July - August 2002 |
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Yorkshire Dales NP - The car & caravan know their own way to Muker without much help from us, will the weather be good this time?
Ancram/Keld - Our first full day dawned dry but none too warm and didn't inspire trust in it remaining dry. We hiked the not so commonly used trails to Ancram, over the moors to the Tan Hill road end, into Keld and back along the river to Muker. It stayed dry all of way even when we left the Farmer's Arms after our post hike refreshment.
Tan Hill Inn (Highest Pub in England) - The Tan Hill Inn's supposed main claim to fame is "the highest pub in England" but we reckon its the eccentricities of the staff & customers! We were eager to see if our theory still held true after being away for over 3 years. This is a lovely hike following the Coast-to-Coast long distance path from Keld (where we parked the car) to Ravenseat before branching off over the hills towards Tan Hill. This is a very scenic portion of the walk opening up views into the Lake district NP and Northumberland. The return trip from Tan Hill follows the Penine Way long distance path back to Keld. Although it did not rain it was quite chilly at times, not at all like summer. The Tan Hill Inn has not changed much at all (the landlady has lost some weight?) but the staff and customers are still eccentric (not us of course?). A welcome innovation, since we last visited, is the CellPhone rule. A notice by the bar orders you to turn of your Mobile Phone! If it rings during your visit to the Inn you will be fined 50p (75c) and if you wish to answer it you must do so outside or be ejected. When you read the notice you may think just another little Tan Hill joke! During our visit a newly entered offender, who hadn't read the notice (his wife had) was fined and told to take the call outside. The offender never complained, he cheerfully paid up and actually laughed as he did so - eccentric customers?
Hawes - Since supplies were needed took a trip to Hawes a market town in Wensleydale. The drive over the hills to Wensleydale is via the Buttertubs road a very scenic trip with gradients of 25% in places and a drop off on one side. The sun was shinning, water was cascading down the hillsides and sheep were wandering on the road as we reached the top of the hill. Hawes was as busy as ever with tourists buying mainly outdoor wear (waterproofs), souvenirs and Beer & Food.
On Sunday the normal weather pattern was resumed - it rained in the morning, afternoon and evening. Oh well at least we got some reading done. The rain was so bad we drove the half mile to the pub at night. Although the pub was kind of quiet (not many idiots would venture out on a night like this?) we enjoyed a game of dominoes with the locals, Linda lost early but had nearly regained her money by the end.
Peak District National Park.
We left Muker in the rain and arrived at Monyash, our home for the next week, in the rain. The following day it rained all day & night but it is a tidy little site with a Pub in the village within a half mile.
Sheldon & Lathkill Dale - The forecast today was dull in the morning becoming brighter in the afternoon. With this in mind we planned a 7 mile hike and set off about 11.30 a.m. We used one of the many trails that lead directly out of the caravan site heading for Sheldon just a couple of miles away. As we wandered through this very picturesque village, surprise! surprise! there was a water hole with a very quaint name - The Cock & Pullet. -Who could we walk past a pub with a name like that? certainly not us! This is a lovely Olde pub with good food and good beer (Bass) although we only tasted the beer on this visit as we had packed sandwiches which we would eat later above Lathkill Dale. Eager to enjoy the brighter afternoon we cut our visit short, just one pint and off we went. By the time we had walked across two fields the rain started to fall very lightly, but for safety's sake we donned our waterproofs as we headed towards scenic Lathkill Dale. We hiked across the fields and down a bridleway which although sheltered from the wind was not sheltered from the torrential downpour now visited upon us. The full rain gear was in place as we passed other hikers and tried to find new adjectives to describe the weatherman. We decided to terminate the hike and take the shortcut along the road to the shelter of our caravan, with one stop under a tree while we ate our sandwiches. If we had but known we would have remained in the Cock & Pullet and got wet inside rather than out.
Biggin Dale, Dove Dale & the Tissington Way - According to the weather man, today was to be fine and sunny all day. Being British we conveniently ignored the fact he had got it completely wrong the day before and decided to attempt a 14 mile hike, mainly on the flat. Drove the car to Biggin,and hiked through Biggin Dale into the most well known dale in the Peak District - Dove Dale. This is a very well established trail which meanders along side the river Dove for miles and miles. Lots of Mallard Ducks with their young (and some not so young), a few Moorhens and a young Dipper bobbing up and down (just learning to DIP!) on the top of a weir trying to find food from the fast flowing river. Our prize spot of the day was a family of Merganser Ducks which are normally quite skittish but today we were afforded a good long look at the family as they swam in and out of the vegetation and up some small rapids. The wild flowers were in full bloom in Dove Dale but we had to leave eventually for Thorpe to connect with the Tissington Trail. Much to our surprise we stumbled across a small Inn dispensing hand-pulled beer which was quite welcome after 8 miles of hiking. Having quenched our thirst we headed for the Tissington Way (stopping once to give directions to a party of teenagers who had just been dropped from a mini-bus and were lost already- wonder if they made it?). The Tissington Trail is one of three hiking/cycling trails created by the NP after the closure of the railways in this area in the 1960's. All of these disused railway lines attract lots of tourists as the hiking/cycling is easy on a well maintained path. We passed many families cycling along the 6 miles of the trail we hiked before cutting across the fields to the car. A well planned, thoroughly enjoyable, easy (despite the distance) circular 14 mile hike, without rain and reasonably warm. Just settled in the caravan when the rain started.
Monyash - A typical peak district village with it's own little village pub. After yet another rainy day we visited the Black Bull in the village in the evening. In some ways it reminded us of Muker, as we played dominoes they locked us in. Not wishing to overstay our welcome (or seem pushy tourists) we left the locals to their drinks and meandered home about 1 a.m.
Lathkill Dale/Limestone Way/Cock & Pullet - One of the many footpaths from the village leads into Lathkill Dale and by using part of the Limestone way (Long distance Path) we managed a 5 mile loop walk on what turned out to be quite a sunny afternoon. When we visited Sheldon a few days ago we read that a troupe of Morris Dancers would be appearing in the street outside the Cock & Pullet at 7 p.m. The time was correct but got our days wrong as they were appearing on the next day. Since we had hiked 5 miles earlier and the beer tasted good we stayed for supper. While relaxing after our meal we counted 19 clocks around the walls (the landlady informed us later there were 25?) and numerous ornamental Chickens/Cockerels. This led us to believe a letter had been dropped from the Pub name and it should really be called the Clock & Pullet. However it doesn't sound as good does it? The "Cock & Pullet" it is!
Taddington/Tideswell/Litton/Monsal Dale/High Dale - Parked the car at Taddington and hiked part of the Limestone way to the footpath to Tideswell. Tideswell has a most impressive old church and a few Inns but is a fair sized town so we didn't linger too long. Our target was the Red Lion Inn, Litton, which came highly recommended in the Real Ale guide. The guide came up trumps yet again and we enjoyed a large roast beef dinner with three Veg and Yorkshire Pudding, washed down with Barnsley Bitter and Tetley Imperial. Both beers were new to us and are recommended, as is the Sunday lunch at the Red Lion. We returned to the car via Monsal Dale (lovely railway viaduct)and, High Dale. We did take a few false trails (problems of walking without a map) , on one of which we spied a fox patrolling along a wall. Since we arrived back at the car so late in the day we called into the Cock & Pullet (again) in Sheldon for entertainment by the Ashdown Forest Morris dancers (East Sussex). Linda's cameras were in constant action and Wullie was under orders to learn all about the tradition of Morris dancing from the resting members of the troupe. Apparently it is all founded on beer drinking and one must consume copious amounts before one can perform the dance. Ever willing Wullie joined in the preparatory elbow bending stages but Linda whisked him off before he could put the theory to practise.
Northumberland National Park
Our move to Haltwhistle was under 200 miles and we didn't look forward to journey around Manchester. However on this Monday morning it was not very busy. The Camping & Caravanning site near Haltwhistle is in a lovely setting but it seemed every new arrival was greeted by a swarm of big black flies. Fortunately another set of campers arrived shortly after us so the flies flew off to greet them.
Hadrians Wall/Once Brewed Visitor Centre - Hadrian's Wall for those who don't know was built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD. It stretches from Wallsend in the east to Bowness in the west, is over 70 miles long and 15 feet high. Most of the wall is derelict and has disappeared but the stretch around Haltwhistle is relatively well preserved (as preserved as a 1,900 year old can be!). The English say the wall was built to keep out the smelly, awful Scots and there is some truth in that. The Scots will tell you the wall was built to protect the Romans from the Picts (Scots) as they were the fiercest warriors the Romans had encountered. The Romans could not subdue these northern soldiers who refused to lie down like their English counterparts, and there is a lot of truth in that version.
The National Park visitor centre is most interesting and explains how its name was chosen. When the labourers building the wall reached this part of the country the beer from local Brewery/Inn was judged to be rather weak so they forced the brewer to brew it over again to add some body. Thus that became known as Twice Brewed. A few centuries later some money was donated by a local titled family, members of the Temperance society, to build a hostel . They decreed that no alcohol was to be allowed and that became known as Once Brewed from then until the present day. We set out to walk a part of Hadrian's Wall but we could see the rain coming in from the west so we cut our trip short and made it back to the car before the heavens opened.
Hexham - Every Tuesday visitors and locals flock to this historic market town. The market is held in the shelter of the Abbey and 14th Century Moothall, one of the two medieval towers which dominate the skyline. Hexham abbey stands as a testament to the early Christian heritage of Northumberland. The fine medieval church, with its paintings and carvings, stands above a Saxon crypt which truly is a journey into a bygone era. Nearby the Old Gaol, built in 1332 houses the Border History Museum.
To our regular reader(s) the last few lines will have been a rare excursion into culture, perhaps even sufficient to make he/she wonder if they had strayed into another Website? Don't worry you are still in the site you chose and the next few lines should return you to the comfort zone.
When we arrived in Hexham it was still raining and for once Wullie was not prepared, the Real Ale guide was left in the caravan. What to do, wander around in the rain looking through the window to see if they have hand pumps? As we pondered this problem, Wullie spotted a JD Weatherspoons which was situated on the site of an old cinema. These are a 'chain" of large pubs which we normally avoid in favour of smaller locally owned hostelry. However we needed to get out of the rain and they do have a large selection of Real Ales so off we went. As a special offer (all the time) you could have lunch for two for 5.99p, selecting from a reduced menu. That seemed like a good deal and was left to Linda to organize while Wullie was sent to choose the beer. It was a difficult choice but he finally settled on a beer from the Wallsend Brewery and a Northumberland beer (Big Lamp) just to keep it local. Wullie thought the barman asked for 2.58p for the 2 pints but didn't believe it. When the change was given 2.58p was correct, which gave rise to the question "is this the Happy Hour". No sir says the barman thats the price all day & every day. Since the normal price elsewhere would be 4.00p Wullie is considering a move to Hexham! Needless to say, not being ones to pass a bargain, we sampled more of their Real Ale menu.
Featherstone Castle/South Tyne Way - A will it be sunny or will it rain day seemed ideal for a flat, easy hike walk down the South Tyne river. This passes through the grounds of Featherstone castle which housed a POW camp for German Officers during the 2nd WW. Many of the buildings are still intact although some have fallen into the river due to erosion of the bank. The Oyster Catchers were very noisy and noticeable but although this stretch of the river is famous for its Dippers they were absent today. We crossed the river by the foot bridge alongside Lambley Viaduct, an imposing structure. We climbed up onto the Viaduct, which is now closed to rail traffic, and followed the South Tyne LPD along the disused railway line to Featherstone Village. Lots of wildflowers were in evidence with the pansies particularly colourful. Featherstone village boasts a village Pub, the Wallace Arms, (Guid Scots name) which dispensed two Real ales. Even although we had a few showers during our 8 mile hike it was still a relatively warm day and the 60F beer was welcome in this nice quiet country pub.
Haltwhistle - The local tourist information proclaims Haltwhistle as being in the centre of Britain and who am I to disagree. We hiked out of the campsite along the disused railway line into Haltwhistle. Wandered around town, window shopping and looking for the Pub in Wullies Real ale guide. Unfortunately it was closed so we made our way back through farmland to the caravan. Wildlife on our hike included a Heron and a grass snake. Weatherwise this was the best day we have had for quite a while, sun and very little cloud, much better than forecast.
Penine Way (LDP)/Hadrian's Wall - Since the forecast was good for the whole day we embarked upon a 16 mile loop using the Penine Way, Hadrian's wall and the disused railway track. The Penine way runs from Derbyshire in England up to the Scottish border country passing along part of Hadrian's Wall on the way. The section we hiked to Hadrians wall was mainly over moorland, which due to the summer rainfall was rather boggy underfoot. This necessitated some crooked walking but it was such a lovely warm day and the scenery so beautiful that it was a pleasure. The section along Hadrian's Wall is quite strenuous as the path constantly rises & falls as it follows the wall. Today a beer or two was a necessity as all our Barley water drink had been consumed along the way. The first Pub we stumbled upon after leaving the wall was closing, not a good omen, but the Pub from the Real ale guide was open in Haltwhistle. A good selection of beer was supplemented by a good atmosphere as a bunch of good humored beer enthusiasts were visiting as part of a Pub crawl. The last few miles along the disused railway were completed in record time. After a shower and evening meal nobody moved too far before retiring to bed early, tired but happy.
The drive to Macrihanish was completed in hazy sunshine. As a result the views along Loch Long, Islay, the Paps Of Jura and the northern coast of Northern Ireland were not as clear as desired. The campsite at Macrihanish is situated on the site of an old coal mine where coal was extracted from under the sea. Macrihanish has a highly regarded Links golf course designed by Tom Morris and founded in 1876. Our campsite overlooked the golf course, the islands of Jura & Islay and Northern Ireland.
Campbelltown - A busy little town at this time of the year. There used to be a ferry run from here to Northern Ireland but that is discontinued. Whether this was for security reasons due to the troubles or not we aren't sure. On a nice day the views would be remarkable but we didn't see too many of those.
Macrihanish Beach - A dry but windy day seemed OK for a stroll along the Atlantic beach at Macrihanish. Our last stroll on an Atlantic beach had been in the Florida Panhandle in March where the sun shone, the temperature was 20 degrees higher and the wind somewhat lighter. Walked for about 3 hours in the dry, although the clouds were dark at times with a cool strong wind. Enjoyed occasional views of Gigha, Islay, Jura and Northern Ireland.
Carradale - With the promise of sunshine, at least until the afternoon we drove up the east side of the Kintyre peninsula to Carradale for the three mile Deer Hill walk. Although the ascent was quite steep in places the wild flowers were abundant - lupins, deep red fuchsia, even some late flowering rhododendrons. To our delight we enjoyed numerous sightings of Bullfinch one of the most colourful of British birds. When we reached the summit of Choc-nan Ghabar we had a wonderful views of Kilbrannan, Ailsa Craig and Arran. At the summit we ate our packed lunch as the dark clouds starting rolling in and the wind chill increased - a Scottish summer day.
Mull Of Kintyre - The Paul McCarthy song certainly describes this area well when he refers to " the mist rolling in from the sea". On the 7 mile single track road to the parking area the mist was really thick in places. However as we hiked the 2 miles down to the lighthouse it started to clear. The return journey was steep but very pleasant as the views from this road are terrific on a day like this so must be magnificent on a good day.
Loch Ness
Invermoriston - Loch Ness - Unfortunately the clouds sat on top of us for the entire 180 mile journey which was very disappointing as the scenery along the Kintyre peninsula up the coast to Oban then Fort William is terrific. Stopped in Fort William for lunch but it was such a dreich day that we wished we had just carried on. Our chosen campsite was right on the shores of Loch Ness, literally 12 feet from the waters edge.
Great Glen Cycle/Footpath - This LDP is adjacent to the caravan park and as the weather was once again to be "mixed" we decided to hike into Fort Augustus. This is a lovely little town at the southwestern end of Loch Ness, with it's many lock gates which raise the boats from Loch Ness up into the Caledonian canal and vice versa. The mornings Scots mist turned to light rain in the afternoon.This section of the Long distance Path is disappointing as it stays mainly in the forest with the views of Loch Ness limited to an occasional clearing.
Loch Ness (Quiet Side)/Inverness - Drove to Fort Augustus where we picked up the B862 a single track road that took us on the quiet side of the lock. The views from this road would have been good but for the ever present Scots mist. Stopped at the very impressive Falls of Foyer before making our way to Inverness. Wandered around the town in good sunshine for a short while before returning via the busy main road. Stopped to take photos's of Urquhart Castle impressively sited at the lochside near Drumnadrochit just before the rain started for the night and all of the next day.
Poolewe - Wester Ross
Another journey that would have been enjoyable if the weather had even slightly better. However the numerous waterfalls we encountered in Wester Ross were really memorable. The sheer volume of water caused by 24 hours of constant rain meant that every hill & mountain was weeping copiously from all angles. We had to push the caravan onto our pitch as the grass was too wet for the car. That evening the skies cleared, the sun came out creating an awesome sunset over Loch Ewe, now we knew why we had come.
Ullapool/Lochinver/Old Man Of Stoer - With the promise of good weather we set the alarm for an early start. The drive from Poolewe to Ullapool is a scenic masterpiece which was augmented today by the extra fast flowing waterfalls. Views of Gruinard Bay, Little Loch Broom, Loch Broom and the mountains of Wester Ross were enjoyed. Stopped at Falls of Measach and Corrieshalech Gorge. Encountered herds of deer around Ledmore Junction including a couple of stags. Took the scenic loop of the main road to Lochinver then followed a single track road for many miles to the lighthouse near Old Man Of Stoer. Hiked over the headland to view Old Man of Stoer (a rock formation). The underfoot conditions were pretty wet but the occasional patches of sun on our backs, after the last few days, drove us on with enthusiasm. Numerous small lochs, rugged coves, stunning scenery and the narrow winding road made for a very enjoyable day out.
Real Ale Pubs/Brewery - The more important facets of civilization are reaching Wester Ross, as the hotels in Poolewe & Gareloch are serving hand-pulled ales, one of them from a brewery in Dundonnel. Had dinner in the Poolewe Hotel, not inexpensive but excellent.
Loch Maree - The weatherman had promised a lovely sunny day and when we awoke it seemed he had got it right. Hiked out of the camp site over the moors to Loch Maree and although it was wet under foot the walk was very pleasant. It was a delight to stretch the legs with the sun on our backs. Stopped for an international packed lunch, as we chatted to a young couple from Slovakia & two ladies from Germany all of whom were enjoying their holiday in scenically beautiful Scotland.
Hebridean Isle of Lewis - We decided to take the Caledonian McBrayne day trip, a return ferry crossing and short coach trip around the isle of Lewis for 25 pounds a head. The ferry crossing takes nearly 3 hours so it was an early rise as we had a 90 minute drive to Ullapool. We left Poolewe in brilliant sunshine but as were neared Ullapool the cloud thickened and stayed like that the entire day which was unfortunate. Wullie worked (excuse the swear word) for years with Ken Mcdougall a native of Lewis. Ken and his wife Sue retired to the family croft a few years ago so we gave them a call to let them know we would be visiting Lewis. We breakfasted on the ferry, fortunately before it reached the open sea. Ken & Sue met the ferry and they had already spoken to our coach driver and arranged to pick us up at the last point of interest before returning to Stornoway. The coach tour was quite interesting although the driver was from Harris and took every opportunity to extol it's virtues. Example - Harris has mountains, Harris has the best beaches. We learned that Harris & Lewis are not separate islands but parts of the same land mass. The overriding memory of Lewis has to be the towers of Peat drying out before being used as winter fuel. Ken met us at the Black House (the traditional croft house until the 1950's) and drove us to his house. We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours with Ken & Sue enjoying a "wee dram" and a bite to eat before Ken drove us back to the ferry for our return journey. The Ferry was 1 hour late arriving back in Ullapool making for a long but enjoyable day.
Dingwall
The 76 mile move to Dingwall started in cloud depriving us of the lovely views along the Wester Ross coastline. We arrived in Dingwall to sunshine which continued for the rest of the day.
Cromarty Firth/Moray Firth - Took the scenic loop drive along the north coast of the Moray Firth and the south coast of the Cromarty Firth. Called into a little pub at Rosemarkie which sells hand pumped beer from their brewery. This is a lovely area and we will stay at Rosemarkie the next time we visit.
Inverness - Forced ourselves into town for one of our least favourite pastimes - shopping. Inverness seems to have got very busy since we left home, but maybe it's because we are visiting in the summer for a change. We noticed in one of the main shopping streets of Inverness seven shops selling CellPhones - is that crazy or not?
Lochgelly, Fife - Returned to our homebase in Lochgelly, just in time for our good friend Dod's 81st birthday. A quiet family affair, not like the old days when all of us were a lot younger and enjoyed the evening but suffered the following morning.
Treating our hosts Margaret & Jim to a weekend with a difference to them, as we are staying in Pubs that sell Real ale.
Beamish Museum - Our first port of call was the Beamish Mary Inn, in the village of No Place, Northumberland within 2 miles of Beamish museum. We stayed here years ago and just like before it doesn't look much from the outside. Inside it's different with old radio's & implements to set the mood for Beamish museum. The beer is varied & excellent, the food very good & ridiculously inexpensive. We enjoyed our evening meal followed by a few drinks while playing dominoes. We all retired to bed, Margaret & Jim to a four poster, full of good food, good beer & good cheer. After a huge breakfast we spent most of the day around Beamish museum. Beamish is a step back in time to how a village in this area looked at the beginning of the 20th century and is well worth a visit. Many of the Catherine Cookson films shown on television were filmed here because of it's authenticity. We called into Hexham for a hour or so to let Margaret & Jim see this lovely market town we had visited earlier in the summer, before heading on to:
Allendale Town and the Kings Head. The accommodation was a bit iffy but the beer was good and the food was excellent.
After yet another huge breakfast we set of for Muker in Swaledale. It was overcast with low cloud which was a pity as we crossed the moors towards Barnard Castle. Toured the old castle overlooking the town and the river Tees. Continued on our journey to Muker but encountered rain as we crossed over the hills before dropping down to the very quaint village of Langthwaite in Arkengarthdale. By the time we reached Muker the sun was shining and we walked across the meadows to the river Swale, before returning to the Farmers Arms for a small refreshment. Our friends Chris & Marjorie, Mine Host of the Farmers Arms, were posted missing which was a pity. Headed over the very scenic Buttertubs road to Hawes, walked around Hawes before making our way to:
The Dalesman, Sedbergh in the rain. The accommodation here was excellent as usual but the pub has changed hands and is more like a restaurant than a pub. The food was very good but there is very little atmosphere after the food serving is over, although we tried to generate some by making lots of noise with our dominoes.
Thank goodness this is the last large breakfast for a while we all thought as we waddled along the river at Sedbergh in lovely sunshine & clear blue skies making the fells (hills) absolutely beautiful. Had to get back in time for yet another birthday - Margaret & Jim's grandson, Scott (12 today).
Fife Coastal Path
On a lovely sunny day we drove to Aberdour and walked along part of the Fife coastal path to Burntisland. We ate our packed lunch on a bench overlooking the Forth estuary before enjoying a game of crazy golf. 30 years ago Linda beat Wullie, rather badly, at Crazy Golf in Weston Super Mare, 2 days after their first meeting. She has enjoyed bragging rights ever since but the tables were turned in Burntisland (Home fixture) and Wullie won. Guess Crazy golf will not be a topic of conversation in the Keir household for the next 30 years. Our nature highlight of the day was some large seals laying on rocks basking in the sun.
September/October: Heading south once again before preparing for our trip back to USA.
