Getting wet...

The late May bank holiday saw our first van trip of 2025 back to where I'd been peddling madly a few weeks earlier - Loch Tummel. T had found a lovely basic campsite right on the loch, and with the weather threatening to end its unprecedented good spell, we were going to make the most of it. So we arrived early, had a hasty sandwich then donned wetsuits, pumped up a borrowed kayak (thanks AP!), and waded in with body boards in tow. And what a day we had. The girls spent hours in the water, and I paddled round mainly with Emily. We landed on a little island to ourselves in the loch, and Emily also christened another Rooke Island. It was our very own Famous Five adventure - except there were 4 of us, no dog, no bikes and no lashings of ginger beer. Still we had a wonderful BBQ and I discovered what a s'more is...toasted marshmallow squashed between two chocolate digestives.

The next day was a black swan event, when we discovered that there was no internet signal anywhere - so we were forced to protect Emily's 'streaks' by walking up and along until we came to the café at Queens View. But in true Scottish style that didn't have wifi either, so there was more trekking up and along until we found a couple of bars of signal and equilibrium could be restored to the universe of TikTok and Snapchat once more. Crikey - I had no idea it was such a serious business. Anyway the good walk wasn't entirely spoiled and it was lovely being out in better than hoped weather. So much so that the girls all needed to jump into that loch again when they got back.

Day 3 was a hasty abandon ship as the weather started to turn but we spent a delightful morning walking the Birks of Aberfeldy, immortalised in Burn's poem of the same name. It was a stunning walk which was thankfully sheltered in the forest, followed by a delightful lunch in the town.

And then it rained. And has pretty much kept raining since. Apart from a well timed walk that T and I did over local hills in between showers the following weekend, whilst Niomi bravely paddled her very own kayak at her Guides water day. Bravo for her as she was dead nervous beforehand.

Now...where did summer go and where on earth is that sun?

The Water Girls

My paddling partner

Getting wet

Videoclip: Taking the plunge...

Or you watch the video clip here

S'more joy

Happiness is at the back of the bus

Searching for signal

The Queens View

The View of Queens

The Birks of Aberfeldy

Paddling Niomi

Videoclip: Paddling Niomi...

Or you can watch the video here