All sorts

A couple of weeks ago, this little lady came for breakfast.

The next day, I went for a walk on the marshes and saw pink-footed geese, whooper swans, a mad march hare and a stoat in ermine! Of course, I didn’t have my camera with me, doh!

When I went back the next day, just in case I got another glimpse, I was disappointed to find something that had not been there the day before.

Fly tipping isn’t something we usually have a problem with here, so I took photographs on my mobile and reported it to the council. It’s still there…

Since then, David has been in the Lakes for a week, taking part in a Summer Proficiency Course. He got very wet and blown about. He also was not impressed with the Terra Nova Voyager Superlight, it bounced off his head all night and was soaked through. Hey ho, could have taken mine.

I took a walk down to Findhorn and around the bay, in the hope of catching a glimpse of osprey. Sadly, none, but I did see this noisy crowd on the sand bank.

Trust me, they are seals.

As I walked home along the cycle path, I had an interesting encounter. I always walk tucked in to the edge of the path, furthest away from the road, a habit I have picked up to avoid major puddle splash from inconsiderate drivers and to allow cyclists to pass without tinkling their bell and giving me a huge fright! However, apparently I didn’t leave enough room on this occasion and the Psycho Cyclist that came towards me just kept coming. And coming. Even when I leapt into the long grass the two and a half metres to the left of me was still not enough room and he followed me onto the grass! I politely yelled, “Excuse me!” as he sped away. I still can’t quite believe how close he got to hitting me, I’m convinced he’d been to the pub.

I’ve been to check on ‘my’ osprey nest, but no sign yet. I’m worried about what happened to them last season as they disappeared mid-season and I’m just hoping they come back. I’ll pop back for another look in a few days time.

Walking has been less in the last week, due to various appointments and time miss-management. The next two weeks will be tricky as the children have two weeks off school and life gets mundane, but there are plans afoot for Friday and I’m really looking forward to a stroll and a natter.

Sunshine Sally rides again

Saturday saw us embarking on the end of March Girly Walk, this time an easy stroll along the River Nairn to Cawdor and back. It wasn’t the adventure I’d originally planned, but due to the recent heavy snowfall followed by a major thaw, the rivers and burns had been in spate and a decision had to be made in good time, so safety came first and a walk to the pub it was! The Girlies were Me, Angela, Alison C., Babs, Jo, Judith, Pip and Sunshine Sally. Not forgetting Molly the black lab.

Heading south to the pub

Coffee break

It was a jolly old saunter, surveying the devastation from recent floods along the bank, some of which had been washed away. The weather was up to Sunshine Sally’s normal high standards, warm, mostly dry and generally sunny.

Scarlet Elf Cup,(Sarcoscypha austriaca) found in shady, damp places on twigs and fallen branches (especially hazel)

A recently stranded holly tree and friend

More debris

Bog of Cawdor picnic, with table provided

We all had a pleasant time in the pub, the porcelain was well visited and a range of drinks consumed, tea, Pimms and lemonade, Crabbies Green Ginger Wine and hot water, whisky and hot water (for the sicky), half a shandy and two halves of Orkney Ales Corncrake (yum!)

Show me the way to go home…

A lovely day out, 13.2 miles, 372 ft total ascent, 2.7 mph average, not sure of times. The general consensus was “very civilised”. Good training for me, walking and a pub!

From high tide to full spate

Yesterday, Ciara and I grabbed a lift to Roseisle Forest with David and Aedan (on D of E business) and walked home along the Moray Coast Path. It’s a pleasant route which I’ve done various bits of at different times. Yesterday was a nice day, a light south westerly and it was high tide.

Morven

Culbin Forest on the left and Ben Wyvis with a bit of snow

The path goes on for a while through the trees

But…

When David and I first did this route a few years ago, the path used to go this way. The speed of the erosion is shocking. Six miles and 70 ft ascent, whoop de do! Two hours walking.

Today David and I walked again. I have a girly walk at the weekend and I had fancied a bit of an adventure in the hills above Cawdor Castle, but with the huge dump of snow last weekend and the major thaw this, I thought we might encounter a few watery issues. I decided David and I should go on a reconnaissance trip.

Well, it was quite fun right from the word go. We couldn’t find our way out of Cawdor! Eventually we found ourselves on the road out if Cawdor (as the Castle grounds are still shut) until we found a track that lead into the woods. This was an extremely pleasant path through the varied woodlands, alive with birds and easy on the eye. We found the bridge quite easily and although it wasn’t a nasty, wibbly wobbly bridge, I did not like the rushing water way below.

Look at that unhappy foot…

This really doesn’t do it justice, you need the roar

There will probably be lots of photographs of water, me thinks.

We continued on this path through the pretty woods until what should have been the end. Only it wasn’t. There’s a house with a sign, “Strictly Private, Keep Out”.

Hmmm. Well, we didn’t want to walk through their garden if we didn’t have to, so we backtracked and found another faint path going in the right direction and at the end of that was the road and bridge we were looking for. Oh yes!

Bit full

In fact, in quite a hurry

By this point, we knew we wouldn’t be able to ford even the feeder streams, but we could stay on the east bank of Riereach Burn and complete a circuit of Clunas Reservoir, so off we went. Another pleasant enough path through farm land until eventually we came to the ford we knew we wouldn’t cross today.

We were sooo right!

No way, no how!

I’m not sure we’d even ford this when not in spate, I shall have to return during a drought

Someone had kindly left a hut (locked) and a picnic table, so we made ourselves at home for lunch

Unfortunately, despite it being a beautiful day, the wind was getting really strong. If we had continued along the east bank, there would soon be a steep climb to a path along the edge of a sheer drop down to this burn. I’m not good at heights, drops, rushing water and high winds, so I voted for a return to the road and take an alternative route back to Cawdor.

We took the road for a while before turning once more into the woods at Achindown. There were some detours taken due to fallen trees and we did encounter a path along the edge of a sheer drop that was wet and slippery, but I managed admirably. We disturbed three roe deer, warming themselves in a sunny glade, they were so graceful as they disappearded through the woods.

Cawdor Castle

This was just a bit of fun, a fact finding mission and it was very useful, I enjoyed it greatly and found the experience of being so (safely!) close to the river in spate awe inspiring, thrilling, enthralling but a good, powerful reminder of the dangers.

7.85 miles, 632 ft ascent, 2 hours 43 mins walking, 50 mins 'resting', 2.6mph average.

Can’t see the wood for the trees

What is it about walking into a wooded area that suddenly causes navigational difficulties?

I’ve had a relatively quiet walking week. After a rest day on Sunday, I had a regular Monday walk, four miles Tuesday including walking home from the station having dropped the car in Inverness for repair. On Wednesday, I took the longer route to the station to return for the car and notched up five miles. On Thursday I did my daily brisk one  and planned yesterday’s walk.

David  has another long weekend, so we’ll walk. Yesterday was not a good day for big hills, the forecast was windy and there was plenty of snow around, so it was a stroll from Insh, to Drumguish, through to Glen Feshie, then back into the Inshriach Forest to return via Uath Lochan. We sometimes use a walking website for walk ideas, which this was from, but they can be a bit ‘iffy’. Like this one.

 Sgor Gaoith is out there somewhere, but not for us this time

I don’t know why the 8” of snow took me by surprise, but it did. This made for a strenuous walk and I’m quite sure I shall feel it today.  Initially there were footprints to follow, but shortly after Inveruglass, they disappeared. On we went, the going got easier as we reached the forestry works beyond Drumguish, as they’d kindly cleared the path. We had lunch sheltering from the stiff breeze before we made our way to the bridges and made a decision.

Practising, but this isn’t a nasty, wibbly, wobbly bridge

We felt that, given the depth of the snow we were about to encounter and the heavy grey clouds approaching, discretion was the better part of valour. We diverted through Corarnstilbeg before joining the Glen Feshie road as planned. From the point we re-entered the forest, things were ‘interesting’.

I’m going this way

I know my place, bringing up the rear

It was deep, virgin snow. David broke the trail for me for a while, but shortening his stride for me wasn’t too helpful, plus I was pulling my Achilles from time to time, which worried me. Then, the directions took us off the main track and on a rather strange/unnecessary route over rough ground and through bog for a while. When we did find the forestry track again, the directions didn’t make sense even when the grid references were right, so we went our own way.

I think this will be a nice one to do when the snow has gone. Oh! Part of it is on my route in May, fancy that!

10.4 miles 863 ft total time including stops 5 hrs 10 mins.

Post script

I drafted this before I went to bed last night and have woken up this morning to find I don’t have any aches or pains, yey! There’s hope for me yet.

That’s it then

I’ve bought my bus ticket to Shiel Bridge, £5. I don’t think I’ll bother buying a train ticket from Montrose, most people will be going in the opposite direction! My accommodation for first and last nights are booked, food is bought, got all my kit, I’ve just got to make contact with the camp sites.

Makes it all a bit, well, real.

Yikes.