Kirkcaldy, Scotland 2018

Sun the 21st to Fri the 26th of October

Nicole had a place booked up in Scotland for half term, it was in Kinghorn on the Firth of Forth. Well me and Dot could not get a campsite booked in Kinghorn (I do not know what was wrong with the owners there) but we did get a hotel room, in Kirkcaldy just a bit further on.

Sunday the 21st of October

Nicole and the others went up on the Saturday but we didn't get up there until the Sunday. It was a relatively simple drive up, from our place it was the A19 to the A1 then all the way to Edinburgh. There we turned off the A1 onto The City Of Edinburgh Bypass A720, to the M8 then M9 to the M90, over the new bridge over the Forth, The Queensferry Crossing. Over the bridge the way is to turn off the M90 onto the A92, to the A910 into Kirkcaldy. The last bit, although we came back that way, as we were early for the hotel, we turned off the M90 early, drove the slow way along the river to Kirkcaldy and got a nice photo of the Rail Bridge.

We eventually booked into the hotel but our room was very noisy in the wind in fact it was incredibly noisy. We went to complain and were given a much much better room, the hotel staff were very helpful, as was everyone there for our entire stay.

The others phoned as soon as we got settled in and we met them outside (they had Syd the dog with them), to follow them to their nice flat for the night.

Monday the 22nd of October

We had arranged to get the train back across the river into Edinburgh today, so we had to be up early to get to the station. But first we had our breakfast which was included in the hotel price and it was very nice.

 

The train arrived on time and there was plenty of room in the carriage, pretty soon we were going back over the river which gave me a chance to get photos of the other two bridges.

Syd was a little bit jittery but the train guard let him sit in Tims knee, if fact the guard was very good and chatty along the way.

 

In the city was walked along Princes Street, were Emily wanted to do some shopping so we spent some time waiting outside shops with Syd.

 

After the shopping we wandered around the bottom of the castle to Grassmarket, for the girls to get a photo that they usually have done. There are also a lot of old telephone boxes up there for me to take photos of and a lot of them have been converted to other uses.

 

By now it was dinner time so we called into a place called Made In Italy, for lunch. Dot talked me out of getting something big because of our big breakfast and she was tight. We had to sit outside though as Syd was with us but it wasn't too cold. We had beers with the food as well, we were on holiday after all. After lunch we walked back up to the Royal Mile, but had to look in The Boy Wizard shop on the way back up.

 

Up at the Castle we had a quick look around then wandered down the Royal Mile, Dot and I decided to go into one of the museums and catch up with the others later. That went out of the window though, when we saw the size of the ques to get in and we just caught up with the others.

We used the Scottish Parliament building at the bottom of the Royal Mile to got to the toilet before walking back up and along to a pub in Cockburn Street. We had to sit outside The Malt Shovel with Syd again and I had a Jaw Brew, Four Balls beer.

After that as everyone was getting a bit tired we made our way back to the train station and then back to Kinghorn.

Tuesday the 23rd of October

After another very good breakfast, we went later today, we had much more time to eat and get ready back in the room.

 

When ready, we made our way down to the seafront (the only thing between the hotel and the beach was Ravenscraig Park). First we headed up river towards the town but didn't get as far as the castle before turning back the other way.

 

The other way we made towards Dysart village, it wasn't a long walk but it was very nice and not too cold at all.

 

In Dysart, I had a walk along the pier at the harbour leaving Dot shading out of the wind, not like where I was.

 

From there we walked on passed the harbour and on for a short while but thought we should head back towards the hotel, to meet the others.

Later on we drove over to meet the others and stayed there for the rest of the day and night.

Wednesday the 24th of October

Today we headed inland to Loch Leven where we would meet up with the others in Kinross. Unfortunately I left my camera so I do not have many photos of the day just a couple from my phone. We did have quite a long walk along the loch and back through the town before we headed off back to Nicole's place though.

Thursday the 25th of October

Today we were to visit St Andrews but first Me and Dot drove for a visit to Ruby Bay at Elie for a look around (we knew someone that had been). We parked up near the beach at Ruby Bay just passed the town and went for a walk in the wind.

 

After our walk t the lighthouse and around the front we headed back to the car and drove on to St Monans a bit further along. Again we drove through the town and parked up on the sea front were we could see a windmill, so we walked that way.

As we got to the windmill we found there was an open air swimming pool in the sea just below the mill. There was also the remains of what was the St Monans Salt Pans, an old industrial site of nine salt pans.

 

The pool was no longer in use but no longer supported by the local council, I have no idea how long it will last now. The original windmill was used to pump seawater into the salt pans but there are only the foundations left of them now.

We got a phone call from the others to say they were on the way to St Andrews, so we went back to the car and set of to meet them.

We got parked up in St Andrews pretty easily, down by the sea and it was free. From there we set off into town to meet up with the others. After some shopping we walked passed the old castle and down to the pier.

 

We had a walk on the pier and around the small harbour before making our way back up into town. Up there we popped into a cafe for drinks and the girls had nice cakes.

 

After that we drove back to Nicole's apartment and had our last meal together before our drive back home tomorrow.

Friday the 26th of October

Well we had our last big breakfast and set off back home, the others went into Edinburgh again but we went straight home.

Ingleton, 2014

4th August to 8th August

We were going away with Nicole, Tim, Georgia and Emily again, for their birthdays this time, to a big house near Ingleton.

Monday the 4th of August

Quite nice drive there, we went through Layburn, Hawes and passed the Ribblehead Viaduct. Were we had to stop and take photos.

It was not far from there on and we soon found the others. It was only 12:30 when we got there, so we had something to eat before setting off into Ingleton.

In Ingleton the girls went into the open air pool there, a very nice place, not what I was expecting out here. While they were in there I wandered off and took photos of the bridges in town.

 

One of the bridges was a big viaduct but I found it was hard to get a good photo of it.

Back at the house we sat outside in the sun and you could see paragliders over the hills in the distance, it all looks very dangerous to me.

Tuesday 5th of August, the Girls Birthday

We were up before six this morning opening presents, they got iPads from Mam and Dad and an inflatable canoe from us, as well as loades of other things.

As we were up early we all got ready and set of for lake Windermere, it was only 10:30 and the girls were already in the lake with the canoe. We were right at the bottom end of the lake, probably on the river Leven.

 

After that the girls had a swim and I took load of photos, then it was back in the boat again before dinner.

 

 

We had sandwiches by the lake for dinner then it was back in the canoe, only this time it was dad in there with the girls steering.

 

Me and Dot not wanting to go in the water, went for a walk along the lakeside to the Boathouse Cafe. I actually found a bottled beer in there that I hadn't had before, Delavals, National Trust Best Bitter and bought one.

Later after getting dried and ready we set off along the other side of the lake in the car and found a hotel for a birthday tea.

After that we got the ferry back across the lake, then headed back to the house.

 

Wednesday the 6th of August

Today we are walking the Ingleton Waterfall Trail, it would have been wrong to come here and not do it. So we drove back into the village and to the start of the waterfall walk. We got parked up and payed the entrance fee, then set of on the long walk along one river then across, to come back along another river.

The walk is 4.3 mile or 7 km, and is up and down hills along the way, so we were well dressed for it, it was slightly wet as well. The girls had the activity pack and had to take rubbings along the way. We set off along the river Twiss, it was more up and down that I thought it would be.

 

As we walked along, up the river the waterfalls seemed to be getting bigger.

 

And bigger.

 

After the last big waterfall we came out of the trees and crossed the river a couple of times then headed up onto the moors.

 

As it was uphill the younger ones went off in front and me and Dot made our way up after them as best as we could. We could see them up ahead next to an ice cream van, how on earth an ice cream van got there I do not know.

We walked back down the hill towards the other river running down into Ingleton but stopped at the cafe half way in the walk for tea and sandwiches. From there we could see the entrance to White Scar Cave and all the car parking for it.

 

The walk back down to Ingleton along the river Doe was just as good as the walk the other way.

 

The girls were still doing their the activity packs but all too soon we were back at the start.

 

Before we went back to the house, I had a pint of beer in a pub, a J W Lees, MPA (Manchester Pale Ale), it was ok but nothing special.

Thursday the 7th of August, Nicole's Birthday

It was nearly the same as the girls birthday up ferly early to open presents, have breakfast, then off to the same place as Tuesday on lake Windermere.

Only this time it was Nicole's turn to be in the canoe, first on her own.

Then with Tim

 

It was in the lake until dinnertime, then we had our picnic for lunch.

Later we went for a birthday tea, where I had a couple of beers, a Kirkby Lonsdale, Stanleys, quite nice and a Marstons, Pedigree New World, another not bad beer.

Back at the rooms we had a cake for Nicole, for her birthday.

Friday the 8th of August

Our last day, we got sorted out, then drove to Ambleside, we did some shopping there and even went for dinner. The Fulling Mill was were we went and it was quite nice.

After that we drove to Ullswater and got the canoe out again and into the lake. Tim was in it and the girls were swimming.

Later we went for another meal to Pooley Bridge and had food in the Crown Inn. I also had a beer, a Bitter End, Lakeland Golden, not the best. Then it was off home.