Loch Lomond and the Trossachs - Rowing and Fishing

After our adventurous day yesterday and coming third and winning a lemon at the quiz night, we went out for a relaxing rowing session on Loch Achray. One of my friends had mentioned it was only £5 for half a day when she was last there back in 2012. Only 4 years have passed and the price has remained the same!

I never knew how difficult it was to row a boat. They make it look so easy in the films and television programmes. I really struggled on my own but what do you expect, I am only a 14cm/5.5inch sea lemon!

Phew! It was hard work!

Tell you what though, the views of the house were once again gorgeous. Even more so with only water between it and the boat.

Back on dry land, we had lunch then plodded onto our afternoon activity; fishing.
Our ghillie Morris was incredibly informative and also a very good teacher on dry land. For the 40 or so years he has been a professional fisherman, I imagine his teaching skills will flourish once on the water.

And just as I thought, Morris proved to be a patient teacher as we suspected he would be. His patience paid off too because we caught 8 fish during the 2 hours we had on the Lochan. We only kept 1 fish for our tea.

And she was beautiful in both appearance and taste and I'm sure the creature (hopefully the resident pine martin) round the back of the recycling store agreed too!

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs - Achray Forest

After a quick fly fishing lesson in the morning with the local ghillie Morris, we had a quick spot of lunch, then went and explored the surrounding are. We drove (yes, more driving!) to the other side of Loch Achray, which is the loch opposite Tigh Mor.

On the other side is Achray Forest. What with area's of Scotland being under the maintenance of the Forestry Commission, you can't walk far without noticing large swathes of woodland missing from the hills. Besides this minor inconvenience, the Scottish scenery is still very picturesque and beyond words.

Reaching the edge of the forest, it soon dawned on my how large this forest was going to be!

This woodland was dark and dense...

But why should that scare me? We were in the middle of Scotland, wolves and bears are extinct in this country and highway men certainly no longer exist!

On wards and upwards as they say!
There came a point in the walk were clusters of trees had collapsed in the wind and dragged others down with them. Large upturned roots created a natural barrier between us and our way forward.

Reaching our first opening, the extent of the Forestry Commissions work was apparent.

Creating clearings such as this, ensures new growth from other plants and saplings from the trees themselves, have a successful chance to flourish. The trees they cut down are used in furniture manufacturing and carpentry and the twiggy bits, are left to rot and fertilise the soil.
If the Forestry Commission didn't carry out this sort of work, the soil will lose valuable nutrients which trees and other such plants need to grow.

Reaching the top of one of the few hills, we paused, caught our breath and bearings, and admired what Scotland had to offer. The Heather was out and blooming and the weather actually not that bad!

Retreating from the hill and Achray Forest as a whole, we made our way back towards the 'big house' but first, time to admire Tigh Mor from across Loch Achray.

What a stunning view!

After olot of discovering and sight viewing, it was time for the quiz night held in the family room.
We drunk orange juice from wine glasses and I made a new friend!

After the quiz, we thought it best to unwind by watching a film and drinking hot chocolate.

Yum!

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs - Reaching Tigh Mor

First day of my holiday done! Well, not quite. We spent alot of time driving but of course the drive to and from any holiday destination is part of the experience.

The drive up was generic; roadworks where and when you really don't need them, like Scotch Corner for example. Those roadworks, I will gladly say, were a nightmare!

Finally reaching the Scottish boarder...

What a HUGE sign! It may not look it in the picture but trust me, it was pretty large!

...The first services we reached which, which happened to be Annandale Water services, housed a certain coffee shop, we threw ourselves into.

Not only do they do great coffee but also great toasted sandwiches!

Sitting with a steaming cup of tea, we stretched our legs and ate our sandwiches.

Off we went again, this time, towards our final destination.

After about 6 hours on the road, we finally reached Tigh Mor Trossachs wich translates into 'Big House' and the Scots are right, it is a BIG house!

Corrie A'an, which is where are apartment was, was a miniature version of the main house. It was ideally situated for stunning views and ease of access.

Our dining room is even in one of the turrets!

Each day can not come quick enough!

Quick pop over to Potteric

Not much to say really... Just kidding, it's Potteric Carr, there is always something to say about this place, and it is never bad!
As the summer draws on and with only a week to my first visit to Scotland, I needed to fully unwind so my holiday will be the most relaxing week on my life yet.

After the usual lunch in the reserves' tearoom (MASSIVE sausage sandwich with home cut chips), I ventured out into the wilderness that is Potteric Carr.

It's fantastic seeing all the luscious green reeds which Bitterns, reed bunting and many other birds call home.
It's such a fantastic vibrant colour!

It was like entering a small jungle when walking down this short boardwalk!

I love the fresh vivid green of spring but the greenery of mid summer is something else.
Everything is so full of life and the trees incredibly dense that it makes it all the more special when you see something emerge from the foliage.

Don't even get me started on the woodland walk! During the winter, you can see right across the woodland floor; a fleeting fox or a roe deer casually walking away.
During the summer, you can't see the wood for the trees, literally!

Beamish and old favourites

Alas! Once again I went along to Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, for a grand day out before my yearly ticket expired.
It was a sad thought knowing it would be the last time for what could be a few years but all the same, my friends and I have certainly made the most of our tickets and the attractions/facilities available on site.

On the way to Beamish, we did however stop off at a service station of which, housed a well known coffee shop.
We certainly needed this coffee and as a result, I found this little guy. Paying a small donation towards UK Air Ambulances, I made quite the friend whilst drinking my coffee!

Arriving at Beamish and entering the museums' grounds, we caught a tram to the 1900's town.
Golly, I love trams.

There, we bought a small snack to put us on for a short while whilst the queue for the fish and chip's reduced dramatically in size!

To pass the time, we wandered around and revisited our favourite shops, browsing the contents like we had never seen it before.

Every time I visited Beamish, I spotted something new, either hanging from the ceiling...

...or lurking in the corners of each shelf...

...or even mounted on the wall outside!

Sometimes, even the most colourful things are missed.

As each attraction is close to another, we thought, for a change, we'd walk to the village. A leisurely 10-15 minute walk lead us to a multitude of treasures!
Like this tiny ticket office for the tiny Dipwood Halt turntable.

Reaching the Regional Resource Centre, we wondered why we had never visited this small, yet packed warehouse.

We were amazed by all the 'relics' and vintage products Beamish had in storage.
I especially enjoyed the generations of toilets!

Just outside the warehouse was this beast of a machine. For the life of me I can not remember what it is!

Reaching the 1900's Pit Village, we welcomed by the sight of this magnificent traction engine. It was a stunning piece of steam mechanics.

The queue for Davy's Fried Fish Shop was now significantly shorter and took a fraction of the time to wait in. Whilst we waited, we watched the kitchen staff prepare, cook and serve the fish and chips.

And once again, the servings were spot on and delicious!

Before leaving, we grabbed a cup of tea and took a rather pleasant walk through a birch wood towards the 1820's Pockerley Waggonway.

It was a very adorable engine and the most jerky train ride I have ever been on!
But it was free and definitely worth the short experience the ride lasted for.

At the bottom of the hill from the Waggonway was Eston Church.

A small quiet building with sleepy pews and simplistic architecture, this church was a far cry from the churches, cathedrals and minsters we know so well.

With quaint fittings and historic masonry...

...it's no wonder why this building was dismantled and rebuilt here at Beamish.

Our last trip to Beamish had come to an end and as the Town had become sleepy and droopy-eyed, so had our tickets. Maybe we'll be back during the festive season but until then, it's goodbye to Beamish, the Living Museum of the North.