holidays – Tracy Goes Outside

Our Iceland Adventure!

9th Apr 202310th Apr 2023 tracygoesoutside

This trip was a long time coming after a cancelled cruise in 2020. Rather than wasting loads of time hunting online I decided to head to our local travel agent Murray Travel to see what they had to offer us and booked it all through them. When we went to Iceland in 2016 we flew from Aberdeen sadly this is no longer an option. The best option was flying from Glasgow. The flight is around 2 1/2hrs then a 45min bus ride to Reykjavik.

We returned to the same hotel Center Hotel Plaza as we had stayed there on our honeymoon. It is centrally located and the breakfast is pretty tasty too. I was unsure about who to book our trips through so I used Viator to find day trips that fitted with what we wanted to do and booked through them.

We arrived before lunch on Thursday, so we headed for our hotel to drop off our luggage and start our adventure. First stop was get some food and we found a fab seafood grill on the main high street called Sjavargtillid. On the specials there was beef cheek so we both had to try and it was fantastic.

After we was fed it was time to explore! First we headed up the rainbow street towards the amazing church called Hallgrimskirkja. At 74.5 metres tall it is the largest church in Iceland and it dominates the Reykjavik skyline. It is free to look round downstairs if you want to admire the views from the tower you can do this for around £7 per person.

We kept seeing these E-Scooter’s parked up so we decided to find a pub and do some googling! So we just had to download an app add our Apple pay and away we go! So after we got in to our hotel room we went for a walk to the harbour! After a wee argument of trying to get it all working we was off on our scooters! This is a great way of getting about to cover a few miles in no time at all and at about £10 for a hour its pretty cheap and a right laugh!

The rest of the day we just walked, scootered and did lots of sight seeing. The other highlight of our first day were Tjörnin the city pond where there is abundance of ducks, swans and geese paddling, wandering checking out the architecture, the Sun Voyager Sculpture and just admiring the beauty of the city! For tea we went to Svarta Kaffid and had their amazing meat soup in a bread bowl. This cost around £18 each with a drink! We did not stay out too late as we was simply knackered after out early flight!

Next day we was up at the crack of dawn to get our breakfast and catch our bus for our full 12 hr tour of the South Coast! Our tour provider was Hidden Iceland and we had an amazing guide/driver called Robert! After a hour or so of travelling and admiring the views and wee snack/toilet stop we arrived at our first waterfall Skógafoss. This waterfall is a impressive 60m high and 25m wide that you can stand right beside but be prepared with waterproofs on! If you want to view it from the top there is a eye watering 527 steps climb but 100% worth it!

Back in the bus and on to our next stop Black beach with its black sand and sea stacks! The rock formation at the beach has the look of the Giants causeway in Ireland and Fingals Cave on Staffa. This beach can be very dangerous and you really need to stay safe when the waves are wild.

We then went to visit the beautiful village of Vik with the stunning wee church on the hill.

After going to the view point we headed to the Lava show. The Icelandic Lava Show is a unique exhibition about the volcanic active in Iceland, what happens when a volcano erupts and what the residents do to deal with it! You are then treated to a fantastic experience of seeing real lava! After the show we tucked in to some soup at the cafe before heading off to our next stop!

We had a quick stop at Dyrholaey Lighthouse beside the black beach it was rather misty but was still great!

The weather cleared up a bit by the time we got to Sólheimajökull the glacier between the volcanoes Katla and Eyjafjallajökull. There is a viewing area and there are companies that can take you hiking on the glacier!

Our last stop on our fantastic South Coast tour was at Seljalandsfoss waterfall. It is around 60 metres tall and in the summer months it is possible to walk behind it.

After the waterfall we was heading back to Reykjavik we spied a beautiful rainbow. Robert stopped so we could take some photos! He dropped us off and we headed back to the hotel before getting something to eat!

We chose a lovely restaurant beside our hotel called Fjallkonan. We had been there before when we was on our honeymoon in 2016 so had planned to return! We enjoyed an amazing 7 course taster menu which included puffin, minky whale, lobster and lamb! It was as lovely as the last time we visited. It is a great place to go if you want something a little bit special!

Next day was more a chilled day for us so we had a slightly longer lie and after breakfast we had another scooter adventure! We headed along for a look at the Harpa concert hall and conference centre that opened on May 4, 2011. The building features a distinctive coloured glass design.

Along the road we then stopped at Hofdi House, a major world historical event took place here in 1986 when the presidents of Russia and the US, Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, met to end the Cold War.

We dropped off our scooters and thought it was time to grab a coffee as it was rather chilly! We had a wee look round some shops then had a snack and drink at the Hard Rock Cafe. In the afternoon we visited the Settlement Exhibition which was really interesting and well worth a visit, admission is around £16 per person.

Our final place to visit that day was Magic Ice a super cool ice bar!

We had a wee pub crawl in-between window shopping and in the evening we visited another soup cafe called Icelandic Street food. Later on that night we had a Northern lights tour that came as part of our holiday package. We knew before we left there was a small chance of seeing anything but just went for the wee bus run! We was taken to a lovely location at a beautiful church called Kálfatjarnarkirkja but sadly no Northern lights to be seen!

Next day was our last day and another early morning for a full day tour! Our tour provider was Nice Travel and we had a great driver/guide called David. We set off on our Golden Circle tour with some added extras!

First stop was one of Iceland’s National parks Thingvellir, here is the only place on Earth where you can touch with your both hands the North-American Tectonic plate and Eurasian tectonic plates. We had a explore before walking down between the plates! It is certainly an amazing place you could spend the day here wandering!

Due to running ahead of time we manage to get a bonus wee stop to see where they bake the Lava rye bread as seen on Gordon Ramsay’s F word. Laugarvatn is a hot spring town with beautiful views across the water at the mountains. Here they bake rye bread in the ground. There was several mounds where the bread was baking when we stopped although it is rather smelly due to the sulphur!

Our next stop on our awesome adventure was Geysir to see the highly active hot springs Strokkur geyser is the one that is most active and spouts water around 30 metres high every 4-8 mins and is an amazing sight to be seen. After we watched a few eruptions and had a wander round we headed for the cafe and a look in the shop before our next stop.

A few miles along the road was Gullfoss Falls. This waterfall I would describe as massive with 2 tiers, the force of the water is incredible. There are several viewing areas to view the falls and I would go to them all to get the full experience.

We got an extra stop to see some Icelandic horses we had not seen any up close so far so they were great to see. There was also some sheep at the croft they were still inside for the winter. The croft has a small shop selling handmade knitted items.

Our penultimate chapter in this epic adventure was Kerid crater lake! A huge crater is thought to have formed when the magma in the center simply depleted itself, and the empty chamber beneath caved in. Leaving behind this massive water filled crater thats is surrounded with red volcanic rock. You can walk round the crater as well going down to the edge of the water/ice.

Our last and ultimate stop which marked almost the end of our holiday was the Blue Lagoon. This has got to be one of most famous places in Iceland and people come from all over the world to have a dip in the cloudy blue water! This costs around £80 for the 2 of us and includes a drink at the bar, towel hire and a mud face mask!

After chilling out at the Blue lagoon it was time to return to Reykjavik, say goodbye to our driver and get packed! We had one last meal out at the American bar cause I just wanted a burger! Then an early bedtime as we was heading off early to catch our bus in the morning to the airport!

Just like that our holiday was over! Can’t wait to return we still have so much to see!

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What I did in 3 hrs in Edinburgh!

12th Mar 202312th Apr 2023 tracygoesoutside

We came down to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston. I thought I would take the opportunity to catch a few hours in Edinburgh to see some of the city sites! I walked along to the airport where I purchased a tram ticket for £9 return which will take me all the way to St Andrew’s square.

Once I arrive at St Andrew’s Square and got my bearings I headed for Calton Hill. It was still quite early so not to busy yet. Up Calton hill you will get excellent view across the city and beyond. Up there you will find several national monuments.

As you head up the steps in front of you is Nelson’s monument shaped like an up-telescope. Completed in 1816 the monument commemorates the death of Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Dominating the hill is the large columned structure known as the National Monument commemorating the lives and deaths of Scottish soldiers in the Napoleonic wars of the eighteenth century.

There are several other monuments as well as the City Observatory. If you feel that Arthur’s seat too taxing for you Calton Hill is definitely worth a look.

Next on my list was Princes Street gardens to find Wojtek the Polish army bear. We watched a tv programme a while back a the fascinating story Wojtek the bear who had been adopted by the Polish army in WW2. He actually ended up becoming a solider and went in to active combat. When the war ended his company ended up in Scotland and he finished his life in Edinburgh Zoo. His statue was unveiled in 2015 in the gardens!

A little bit further on you will find the beautiful Ross Fountain. The Ross Fountain was produced at the iron foundry of Antoine Durenne in France. It was purchased by gunmaker Daniel Ross in 1862 for £2,000 and gifted to the city. The fountain went through a massive restoration in a few years ago and given the beautiful colour it is now!

From here my next stop was the Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile. I didn’t go in to the castle but you can just look over the views of the city. I headed down the Royal Mile from the Castle it was still pretty quiet when I was there but there are plenty shop and cafes to choose from along the way!

A trip to Edinburgh would not be complete without going to see Greyfriars Bobby the well loved skye terrior that came known for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died on 14 January 1872. You can find his statue on Candlemakers row just beside Greyfriars Kirkyard.

Greyfriars Kirkyard dates back to the 1500 it is said to be the most haunted in the world. It also inspired Jk Rowling while writing her Harry Potter novels. Within the kirkyard you will find the Flodden Walk which was erected in 1560 to protect the city from the English invasion that never came! You can get tours of the kirkyard which I think would be 100 % worth it!

My last stop was a walk down the Old Town along past the beautiful painted shops I stopped in past L.J Mellis and got some lovely cheese and the best pork pie I have ever tasted!

Just like it was getting busy and I was ready to head back. I am really not a fan of busy and on my own. So I headed back to Princes street and catch my tram back! Apart from my tram and my cheese shop visit everything else I did was free! There is so much more to do including museums, dungeons etc but it was a beautiful day so I made the most of it! I used google maps to find my way around and that worked well!

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Gateway to an adventure at Dalraddy!

30th Jan 20235th Mar 2023 tracygoesoutside

We had not been to Dalraddy Holiday Park for a really long time so we thought we would try it out again. The campsite is located just a few miles from Aviemore with lots of activities on and off site.

Camper van and bike parked up at campsite — Our Pitch

The site itself is large with chalets, residential caravans, seasonal & touring pitches as well as tent pitches. Around the site there is a main toilet block with showers, dishwashing and laundry. There is a smaller shower block as well as other small toilet blocks. At the reception you can find a small shop stocking the essentials. There is a great play park for the kids and an abundance of picnic benches. If you are in a group there is a fantastic bbq area if you want to get everyone together.

Old red tractor with train like trailer — Alvie Tractor Train

At the entrance of the site you will find Alvie Forest Food a fantastic food van with beautifully prepared dishes and a recent addition of a coffee cart called Cabin coffee. Quad biking treks are available to book at the gate there are plenty of other activities and it is worth checking out the Alvie Estate website for something that suits you.

For me Dalraddy is a great place to get walking and biking. There is a fantastic walk to the Duke of Gordon Monument. You can walk/cycle along the Speyside way. We headed to Kincraig and Loch Insh and got a pint at the Boathouse before heading back.

Large monument with trees and blue skies — Duke of Gordon Monument

If you would like to explore the area there is plenty to do within a 10-15 mile drive.

Highland Wildlife park is around 5 miles away. At the park you can drive through the reserve and see the polar bears, snow leopards, amur tigers and many other animals then visit the wildlife discovery centre. Entry fees do apply.

Loch Insh Outdoor Centre is around 3 1/2 miles. Where you find a large selection of watersports as well as tubing, skating and archery. Prices vary depending on activity.

Large building with balcony next to a loch and blue skies — Loch Insh

Cairngorm Mountain Railway is around 12 miles away. The railway has only just reopened after being closed for some time. You don’t have to take part in snowsports to go up the railway you can just take a trip up to enjoy the views and have coffee and cake at The Ptarmigan restaurant. Return tickets can be purchased at Cairngorm Mountain resort.

Snow covered mountains — Cairngorm Mountain looking down to the Ptarmigan restaurant!

Strathspey Steam Railway is only 4 miles away at Aviemore and is a fantastic day out for everyone including your dogs. You are taking along the line from Aviemore to Broomhill and return in a beautiful steam locomotive. There is an option to enjoy a light lunch or afternoon tea along the way. Booking available online or at the station.

Steam train on track — Strathspey Steam Railway

This is only a very small selection of activities available!

Dalraddy is a great site to visit with everything you need and so much to do just on your doorstep!

https://www.campinginaviemore .co.uk/

https://www.visitcairngorms.com/

Highlands Walks, Latest Blog, Places to Walk

Ullapool Hill Circuit

26th Jan 20235th Mar 2023 tracygoesoutside

I ventured a wee bit further afield for a change, to Ullapool which we visit on a regular basis. Ullapool is on the North Coast 500 route and is one of the larger towns in North West Scotland with a busy ferry port and harbour. There is a great selection of places to eat and stay. Overlooking Ullapool is a hill called Cnoc na Croiche also known as Ullapool Hill which is a short but steep climb with very rewarding views.

Distance: 2.25 miles Time: 1hr Level: Easy with some steep parts. Terrain: Mix of pavements, well walked paths and uneven paths. Access: Arrive by car, parking is available in the long stay car park beside Tesco IV26 2XB. There is a regular stagecoach bus from 42 Inverness

Route: I am starting my route from the harbour on Shore Street in the centre of Ullapool. Cross the road at the boat trip and bike hire cabins and head up Quay Street past the Fish and Chip shop, try and resist the smell that is guaranteed to make you hungry. Take the third road on the right called Market Street and follow it to the end, before turning left and heading up Mill Road.

Harbour with boats beached on the left with reflection of clouds on water — Ullapool harbour

On your right, just after you have passed Highland Stoneware and Broom Court, you will see a gate and a signpost for Ullapool Hill. Go through the gate and you will start the short steep climb, but there are plenty of benches to stop and catch your breath. You will pass a path to your right, ignore it, but not long after you will take a turn to the left and you will head further up the hill.

Narrow track with yellow gorse bushes at each side — Path on Ullapool hill

You will come to a bench with a path on the left and one behind, take the path behind the bench. The path becomes rougher so watch your step. You will see a pile of stones to the right but keep going along the path till you reach a slightly overgrown viewpoint stone, although the views are great here they are better further along the route.

1 black and 1 white and brown cocker spaniels next to cairn

Just past the pile of stones that is to your left, the path will become rougher again and you will need to watch your step to get you down to the bench, where in my opinion you get the best views of Ullapool and Lochbroom.

View of Ullapool, loch broom with mountains behind — View of Ullapool

If it isn’t windy this is also a great spot to stop for a snack and wee rest before you head back down the hill. If you time it right with the ferry times, you may see it coming in or leaving, or if you are really lucky, you may even see one of the cruise ships that visit Ullapool.

You will see a rough path to the right, take it and it very soon returns you to the bench before the viewpoint. Take a left here and head back down the path.

Take the path on the left just beside the viewpoint, this will take you to the best view.

Keep going back down the track, a little after the left turn in the path you will see an opening that takes you down to a wooden bridge. Once over the footbridge you carry on descending till houses come into view and you come to a gate. Once through the gate follow the road and you will quickly find yourself at the back of The Royal Hotel on Shore Street.

Ullapool harbour with large and small boats — Ullapool harbour

I would recommend crossing the road here to admire the boats in the harbour. It is a great chance to get some more lovely photos before returning to your starting point and time for a well-earned Fish and Chips.

Tried and Tested Clothing, Equipment and Camping Stuff

My Favourite Winter Jacket

17th Jan 202319th Jan 2023 tracygoesoutside

Photo of me wearing a Ryde poncho in the snow

You know when you see something and you have to have it!!!! This was me when I first saw it and it totally did not disappoint! It has everything I need. It is around knee length on me I am 5ft 4. There is a huge front pocket which is ideal for the dogs lead and 2 side pockets both with zips. The jacket is waterproof and cosy fleece lined and the sleeves turn into mittens. I purchased a size small and I am around a size 12.

The brand itself is called RYDE from North West England and are a small team passionate about all things outdoors.

I am affiliated with the brand which means I can offer you an order code TRACYGOESOUTSIDE which will give you a 15% discount on your order.

Go check out RYDE for yourself https://ryde.store/

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Swim, Walk and Explore at Red Squirrel Campsite

15th Jan 202315th Jan 2023 tracygoesoutside

We have been going to the Red Squirrel campsite for a good few years now and it never disappoints. The campsite is located in the heart of Glencoe and a great base for exploring the area.

The site itself is suitable for tents and off grid campervans they also have a couple bell tents that can be hired too. Around the site there is shower, toilet and dish washing facilities. There are no electric hookup but you can charge small devices in the office if required. There are plenty of firepits across the site that campers can use and firewood can be bought onsite.

Down by the river there is a fantastic area for wild swimming that is usually busy on hot days with the young and old going in for a dook! When we visited there was a hot food van and an ice cream van came round at night. There is a cracking shop & petrol station called Claymore Filling station a few miles along the road that stocks everything I mean everything its like an aladins cave.

Just a short 10 minute walk from the site you will find the Clachaig Inn which is a cracking place for drinks, food and often have musicians playing in the evening.

There is also a cracking walk to Signal rock (this is said to be the place where the MacDonalds gathered when faced with danger during the Glencoe massacre). If you fancy a hike you can head up the Pap of Glencoe or explore the beautiful Glencoe Lochan.

If you are like us and you want to explore the area there is so much to do within a 10-15 mile drive.

Glencoe Visitors Centre is around a 3 mile drive where you can learn more about the history and scenery in the area, outside there is beautifully contructed turf house and amazing views of the mountains. Entry fees do apply or free to National trust members.

The Lost Valley is a fantastic walk and starts a 3.5 mile drive away. This is a beautiful walk into the lost valley where the Macdonald are said to have hid their rustled cattle. This walk isn’t just a wee walk in the park so be prepared but well worth it.

Glen Etive is around a 12 miles drive and a beautiful scenic drive with various spots that you could have a dook in the clear waters of the River Etive. You could stop of the ionic spot that James Bond stopped in Skyfall.

Kinlochleven is around a 10 mile drive and is a beautiful villiage with shops, cafes and pub. It is also home to the world’s largest artificial ice climbing wall, the Ice Factory. There is also a beautiful short along to Grey Mare tail waterfall.

There is so much more to do this is only a small selection and there are plenty of mountains to climb!

Red Squirrel is a fantastic site in beautiful surroundings wether you are a munro bagger or enjoy a chilled out holiday.

https://redsquirrelcampsite.co.uk/camping/

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glencoe

https://discoverglencoe.scot/

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Relax and Put you feet up at Barrow Campsite

4th Jan 20235th Jan 2023 tracygoesoutside

Starting off my new sections to my website with where I have spent the last 2 weeks. Barrow Campsite is an independent campsite situated in the beautiful countryside only a few miles out of Nairn. It is a relatively new site and ideal you if you want to explore the area or relax and put your feet up.

Onsite you will find a range of hardstanding and grass pitches with a semi wild area camping area. Also a couple glamping pods. In the summer months we usually park on the grass area but in the winter we prefer to have a hardstanding pitch with hookup. The facilities are clean and modern with toilets, showers, a dishwashing and laundry room.

Around the site there is a small kids playpark, it is very dog friendly with fantastic walks and an enclosed area with a good sized pond. I have done a bit of paddleboarding in the pond. There is a fantastic bothy with seating and a bbq area which is a great place to get together or shelter out the rain. Not far from the bothy you will find Hangman hill which is a well preserved bronze age barrow hence the name Barrow Campsite.

Nairn is only 3 1/2 miles away and if you are feeling energetic you could walk or cycle along the quiet country road. The town has a fantastic range of independent shops, supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, takeaways and a leisure centre. You also will find a beautiful beach on the Moray Firth with excellent views across the water. If you would like to treat yourself you could book a spa day at the Golf View hotel. There are also excellent public transport links to Inverness.

If you are like us and you want to explore the area there is so much to do within a 10-15 mile drive.

Brodie Castle is around an 8.5 mile drive where you can have a guided tour, explore the grounds and have an excellent play area. Entry fees do apply or free to National trust members.

Cawdor Castle is around a 5 mile drive and open in the summer months. Although we have never visited it is renowned for its beautiful garden and grounds. Entry fees do apply

Fort George is around an 8 mile drive and is the mightist artillery fortification in Britian and was built in the 18th century following the defeat at Culloden. Entry fees do apply or free to Historic Scotland members.

Culloden Battlefield is around a 9 mile drive and it is the site of the bloody battle of the Jacobite rising. Although a very eery it has an excellent visitors centre and a fascinating place to go. Entry fees to the visitors centre do apply or free to National trust members.

Brodie Countryfare is around an 8.5 miles drive and is almost next door to the Castle. This is a fantastic shop to explore their extensive range of clothing, giftware and food range and you can’t leave Brodie without visiting their fantastic restaurant.

Inverness is around a 15 mile drive but if you don’t want to venture into the city there is a large retail park on the outskirts that has a good selection of shops, a cinema and a large supermarket.

This is only a small selection of places to visit that are close by, there are many more plus Barrow is a great start/end point for the fabulous North Coast 500 route.

Barrow gets a thumbs up from us we love it here and it is definitely a home from home!!!

https://www.barrowcampsite.com/https://nairnscotland.co.uk/

https://www.nts.org.uk/

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/

https://nairnscotland.co.uk/https://nairnscotland.co.uk/

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2022 is almost over……

20th Dec 202220th Dec 2022 tracygoesoutside

I had great expectations for 2022. I bought a fancy new diary and I had great plans to get myself into a better routine,write regular blog posts, lose some weight and just be the best version of myself. Little did I know what was ahead of me!!!!

We started 2022 coming home from an amazing relaxing holiday in our favourite campsite in Skye and was all set to go back to work I was all prepared to get back to the gym and get myself sorted out.

But my life was turned upside down when my mum was taken to hospital the day I was going back to work. The next couple months were spent juggling work and hospital visits she did get home for a little while but sadly at the start of March my mum passed away.

After she passed I went back to work quite soon after I did not want to stay at home and overthink. But then if things could not get any worse after 2 years avoiding it I got covid!!! So that was the first quarter of the year gone and not a single thing had been written in my diary.

Spring came and the fuel costs were rising so I spent my days off exploring my local area being careful not to go too far. Moray and Aberdeenshire has some amazing picturestic places to visit many with fantastic well marked paths. So I don’t need to travel far to find some great places.

We did manage a few weekends away to Ullapool, Nairn and the bike racing at Knockhill. We were truly blessed with some amazing weather which definitely helped my mood. I kind of failed to make any contact with my friends and avoided all social events in fear of people asking if I am ok. I must admit my husband has been a complete rock through the tough times.

Almost half way through the year had I written in my diary, stuck to a diet or went to the gym??? The simple answer was no. I did try to get motivated but my head was not in it. Instead I decided to try something new. One day we were sitting in Cullen beach carpark watching folk out paddleboarding I thought I would like to do that! By the time we were home I had ordered a board and a wetsuit. Which was one of my better ideas. Why? Because when you’re on that board all you think about is not falling off nothing else matters.

In June we went to Glencoe and we had some amazing weather so much so I did some wild swimming at the natural pool at Red Squirrel campsite which I loved.

We had such a great weekend soaking up the much needed vitamin D. I think it was the first weekend I had really enjoyed myself but I felt guilty afterwards. Looking back I should not ever have felt like that but grief does funny things to you.

Summer was spent exploring, we had several weekends in Nairn so I could paddleboard on the pond and went along to Paddlebliss for a lesson which was totally out my comfort zone and I had a amazing time. I also ventured further afield to Loch Inch one day to explore parts I had never been.

I even managed to drag my friend Gem up Ben Aigan even though she hated me when I said we were nearly at the top several times we made it eventually!

Our Summer Holidays could not come quick enough I organised them like a military operation between campsites and ferries. Visiting some of our favourite places as well as exploring some new ones. Paddleboarding and wild swimming at Arisaig was one of my highlights.

Portavadie was our little bit of luxury.

Mull and Iona were just simply amazing.

Summer sadly came to an end and we went back to work but no sooner we were back to than we ended up in Aberfeldy for a weekend with a bunch of folk we mostly only ever spoke to on Facebook. We went kayaking down the Tay which was bloody amazing. We were so proud of ourselves that day.

Autumn fast approached and finally after so long we decided for our wedding anniversary we would head to Falkirk and Stirling. We wanted to go to the Kelpies and the Falkirk wheel for ages but just never quite got there. They did not disappoint the Kelpies were amazing.

No one ever actually told me what the Falkirk wheel was. I actually thought it was some kind of hydro electric making type contraption, so when I got on the wee boat for the tour I was totally amazed. I would put it in my top 10 places to visit in Scotland.

Through most of the summer and autumn I had been suffering from regular sore heads which I had actually thought I just needed new glasses but that did not help. I did finally go to the doctors in October but I actually started back at the gym and pool at the same time, wow the headaches just disappeared. So removing some screen time and destressing at the gym was the best medicine, which I kind of already knew but putting things into practice is not always that easy.

I caught a couple of amazing sunrises in November. We also managed to get away a few times spending a night in Findhorn and took to run to Edinburgh one day so we stopped in past the Hermitage,Dunkeld on the way down and spent a night in Aviemore on the way home.

December finally arrived which filled me with dread so we decided we would go away for Christmas and just chill out, watch Netflix and enjoy our time off. So no plans have been made to visit anywhere or do anything. This will be my first Christmas without my mum and honestly I still can’t quite believe she is no longer here and this is just a bad dream.

With only 11 days of 2022 left have I written in my posh diary???? Have I hell!!! Have I lost any weight???? Not a single pound!!! But I have not wasted the year we have had lots of good times, I have tried some new things. It certainly has not turned out the way I thought but life is too short and it is time to write my 2023 bucket list!

Am I buying a 2023 diary??? No I don’t think I will bother!!!!

2023 Bucket list coming soon…………..