Kilometres Walked : Friday – 4.3, Saturday – 8.5

Saturday 19th August, 2023.

It’s hard to believe we will be back in the land of Oz in two weeks. After catching up with family and staying at Lucy’s gorgeous little house in Newcastle we picked up our hire car and headed to the seaside for a few days of rest and relaxation. Our bodies are definitely tired now after being on the go for the last five and a half months and with the amount of walking and hiking we have tallied up. Yesterday was our travel day with a three and half hour drive to our destination. Easington on the east coast has no shops at all so we called into Hull to stock up on groceries on the way so that we don’t have to go anywhere for a few days. Our beautiful accommodation is a converted Methodist Chapel that was originally built in 1850. The current owners have done a fabulous job converting it using the church pews in the bedrooms and throughout the place and also keeping the pulpit.

Today was the slowest start we have had yet and I think we really needed it. After lunch we eventually went for a stroll around the village admiring the cute cottages and lovely church in the middle of the town. What we noticed were how many of the buildings have been built with round stones and how fantastic they look.

After our little wander through the very cute village we then walked down to the beach for a nice stroll and to enjoy the sunshine.

It’s been a lovely relaxing day enjoying the sunshine and the quiet, and a cold beer sitting in the sun watching the world go by.

Kilometres Walked : Monday – 12.6, Tuesday – 3.4, Wednesday – 10.9, Thursday- 17

Thursday 17th August, 2023.

With no rain in sight on Monday morning we took the opportunity to climb Arthur’s Seat. Arthur’s Seat is an ancient volcano which is the main peak in a group of hills in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park. Holyrood Park is a 650 acre park in the middle of Edinburgh behind Holyrood Palace which was a former 12th century royal hunting estate. With many varied walking trails there is something for everyone to escape the city yet only minutes from the city itself. With fabulous views over Edinburgh and across to the sea it was a wonderful way to start the day.

After heading back to the flat for lunch we spent the afternoon wandering about and visiting the museum to see the Lewis Chessman pieces. We had wanted to see the ones that are in the London museum but that room was being renovated so we missed out but luckily enough 9 of the pieces are at the Royal Museum of Scotland. The Isle of Lewis Chessman are a group of distinctive 12th century chess pieces made of walrus ivory. They are very intricately carved and it’s hard to believe they are several hundred years old.

Tuesday didn’t quite turn out according to plan. After querying with Airbnb in regards to not being allowed to use the central heating at night in our apartment by our host, things went a little haywire. Airbnb contacted our host in regards to this and he kind of went a little crazy. So they offered to move us to new accommodation but as it was so incredibly busy due to the festival we knew it was a long shot. Anyway by the end of the day after dealing with our crazy host we ended up packing up and heading back to Newcastle to Lucy’s. Airbnb were great and refunded our money and we received a voucher to use elsewhere as well. And quite frankly with how busy it was in Edinburgh we weren’t to bothered about the whole thing.

So now we have booked a few nights further down the coast in England so we can do a few beach walks🥾 before heading back to London for the journey back to Australia. It’s hard to believe we have only 2 weeks left.

We’ve had a lovely few days at Lucy’s catching up and going for some nice big walks around Jesmond and Newcastle enjoying the architecture and parks before heading off on the last little leg of our journey.

And lots of Gi Gi cuddles🥰

Kilometres Walked : Saturday – 6.1, Sunday – 6.

Sunday 13th August, 2023.

After a super slow Saturday morning we went out to explore the city centre of Aberdeen. Originally our plan was to do a day trip to Balmoral but neither of us could be bothered in the end. So we had a lovely wander around the local street’s admiring the gothic like architecture of the granite city.

We found the Art Gallery which surprisingly had one Monet and one Renoir and we also came across a pretty oasis in the centre filled with an assortment of flowers and plenty of greenery.

Today we packed up our belongings once again and boarded the train destined for Edinburgh. With stunning scenery along the way we sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Arriving into Edinburgh the sky started to look much gloomier 😳. We spent the afternoon wandering through the very busy crowds and checking out what is on this week. Little did we know that when we actually booked our accommodation 6 months ago that the Edinburgh Fringe Festival would be on and also the Military Tattoo at the castle.👏 So needless to say it is extremely busy but the atmosphere is amazing and it’s going to be a fantastic week. Let the fun begin🍻.

With our flat right on canongate halfway between The Castle and Holyrood Palace, it’s going to be a fabulous and busy week exploring.

Kilometres Walked : 18

Flights Climbed : 23

Friday 11th August, 2023.

Well all this sunshine is just becoming to much😂. Yes can you believe it, Bonnie Scotland brightened our day once more ☀️. With short sleeves on for me and Jason baring his white pins we headed out for a coastal walk in a southerly direction. Passing the main port of Aberdeen we meandered along the coastal path that leads to the Girdleness Lighthouse and Nigg Bay where another small modern port is.

As we were coming around the path in front of the Golf Course we spotted a few cheeky seals popping their heads up like periscopes in the water. As it’s not something we see often in Australia we found a bench and took a seat so we could enjoy some lunch whilst watching the seals lol about. With the sun shining so brightly we could spot them under the water and see that they were quite large specimens as well. What a treat indeed.

Turning around at the lighthouse we started to make our way back into town. Jason spotted a small building up on the hillside where we were able to enjoy coffee & empire biscuits with fabulous views over the bay and watch the dolphins frolicking in the water. Another lovely treat.

After our coffee and as we were walking back along the water we spotted some more seals bobbing up and down in the water. Such funny creatures to watch. It was like they were playing hide and seek with us, they would pop up and look at us then duck back under and pop up somewhere else and look at us again. We were the biggest kids on the waters edge laughing and waving at the seals🦭😆.

Once we arrived back into town we headed down to the opposite side of the port to Footdee, which is an old historic fishing village at the east end of the harbour. Today the area is a vibrant and eccentric mix of cute cottages and quirky colourful sheds with the beach right on its doorstep.

Such a pretty little area with so much colour and clever details. Now starting to feel the heat after walking around for several hours in the Scottish sun we finished the day off with a swim ( yes really ) in the North Sea👙.

Holy moly it was bone chilling cold. Neither of us put our heads under but we did very briefly get our shoulders under. I literally thought if I put my head under I may have a heart attack 😳. But we did it, we actually swam in The North Sea and sat on the beach in Scotland in swimmers 🤣.

Kilometres Walked : Wednesday – 6.6, Thursday – 10.7.

Friday morning, 11th August, 2023.

After our extremely long day on Tuesday going to The Isle of Skye we were a little slow to get moving on Wednesday. We did have all these intentions of walking here there and everywhere but that all fell over as we were just a little bit tired. Eventually after lunch we went for a lovely stroll around the museum/art gallery which had the most fabulous exhibition of Caithness Glass currently on display. They also had a few pieces for sale and yes I ended up purchasing one😳. With another day of clear weather we wandered around the shops and along the riverside again enjoying the glorious temperature and finding ourselves in heaven at the most fabulous secondhand book store😍. (Pity I can’t fit any in☹️)

Yesterday was travel day. This time we boarded the train once again and headed to Aberdeen with yet again fabulous weather. With the biggest blue sky we have had the joy of seeing so far in Scotland we went for a wander along the promenade and totally enjoyed having the sun on our skin. Families were out and about in abundance along the beach and splashing around in the North Sea with a few lads also trying to catch some small waves🏄‍♂️. Aberdeen is a port city in north east Scotland and is known as ‘The Granite City’ due to its grey stone buildings. With big blue skies those grey buildings stood out beautifully showing off their grand architecture.

And yes there is more blue sky this morning 👏👏👏👏👏

Kilometres Walked : 9.6

Flights Climbed : 42

Tuesday 8th August, 2023.

Now we were informed the weather is always ghastly in Scotland🤔 and particularly on The Isle of Skye which is more commonly known as The Isle of Mist. Deciding to participate in a small bus tour to Skye for the day we packed extra layers, umbrellas, rain jackets and the hip flask in preparation. Well weren’t we all in for a rare treat! The sun shone rather brightly for the entire duration of the day and there was no mist whatsoever 👏. ( But of course there were still some clouds in the sky as well) Heading out of Inverness at 8am in the morning we drove up along Loch Ness once again before turning off through Drumnadrochit to head towards Skye. Wow what spectacular scenery indeed. With our faces basically pressed against the glass we totally forgot to take any photos along the way 😆. But we certainly won’t forget how breathtaking our surroundings were. It literally just took your breath away. With just a couple of quick photo opportunity stops and of course the all important coffee stop, we just sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the ride.

Our first stop on Skye was Portree where we had ample time to have a wander around and tuck into some lunch. Portree is the largest town and the capital of The Isle of Skye and is just like a postcard with its lovely coloured shop fronts and beautiful little harbour.

What a lovely little town Portree was. With its colourful little buildings surrounding its picturesque harbour. We had enough time for a quick walk around the little headland behind the church which allowed us fabulous views across the harbour and surrounding hills. Next stop on our journey was The Fairy Pools. The fairy pools are a natural waterfall phenomenon on The Isle of Skye. ( we didn’t find any fae though 🧚 )And what an adventure the drive in was, with a narrow dirt road and plenty of other traveler’s, thank goodness our lovely bus driver Amanda was a pro and very patient. Whilst we only had limited time at the pools we managed to walk most of the way up and back amongst the throngs of tourists and enjoy the very beautiful mountains surrounding us. We also noticed a few brave people were wild swimming but with the sunshine out in force it was a perfect day for it.

After another adventurous drive back through the narrow entry road we wound our way back around more amazing scenery to a lovely pub for a quick couple of pints and a taste of the local whiskey before leaving the island.

Heading back to Inverness we were again totally mesmerised by the scenery before us. Wow what a magical place The Highlands are indeed. With a quick stop to feed the hairy coo’s along the way we landed back in the city about 8.30pm🥱. It was a huge day but absolutely so worth it.

Gotta love a hairy coo, yes you do🐂.

Moo😊

Kilometres Walked : Saturday – 6.5, Sunday – 5, Monday – 18km.

Monday 7th August, 2023.

With a little bit drizzle to start the day on Saturday, we packed our bags and jumped on a bus this time from Fort William to Inverness. Managing to nab the front seats we had fabulous views the whole way. Passing Loch Lochy and of course the famous Loch Ness, we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery surrounding us. Loch Lochy was definitely the more magical of the two but Loch Ness was considerably larger and we didn’t spot Nessie along the way😆. We did see four more huge stags though which was just plain awesome 🦌🦌🦌🦌.

Yesterday was a very slow relaxing day. Our bodies and feet were just yearning for some lounge time with a good book. We did venture out after lunch for a lovely stroll in the sun ( yes the sun really was shining ) around the town and enjoyed a couple of pints at the pub in the beer garden and yes you guessed it, in the sun☀️.

With renewed energy and enthusiasm this morning we made a packed lunch and decided on a walk along the river and then along the Caledonian Canal. The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William. At 60 miles long and with 29 Locks it is an engineering marvel. We walked as far as Dochgarroch where the first Lock is after you depart Inverness.

The walkways along the river are just beautiful. Suspension bridges regularly connect both sides and lovely large trees create a forest atmosphere only minutes from the city centre.

Blessed with blue skies once again we soaked up the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Canal. Plenty of boats and canoes passed us along the way and just as we arrived at the first lock a huge barge was just about to head through. My super excited 51 year old child videoed the entire process😆 ( it was very cool to watch ). Enjoying our lunch beside the canal we soaked up the sunshine whilst we could.

After watching a few more boats go through the lock we headed back to town, and who did we happen see along the way – Nessie😆

Kilometres Walked : 15, Flights climbed : 32.

Friday 4th August, 2023.

With another surprisingly dry and slightly sunny Scotland day we completed our last mountain trail hike for our 6 month adventure. Again starting from The Braveheart car park near Ben Nevis we walked the Dun Deardail Fort trail. Walking through pockets of magical pine forests, along exposed ridges and passing several baby waterfalls trickling down the hills we came to the exposed summit where you can still see remnants of the outline of the fort in the grass thought to have been built in the 7th century BC.

Reaching the fort, you could definitely see why they chose that spot, being so elevated and with views all around the valley and hillsides. You could also imagine that quite a few deaths would have occurred on the surrounding hills. We found a lovely spot on the edge of the fort to sit down and enjoy not only some yummy leftovers but also the stunning scenery.

Rolling hills carpeted with vibrant purple Heather, bright green hillsides, the River Nevis snaking its way through the valley, Ben Nevis standing proud without a cloud and pockets of tall swaying pines completed the stunning landscape surrounding us. This Bonnie Scotland is truly an absolutely beautiful country.

Kilometres Walked : Wednesday – 14.2, Thursday – 14.8, Flights Climbed – 37.

Thursday 3rd August, 2023.

Yesterday was a slow recovery day after Ben Nevis. Just a stroll into town for coffee and scones😋, then an afternoon walk to the Ben Nevis Distillery to sample the local Whisky🥃. Yet somehow we still managed to clock up over 14 kilometres!

With today’s original plan cancelled much to our disappointment we opted to do another hike in the Nevis range. Originally we had planned to go aboard the Jacobite Steam Train and traverse across the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Mallaig on the coast and back. As you can imagine we were very excited to only be very disappointed that the Train has been cancelled for several weeks due to safety issues ☹️. So we donned the boots again and hiked the Cow Hill trail across from Ben Nevis.

Starting with panoramic views over Loch Linnhe and Fort William, then rolling green hills with fields of pretty purple heather picture framing cute stucco cottages, we were mesmerised from the beginning. With an extra summit track added in we then had even more fabulous views over the Loch and hills.

Finishing off with walking through the magical pine forests where the fairies were hiding amongst the mossy mounds lining the path we thoroughly enjoyed the serenity of a quiet path.

Picking up a box of shortbread on the way back to our cottage we put the kettle on and put our feet up🥱.

Kilometres Walked : Sunday – 2.5, Monday – 7.7, Tuesday – 26, Flights Climbed – 247.

Tuesday 1st August , 2023.

Sunday was super slow which suited us perfectly. Reading, Netflix and a couple of short strolls and our day was done. With an early start yesterday we packed up and jumped on a train from Balloch to Fort William. Fort William is in the western Highlands on the shores of Loch Linnhe and the starting point for Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest Munro. Even though it was a drizzly and Misty day (typical Scottish weather they say🤔) the train journey was spectacular. The stunning scenery kept us all enthralled with fields of purple heather, boggy marsh, thick forest, beautiful lakes and lochs, rolling green hills, rocky gorges and yes we finally saw our first big wild Stag. What a majestic sight he was, just sitting on the grass taking in the views with his enormous antlers. We were lucky enough to see a huge Doe as well, again just chilling out in the field right by the train tracks 🦌. Wow this is Bonnie Scotland 😊.

Arriving into Fort William we just had a wander down through the Main Street, indulged in some fish & chips for lunch (perfect F&C weather) and stocked up on groceries before heading back to our lovely little cottage beside the river Nevis to relax before our adventures today 🌼🌸🌺.

With yet another early start we were up and out of the cottage well before 6.30am with the intention on tackling Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis is not only Scotland’s highest Munro at 4411 feet or 1345 metres but the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. It is also one of the busiest 😳.

We were on the track at 7am in the hopes of getting to the top before it became to busy😆. Ha, so did plenty of other walkers. Admittedly it was much quieter for the ascent than the descent though. We couldn’t actually believe how many hikers there were on the trail today. It was a constant procession. We also found this hike no where near as challenging as Ben Lomond. Even though it was a very long slog ( 7 hours return ) it was a gentle ascent with small steps rather than the steep track and big steps at Lomond. Don’t get me wrong, it certainly wasn’t easy but we both enjoyed this hike so much more. The knees are feeling pretty good this evening even though we are a little stiff. The weather was clear nearly all the way up but once we reached the summit we were walking through the clouds again. Stunning scenery surrounded us at every step and we were lucky enough to also experience the famous Scottish Midges 😳. Luckily only for a short bursts in certain spots.

What a spectacular hike indeed. One of our favourites in the UK. After the 4 hour hike up we turned around and headed straight back down to the Ben Nevis Inn, strategically placed just at the bottom of the mountain. That’s what we love about hiking in the United Kingdom, there is always a pub to ease the pain 🍺.

Feeling a great sense of accomplishment with 26km and about 8 hours of walking. Our feet are now a little sore but nothing a nice scotch can’t fix🥃.