard to just pick one. This was our second attempt to walk to the Silvalis Capitalis site and we were thwarted again. In order to do most of the walks in Kielder you need to buy a £5 car park ticket. The walks are long, rewarding but long! So bare this in mind. Buying a £5 all day parking ticket means you can use any of the Kielder car parks so moving around is easier for you should you want to have little wanders rather than do huge hikes.

Here I have changed the afternoon to include a smaller walk along the bottom of the Kielder reservoir. This will take in the Mirage deck installation, the minigolf at the Waterside Visitor Centre and a short 20 minute walk to Freya’s Hut. Give your 4 hours. It is a beautiful area. Keep a look out for wildlife. We saw chaffinches, sparrows and rabbits!

DAY THREE

This is a big choice of options. Option A will be a huge undertaking. 20 miles is a big deal and should not be taken lightly. You will need plenty of water, food, layers of clothing and perseverance. You’ll see slot of the Kielder installations and you will be tired! We will be undertaking this on our next visit and I will link my story back to this blog when we do!

Option B is going to be a lot easier and so much less daunting. The Minotaur maze is found at the Kielder Castle visitor centre. Something fun to get you alive and kicking for the day. There is a toilet block on site.

From here you can join the Forest Drive toll road. The toll is £3 and gives you permission to drive the 12 mile road that takes you through a dense working forest. Prepare to reach the 1500 metres at its highest point and make sure you stop at ‘The Nick’ to admire the views and the wind chill!

This is a simple day, but with so many pleasures. Visit Hindhope Linn, before exiting the toll road and make the very short 15 minute detour up to the Scottish border. To say you popped over to Scotland for an hour is something not many people can say. 15 minutes from the border is Jedburgh which gives you the perfect chance to stretch your legs before heading back to Northumberland. Use my tips for the most beautiful drive and scenic views. With a much smaller and intimate border crossing you’ll feel like you are sneaking back into England!

DAY FOUR

This really all depends on where you are driving home to. We live in Essex and found it to be a nice plan to break up the day. I’ve not changed any of this day as it worked out nicely. Dress up warm for Sycamore Gap as you will be battered by the elements! This walk is less about staircases and more about shingle slopes. It is strenuous but one of the more milder walks in the National Park. A fairly moderate stroll will have you complete the journey from the car park in 40-50 minutes.

Now check out the itinerary below for your final plan!

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Stranded in Paris

In late 2008, I was invited to Paris to celebrate a friend’s 21st birthday. With only a few weeks to get sorted and looming deadlines at University I left the planning to my close friend who was also going. She was a student too, living in Coventry and I saw her as much as my schedule would allow. 

The plan was set, I would get my usual train up to Coventry and after sleeping top and tail in her tiny student room we would set off for Paris. It felt so strange to turn over control to someone else but truth be told my second year of my English Literature degree was kicking my arse.

It took one cab, a train and a bus at 4am to get to the airport for our flight. Once landed there was another short journey on a coach before finding our way around on the metro to meet our friend. They’d taken the hotel booking on for us and we found ourselves in a small triple bedded room with an exceptionally tiny private bathroom.

We would be in Paris for approximately 24 hours and time was ticking. We wandered the Champs Elysees, ate fromage and baguettes and spent time looking up at the Louvre. Paris felt like a playground. 

After a quick wardrobe change we met our friends and their french companions at a small back alley restaurant. The tables and bench seating were traditionally rustic and the food was fantastic. I still remember the duck, or canard, I had even now. It was remarked to be a peasants dish but I’d never tasted good like it. Rich and delicious. 

After food and lots of wine, it was time to dance. We paid the hefty (to us students) entrance fee to a very small basement club and descended the stairs from street level. There was bench seating around the walls and the room left for dancing was no bigger than my living room now. 5 metres squared at the very most. There was one door in and out of the room. No windows or vents. The music was booming and the sweat was pouring. 

I remember paying for a round of drinks that had been ordered as we were all scattered and the waiter was impatient. Now, owing to the fact my memory is shocking and that it was 14 years ago, I can’t say I remember getting back to the hotel or sleeping in particularly late. 

It was a Sunday in Paris and the sunny skies of Saturday had been replaced by thick clouds. November was bringing winter to France. Packing up our bags, I took my friend’s lead and headed back to the coach station where our trip in Central Paris had begun. 

On arrival, it was evident that no coach was heading out soon. Our flight was in a little over two hours, so asking at the kiosk was vital for us getting some help. This is when we got a nasty shock. 

The next coach would be in an hour. We had just missed one. What on earth could we do? I’d paid for the hotel, for my friend and I, out of my remaining cash and only had bank cards left. They had little to nothing on them. On asking a taxi how much it would cost and how long an airport run would take we realised how very screwed we were. No matter what we did right now, we were going to miss our flight home. 

My friend looked at me as my holdall fell to the pavement. Think, think, think. And then the snow started falling. I remember seeing the white specks littering the space around my bags and laughing. What on earth were we going to do? 

I called home and told my mum what had happened. She said we could use her card in a taxi, but the card needed to be in Paris. Eventually my brain engaged and I gave her my banking passwords and she was able to transfer money from my savings to my bank account. After withdrawing the maximum amount from the ATM, I grabbed my bag, told my friend the plan and we headed to Gare Du Nord. I remember her being angry, upset and most likely embarrassed. She walked ahead of me in the tunnels of the metro and I let her. We jumped on a train and didn’t talk. My job at this moment was to get us home. 

On arrival at the station I headed to the ticket desk. For two tickets home the €300 cash in my hands was not enough and I had to use my bank card to make up the rest. It was something like £500+ for two last minute fares. The whole trip so far had cost less than £80. 

I swallowed my shock and watched the tickets print behind the glass. With my purse, passport and new ticket in hand, holdall in the crook of my elbow, I turned towards the escalator that would take me to the Eurostar departure lounge. As I took my first step onto the moving stairway a hand arced over the handrail and made a ‘swipe’ movement. Out of nothing but instinct to react my hand pulled away. It wasn’t until we reached the top that my friend asked if I was okay. I said, ‘yeah, why?’. She stood there shocked and related what she had seen. That a homeless man had made a grab for everything in my hand and I’d barely taken it away in time. In shock from what had taken place out on the streets, my mind and my body had become separated in thought and action. I thanked my subconscious instincts and we carried into passport control. 

There was less than 30 minutes until the train was due to depart and, as they always are, the queues were phenomenally long. For the first time, I started to panic. We could not miss this train! The queue was soon checked for train departures and we were sped through the line. With bags in hand and our tickets flapping in the breeze we ran to our train. Final calls being yelled. Door buzzers sounding. Our feet slapped loudly against the platform. We all but launched ourselves into the waiting doors of the compartment. As we sat down, we looked at each other for the first time in hours. Relief flooded my face and lungs as my friend collapsed into my lap with loud sobs. It was time to go home. 

The mental health butterfly

I saw a butterfly fly past me towards the park today. Mr W and I were heading out for our evening run. Recent events have seen me a blubbering mess and frankly such a hideous sight should be locked away behind blinds, windows and panelled doors. But our evening plans to run were calling and I needed something positive to happen. The butterfly was quite large, its colours were so bright I stopped for a moment to watch its flight. 

I usually people-watch while I run, mostly to stop me from running into them, or to make sure they see me coming. There are many times in which I indulge in people-watching. On the beach, in restaurants and in shops to name a few. However, there are only ever a few times in my life that watching has turned to interaction. I remember leaving work one day, years ago, I was lost in thought and consequently a little old lady walked straight into me. No fault of either really, her eyes were on her misguided feet, mine were in the clouds. I apologised profusely, and she said “there are worse things dear” and tottered off.

I wasn’t sure if she meant that having her stocking gathered around her ankle was the worst thing or that an accident on a token sunny afternoon was really such a big deal. How often do we stress about the small stuff until it becomes this spewing volcano in our not so bad lives? I remember a visitor to my office during that time that had lost her husband recently.  She had two children. Both girls. The older one had graduated a few months after they lost him. Having been through University myself I know how much it meant to have my parents around when I graduated. Telling them the results, taking the photos in my cap and gown and simply being able to make them proud. The younger girl in that family faced moments without her dad. It doesn’t bear thinking about. 

Tonight, and most of this week to be fair, I’ve had my fair share of wobbles. Emotionally I’m not where I would like to be. The world feels isolated from me. I couldn’t manage our run. It’s the first time I’ve physically not been able to move. My legs wouldn’t cooperate and my brain couldn’t force them on. Maybe because mentally I’m at a stalemate too. I sat on a bench staring at the trees wondering what the answer was. Mr W sat beside me and I felt so ashamed. To feel so lost and searching for an answer. I’m not unhappy. My life is so blessed in so many beautiful ways. But there are times when I can’t see the good, when I can’t find myself. This week has been one of those times. 

As we left, well hobbled, out of the park, we saw a car with its hazard lights on pull over to the curb. The man jumped out of the car and looked as though he would throw up in the bushes. Seconds later, he was half kneeling half squatting and Mr W went to investigate. An unmarked police car sped by with his lights flashing as I crossed the road to see if I could do anything. I offered the man water and as quick as my banged up legs would take me I rushed home. I returned with fruit, biscuits and water as Mr W kept an eye out. We stayed until the man felt well enough to drive to work and quit for the night to go home and then we carried on our way. Mr W expressed shock that the police hadn’t pulled over to ask if everything was okay. I said they probably didn’t realise what was going on. It made me realise that mental health will never be addressed until we ask for help. If we had waved down the police I would think they would have stopped. If I wave down Mr W, family, friends, they will stop and help me. They just don’t know how. And neither do I. 

It’s only when I stop and think of the people who too are going through a difficult time and what I would do to help them that I realise I’m not so isolated from the world. Because I too have help when I need it. I just need to ask. Naturally there are going to be things in life and people in life that make us cry, push us down and make us question if we are the person we would like to be. Am I a bad person? Is my bad mental health my own fault?

I’ve suffered for so many years with questions. So many questions that make me doubt who I am to myself and to others. Because these questions are never answered I close myself off. Even when the questions are answered I don’t trust them. Why do I fail so hard when it comes to my own mental and physical health? Why can’t my body do what I tell it to?

More questions.

I want to believe one day I’ll break free of my cocoon, where I’ve spent so long growing and adapting, that I too will be able to rise above the questions and avoid bumping into the old ladies. I’ll have the ability to not sweat the small stuff, to view it from a higher perspective and be content just admiring the view. I just need to ask for help. And not feel ashamed for doing so. One day I’ll find my wings.