Lakes and Mountains - One Woman and a Dog

A promised visit to a friend living near Edinburgh gave me a good excuse to see a bit of Scotland having never been before, and a chance to stop off at the Lake District to break the long drive. Having had a bit of a wash out summer so far, the thought of camping was a little daunting, but thankfully the British weather held up for the most part and it was a fabulous trip. It's sometimes easy to forget the beauty of our homeland - this trip was a great reminder of how stunning our countryside is (particularly when the sun is shining!).

Car packed, dog (Gizmo) lazing comfortably on back seat, we set off.

After a rather long and arduous journey with M6 delays, the idyllic sight of sheep grazing and mountains rising was just the thing to lift my mood. The Lake District greeted us with sunshine and we set up camp near Pooley Bridge on Ullswater in time for a quick walk to the lake's edge for sunset. A clear night meant star filled skies followed by a bright and early start ready for a beautiful sunny day ahead.

The 6 mile walk from Pooley Bridge to Howtown takes you over Barton Fell Common and bracken and sheep filled fields, with stunning views across the lake to Helvellyn Range. Picture postcard! Plenty of photo stops along the way made it an easy wander and the Ullswater Steamer gave us an excuse not to walk back. The perfect start.

Day 2 was a bit grey so we headed out in the car to see some nearby sights. Keswick is a lovely town - packed with tourists and, oddly, dogs! Gizmo made many friends that day! Our wander through the town brought us to Derwent Water with the chance for a splash (Gizmo, not me) and a stretch of the legs. Back into the car for a ridiculously scenic drive sandwiched between Lake Thirlmere and Helvellyn Range to Ambleside and Lake Windermere beyond. Bowness was lovely but very touristy so a quick dinner stop was enough to recharge us for yet another stunning drive, passing through Glenridding and along the shores of Ullswater. Along the way we happened across a waterfall sign, so stopped for a walk up to the pools at the top of Aira Force - a lovely, tranquil spot.

Next stop Edinburgh! Catch up with pal time, a bit of festival fun and a few sights along the way. A lovely city that I'll be visiting again for a chance to explore more!

Cairngorms National Park next and another lovely, scenic drive and sunny arrival. Can't ask for more than that! Glenmore Forest Park was our home for the next three nights, sitting on the edge of Loch Morlich, near Aviemore.

More good fortune as the sun was high in the sky for our first day, so we set off on the Ryvoan Trail to get a feel for the mountains and forest surrounding us. A lovely walk, taking us to a hidden alpine lake, along forest trails and with picture perfect lake views on the final stretch. A warm afternoon meant a packed beach and a very hot dog, so we set off for a leisurely stroll around the lake. Great views along the way, plenty of cooling spots to break the journey and wild blueberries en route to keep energy levels up!

Another grey day 2 but this time we kept on foot and chanced the mountain weather with a walk up Ryvoan Bothy. Steeper than expected, and with pesky midges making stops a chore, the climb was a little tougher than anticipated but we made it to the top with good spirits still intact! Drizzle kicked in for the walk down so the views were compromised a fair bit, but still a lovely walk offering a sense of the scale of the beautiful Cairngorms NP.

Nature was at its best on this trip and we had a lovely time. The first of many road trips for one woman and a dog, I think!

(more pictures on Facebook)