Tag: nc500

NC500 Day 5 – John O’Groats, Duncansby Stacks and Dunnet Head

Miles: 101 Wildlife: three seals and dozens of gannets. Camper Vans: 30+. Steps: 8783.

Cost of pre-bought food: £2 approximately

Extra costs: Bakery £14, Dinner £5.60

With every good intention laid out, today was not the best day of the trip so far. I’ve said throughout my whole blog page that I will be honest and I won’t be stopping now. We woke up early, I had very little sleep and oh hey back pain, to start the day off well. I had a madeleine and custard for breakfast and I think Mr W had a nutrigrain bar. I’m laughing even as I type that. 

We made our way up the east coast of Scotland from Wick to John O’Groats. In 2017 we visited Lands End and have waited to reach the ‘other side’ of the UK ever since. Not necessarily a bucket list travel moment, but definitely a big tick off some list that sits somewhere in the back of our minds. 

The famous John O’Groats is so much bigger than I thought it would be and arriving at 7:25 meant we were the only ones there. This made taking photos of the famous signpost so much easier. It also meant that using a tripod with a countdown was less nerdy. Although windy, it wasn’t cold and the sun was peeping over the horizon. After waiting so long I’m really happy with how the photos came out. The car park here is £3 for the entire day and you could easily spend a few hours here wandering the coastal trail, eating in one of the many restaurants and buying gifts to take home. We did none of this! The restaurants were not open and we had plans further along the coast. 

Ten minutes drive away is the free car park for Duncansby lighthouse from which you can walk to view the Duncansby Stacks.This has long been on Mr W’s list of things to see on the NC500 and I’m happy to say the sun came out for him as we reached the end of the walk. The return walk from the car park, including time to take pictures, took less than an hour. The walk itself is up and over a rolling hill and is easy enough to walk. The view of the pyramidal shaped stacks was pretty spectacular and watching the cliff face change colours as the sun jumped between clouds was really beautiful. 

With our stomachs rumbling, we headed back to the car and dug out the wet clothing we had washed at the hotel the night before. We fashioned a washing line in the back of the car and set off back to John O’Groats. Food was on the agenda. On arrival we noticed that the shops and restaurants were now open and a lot more people had arrived. We approached several eateries only to find their food started at 12. Finding this really strange, we were left hungry and disappointed. 

Our next stop changed our moods dramatically. Annie’s bakery is a 15 minute drive from John O’Groats and we have been trying to work out how it makes a profit since. Mr W happily heard the word ‘bacon’ and immediately placed an order for a bacon roll in addition to a snickers slice (for later) which was absolutely massive. It is two portions in sizing if not three. I ordered a chicken and chorizo pasty with a very very cute biscoff tart. The whole set up of this bakery is very professional and yet so very welcoming. Two cats approached me as I fell out of the car and my spirit just soared. I do miss my furry buggers when we travel. After ordering the absolutely delicious looking food and buying some trinkets from the shop we sat down to eat in the sunflower decorated conservatory. This place is happy. Yellow bench seating, people turning up in RV’s to park alongside locals. The staff are just so friendly. I returned to the counter to buy some rolls and got talking to the owner, Annie. She opened a wholesaler business in 2013 and just a few years ago decided to open this place and it has become a gem of the NC500. It is honestly such a lovely thing to see someone who is so passionate about what they do excel in a rather large way. I will recommend this place to anyone who comes up to do the NC500. It is a very happy place indeed. 

In my search for the unique, I found another very peculiar little gem approximately ten minutes from Annies. As you approach this place you feel like you are trespassing on someone’s driveway. In a way you are. Caithness Smokehouse is on the side of a bungalow in a very quiet rural area. There is one sign pointing you on your way on the main road, another painted sign as you approach the drive and then a more official looking one on the actual building. Throwing caution to the wind, I pressed the ‘Ring’ doorbell and was immediately greeted by a woman in white apron and blue hairnet. She asked what we were looking for. And I immediately felt like I had gotten the wrong impression of this place. I explained why we were there and she said she didn’t have much food left. We briefly discussed what we were interested in and she said she would be back. She turned to open an enormous walk in refrigerator and then appeared with a tray of smoked fish and cheeses. Mr W’s eyes bulged. This was in someone’s back garden! We bought some hot smoked salmon and smoked Orkney cheese and I asked the lady if this was a full time operation. She said that it absolutely was and that they supplied shops all around Scotland. The actual smokehouse was really no bigger than a small bungalow and you’d never know it was there. If you are coming up this way and aiming to try some self catering maybe try here. It is unlike anything else I’ve ever known. 

After this little foodie tour, we drove out to Dunnet Head. A lot of people think that John O’Groats is the most northerly point in the UK and yet for some reason this is wrong. It is actually Dunnet Head and it only seemed fitting to add this to our plans. The car park is £1 for two hours and although there is a RSPB site here, I found it to be rather underwhelming. It was interesting enough to watch the gannets torpedo themselves into the sea to catch their lunch and scour the water’s surface for a glimpse of whales and dolphins, but should you need more entertainment, I’m afraid it is not for you. It is, I think, a place to say you’ve been, take the obligatory selfie and then leave. This particular part of Scotland is really quite bare. I would say the time of year we are here, when the ferns are dying back and the heather has spent its purple flowers, is perhaps the least prettiest time to view the moorlands. Saying that, it again is unlike anything else I’ve seen on this planet and therefore should be appreciated for educating our minds.  

We had some time to kill before our next stop on the itinerary and as we drove through Dunnet spotted a huge curving beach of almost white sand. Pulling over, we were greeted with Dunnet’s Bay. It is very strange to see something so idyllic amongst the almost harsh landscape of northern Scotland. It feels as if it doesn’t belong. But there it was. 

After a brief walk, we joined our tour at the Dunnet Bay Gin Distillery. With trying something new in mind, we approach the 90 minutes with open minds. I can definitely say that I learned something new and found the manufacturing process particularly interesting. The taste testing however was not my cup of tea (gin) and I can confidently say that now I’ve tried botanical gin it is not for me. Mr W was rather fond of two of the flavours and was much better at the tasting than I was. I am glad we went because even though I didn’t particularly find any value in it, a new experience whether it be good or bad is still a new experience. And what can possibly be wrong with that. 

I will leave this blog following my own advice. A new experience cannot be met with frustration or disappointment. Today wasn’t the best day on this tour and I’ve been particularly hard on myself for not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. I’m reminding myself that not everyone enjoys the same cup of tea nor does everyone require tonic in their gin. Tomorrow is a new day. Who knows where it may lead?

NC500 Day 5 – Itinerary
Highlight five of the NC500 – Our wee cabin

NC500 Day 4: Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Dornoch Beach and Big Burns Falls

Miles: 205 Wildlife: one bouncy deer and cormorants. Camper Vans: 30+. Steps: 11652.

Cost of pre-bought food: £3.24 approximately
Extra costs: Breakfast £16, Cocoa mountain £11.40, Dinner £24

Today something kind of special happened. 

We cancelled our first plan and the world didn’t implode. After a pretty crappy night’s sleep and wanting to arrive earlier at our accommodation this evening we made the choice to have a decent breakfast, at Tesco (haha), and spread our day out on a kinder schedule. 

With bellies full of coffee and tasty hot food we arrived at our first destination by 10am. With a very short walk from the car we approached Tarbat Lighthouse as the rain clouds chased away the morning sunrise. Having invested in a drone Mr W and I took the extra time to perform our third test flight. Very aware of the regulations concerning flying drones near people and cars, we landed ‘Marv’ on the path with us as a couple approached with their pooch. Obviously I asked if I could say hello and black Lab ‘Malt’ gave me a slobbery hello in return. The couple were interested in our photography and asked where we were from and where we would be going in Scotland. We said all the way up and the man said, ‘oh up to Shetland?’ You learn something new every day. Down in Essex, all the way up means to the top of mainland Scotland. But here, it means Orkney and the Shetland Islands. The woman told us she lives nearby and the loop around the lighthouse was their dog walking route. I mean…! The man, unfortunately we didn’t get their names, was dressed in a red coat which had stitching that said he was part of an arctic expedition in 2007. Absolutely crazy who you meet on your travels isn’t it? People here are so friendly! We said goodbye as they said the weather could turn any minute. 

Playing the director while Mr W drove the drone was fun and helped us see our surroundings from an eagle eye perspective. The lighthouse itself is beautiful and with a free car park you can’t go wrong. On the road that leads through Tain there was a field lined with haybales and then sunflowers, as they danced in the wind I felt my mind lift from its tired slumber. As we drove on to our next stop a deer ran alongside our car and I felt the thrill of the wildness of this country.  

We made a brief stop in Dornoch to try the hot chocolate at Cocoa Mountain, tasty if you need a sugary pick up, and then made our way onto Dornoch beach. The beach is found if you drive right through the town, which is absolutely beautiful, as we have found other little towns along our route to be. The beach is famous for its seal watching and I was eager to ‘cop a squat’ and look out to sea. It became pretty clear really quickly that the chance of seeing the seals was very small. The water was very shallow and the seals would be swimming quite a way out if they were there at all. I took the opportunity to step into the North Sea for the first time in my life and as the cool waters washed over my tired feet I felt the disappointment leave my mind. There are just some things you can’t control. I spent a while watching the sunlight reflect on the wet sand and wandered back to the car. Feet numb I snuggled into my seat and directed Mr W to the next stop. 

Now, in the most recent of years have seen some waterfalls and now I have seen Big Burns Falls. The falls are ferocious and crash down between two huge rock walls and make a dramatic display at the end of the wooden walkway which juts out over the plunge pool. Are they impressive? Absolutely. Was it the best part of the walk? No. On our way to Wick from Inverness we stopped by Big Burns Falls because I am in love with waterfalls. If you follow the postcode of KW10 6RS and turn left immediately after the Golspie Inn you will find a small free car park. The walk in total takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. I advise you to allocate at least 90 minutes. The walk itself is reasonably easy with some semi-steep walkways, uneven steps and muddy paths. The humidity on a sunny day is quite remarkable. But honestly, I am obsessed with one section of this walk. 

About two thirds of the way into the route there is a wooden bridge across the river which presents you with an absolutely magical spectacle. There is an entire wall of vibrant mosses with hundreds of individual trickles and droplets playing chase through and over them. This wall of water is absolutely mesmerising. I stood for a very long time before and beneath this natural masterpiece and although soaked after the light shower I would have stayed all day. Never before have I experienced something so magical and beautiful in my life. I felt that should I wish for it, a droplet could land upon me and make my dreams come true. 

And just there is where I will leave you with our story from today. Come back tomorrow, won’t you?

NC500 Day 4 – Itinerary
Highlight four of the NC500 – My husband, the rally driver!

NC500 Day 3 – Reelig Glen, Chanonry Point and Rogie Falls

Miles: 66. Wildlife: seals, salmon and cormorants. Camper Vans: 9. Steps: 12043.

Cost of pre-bought food: £7.50 approximately

Extra costs: nil

7 and ¾ hours! That’s how much sleep I had last night. A-ma-zing! This quirky hotel is dark and silent. And I was ever so slightly knackered.

We didn’t need to leave the hotel until 8:30am and boy did we make the most of the extra time. Even though we were awake at 6:15, we lounged around for a good while and pondered the day ahead.



We had a breakfast of porridge, banana and seeds with a proper mank cup of coffee. Down the drain it went.

The first stop of the day was a short drive away and arriving at 9am meant we were only one of two cars there. Reelig Glen Tall Trees trail takes approximately one hour if you don’t take any photo breaks. And we took a rather lengthy pitstop when out of the trees bounced a very happy puppy. Yes, you guessed it, gone was my concentration and even any pain I still had in my back. Down to my knees on the muddy floor I went and up at me did this special little guy jump. Oh my gosh the puppy love. And his very big feet! His owners soon followed and we stood chatting for quite some time about photography and travelling the UK. Puppy Mungo kept running off to explore but was so good at coming back when either Alison or Paul called.

The glen itself was full of lush green ferns and autumn colours underfoot. The small river calmly passed by with the occasional babbling noise over rocks and twigs. Above the tree canopy the run had risen and the sky showed hints of blue. Although wet and steep in places the visit was made by the discovery of a very old stone bridge which left to the woodland has grown wild itself. Ferns and grasses have welcomed the stone back to the forest floor by laying their carpet upon it.



Happy to have made the short trip we refueled with a breakfast bar courtesy of our food store in the car and set off for our next port of call.

Chanonry point has long been one of the big draws for me on this trip. With regular sightings of dolphins I knew I needed to check it out. On arrival I was pleasantly surprised at the number of car park spaces and all the benches and seats from which you could gaze out to the water. Over time the chunky wooden table tops have weather to such a degree that they have started to curve out of shape. I was reminded how extreme the weather can get in Scotland and was glad of the fairly mild weather we have so far experienced.

With binoculars in hand we sat in quiet patience watching the calm waters of the Moray Firth. The odd cormorant kept diving for his lunch as we kept out vigil. With no dolphin in sight I scoured the waters for movement. And there it was. A rounder shape than expected but something was there. A seal. Not too far from the water’s edge. Happily swimming along. Unreal. For the next hour or so we kept a eager eye out for more movement and although we didn’t see any dolphins we saw at least six more seals bobbing up and diving back under. The whole scene was so peaceful.


In front of me I had the Queen’s funeral on my phone and I am so glad to say I could pay my respects by tuning in. It is not often you can see history literally written before your eyes and as the sun made its way across the sky chasing away the clouds and dancing its light on the waters before me I was reminded to take every opportunity to make your life great. I feel very privileged to be able to travel the way I do and make these memories. Life is too short. We spent longer than intended at Chanonry point. We used our travel kettle to make some tea, had a spot of lunch and continued our glancing up at the Moray Firth to catch a glimpse of wildlife. The waters current there is what brings such a variety of life to its depths and from our seats we could see the different textures of water on the surface. It was simply beautiful.



After slurping our tea, we left for Fairy Glen Falls. It is a very short drive from Chanonry point and even though the free car park was exceptionally full we were able to find space in the Rosemarkie community car park. Which as well as being free has toilets too. Winner!

The walk to Fairy Glen Falls is pretty enough but having experienced quite a few lush green woodlands and their waterfalls I feel we have been extremely spoiled in the past. As pretty as this place is and a wonderful spot to while away an hour I’m unsure it has the wow factor.



Now, Rogie Falls on the other hand…

The falls sit a very short way from the car park and even though it has some steep sections I have taken the approach to speed up to lessen the impact on my back and it definitely made a difference. The falls themselves are enormous. Not too tall, but wide and vast in stature. If I hadn’t known any better I would have thought I’d been transported to Canada. The ferocity of the water was mind boggling as it crashed over the scattered boulders in the gorge. Here you will find a suspension bridge that puts you front and centre to the power of this monster!



We took the Salmon Trail from the car park and you might be wondering why it is named so. Well if you are visiting between August and October, you may well find out. From the pools beneath the thundering falls came the wriggling bodies of salmon trying to make their way upstream. At first I whooped with complete glee at their appearance. I could not help myself. It was like nothing I have ever seen before and I was sure I could hear David Attenborough in my head marveling at the scene unfolding.

The salmon, truth be told, had no chance of reaching the top of the falls but they gave it a bloody good go. There is another smaller route nearby, a man-made salmon ‘ladder’ and we also saw some making the journey up that way. It was a spectacle I will not forget for a very long time. Absolutely fascinating.



After realising we had been there for over half an hour just waiting for another fish to attempt the vault we tore our eyes away from the water to drive back to our accommodation. At the top viewpoint we took one final glimpse and cheered at the last salmon as it made the biggest leap yet.

What a day. Seals, a puppy and salmon. Oh my!


Cost of pre-bought food: £8.05 approximately, all meals
Extra costs: Nothing

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

NC500 Day 3 – Itinerary
Highlight three of the NC500 – The journey upstream








NC500 Day 2 – Bruar, Loch Ness and Plodda Falls

Miles: 205. Wildlife: some pretty birds. Camper Vans: 21. Steps: 13026.

Cost of pre-bought food: £8.30 approximately. Extra costs: Two magnets £8.

So where do I start?

Let’s start with the bad, for those wondering, my back issue got progressively worse over night and after a particularly bad start Mr W and I both started wondering if this trip was going to end prematurely. The pain was unreal, we had to keep stopping before our first two visits just so I could try and walk it off. I have felt extremely guilty for two days now about how I am ruining the trip and how rapidly it was going down the drain. The tears have fallen so freely down my cheeks it is embarrassing. Mr W on the other hand has been very supportive and at a real loss at what to do for the best. And then he came up with a solution. 

Join us on our second day. 

We had a cheap breakfast of porridge with some seeds and banana chips which set us up for the busy day ahead. Usually I’m not a fan but it was actually tasty. Something about saving money flares up the ol’ appetite. Ha!

Our first very brief stop was at the Old Pack Horse Bridge in Carrbridge. The sun was completely shrouded in heavy clouds and there was a very fine mist hanging in the air. We both dragged my arse out of the car and walked the 200 yards from the free car park to the outstanding piece of history. Standing there after I took the absolutely necessary photos I marvelled at how such a masterpiece is even possible. The whole bridge is circular in its shape and made of rough stone. It is now closed to the public and with good reason. I got the heebie jeebies just looking at it. 

As we hobbled my arse back to the car it was now very clear that the sunshine from Edinburgh was not going to reach us up in the Cairngorms. Woolly hats were thrown on and we thanked them for their presence. On our journey through the mountain roads towards our next stop we drove through Aviemore and should we return I would love to stop here for a wander. It was absolutely stunning. Mr W said it reminded him of a skiing village and I told him that people did indeed come here to ski. There is even a funicular, which at my last look was still closed. Pretty walkways framed the many expensive clothing shops and flower baskets were sprinkled around everywhere. Beautiful. Truly.

The next stop was the Falls of Bruar. It’s free and easy parking in the grounds of the House of Bruar and rumour has it they have the poshest toilets in the highlands. I can neither confirm or deny this as one did pee in the bushes whilst on the trail. Sorry bout that. Now this walk should take 1 hour by the guide on arrival. But we took slightly longer as we took photos and plenty of breaks to rest. The walk is pretty enough, but the real reason to come here is the Falls. The initial spectacle you find is on the lower bridge and it is fascinating how it frames the water and surrounding vegetation. It reminds me of something from Lord of the Rings.

We chose to cross the bridge and approach the top bridge from the right hand side. The ascent is steep with loose shingle and even though coming down on the left hand side is still fraught with loose stones, I found there were large rocks and the occasional staircase to help the bambi-footed amongst us. Either way the bridge at the very top of the circular walk is an architectural marvel and even though you don’t get as good a view of the actual bridge from the walkways, looking down into the gorge is awe inspiring. Well worth the walk!

After we got back to the car, it became very apparent at how much these hikes were troubling my bastard of a back. So Mr W fashioned a laying down arrangement in the car and the joy on my face with the feeling of utter comfort shone out brighter than the missing sun. For the first time in weeks my back felt normal, ish. I’d say the pain went from 7/10 to  1/10. 

To keep on schedule, we drove straight up to Inverness and then onto Loch Ness rather than through Fort Augustus. With new gusto and spring in my step we ventured on a boat cruise to look for the legendary Nessie. I am most disappointed to say that he/she/they did NOT show their face and I am sure should it have been a sunnier day they may have popped up and waved hello. Would I do the boat tour again? No. Is it a rite of passage when in Inverness, absolutely. The loch itself holds more water than all the other lakes in the UK combined. I mean…!!

With the mist rolling over the hills and the rain setting in, we threw caution to the wind and zigzagged our way down a single track road. Through tall fir trees and moss covered rocks we explored until signs confirmed we were on the right path. Parking up at another free car park (budget busting brilliant news!), we geared up for a short walk. The rain had stopped and with my returned enthusiasm for this trip we slipped back into our hiking ways. We negotiated steep stairways, stony paths and the odd root ramble to find ourselves at the foot of a rather large waterfall. Plodda falls is 46 metres high and a true beauty. It is tall enough to bring out the ‘ooo’s’ but angelically serene enough to bring out the ‘ahhh’s’ too. As the white frothy water cascades down it finds itself in stark contrast to the dark black rock behind it.

If you are up for shorter hikes with big rewards this one is definitely for you. We were on the trail for a maximum of an hour. And we took lots of breaks and photos. 

Today has been the epitome of a bad day being turned around. I believe that is because of Mr W and think everyone should have one for themselves. Just not mine. He is mine. 

2nd photo in article supplied by Dave Watson
Please check out his work on https://www.instagram.com/davewatson_uk/ or at https://davewatson1980.picfair.com

NC500 Day 2 – Itinerary
Highlight two of the NC500 – A tall observation

NC500 Day 1- Edinburgh and the Cairngorms.

Miles: 368. Wildlife: nil but a city pigeon. Camper Vans: 9. Steps: 8767.

Technically, TECHNICALLY, we are yet to reach the NC500 route, but this trip revolves around it. So buckle up because this is day one!

I’ll start with last night as I left you with the beginning of our journey on yesterday’s blog. (Link below.) We drove from Essex to Thirsk, York. Upon our arrival into this small, charming town we were witnesses to the most glorious sunset. We had booked into a Wetherspoons hotel, something Mr W and I have never done. The joy being that for our first night we had a budget busting dinner of a mixed grill, BBQ chicken melt and a nice cold beer and cider. Can’t go wrong really can you?

On returning to the room via the labyrinthine hallways and exceptionally creaky, sloped floors we couldn’t help but laugh. I looked out of the sash window, gotta love a sash window, at the cobbled town square below and felt the familiar zing of escapism flood my body.

Bed was calling.

This morning we woke up at 4:25am and creaked about our room getting clothes on and our bags ready to leave. With fruit and pastries in the car we didn’t have to fuss over making breakfast and was glad to just get on the road. As we navigated the hallways of the hotel I felt like I was sneaking about and couldn’t stop the giggling in my head. We were in the car by 4:53am, with the thermometer reading 2° and set off for Edinburgh.

We were on the road for at least 90 minutes before any hint of the sunrise appeared. The roads were pitch black and very quiet. The journey was uneventful, although we went through a toll tunnel, the Tyne tunnel, which wasn’t signposted and now have to pay £1.90 before midnight or face a fine so look out for that. Live and learn. We made a few stops along the way so I could try and hobble my back pain away and the morning wind was absolutely bitter. Upon our arrival into Edinburgh we found that our usual, trusty, free parking area was completely full. I quickly managed to find an alternative and am absolutely stunned at the gem I found. Should you ever visit Edinburgh on a weekend head to the Broad Pavement car park. At the time of writing this blog, it is free on weekends and is right next to Holyroodhouse Park. It is perfect for walking to the Royal Mile or, like us, climbing Arthur’s Seat. 

Now, here’s where the day became tricky. My back pain has been bad. And it’s becoming harder to deal with. So Mr W has been wondering if I can even do these big hikes. Now I am a stubborn woman 90% of the time, but when the pain is this bad, I crumble. These past two weeks I have tried everything to ease off this torment and nothing yet has worked. So on arrival at our first stop today we made a promise that if I could not do it, we would leave. I hated the thought of not completing one of our plans but as Mr W put it, if I made it worse by forcing it then the whole trip was in jeopardy. 

With this in mind, we wrapped up against the Scottish wind and started our way up the extinct volcano. I had previously looked online for route advice and found that the blue route was the easiest and would take 1-2 hours. I gave us 3 hours so we could stop and take pictures without feeling the need to rush. 

The route started as a gentle incline wjth a level pathway which soon enough turned into a winding shingle slope. With medium size rocks littered about it wasn’t too strenuous. As the incline grew steeper more rocks and shingle covered the pathway. After a while the path gave birth to huge steps of rock which Mr W had to help me climb. It was only on inspection at the very top of this section that we realised that somehow we had managed to turn away from the blue route and take the much harder, steeper, rockier red route to the summit. Oh yes, we are the kind of people that need signposts every 100 metres or we will just follow the crowds. And most of the crowd we followed were runners who had clearly done this a few times before. I laugh now, internally, but at the time all I kept saying was ‘Jesus’ and ‘What the f**k’ and ‘Who on earth can climb that step, not me, I’m a midget!’. 

With Mr W’s guidance, a hell of a lot of guidance might I add, we reached the top. We did it! I did it! My crappy back let me do it! The very last portion of the ‘walk’ had me in a scramble using my hands to pull my body up the rocky path with fears of slipping down the hill. There wasn’t an absolute pathway up so everyone was eyeing up the best route for them and we all looked like ants making our way into our nest. The view from the top was of pure sunlight and the image of Edinburgh was blurred by the tears in my eyes courtesy of the bitingly frigid wind. But I could have been looking at a gravel pit for all it mattered, we made it to the top and I felt like I was on cloud nine. 250 metres up, up, up. 

We spent a few moments looking out over the city, pointing out Calton Hill and Edinburgh Castle before feeling the need to move on. The whole walk from the car door and back again took us 2 hours and 11 minutes. Pretty good eh?

On our walk down, a man asked us to take a picture of him and his partner, as Mr W clicked away, he told us in broken English, I think he was Scandinavian, that he had just proposed and that she had said yes. How amazing is that? Being a part of someone’s story like that! I became my usual shrill self with excitement and Mr W congratulated them. What a moment!

We made it back to the car with lots of time spare and wolfed down a lunch of tinned spaghetti and something sweet. The next visit was up in the air due to the Queen’s passing last week. We were due to park on the Balmoral Estate and do a short walk up to Prince Albert’s Cairn. With the car park potentially too busy with well-wishers it was a case of driving by and seeing what was happening. I can happily say we managed to get a space really easily and even though the walk to the Cairn was closed, along with the rest of the estate, we spent some time paying our respects at the gates and looking over the flowers. I am really glad we got the opportunity to stop, being away from London and home for the funeral feels very strange and this went a long way for me to feel like we did something in our own way. The swaths of roses, lilies and sunflowers against the stone walls glittered with raindrops and looked like an ornate carpet. Such a simple way to show care and love and yet transcendent in its admiration and attention. 

Making a promise that we would return one day to complete our walk, we wandered back to the car commenting on how we would be arriving earlier than planned at our hotel. Winner!

And then… our sat nav started playing silly buggers. We found one of the roads on our route through the Cairngorms National Park had been closed and requested a re-route. This was done and admiring the beauty of the Cairngorms passed the time easily enough. That is until we realised we had been down this particular road before and not too long after we found ourselves back at the Balmoral car park. No matter what we did to the demon robot it could not find its way around the closed road and without a signal on my phone, we felt at a complete loss. 

After driving for maybe 5 minutes, I was able to negotiate with my phone and picked up a route that worked. The hour journey took double that and Mr W and I could not help but dump our bags with glee once reaching our hotel room. 

Tomorrow we will laugh, forgive the sat nav and move on. But tonight, we are nursing our shattered bodies, tired brains and thanking the local ‘The Wee Puffin’ restaurant for the most delicious takeaway food… that we ate wearing our pants… in silence.

Highlight one of the NC500 – A royal goodbye
NC500 Day 1 – Itinerary
Tears of travel anxiety

Tears of travel anxiety

Well, it is here. The day I’ve been rattling on about ALL year long. Mr W and I are embarking on a fifteen day tour of Scotland. It is the longest trip we’ll have ever taken together and the most intricately planned one too.

We will be staying in 14 hotels, travelling over 1800 miles, drinking copious amounts of tea that have been made using our car kettle, going wild swimming for the first time and we are taking you with us!

Yes, to add to the 12-14 hour days, the miles upon miles of hiking and the basic meals of oats and pot noodles, I will be writing every single evening. I’ve often wondered if this will put too much strain on the trip and whether I should wait until after. But truthfully, this is the chance to get every emotion and opinion down as it is on the day without inference of the delay of time.

If you’ve been following this blog so far you’ll know I’m either bordering on OCD or already a fully fledged member of the OCD Club of Organisation Addiction Awareness. So you may not be surprised that every blog going forward already has a template from which I will be able to work from. I also have a notepad that’ll be with me in the car and a printed itinerary I can edit along the way. I really want to learn as I go along on this trip, which means if something I have researched (albeit meticulously) does not work out, I want to find the answers and tell you everything. You may have gleaned by now that I’m passionate about travel beyond measure and if I can inspire (ick word) you to take the trip you’ve been putting on the back burner well that’s just a beautiful thing.

So today, we are driving up to Thirsk in order to break up the mammoth drive to Edinburgh from Essex, our very first and brief stop on Saturday morning. We’ve stayed in Thirsk a number of times now and it works perfectly for us as it’s small enough to not have any traffic and it has a big Tesco and petrol station. It has made the perfect overnight pitstop previously and there’s nothing better on your first night than familiarity. It also helps that our hotel has a restaurant, a budget one, so we don’t need to dig into our food reserves and can be at full energy for the longest start of the trip.

We have an exceedingly early morning tomorrow because we still have a 3 hour drive before our first stop, so we will be up before the sun and on our merry way.

As ever, my nerves about leaving home have started hitting me. This has been happening in its worst form for about three years now. It is hard to pinpoint the exact time it happened but I think it has a lot to do with the time we had to leave our home without a housesitter in 2019. Although we had various people coming in and out at least three times a day, I was incredibly worried about our dog and cats and don’t think I’ve ever really recovered from the guilt. Since then we have secured a housesitter every single time we have left for longer than two days. My dad will always say it’s not an issue but really his doing this enables us to really go out and live.

I literally can’t sit still the days leading up to when we travel and I dare say a lot of that is down to nerves. I love to come home to a clean and tidy home and before we leave I’ll often remember tiny little jobs I’ve been putting off , for instance I’ve been pottering in the garden getting it ready for autumn and reshuffling photos in the hallways.

This week that has been made a darn sight harder due to the flare up of my back condition. Oh yes, we have a 30 page itinerary for a 15 days trip and now is the time my back doesn’t want to play ball. I’ve tried movement, stretching, walking, sleeping, sitting and resting and so far sod all is working. It’s been over two weeks and I am slowly but very steadily getting pissed off. I am determined to keep to the plan for the trip as this has been so long in the planning and even longer in the dreaming.

Putting the final touches to everything this week has definitely kept my mind busy but I know I’ll be a blubbering mess as we leave in a short while. It’s ridiculous really for someone who lives and breathes to travel how much it makes me nervous. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. It catches me off guard and I feel my breath catch in my chest. It’s like a wave of worry washing over me. An anxiety avalanche if you will.

Mr W asks if we should cancel and I know that I can’t stay here forever, holding down the fort, protecting what I can’t while I’m away. Therefore it is off to the horizon we go, me and him, finding the next adventure and praying my anxieties get lost along the way. Maybe I’ll tie them to the rear bumper and give them a good chance of joining us, if they can hold on that is.

Right, here we go. Scotland 2022. Let’s see what you’re all about.

Miles: 232

Packing for a UK break…

I started the below piece of writing in mid June and it got left by the wayside as life brought up other things to talk about…

So we are heading off soon for a little adventure. A quick tour in the northern part of the UK. As of 2020, I’d probably only had one big trip in England itself and that was Cornwall. Most summer holidays were spent in Norfolk as a child but other than that I have been incredibly blessed to travel internationally. Click, book, fly. Easy peasey. 

One of the easiest things when travelling internationally is packing. Especially if you’re heading somewhere warm and poolside! Lots of summer tops, shorts, dresses and sandals! The bulk of the luggage is lotions, potions and towels. Even if you are heading for a city break, it’s mostly jeans, a few tops, a jacket and maybe an outfit for a fancy meal. 

But how do we pack for a UK break? Well, not very easily at all! There’s space in a car to consider and the weather is very unpredictable! So layers are essential but how do you do that when your bag needs to be a certain size?

There’s a high chance you’ll get stuck in a rain shower and therefore need to dry said clothes while having others on standby. It is the UK climate afterall…

And there we have it, a short, unfinished piece about packing. As you may have worked out, I was going to talk about the necessities for a hiking trip in Northumberland. Hardly thrilling stuff however I have seen so many people ask others on social media lately about what to pack for a UK break that I thought why not share with you what we’ll be packing for our two week trip in Scotland. As we will basically be living out of a car for two weeks, stopping only to eat on the roadside and sleep in a cheap bed for the night, I thought I’d give you all the tips and tricks we’ve come up with so far to make it as smooth a process as possible. 

I hate to do this but, I will continue this piece tomorrow in full detail. Today has been a day fraught with emotions and I know I need to curl up with a book, fall asleep with Mr W and start afresh with a rested mind. 

Travelling the Nc500: the final prep

In roughly 7 weeks we are taking on our biggest trip together ever!

It’ll be the longest trip we’ve taken together and it’ll include 12 hotels, 16 waterfalls, 7 beaches and over 1800 miles driving. There will be days where all we do is eat in the car as we drive from place to place and it’s completely different from all of our other big holidays. 

We. Are. So. Excited.

Last week I set out to research just how many wild swimming spots we could include on our itinerary. There are a lot of rivers, beaches and lochs on the trip but I wanted to work out which ones are safe in the access sense and also safe once in the water. It has opened my eyes majorly to just how particular the precautions are. Keep out of the sea due to the meetings of three currents. Watch out for the depth of the lochs. How cold certain places are. Slippery rocks. Where and when you can’t. The list goes on. And something that kept coming up was COLD WATER. And even though I’m going into this trip with such a big leap of enthusiasm, cold water is a big deciding factor for me. If it is the pool in our garden, I quickly jump in and then into the warm house/sun/shower. It will be an entirely different story in Scotland. The water will be glacial and we’ll need to strip down in the air, dry as much as possible and then jump back into the car for the journey ahead. So raring to go for it, Mr W and I had a chat about wetsuits. Making sure we definitely wanted to try the swimming I searched online for some that would fit our bigger bodies and was surprised to find a site that was selling them for a bargain at 60% off! 

Today, they came and without hesitation Mr W grabbed the bag and headed upstairs to try his one on. After a while I heard him coming back and wondered if the wetsuit had fit or if he needed help. As he reached the final steps, I heard the noise of the neoprene brushing against itself. It’s a peculiar sound. And there he was. Smiling but needing help with the zipper. Ziiiiiip. Up it went. And then the laughter began. The noise is hilarious. Him squatting and twisting was hilarious. All he said was how hot he felt. It is currently 27° in Essex. I wonder why he was hot. Then it was my time. 

I had forgotten how difficult these things are to put on. The last one I wore was 9 years ago in Australia and it was a lot thinner in its material. It was less to do with keeping warm than protecting your skin from jellyfish. This one is thick and less stretchy so wrestling it on, I hoped it would fit and keep me warm in the Scottish waters. After wrangling it onto my legs and body, Mr W zipped it up and it dawned on me just how difficult it’s going to be to do this out in the open. I couldn’t stop laughing. The legs are slightly too long, that’ll be down to me being 5’5”, but it fits which means we are ready to go! No stopping us now. 

Now something that is very daunting is packing. As we are taking our two weeks worth of food you can imagine that it’ll take up quite an amount of space in the car. So when it comes to clothing and other essentials we have to be strict. Currently there are boxes of food in our guest room that have been organised and it all looks very structured. Turning round there is a pile of other bits and pieces that need sorting and I get deflated every time I see it. But it’s there waiting and if Essex ever gets a rainy day, it’s a job I can tackle with some loud music in the background! It is really silly stuff like toiletries, water shoes, zip lock bags for dirty clothing and now, the wetsuits. It needs doing, but it’s just so boring!

The itinerary itself is maybe a day away from being finished. Which is… unreal. 

Something Mr W and I need to do, almost our biggest priority, is to get some real hours of drone flying under our belts. Our initial flight went really well and I surprised myself by really enjoying it, but to be completely confident we need more time. So that will be scheduled in the next few busy weeks. 

Can you believe it? How is that for being prepared? 

Now it’s the time to let the excitement, and a few nerves, to build!

Feel the fear

I GOT IN THE POOL!

It was cloudy and windy but I got in the pool! I managed 40 minutes before I got bored and got out. I am well chuffed! The sun came out for about 5 minutes but it felt so great to cool down. I even laid down. The pool is just big enough for me to lie down diagonally. My body cooled right down and I didn’t feel the heat of the day for several hours. So that has made my week! Tomorrow we are going to be hunting for the puncture, so let’s hope we find it.

Mr W and I have spent the last two nights catching up on some of our Youtube favourites. We literally watch one profile and are addicted. I’m popping the link below to their profile, but I’m also adding the link to their vlog of when they visited the Morocco Animal Aid shelter. It’s a difficult watch if you are an animal lover and yet lovely at the same time. By using their platform Craig and Amiee raised EUR8000 in a week for the shelter and I think that is just phenomenal! And Aimee is right, volunteering really makes a difference. It might not change the world, but you could change the world for another being on this planet and I think that is a win-win situation. 

https://www.youtube.com/c/kingingit365

Craig and Aimee travel the world and basically vlog about it so we at home can sit in quiet jealousy. They show the gritty, glamorous and funny sides of travel and watching them always puts a smile on my face. 

Something Aimee said on the vlog we watched tonight was, ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway.’ Which made me realise that the less time I spend planning for the NC500 the more time fear has to creep into my mind. And the fear is getting bigger as the planning comes to a very close end. My anxiety over the big trip is definitely creeping in. There are a few challenges I have set myself, and Mr W, that I am cacking my pants over.

So, I thought I’d share them with you! It’s about time you get to hear about some of the trip. Not a lot, just a few bits and you get to read about it while we are on the road. Yes, that’s right, as well as all of our daily activities I’ll be writing everyday. I set myself a challenge to write every day for a year and as this is consecutive blog number 91 I dont think its going too badly. So if you want to check out how the NC500 treats us head on over to this blog’s main page and subscribe! It’s not long now.

I’ve even got the link for you here:

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/

I’m going to keep this bit pretty straight forward. 

Cold water and wild swimming – 

If I have learned anything in recent years, I cannot stand the heat. I used to do so well when going to places like the Caribbean, Egypt and Spain, but something about being in the UK and its heat waves with no way of cooling myself down has made me fall out of love with it big time. This is why I have tried to think outside the box to keep cool. I have stared at the fishing lake near our house and dreamed of how fresh it would feel on my skin. And yet the crowds and the fact it is not for swimming is a big deterrent. Other places are obviously more suitable. When we went to Northumberland for the first time in August 2021, I came face to face with an absolutely stunning waterfall, Crammel Linn, (blog link below) and instantly regretted not wearing my swimming costume. We were totally alone and I wanted to jump right in. 

There were several waterfalls in Australia that I could have swam in and my anxiety stopped me. It is something I regret even now. 9 years of regret!

I didn’t jump into the waters of Crammel Linn, I honestly could not see a safe way into the water from the river bank and decided on that day that when the next opportunity arose I’d do it. Since then we have been to other waterfalls in Northumberland and it’s not happened. I kind of feel that I’m waiting for Scotland. It feels to me like more of an adventure holiday. 

The fear is definitely creeping in and I’m yet to sort out one which ones are safe out of the very many we are visiting but I think doing my research will definitely help me conquer the anxiety. Some of the waterfalls I think will be okay are the Fairy pools in the Isle of Skye and Plodda Falls near Inverness.

There’s also the absolutely freezing waters of the North sea and the Hebrides Sea Shelf to contend with. We’ll have so many chances to swim in the sea along the way. On the east coast there is Chanonry Point and the area surrounding the Tarbat Ness Lighthouse. And on the west there is Red Point beach, Talisker Bay beach and the very wild Sandwood Bay. Sandwood Bay is a 8 mile round trip hike that we are hoping to pull off in the first week of our trip. It is said to be completely untouched due to how off the beaten track it is. Although if anyone fancies building a temporary beach bar on the day we arrive, that would be fab! My anxiety here is just how cold it’ll be but I think that’s the novelty of it all, so there is definitely less anxiety about that part. 

Feeling the fear a bit on this one but absolutely planning to do it anyway. 

A hop, skip and a fracture.

BIG hikes – 

Mr W and I have definitely been doing more big walks in the last year. Owing to the fact we aren’t quite ready to travel abroad just yet, (thanks covid, price rises and chaos at airports) we are checking out the UK like never before. And a lot of things in the UK require walking. A lot of walking. It would be quite simple to head to the coast and walk along a promenade with an ice cream but crowds at the moment are a hard challenge for me. Covid has definitely presented my anxiety with some hurdles. Mr W just doesn’t like people. I joke. Sort of. Mostly. 

When we went to Northumberland, we tackled some pretty amazing hikes which pushed our lockdown frozen limbs to wake up. The fact that we started, finished and enjoyed this all new experience was simply amazing and it’s definitely a bug that we have caught and continued to profess our love for. With that in mind we are tackling some pretty hefty walks on this trip and even though I know we are determined and stubborn enough to do them, I’m quite unsure on just how much our bodies are going to take. We will be travelling every single day of the 15 day trip. From dawn till dusk we’ll be exploring, driving, walking and at some points scrambling. I’m starting to wonder just how many days in it’ll be that the fatigue finds us. We have one day where a train will take over the work of our feet and it’ll feel more like a vacation and quite frankly a day to repair. And then there are other days when it’s going to be hard. There are two walks in particular that stand out to me. I point blank refuse to delete them from the trip, but the anxiety is becoming real. 

The Sandwood Bay walk isn’t necessarily hard, it is just long! 4 miles out and 4 miles back. There are sandy areas which means my ankles will take a battering and the weather could potentially play havoc. If the weather in Scotland is anything similar to Northumberland, we could have wind, rain, blinding sunshine and muggy weather all in one day. It worries me that it could drain us of the little energy reserve we will have. The only thing getting me through this stage of anxiety is repeating to myself constantly: ‘you can’t control the weather’. I just have to prepare for it. Personally I believe I could change my middle name to organised and no one would question it. 

Another challenge is our very last walk of the trip. The Catbells walk in the Lake District. It is 3-4 hours of moderate hiking. So it is nowhere near as long as the other walk, but it is taking us to heights of 1481 feet and this is something I have never done. Nothing I’ve done comes close. Eep! I chose it because it interested me the most out of all the hikes in the area but still, this is a biggy. I’m trying to remind myself that if I try to live up to someone else’s pace I’ve already lost. I have to go at my speed, my ability and live for me. Who knows where we’ll be heading next year. This might be one of our last hikes for a while. Maybe, just maybe, that’ll make it that much more special. 

There we have it. A small insight into our trip and a big insight into the anxieties travelling can present. I do know that just trying to do these walks and swims will give me a boost rather than regret at not. I know that the feeling at the end of these experiences will heavily outweigh the fear I feel at the beginning. Maybe fear is the untapped resource we should all tap into once in a while. 

Driving a wardrobe

Today Mr W got his first glimpse of the NC500 itinerary. 

We sat and scrolled through all of it together. I was so nervous. It’s 6 months in the making and lots and LOTS of research. Up until today I hadn’t even thought to check the word count. It comes in at a hefty 11,000 words. It finally feels finished now that my partner in crime has seen it. 

There are some checks to be made in terms of the postcodes for the hidden locations and truth be told I’m looking to use the ‘what 3 words’ app. This hones down an area by using three random words. And is accurate down to the last 3 metres squared. It’s already all done online, worldwide so I just have to put my brain into gear and spend a day sorting it. With over 80 locations and hotels it’ll be a feat of concentration for sure. A lot of the places we are visiting are described rather than having an address so this will cut a lot of time and guesswork out of the driving. As too many of the places don’t exactly have car parks and you need to rely on laybys we need to have our locations pretty spot on.

When it comes to car parks in general there’s no definitive information on some about payment etc. So it’s another thing to remember to carry a supply of change etc. 

We also discussed lots of ideas about how we will travel in terms of luggage. We’re pretty set on how the food supplies will work. We’ll have meals on the go in one box, snacks and drinks in two more and then the breakfasts and dinners in the back of the car so we can grab them for the evenings. We’ve decided to take one big piece of luggage for clothing such as trousers, tops etc and then a smaller bag for underwear and other small items. We can then compartmentalise the car, much like a wardrobe, and it’ll make grabbing what we need really easy. The idea behind all this planning and strategizing is minimising the amount of time we hunt through luggage and boxes for what we need. We want the car to be like our home on wheels. We have drawers at home for socks. So we will come up with a similar concept in the car. As we will be on the road, in-between hotels for 10-15 hours, we need to be able to cut down on the faffing about. So streamlining the process of reaching our hotel and checking in is really important to me. To check in with our valuables and an overnight bag is our plan. 

As Mr W proclaimed today, this kind of organising effort is right up my street so I’m not worried at all. There are going to be days that we’ll feel like zombies, but as my darling husband announced today, ‘this is an adventure’. And I simply cannot wait!

Oh and a little update on our pool-time extravaganza today. The sun didn’t emerge from the clouds until after 2pm and by that time it was hidden behind the huge trees behind our house. To say the water was cold is an understatement and after many huffs and puffs from me, we moved the pool to higher and hotter ground, it’s now ready for the summer festivities and I am ready for it! It is now also in a place that is not overlooked, which means I’ll be wearing a bikini for the first time in my life and owning every single second of it!