Glen Coe and My NC500

Glen Coe

Days 1-8
Glasgow | North Ballachulish

After an overnight in Glasgow (Premier Inn in Milngavie) where I saw my good friend Carol, I spent a week hiking in the Glen Coe area. I stayed with HF Holidays at Alltshellach in North Ballachulish. It was a very convivial week and I met Ang and Phil and we laughed a lot.

Sunday 10th
The Lairigmòr, 13km and 620m

Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe


Monday 11th
Kingshouse to Kinlochleven along the West Highland Way, 13.5km

Blackwater reservoir


Tuesday 12th
The Isle of Lismore, 10km

Telegraph cable sign with an actual bit of the cable
Restored croft on Isle of Lismore
Passengers only ferry


Wednesday 13th
Kentallen Peninsula, 12.5km and 240m

Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe
Quite large, possibly cow
Loch Linnhe
On the run
Loch Linnhe


Thursday 14th
Gleann Domhanaidh, 12.5km and 340m
This was the very wet day, nobody got to go up Ben Nevis but we had some fun crossing a river.

Ben Nevis distillery


Friday 15th
Garbh Bheinn, 10km and 900m
This was the big mountain day, we started at sea level. Heads are down a lot as we concentrate on foot placement.

We’d just done a fun bit dangling on a narrow ledge, narrower than the width of my boot, and with a big drop.
Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe
Some of the summiteers, Richard, Bill and me
I became an HF poster boy briefly (blue cap)

NC500 Clockwise

Days 9 to 16
Shieldaig | Poolewe | Lochinver | Borgie | Lybster | Invergarry | Kirkcudbright

Saturday 16th
I drove from North Ballachulish to Shieldaig. I didn’t drive up the Bealach na Bà (Pass of the Cattle) to the Applecross peninsula because I’ve driven it several times before on previous visits. Since then this part of Scotland has been invaded by motorhomes and I didn’t fancy meeting one of them on the mountain pass. It would be me having to reverse down the mountain as reversing a large vehicle on that road either up or down would be a nightmare.
Shieldaig was the central purpose of my trip. I buried the last of Carol’s ashes in a quiet untrodden spot looking out to Loch Shieldaig with mountains behind. I wrote a short piece about that here.

Kishorn
Badachro
Shieldaig
Shieldaig

Then to Poolewe via Torridon, saw a stag, Kinlochlewe and Gairloch. I checked into a nice room in Corriness House. Drove out immediately to the Badachro Inn. Despite my confirmed booking there was a private Halloween party taking place. The cat woman behind the bar offered me chilli but it wasn’t what I wanted let alone to be in the middle of a party. Drove all the wiggly way back in the dark and had emergency posh pot noodle. After the more or less constant noise of an HF holiday I needed a good dose of peace and quiet.

Sunday 17th
Breakfast was fine, plastic flowers on the tables was the only let down. I could hear Carol chuntering away about this.
I explored the area around Loch Ewe, lots of WW2 concrete left from the Russian Arctic Convoys, not as much as the German concrete in the Channel Islands but still a lot of leftovers of a big operation. Lunch in the Perfume Studio overlooking the loch, then a short walk past yet more concrete. Lovely warm sunny day.
Although the manager at the Badachro Inn had apologised and offered a free meal, I was too tired so instead had emergency supplies meal of soup. Fell asleep watching/listening to BBC Alba, most relaxing.

Ewes at Poolewe
Large flat stone, I was intrigued by the markings, stone was about 2m x 1m

Monday 18th
Left Poolewe for the drive to Lochinver. I’d made a rough plan of the things I wanted to visit each day with room for not doing them and for doing other things spontaneously. I stopped to visit the Russian Arctic Convoys Museum in Aultbea which was small and interesting. I liked the first hand statements of the local people and how they lived with the soldiers, some Polish, some Indian, who were stationed there for most of the war.
It was a great drive, quite gloomy weather wise but dramatic scenery, passing mountains I’ve read about. I stopped to look at Corrieshalloch Gorge which had a modern looking bridge which turned out to have been built in 1874. It felt quite unstable but I ended up crossing it twice to look at this very narrow, very high gorgeous gorge. It was created by glacial meltwater.
Next stop was Ullapool for diesel and supplies at Tesco. Onwards to pass Stac Pollaidh mountain and then a stop for a picnic lunch. I made another break to walk round Ardvreck Castle on Loch Assynt which is overlooked by Quinag mountain. Arrived in Lochinver not long after 4. I was trying not to overtire myself.
Stayed at The Old Bakery with a room overlooking the bay. No tissues, no chair, nothing to put my suitcase on. But v comfortable new bed. Ate out at Peet’s which has a big fish menu. I ate veggie and it was ok, nothing spectacular.

Quinag
Stac Pollaidh
Ardvreck Castle
Ardvreck Castle
The lonesome road
Corrieshalloch Gorge
Ardvreck Castle
Dear deer in Lochinver

Tuesday 19th
After a stressful time in the shower, which threatened to flood the entire room, I had a continental breakfast with ham and cheese, continental was the only breakfast offering. I left The Old Bakery, run by 21 year old very chatty Evan. He’s doing well just needs a little more attention to detail! I was impressed with what he’d done so far.
I drove the exciting route (the map calls it the wee mad road) to Drumbeg which had a great shop. Then on for about 20 miles in all, at one point being nearly squashed by a huge truck on the single track road. How it did the bends on the steep slopes I’d just done, I can’t imagine, let alone what happened when it met one of the ubiquitous motorhomes. Today felt like a lot of pulling in for motorhomes and vans and the weather was appalling so I mostly didn’t see much at all especially when it was bucketing down and misty and consequently I am well tired.
I stopped at Unapool for coffee and shortbread and learnt a bit about the Geopark. Drove down miles and miles of glacial plain below Foinaven mountain, Strath Dionard. It’s a really impressive feature. A strath is a broad mountain valley.
I also stopped to look at Smoo Cave just beyond Durness. When she was here, Susan Calman said it means Cave Cave. Not as bad as Torpenhow Hill which is Hill Hill Hill Hill. I didn’t do the caving trip because I’m scared of things like that. Whilst I’m on comedians I follow Zoe Lyons on Instagram and I’m also following her on the NC500. She’s about a day ahead of me in a camper van.
Then I just kept going following Google Maps which has become less reliable up here. It’s wanted me to take several dead ends today (I didn’t because I also have a road map). However I did take an unclassified road to Borgie because today’s hotel is the Borgie Lodge Hotel. First, cows who didn’t want to move at all, then a 30 mph speed limit on a road you would be hard pushed to go over 20 mph on, then more post boxes than you see in a town, then a half naked man appearing out of nowhere in the torrential rain and mist but actually getting out of his wetsuit near a beach. I’d gone about 5 miles out of my way but hey, fun miles.
The Borgie Lodge Hotel feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere but is actually quite near the A836. I thought the boy who welcomed me was a bit surly. He gave me Corona lager without a glass and suggested I sit to eat my dinner by the window, out of which I would have seen nothing but dark and rain! Andi, whose hotel it is, was a lot more friendly.
I had a good dinner with some wine. Enjoying my room under the eaves.

Winch at Smoo Cave
Smoo Cave
Smoo Cave
More lonely road

Wednesday 20th
Good breakfast. No stags, apparently there are usually so many they fill the field but not today.
No real plan for the day. It started off dry and sunny but a lot cooler.
I stopped to look at Cnoc Freiceadain Long Cairns but within minutes was totally soaked having ignored the clues that it was about to rain! No boots, no waterproofs!
Brought all the water into the car and had to change my clothes, fortunately this was a v remote location.
I kept on to Dunnet Head which is the most northerly point of Scotland, where I managed to stay relatively dry. Couldn’t see anything really. Then same again at John O’Groats which is often thought of as the most northerly point, where it was 5 degrees as well as v wet and windy.
Wick for replenishing supplies of cheaper diesel and picnic lunches at Tesco.
So very many abandoned derelict houses here. Most single storey, hugging the contours for shelter, and then the odd one with 3 or even 4 stories, standing proud and broken all at once.
Soon arrived at the B&B a little north of Lybster, there are a lot of places in this area which end in ‘ster’ which is a steading or settlement. Modern house overlooking the sea, lovely and warm and well insulated. Purple in the loo tank made me think I was ill! Also horrible patterned sheets!
Drove to the village to eat at the pub but it was closed for the season so it was cup of soup and pot curry night.
Attended my LGBTQ bereavement group on my phone. No wireless here. I love those people, they have made a huge difference to my life.
Best village name of the day – Swordly.

North coast
View from my room at Borgie
Dunnet Head, more WW2 concrete
John O’Groats
Sunset at Lybster

Thursday 21st
Hammering overnight rain on the Velux window. Another continental breakfast only. This one entirely self service.
Best sign of the day “Caution otters for 1 and 3/4 miles” followed hard by “Deer for 2 miles”.
Cold start to the day, 3 degrees. I stopped and walked to Badbea clearance village. It wasn’t a village that had been cleared but one that people who had lost their homes in the clearances had created in the early 1800s. It was in an inhospitable location, perched on a cliff face. The idea was that they would work in the fishing industry. The population shrank year by year.
Next stop was the Glenmorangie distillery for some shopping.
Then to Culloden, which now has a visitor centre, opened in 2008. I think I must have been about 10 or a little older when we had a family holiday round Scotland, anyhow all I remember was a lot of headstones with the clan names on them in a row and how we looked for the Mackintosh stone because dad’s mother was a Mackintosh and was descended from them. I remember it being wet and bleak, so that bit hadn’t changed. There is a line of stones but not lots and the Mackintoshes seem disproportionately represented because they have 3 stones. The visitor centre has a really good immersive 4 walled video show which makes you feel like you are in the battle.
Down the Great Glen, along the side of Loch Ness to Invergarry.
Invergarry Hotel, great dinner, Skye lager, Raasay whiskey. A proper old fashioned hotel.
Fire alarm at 10pm. I was in bed because I wasn’t very warm. I put some clothes on top of my pyjamas as didn’t want to freeze outside for ages. I grabbed my essentials – money, keys, phone. It was not a fire. On returning to my room realised I hadn’t picked up my wedding rings. I know I’m not supposed to collect things but I also want to be identified if I was hurt in a fire.

Badbea
East coast
Memorial to the families at Badbea
Culloden
Culloden

Friday 22nd
Nice breakfast. It turned out that a guest had left a plastic handled brush on top of one of the wood burners which had started to melt and had set off the fire alarm, I’m just glad the fire control systems worked. Beautiful autumn sunny day with early morning mist. Stopped a few times to take photos, drink my coffee. I’ve got into a good routine making up my flask each morning. This works well on the long drives when there might not be a cafe at the right time and mostly there wasn’t or if there was it was shut. I got food and drink pretty much right with picnic lunches and emergency cup a soups/noodle type pots which weren’t Pot Noodle and were actually quite nice for dried food.
I got to Kirkcudbright and checked in. Out to Castle Street Bistro which was very well organised, distancing, sanitising, masks, contact tracing all done. Less ventilation going on now that it’s getting colder. I throw the windows open wide every time I arrive somewhere new.
I came to Dumfries and Galloway because Carol and I used to come to this area a lot. I can’t remember when. We did loads of cottage holidays over the years, we had a Herefordshire period, then D&G, Northumberland, the West Highlands. Carol was very good at finding us holiday cottages.

Spean Bridge Commando memorial, I like the faces
Invergarry
Invergarry


Saturday 23rd
Breakfast at the Arden House Hotel was as bad as I expected it to be. This hotel was too cheap and had hideous decor, but it was clean. I asked for a poached egg and was given 2 fried eggs which had been cut to look round. I don’t get this at all, they were shiny with grease and pock marked on the underside so clearly fried. Why pretend? I’ve had this before somewhere. Maybe they just don’t know how to poach an egg but want to say they are offering them? Madness, they didn’t get a very good review from me.
Decided not to look round Kirkcudbright after all, I was tired and really just wanted to get home. Nice easy journey back. I stopped but didn’t go in Tebay services, didn’t want the stress of the non maskers.
Whilst I’ve enjoyed the drives and the scenery, I’ve also been really tired so am having a rethink about my next Scotland trip. I enjoyed Borgie Lodge and Invergarry but didn’t really like The Old Bakery, Lybster or Arden House. I need to research much more and plan more.
I listened a lot to Radio 4 and most of Brandi Carlile’s back catalogue. I didn’t have enough time to do walks but the weather was also a bit challenging for that. Basically I need to stay longer in places.
It was lovely to return to my nice clean home. It’s still hard coming home, it’s still hard doing anything without Carol. I know it’s coming up for 3 years but at times I really struggle.

Cornwall and Glos.

Saturday

An uneventful long journey from Yorkshire to Cornwall. I got up early, left before 7 and did the drive in 4 chunks stopping every 2 hours. Frankley services at 9 were quiet but Sedgemoor services at lunchtime were hell. I had a short last stop in a lay by and arrived in St. Ives at 3.30. I miss the games Carol and I used to play on long journeys.

I’m staying with HF Holidays in their house, Chy Morvah, it’s just up from the town. It has a nice garden and my room has a sea view. Once settled in I booked some activities for Friday.

HF excel at organisation so dealing with covid control was no exception.

I had to get away. I’m sure everyone feels the need for a change. I needed some time away from the house full of Carol. There’s the luxury of being well fed and I don’t have to prepare it.

The last time I came to Cornwall was about 33 years ago with Chris when we were young and in love.

Korev lager, local and delicious. After an extensive dinner, soup, veg roll, veg Dhansak, choc torte, I wandered down to the town, smells of fried food, young drunks and girls in tiny shorts. I needed to see where the Hepworth gallery was, even though it’s shut. Vivid memories of being there with Chris.

The garden at Chy Morvah
From my window
From my window

Sunday

Haddock and poached egg for breakfast, yum. Bimbled about a bit then drove to Morvah and turned off to park up. My walk took me to Men-an-Tol which may have something to do with the man and his 7 wives. One legend is that if a woman passed through the stone 7 times she would become pregnant. Next Men Scryfa, a stone with writing on it, “Rialobranus son of Cunovalus”, as to who they are it’s a lot of conjecture, anyway it’s a very old stone! Onto The Nine Maidens, of which there are 11 stones! The stones form a stone row not a stone circle although when you are there it looks like a circle. Then to the Ding Dong tin mine engine which is much more recent, even in a couple of hundred years, we’ve managed to change the name from Ting Tong. I wondered if it was to do with the noise it made, turns out it’s to do with the church bell ringing to call the men to work. I sat here for my lunch. There was a couple sitting eating their lunch and that’s about all I can tell you because I was very keen to get photos of the mine tower against the blue blue sky. It turned out this was Gary from my Romanian holiday back in 2016! He realised it really was me when I posted some photos on Facebook later in the day! This was also the holiday where I met Karin, Julia and Sue. Two months after Romania I was at Gatwick flying out to see a man in Gothenburg and Gary was also in the airport so we had a beer together. It’s strange how our paths keep crossing although this one was a miss. I passed a lot of young brown boy cows on the path who stood and looked at me then all ran off terrified. The last bit of the walk was to the Lanyon Quoit which is a neolithic burial chamber, very fine, with a huge capstone.
Returning to the car I drove past a turn to Madron chapel and well. Trotted off to look, the well is a muddy puddle with offerings of ribbons, scarves and clothing dangling in the branches of the trees, some have been there a very long time and they look really horrible. The chapel was quite peaceful in contrast, deep in the woods. I went and had a look at Kelynack where Chris and I had camped. Drove back along the lanes full of moronic drivers. So many big vehicles in the narrow lanes.

Lushington’s IPA, very nice. Dinner was pate, sea bass in a dill and caper sauce then crème brûlée for pudding. Except it had not had a blow torch on it so just crème, it was also supposed to have fresh berries but these were not present.

Men-an-Tol
Men Scryfa
Ding Dong Mine
The Nine (or so) Maidens
Ding Dong!
Lanyon Quoit
Through Ding Dong looking at Little Galver
Lanyon Quoit

Monday

Tired and a bit out of sorts. I drove to Morrisons in Penzance to fill the tank. I put 1.36l of unleaded into the diesel tank. Thank goodness I was looking at the gauge and didn’t fill it up entirely. I picked the hose on the left which at Sainsbury’s where I usually refill, is the diesel hose. A chap behind me said it would be ok because such a small amount. My tank holds 69 litres so 1.36 is a relatively small fraction of the total. I checked online and what I read confirmed that it would probably be ok despite the car manual saying I had basically broken the engine. It is worse to do it the other way round however, which is why a diesel hose won’t fit in an unleaded tank hole but not possible of course to make an unleaded one not fit a diesel. I can think of a way of sorting it so it would never happen either way, perhaps I should patent it. It took forever to sort because I had to queue to pay for the unleaded, then fill up with diesel and had to queue to pay for that. After all that I thought I would go in Morrisons and pick up a couple of bits I needed. Wearing my mask I started what turned out to be a full day of sneezing, so snot dribbled down my face in the mask, horrid. This was my first foray into a supermarket since the middle of March and I will revert to online delivery shopping when I get home.

To relax I went to Carn Euny down tiny roads with huge high hedges, sticking my head out of the window to see round corners. The roads then got even tinier. At the place I parked Google maps wanted me to continue driving down a footpath which at its narrowest was a foot wide! Carn Euny is an Iron Age settlement consisting of 7 linked huts. It has an amazing underground chamber, a fogou and a tunnel. Not for tall people. Really good. From there I walked to Carn Brea at 198m. It’s the most westerly hill in England. Huge 180°+ views and across to Lands End. Lunch on the top. Returned to Chy Morvah, walked into St. Ives to get anti histamines, really busy and did not feel safe with all the hordes of idiots. Betty Stog’s bitter, ok, too many caramel notes for me. Dinner was nachos, a meal in itself, chicken with wild mushrooms and pasta, huge portion, couldn’t eat it all, ice cream.

This holiday feels like a lot to do with Chris. She and I went to Boscastle, Tintagel, St. Ives, Kelynack, Land’s End, The Lizard, Gorran, Plymouth doing a mixture of camping and youth hostels. It was the days when you still had to do chores. I remember eating fish in Plymouth and spending the entire night going to and fro the loo to chuck up. I don’t suppose anybody in the dorm got any sleep either. We did more than one trip here, coming from Bristol.

From my window
Sky above Morrisons’ car park
Fogou at Carn Euny
Tunnel at Carn Euny
Cornish pony
Cairn near Carn Euny
From my window
From my window

Tuesday

Still feeling terribly tired. Off out to Chysauster ancient village looked after by English Heritage. Locked despite being all outdoors. Then to the Merry Maidens to see what they were up to. They were quite well behaved but my enjoyment was lessened by the 2 men chanting, singing, whistling, praying and rolling around in the middle of the circle. It was very difficult to get any photos without these tossers in them and they spoilt it for me. I drove a few hundred metres up the road to look at an old Celtic cross. It’s almost obliterated by vegetation now. Walked a footpath along a field edge which then continued across a field of barley, shutup Sting, to a have a good line of sight to a fab standing stone. No-one about at all to disturb my peace. Then to Trengwainton Gardens (Nat Trust) to meet up with Gerry and Hilary and Bobby the old dog. Lovely shady exotic garden to walk round plus very pleasant well organised tea room in the orchard. Well organised until they forgot my lunch but it was nice when it arrived. Back to Doom Bar beer. Minty watermelon salad, squash and chilli risotto, fresh fruit salad.

The Merry Maidens without irritating hippies
Old cross
Standing stone in the field of barley
Field of barley
At Trengwainton Gardens
Trengwainton House
Bobby the dog, Gerry and Hilary

Wednesday

Drove to Carnewas NT car park on the north Cornwall coast along from Newquay. Walked along eastwards passing Bedruthan Steps to Porthcothan beach and had my lunch looking at the sea. Walked back along a lower path. Hot walking. The car park was quiet when I arrived at 10 but heaving when I left at 2.30. Ice cream from the Nat Trust. Back to the house for Korev lager from St. Austell brewery. Korean fried cauli, broccoli salad, fresh fruit salad.

Coast near Bedruthan Steps
Coast near Bedruthan Steps
Coast near Bedruthan Steps
I love these walls
Coast near Bedruthan Steps
Coast near Bedruthan Steps
Wall

Thursday

To The Lizard where I parked up on The Green. Because I get out early, I am getting good car parking spots. I trolled off to the east and did a short circuit on the coast path with a lot of ups and downs. At the cove there was a man walking a sheep on a lead, as well as a small dog. They were going very slowly. Passed the new lifeboat station, a sea navigational feature, the coastwatch box (made me think of Mary Wesley’s The Camomile Lawn), a large hotel, the lighthouse with its massive fog horns. I walked over to some rocks just below the lighthouse and remembered standing there with Chris all those years ago. I could see that the Lizard point itself was very busy with people so I didn’t go there and went back up to the village because by then it had done one huge downpour and another one looked like it was coming on. Drove past HMS Culdrose which is enclosed by well over 2 miles of razor wire and Goonhilly Earth Station. Early back to the house and managed to park the car without any issues. This is a real problem this week, because we are all on self guided walking so most people have arrived in cars rather than by public transport. The house is only supposed to be 50% full but actually there are 48 people staying here and the capacity is 70-80. Slightly annoyed and will take this up with HF as one of my main reasons for coming was the reduced number of guests. They run 2 sittings for breakfast and dinner which works ok, I’m on the earlies at 7.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.

Coast near The Lizard
Church at Church Cove (closed)
I remember standing here with Chris as if it was yesterday
The Lizard lighthouse
Big whoppers
The old lifeboat station

Friday

More chaos with the ruddy parking. This morning I was blocked in by 2 cars. Only one driver, Mr Passat, had helpfully put his phone number in the window (on my suggestion when he blocked me in previously). The manager said I should have sorted it out the night before which was not particularly helpful when I had a timed ticket for my outing. He was busy doing the 2nd breakfast sitting so gave me the room number for Mr VW GTI. I spoke to Mrs VW GTI, she said Mr would move his car. It took me nearly 20 minutes to round up the 2 drivers at the same time and while Mr Passat was actually quite nice, Mr VW GTI came out with a horrid face on. I drove for an hour to The Lost Gardens of Heligan including a section of road where the hedges were as tall as the top of the lamp posts ie double decker bus height, of course this was on the narrowest bit of the narrow road. The Lost Gardens were nice and it was easy to walk round without being near anyone. I had a coffee which took 20 minutes of queuing despite being only the 3rd customer in the queue. Ate my sandwich in the car park and then drove another hour to Marazion and parked up. Walked across the sand to the causeway and stumbled round the Terraced Gardens. They were lovely but we all had to walk really slowly because everyone was taking photos. I had a bit of banter with a couple of gay men which was nice. Then I sat on the grass and finally went to the top of St. Michael’s Mount to the Castle which I was told was operating at 10% of its capacity. Well if I heard that correctly it must be hell on earth at 100%. So many children running round like puppies in no coherent direction making such a lot of noise. Next time for Cornwall it will not be in the school holidays. It’s my own fault for being desperate to get away. I walked round very quickly and just took in the views. By this time I was far too tired to listen to volunteers telling me important historical facts. I did too much all in one day and should have learnt that by now. I used to know not to do that. It started to rain heavily as I got back to the car. Lushington beer. Dinner was goat’s cheese with beetroot, bean stew with pastry on top and some veg, fresh fruit salad with a dollop of ice cream. I am seriously going to work at getting rid of my spare tyre and getting a bit fitter. I’m glad I came away and hope I can have some more trips this year. I had some interesting chats with a couple of nice people and some laughs too.

Puppies crawling over everything
St. Michael’s Mount
Wren
Heligan
Heligan
St. Michael’s Mount
St. Michael’s Mount

Saturday

I drove to the Forest of Dean and got physically distanced with Liz, Ariel, Tracey, Jason and Laurie. Had a lovely time eating in the carport with tablecloths and candles and then went for a walk in the forest and saw Deadly Nightshade.

Deadly nightshade
Towards the estuary
Forest posers
Two lovelies

Sunday

Lovely lazy morning watching Liz empty the amazing Klover heating machine. Drove further on to Sophy’s for more r&r. So good to see friends and family. So important.

Monday

Another lazy morning! Well over 5 hours to do the usual 3.5 hours home because the M6 was closed and then had another accident further up. Nothing like a massive traffic jam to let you know lockdown is over.

Coniston March 2020

Monday 9th

Set off in the dry but the rain arrived heavily as I reached Ambleside. Had to make an emergency purchase of waterproof trousers because I discovered yesterday that I’m too fat for my old ones. Checked into a nice room in the Counting House at HF Holidays Monk Coniston. This house was once owned by Beatrix Potter and now by the National Trust who lease it to HF.

The first person I met was the first person I met here last July and to whom I took a violent dislike. Bollocks. For dinner I had veg quiche, salmon and veg, fruit salad. And a bottle of Coniston lager. I sat next to a Gove voter but the whole table agreed we wouldn’t talk politics. Jackie gave us a talk on red squirrels. I listened to The Archers who clearly think that what we need when there is a worldwide health crisis, is a traumatic storyline with multiple repercussions for most of the inhabitants of Ambridge. No dark humour now about Kenton concealing that he had run over Eccles the peacock.

Monk Coniston side entrance from The Counting House
Painting by Bertram Potter, Beatrix’s brother

Tuesday 10th

Lots of rain. Clambered into the vast waterproof trousers. All onto the bus. A short drive and 4 of us plus Dave the leader got off. We walked about 14 km in wind and rain and some respites of dry. From the A593 to Colwith Force in full spate, to Skelwith Force, Loughrigg Tarn, Grasmere lake, Rydal Water and Rydal cave then to Ambleside. I’d walked some of this with Carol in June 2012.  Hot chocolate (horrible) and the bus back. Lovely hot shower. Dinner of broccoli and Stilton soup, veg risotto and ice cream. Total sugar fail day. After dinner I played skittles and surprised myself by being very good at it. Last played 10 pin bowling when I was 16! I can see myself playing bowls in years to come!! A good day but more Tories. I was completely unable to hold back my views on the shower of shite they’ve given us. Mostly wet with some windy blasts.

Herdwick sheep
Sugar beet
Grasmere
Rydal Cave

Wednesday 11th

On the bus a short way. 11 of us plus Geoff the leader for the intermediate level walk today. The first part we had done a bit of yesterday. We climbed up a bit to Lingmoor Fell to look over Elterwater to one side and Grasmere to the other. We got just below Silver How (I got Carol to the summit in 2012) then we dropped down into Chapel Stile passing the place we had stayed in. Hard to think of how well she had been then just before dialysis kicked in. Along the valley to Dungeon Ghyll for beer then bus. Nice chats today. Mostly windy with some cold wet blasts. For dinner I had avocado and feta salad, boeuf bourguignon, fruit salad. We then had the HF inter house quiz. The team I was in did ok. One woman turned out to be a big Bruce fan.

Thursday 12th

In bus to Water Yeat. To Beacon Fell. Across the Blawith Fells to Torver. Windy but dry. Into the Wilson pub at Torver for soup and a sandwich paid by HF, A pub Carol and I visited in 2015. The pub has great loos! Interesting design using big slabs of slate and wood. Andrew bought me a birthday juice. Outside again to walk along Coniston Water to Coniston. A heavy shower as we reached the village. Into cafe where Audrey and Norie kindly bought me a coffee and A shared her cake. Back to the house. Quite a long walking day. Mostly dry. Dinner fresh fig salad, lamb with veg, choc mousse. Pre birthday lager. Quiz and chat. Starting to feel scared about the incompetence of our so called leaders (not the HF walk leaders).

At Beacon Tarn
Coniston Water
Coniston Hall, now owned by the National Trust

Friday 13th

Farewells to all my new friends. Drove to Wray Castle (National Trust), “this is not like most National Trust properties, there are no paintings or furniture”. An interesting building, one of the guides took me onto the roof (not normally accessible). I listened to a couple of guides telling the history of the place and how Beatrix Potter’s family had taken the castle as a summer let and she had met Hardwicke Rawnsley, one of the founders of the National Trust during that time. I took a stroll to the boathouse and jetty and along the lake a little. Then into Grasmere where I knew not to go to the deli because I had a horrible coffee there previously so instead I tried the Mathilde’s at the Heaton Cooper Studio. They do a Scandi food theme so I had an open sandwich which was really nice. Walked up to Allan Bank (more National Trust), “this is not like most National Trust properties, there are no paintings or furniture”. There were in fact some hideous ginormous paintings of the 3 people most connected with the house – Wordsworth, Coleridge and Rawnsley. I can’t think of Wordsworth and Coleridge without thinking of the Wordsmiths of Gorsemere which is one of the funniest radio programmes ever, Sue Limb, brilliant. Coleric is always under the influence and chasing after anything that breathes. Available on Audible. There’s not much to see in the house so I went for a walk round the grounds. The house is in a lovely location with views of lakes and mountains. Then I set off for home, calling in at Booths in Windermere where there wasn’t any panic buying. I got 18 loo rolls on a BOGOF promotion and got home without any problems during the Friday rush hour.

Wray Castle
Wray Castle
Windermere
From Allan Bank
Allan Bank House

The last few days have been good because I met some lovely people and had great chats while out walking. Also laughs. Today I felt weepy most of the day. I’ve got used to everywhere I go near home or in the Calder Valley being full of memories of things I’ve done with Carol and Chris. The Lake District is also full of both of them, walks, hills, lakes, cafes, pubs, restaurants, you name it. Carol rarely remembered anywhere we’d been. Whereas I’ve always been able to say which table we sat at and who sat where, going back years and years. I can’t not remember. A year ago I felt cast adrift. Now I feel shipwrecked, broken, shattered. Still alive but in pieces that have tumbled and spilt. We are all at a very strange period of time because of Covid 19 and Corona virus. As I walked about in the sun this morning in the loveliness of the Lake District it felt like the lull before the storm.

Northumberland October 2019

Friday 25th

Rain. Rain. Huge rain. It took Liz and Ariel 5 and a half hours to reach me from the Forest of Dean. I watched TV turning the heating off and back on as their journey time increased. A pit stop and a transfer of interesting luggage (an axe and a bag seemingly full of footwear) from one Skoda Yeti to another and we were off into a wet time warp where for at least half the journey Google Maps told us it would take 3 hours and 22 minutes. If only. 5 soggy hours later we reached Church Cottage in Kyloe. Our landlords had kindly unpacked our Sainsbury’s delivery for us and left us a bottle of organic prosecco. Cheers.

Saturday 26th

Great to see our views across to Lindisfarne. We went shopping in Berwick. I managed to get run over by a car. My foot was trapped under its front wheel for a while but I came away completely unscathed, not even any bruising. I frightened myself and my friends and the driver for which I am truly sorry. I didn’t look before I crossed the road the second time because when I’d crossed it first I looked both ways, saw cars only going one way, saw cars parked facing the same way so made an incorrect assumption. I was lucky the driver was going slowly and that I was wearing new Doc Martens that are very rigid. Of course it was my left foot. But remarkably there is no damage. I have wanted to be dead but I don’t actually want to die. Not yet, not until I’ve finished sorting out the stuff in my house. And not then either. It was a salutary reminder that all it takes is one microsecond of inattention. I am walking around with so many dead loved ones I’m not that surprised it happened. After calming down from my idiocy we went to Cheswick and walked by the sea. Liz and I managed to walk in an area containing unexploded ordnance and quicksand! Back to gigli made by A. Yum. Started watching The Laundromat film with Meryl Streep about the Panama Papers.

Sunday 27th

My foot is none the worse. Remarkable boot. Not even a mark on the boot. From Craster we walked along by the sea to Dunstanburgh castle. At Greymare rock we sent Carol’s ashes off into the sea. A seal joined us while the crashing waves took the ashes away. Called in at Howick Hall for the slowest tea ever and an incorrectly delivered order then walked around the gardens. Back home along the lanes as the sun descended. Liz produced borscht, scrummy. We finished watching the Laundromat. Good movie.

Monday 28th

Ariel and I walked a good part of the way up The Cheviot but decided not to try the summit as it was very boggy and cold on the dark side. Instead we stayed in the sun to descend and bimbled about in some woods. We got back to Liz, a blazing fire, delicious kedgeree and a really rubbish film, Call Me By My Name which Netflix told us included “strong sex”. Only if you are a peach. It was very boring IMO.

Liz took this lovely photo of the steps near our cottage

Tuesday 29th

Billy Shiel’s boat from Seahouses around the Farne Islands. Good weather, a bit of bouncing on the waves, a lot of birds and a huge lot of seals, all sizes and ages. Only £15 for 90 minutes. Fab. Pit stop at the Ship Inn. To Ros Castle, a short steep climb for 360 views. Descended to magnificent burnt orange sunset. I made the green Thai curry, possibly the first time I’ve really cooked for other people since Carol died, and I enjoyed it. We tried to watch Capote movie but Liz and I fell asleep. Lovely day.

Wednesday 30th

We drove to Lindisfarne across the causeway. Straight into Pilgrims’ Coffee which sold nice coffee but was short on competent staff. Up to the castle for a good look round including a history talk. Around Gertrude Jekyll’s garden, over to the priory, the parish church and back to the car to get across the causeway before the tide came in. Home for lunch, then A and I went out for walks in different directions. I stayed out until dark. Dinner and another terrible movie, Roma.

Thursday 31st

We did our own things during the day. I went to Lowick and bought bread, then to Doddington. I did a circular walk to find a hill fort, a stone circle and a cup and ring stone. The paths were very overgrown with bracken and gorse and indistinct for most of the walk. I had to micro navigate using a mix of old and new tools all the way round. I found everything, well I found the hill fort easily enough, I wasn’t sure about the cup and ring marks because I didn’t really know what I was looking for. The stone circle (rems of) only had a solitary stone in a swamp of bracken. There may have been more but I didn’t want to do any more bracken than I had to. I got back to the cottage. We dined out at The Black Bull in Lowick 2 miles away. We all had really nice dinners. Back at the cottage we moved away from awful films and played Bananagram, Liz was very good and I was delighted to have been able to use the word buggery.

Liz and Ariel saw this hare on their walk

Friday 1st November

We set off to have a look at Kielder Forest, as we drove we talked about coffee at the observatory. But unlucky for us the road was being resurfaced just at that point so we couldn’t get there. Instead we had a look in the Alpnhaus (why no ‘e’?) where there is a swish B&B and an Alpine shop, all feeling pretty remote. We carried on to Corbridge where we stopped for our coffee, by this time it was well into the afternoon. Eventually we rocked up at The Moorcock in Norland which is on my doorstep and ate very well in the pub. I can’t rate this place highly enough. Then back to mine to recover from yet another mammoth journey.

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