Firsts and Lasts...

 Munro bagging...my life in hills

So this is the first post that's NOT featuring the Supreme Being in some way...It's a bit of a strange feeling and am sure it won't last. Mainly because my readership will disappear rapidly, so normal business will be resumed soon, but I am just back from a wonderful weekend of hillwalking and campervanning with the brother-in-law John. There's another first...it was his first van experience. And I think a successful one, so lets hope it's not the last.

Another first was I had new walking boots so it was their first trip out. Which was also a last for my old pair - retired after 150 odd munros. It was also the last time I don't ensure the van door is properly shut in midge infested Scotland. I also hope it's not the last outing that DDU (the van) does given how he's been behaving recently - repaired from our last trip this was a test run for the Netherlands in a weeks time.

The end of an affair

The life on the road

Campervan delight

And so we headed to the middle of the Highlands near Dalwhinnie for a couple of nights and four munros. Highlights included the shoutiest chip shop owner in the UK in Pitlochry; beautiful scenery, good banter, beer and whisky; it not pouring with rain the whole time; learning why an afterlife is completely plausible; and campfire and contemplation by the loch. John's a grand ol' fella too so it was great spending some time with the big man. As Emily would say "Undle Don, he's really funny man" (you knew it wouldn't last - that's the first and last time I try and write a blog without mentioning Emily)...

 Mountains, beach, loch and a really funny man

 Loch views guaranteed

Man, fire, beer :-)

 Man, van, fire, beer :-)

On top of the world

Garden love...

Ever since we moved I have become increasingly obsessed with the garden. As the year has gone on, each month has surprised us with new plants appearing and more jobs to be done. Still, I really don't mind, as it's been lovely to be outside and enjoy our own garden. Emily's loved it too, and she has taken to adventuring around the garden, spending hours playing outside and sometimes even joining in the gardening duties. She loves it so much she even managed to give me a black eye to say thank you!!

A black eye of love

I now am creating a masterplan of developments to do over the coming years. There is trellising to put up, vegetables to be grown, hedges to be transformed and even a wild meadow to be sown. I can't wait. Shame I have to go to work in between gardening forays, but there really is enough to keep me occupied for the next 5 years at least. Now, where has that Scottish summer gone again?

Putting the young and old to work in the garden

 Coal tits and other birds abound with our new bird feeder

 Leaping down the garden

 Tiptoeing through the bluebells

Forget-me-nots

Videoclip: Hopscotch in the garden

A trip to the seaside...

And so a quick pit stop at the Gurney's to sort ourselves out for week 2. The van was going nowhere so we left it in North Berwick's finest garage, and I nipped back home to Kirkintilloch to get the car. Stocked up on food and other supplies, we were back on our way. The Gurney's joined us for our first night in St Abbs which was lovely, and we arrived to discover our cottage really did have sea views from all windows and really was only 5 minutes walk to the beach, which was a total bonus.

Views over St Abbs

 The local beach at Coldingham

We had a wonderful week in St Abbs. Highlights were trips to the beach, walks along cliffs, watching 40,000 breeding guilliemots, the steam train at Heatherslaw, exploring the harbour and fishing boats, the ubiquitous rapeseed fields, and for me, just spending more lovely time with my girls. 

Multi-coloured happiness

Girl's storytime

Chased by waves


The supreme one on the beach


Rapeseed everywhere


Seascape 1


Seascape 2

Seascape 3

Guillemot-tastic


Home on the cliff

All aboard!


Ingenious wind protection


My girls :-)


Hello from the Borders

Beach defenses

Sunset on St Abbs

The four seasons of Drumnadrochit...

Spring in the Highlands

Apart from having a wonderfully colourful name, it appears Drumnadrochit also has some wonderfully colourful weather. And in the first week of our holiday we managed to experience most of it. Snow and sunshine, downpours and gales, made for interesting week utilising all the rich variety of clothing we had bought with us. But being a typical Highland May, woolly hats featured plenty, as did waterproofs and wellies.

 Travelling in style

Feeding Pharaoh was a daily highlight

 

And storytime was a personal favourite

The local eggs were top class - all 6 were double yokers!

 Dandelions featured plenty too...

 The dizzyingly impressive Plodda Falls

 Wading in rivers was a joy

 And trying to push over trees

 Success at last!

 Sheer Highland joy

 Getting to pet rabbits

 Out with Mummy

 More stream wading

 

Still, a bit of weather never stopped the Rooke's holiday adventures and there was much to keep us amused. There were some stunning walks in Glen Affric (which has to be one of my favourite glens); waterfalls and more waterfalls; playing in rivers and lochs; cycle rides on big bikes and little bikes; managing another couple of munros; a trip to the animal park; Daddy/Daughter story time; searching for Nessie; and meeting up with Tanya’s school friend, Hayley and her family. All in all, a cracking first week of our May holiday, which, despite appearances, really is the best month to explore Scotland's wild places...

Videoclip: Travelling in all weathers 

But then nothing in life is straight forward, and trouble can strike at any moment on a campervan adventure. So despite DDU (our campervan/my 4th love) being on great form for a change and thoroughly enjoying being back on the road, he decided to break his clutch about 200yds before the Forth Road Bridge. Not a good place to break down. In fact, not good full stop. This didn't bode well for week two...

 The girls were unimpressed and ignored Daddy in the back of the recovery van

Lowering the tone at the Gurney's in North Berwick

Tomatoes: The toddler’s oyster…

Being a supreme being, Emily is already trialling the skills required for high society. Her love of books bodes well for taking on the classics. Her joy at running and jumping is preparing her deportment well for her first May Ball. And her love of food gives her a head start in fine dining and the gourmet delights enjoyed by the upper crust.

One particular skill she has developed recently is tomato eating ‘in an oyster stylee’. It is a culinary delight which gives her much satisfaction. The deft and dextrous way in which she ‘sups’ on the red fruit might leave the beholder in no doubt that this little lady is destined for the higher echelons of society. Or then again maybe it might not.  Whether this be true only time will tell. Till then I’ll leave you to make your own mind up…

 One nicely supped packet of tomatoes...

Videoclip: Upper crust oyster training...

 Post-tomato/oyster eating face