Blisters and Barnacles

Remember the Summer

2010-12-04T23:21:00.000Z

Taking Learning Outdoors

2010-06-20T08:39:00.004+01:00

The OE staff along with support from Countryside Rangers and others have been running this outdoor experience programme with Primary school staff for over a year now. The programme seems to change a bit each time but the enthusiasm from the school staff has been inspirational. The last 2 programmes earlier in June took place on a warm but very wet day at Lochore Meadows and Devilla Forest. We tackled everything from counting, measuring trees, sensory awareness and our old favourite risk assessments.
The response to the format of dealing in a simple and sensible way with all the skills and knowledge required to take more learning outside has had a very positive response from the schools we have worked with.

Extreme Chainwalk Fun

2010-06-11T23:06:00.003+01:00

After a bit of a blog break it is back with a fresh new look and some new features. Same old crazy outdoor fun.

Ochils Skitour

2010-01-09T23:01:00.003Z

Huge thanks to Tony C for the loan of the gear and the company on my first ever skitour. I promised myself I wasn't going to stand in queues for lifts, skipasses, skihire this year and try some skitouring. We had an awesome day in typical scottish style with a bit of everything thrown in but most importantly loads of snow.

Extreme Sledging

2010-01-03T23:01:00.003Z

In case you hadn't noticed it is cold and white out there. The family adventures of 2010 have got off to a great start with some world class sledging action!

Family Adventures 2009

2009-12-30T23:20:00.002Z

Thanks to all my great family and friends for sharing some happy times this year. Hope you have a great 2010 and hope to see you soon for more adventure.

Outdoor Adventures 2009

2009-12-30T23:05:00.005Z

Thanks for the company, the shared highs and lows and all the laughs during a great year. Best wishes for the year ahead and here's hoping for more challenge and adventure in 2010.

Mud, Rain and Tears

2009-11-19T20:45:00.003Z

Here's a thought.
At the weekend I just have to get outside whatever the weather, so the kids don't really have a choice and have to tag along (especially when your wife is gallavanting over to America for a week). Sometimes they are as keen as me but not always and there can be lengthy standoffs as we set off on the latest adventure. There is one sure way to get a smile back on the face of a grumpy daughter and that is to find a big muddy puddle and make a mud stew. Don't get carried away with the role play though, it doesn't taste great.
We found another of those sofa trees that featured in an earlier post.

Ireland October09

2009-10-31T22:25:00.012Z

Hard to believe it is 2 and a half years since we moved back to Scotland. The welcome back was incredibly warm and welcoming and we quickly reaquainted ourselves with our favourite bays and beaches. The girls loved the waves and Beckie enjoyed some great waves on the boogie board. I even caught a couple of waves on the surfboard.

Cheap Summer Entertainment for Kids

2009-09-24T22:14:00.006+01:00

1. The best face paints I have ever seen done (I have seen a lot) at the RNLI South Queensferry funndraising day.
Cost = zero because you would have made a donation anyway wouldn't you

2. Find a rocky peninsula along with a Force 5 breeze. Play at leaning into the wind.

Cost= petrol money getting to the beach.

3. Find a sea wall. Build a huge pile of sand and jump off the wall onto the sand for an hour.

Cost= the same petrol money to get to the beach.

Natural Giants

2009-08-16T09:32:00.002+01:00

On a short walk at the brilliant Forestry Commission site at Alice Holt in Surrey. The girls are not quite old enough for the Go Ape ropes course but these giant animals provided just as much fun and no charge. The whole facility was spotless, really nicely planned out and had a variety of long and short walks and bike rides. There is also a bike hire facility with child seats, trailers and animal trailers as well - dogs are getting lazy as well these days.

Camping in Scotland

2009-07-13T22:45:00.003+01:00

Camping in the rain, Fishing in the Rain, On the Beach in the Rain, Icecreams in the rain, Hiding from the rain in the big new tent and all great fun.

Gartmorn Country Park

2009-07-13T22:37:00.002+01:00

Rainbow

2009-06-23T23:00:00.003+01:00

Enjoying a brilliant evening on the Forth with a public activity group. Great weather with the threatening clouds and rainbow hanging over Edinburgh and the Pentlands while we are safe and dry on the Fife side. The sun always shines in Fife - well usually, maybe, sometimes!

Moving on Up

2009-06-23T22:43:00.002+01:00

During a visit to Fishers Farm the girls tackled the climbing wall. I hate to admit that DD2 beat me to the top

Frenzy09

2009-06-07T23:52:00.002+01:00

I usually keep this wee Blog for tales of outdoor adventures but I couldn't let this event go by without a mention. The number 1 song on this blog for the past few months has been There Will be a Day by Jeremy Camp. Yesterday Beckie and I got the chance to see him live at the Frenzy christian music festival. All the bands were fantastic but he has some particularly great songs and words which mean a lot in what can be a difficult world to live in at times. Enjoy the song!

ML Again

2009-06-06T00:12:00.002+01:00

Photos here from the last shakedown walk before the ML assessment (2nd attempt). Andy provided the company again on this one. Good company as usual as long as you stayed upwind of him. The location is the Tarmachan ridge from the North.

Cant let this post end without sneaking in that I did pass the ML one week later.

Loch Leven Heritage Trail

2009-06-06T00:03:00.002+01:00

This a great new easy access trail round Loch Leven, Kinross. I have already used it for biking with a group for Queen Anne HS. The 12 mile round trip was a great challenge for the group and successfully completed by all. We tackled a shorter 5 mile section as the 12" wheels of a 6yr olds bike takes a bit more effort to get along. The Hot Chocolate at Loch Leven's larder was a great half way incentive.

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-06-05T23:55:00.003+01:00

I don't mind giving that away as it was over a month ago now. I cant think of a better way to wake up on your birthday, snuggled up in a tent with three women (slight exageration maybe). Blair Atholl was the venue here. Brilliant place for walks and wildlife.

The BBQ was back home where the opportunity to roast marshmallows and keep the fire going occupied the kids for about 2hrs.

Admin Team Development

2009-06-05T23:44:00.003+01:00

An advantage of working outdoors is that development and training usually take place outdoors as well - a kind of double bonus. Not true for the office based admin team who do a brilliant job of making sure outdoor learning takes place in a professional and organised way but are often stuck inside (instructors are great at instructing but not always top of the pops with paperwork). To cut a long story short we had a great day out on Loch Faskally - The team meeting took place on rafted canoes, lunch under a tarp on the beach and a very sedate paddle up and down the Loch.

River Adventure

2009-03-15T22:53:00.009Z

Open canoes provide a brilliant platform for group trips and expeditions so the staff team is on a mission this year to discover some new rivers for future adventures. Here are a few snaps from a stunning day on the Dochart last week. We regularly use the Tay and Spey but any other suggestions are welcome.

Fife Team Conquer Everest

2009-02-11T23:41:00.002Z

That probably grabbed your attention. I may have misled you slightly. It was of course Ben Vorlich (Lomond) not Everest. One of those amazing cold, crisp and clear winter days in Scotland where with a little imagination you could think you were on top of the world.

Taking Life Easy

2009-02-01T16:44:00.003Z

So who said this whole outside malarky thing is hard work. I gathered evidence from our latest adventure and it looks like its all hanging out on wonky trees and eating dougnuts by magical pools.

Glen Lyon

2009-01-24T08:53:00.003Z

All work and no play at the moment so I have looked out a few pics from a hike in Glen Lyon at the end of the christmas holdays. This was a solo trip so didn't fancy trekking up Munros in the sub zero temperatures but found this great Corbett (Carn Chreag) just outside Bridge of Balgie.

Blast from the Past

2009-01-18T23:21:00.004Z

That last post and comments got me all nostalgic for some of the epic sessions we had windsurfing in Brandon Bay while living in the south west of Ireland. I looked out a few pictures from back then. One thing to remember is it is a whole lot warmer down there so it may be April before I actually dust off the board (must be getting soft in my old age).

Nearly Went Windsurfing

2009-01-15T23:23:00.003Z

This is a tale of lost love. It has been a year and 2 weeks since my last windsurf. This has never happened in the last 18 years of my life but I have just been busy with other sports and chasing qualifications etc. The forecast for sunday was for a good strong breeze and slightly warmer than it has been lately so I figured this would be a great chance to dust off the board and blow away the windsurfing cobwebs. To cut a short story even shorter, the phone went on saturday evening and it was an invite to sunday lunch so the windsurf never happened.

I can't wait to get back on a board again.

Last walk of 2008

2009-01-03T23:57:00.003Z

The great thing about Scotlands inclement/changeable/varied weather is that you really appreciate the good days when they happen. I put in a solo effort on Ben Ledi last week working on some navigation ahead of the deferred ML assessment day in March. It turned out be be an absolute stunner. I had the mountain to myself all morning as I headed up through Glen Stank. On the summit it was probably as busy as Princess street at the Hogmanay Party. Good to see so many people out enjoying the outdoors.

Quote of the Year

2009-01-03T22:53:00.004Z

"How does not a walk become a walk"

A short bit of background to this quote. We love getting out and about exploring our local areas and encouraging the kids to enjoy the fresh air and some exercise outside. We are not always successful but try our best. We managed quite a few walks this christmas holiday which meant we tried to come up with different ways to describe what we were planning to do each time.

On 29 December we planned to go exploring at Rumblingbridge where there is a really interesting double bridge and an amazing gorge. We said to the kids it is definitely not a walk we were going exploring.

Of course the exploring did involve a short walk of about a mile. About half way round Eilidh (aged 5) asked this question "How does not a walk become a walk". I couldn't answer as I was laughing too much. If anyone has an answer please let me know.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-01T23:10:00.005Z

One of the bonuses of my job is having the full 2 week break over christmas and new year. I am kicking off the blogging for 2009 with some highlights of the last few weeks of 2008. Enjoying Scotland at its best!

Happy Christmas

2008-12-22T23:11:00.002Z

I hope this Christmas season finds you well and looking forward to 2009. My aim as normal will be to get out and about as much as possible (in between a bit of DIY, looking after kids and helping Beckie with christmas type stuff).
I had a fun spin on the bike this morning at Devilla forest. On one particularly muddy stretch of the track I pretty much face planted about 10 seconds before 2 horseriders came round the corner. By the time they appeared I had got up and walked my bike past them. They thought I was very polite dismounting to let them passed so I didn't think it necessary to say exactly what had happened.
Granny is entertaining the girls tomorrow so hoping to hike up Bishops Hill with Beckie.

Festive Fun

2008-12-22T23:06:00.002Z

This is a bit of a cheat because this Santa Ski actually happened in 2007 but as it is the only festive photo I have I thought I would put it up for a laugh. The skiing santas are myself and friend Johnny Mitchell.

3-7 November - Staff Development Week

2008-11-20T22:32:00.000Z

29 September - Elgin

2008-11-20T21:33:00.002Z

We travelled up to Elgin for the weekend as Beckie had a days work up there. The only mishap on route was Beckie running over a rabbit. The bikes were loaded and I hoped to have a look at the Moray Monster trails and persuade the girls to have a go ot one of the blue trails.
We ditched this idea and found a woodland path just outside Elgin marked green. A green trail can be quite a challenge for a 5 year old and Beth also managed to take a tunble on a muddy patch.
It was a great family adventure with great views over the Moray Firth.

20 & 21 September - Wolftrax

2008-11-20T21:15:00.002Z

Beckie organises a weekend trip to Wolftrax for our wedding anniversary. How cool is that. Fortunately the mishap on Ayers Rock was on the last day.

15 - 17 September - Ben Alder Trip

2008-10-14T00:10:00.004+01:00

This was to be the last big walk before the ML assessment. Weather couldn't have been better for practising navigation in adverse weather. We arrived the day the work party had finished a weekend of maintenance so the bothy was in fine condition and we were glad not to have to pitch tents as we arrived in pouring rain and nearly dark. The company was in the form of my dad and wee sister who were also willing (and trusting) guinnea pigs for my belays.

13&14 Sep - Great Glen Challenge

2008-10-14T00:05:00.002+01:00

I can't claim this one for myself as my role this weekend was van driver, tea maker and soup warmer. The picture shows the team looking fresh and clean after cycling 100m of the 80 mile journey. 2 days later and they were not so fresh or clean but proud at having completed the journey which is a great weekend challenge.

20 & 21 August - Aonach Eagach

2008-10-13T00:17:00.002+01:00

Team Challenge - The Outdoor Ed team head off for a bit of (rest and relaxation) after a busy summer season.

14 & 15 August - Monadh Liadh Mountains

2008-10-13T00:03:00.002+01:00

Ally and Ali doing an impression of drowned rats during Ali's ML shakedown trip in August. On top of the summit of Carn Dearg.

13 &14 July More Ochil Adventures

2008-07-17T23:23:00.006+01:00

It's been a while since the last time and there is no excuse other than being busy, busy. I also had my excellent and small waterproof camera stolen on holiday so it is harder to get photos out and about.

Anyway, here is the latest trip up in the Ochils. The adventurers were myself and nephew Tom. I like the photo of Alva Glen. If you let your imagination go a bit wild you could be looking at the high Andes with Machu Picu just round the corner.
We camped about at about 400m which gave us superb views over the Forth valley. Saturday's walk took us over Ben Buck and Ben Cleuch amongst others and finished with a leg burning descent to Castle Campbell.

Another great Ochils trip but as the ML assessment approaches watch out for the bar to be raised and see some Munroes being conquered.

11 May - Mountaineers

2008-05-15T22:31:00.002+01:00

We had a big disappointment on Saturday as we headed north for the first camp trip of the season. 5 miles short of Blair Atholl, our destination, the car came to a very abrupt halt and refused to go any further. We were sat at the side of the road when we should have been exploring, biking and walking. The only good thing was it wasn't raining.
The mechanic arrived and the casr was going no-where soon. Full marks to green flag who had us loaded up and back home within 2 hrs. Has that ever happened to you? There seems to be something really embarressing about arriving back in the village on the back of a tow truck. The disappointment was soon forgotten as we set off for bowling and a McDonalds (that sorted it for the kids anyway)

Back to the outdoors bit. Sunday, we headed up to Dollar, one of our favourite local spots. We walked from the town to the west side of the Glen. we reached Castle Campbell after a bit over an hour. We planned to do a small loop above the castle but it was one of those days that the girls had spotted a hill and decided they were going to get to the top. I shouldn't be surprised but to be fair there is often a fair bit of complaining. Today they practically ran up and made it to the top of Bank Hill, fantastic. The trip down was great; icecream and a look round the castle, rolling down the hill and counting bugs.

28 April - More Ochils Adventures

2008-05-11T22:43:00.002+01:00

I dragged my dad out on a very wet day to head into our local hills and practise some navigation, timing, pacing (all that stuff they are going to throw at you on the ML assessment). He is the only person I thought wouldn't complain with wondering around the hills with no specific purpose other than finding streams, cairns and trig points. Bill if you are reading this I remember you writing recently how much you had enjoyed getting back out into your local area and rediscovering it. I have really enjoyed a few trips into the Ochils recently (again today with the girls that will appear in a blog soon). They are not the highest or grandest hills but there is something about them being on your doorstep and often with access through picturesque areas like Dollar Glen.

25 April - Training Day

2008-05-11T22:36:00.003+01:00

I have been lucky enough to get out on 2 training days that the Outdoor Ed team ran for the Ranger service. The aim is 2 wildlife paddle trips later in the summer, open to the public, and combining the technical skills of the instructors with the specific knowledge about the area and the wildlife that the rangers have. It is a great example of the 2 services combining their skills and making available a really fun and informative trip. I hope it proves popular.

23 April - Evening paddle

2008-05-11T22:29:00.002+01:00

I've got a bit of catching up to do on the blog so not to much chat and on with the action. Work has been busy and there have been plenty of other things to do and weddings to go to etc. The wednesday evening paddle with the Forth Sea Kayak club is always a great way to wind down after a day at work. There is usually a really good group out and planty to chat about while out on the water. This was a really pleasant evening a few weeks ago with the Abbey on Inchcolm as a backdrop.

20 April - Sunday Afternoon Stroll

2008-04-22T23:26:00.004+01:00

The activity recently has definitely be on the leisurely side of "active" but as this blog is just about getting out and enjoying Scotlands fresh air and wide open spaces everythin counts even a sunday afternoon stroll in the woods (followed by a cup of tea and sticky bun)
Watch this space for more adventure coming soon!

19 April - Bike around the Loch

2008-04-21T22:49:00.002+01:00

Todays big challenge was biking round Loch Ore. This was a first for all of us. Eilidh hitched a lift with me as her bike was connected to mine, she seems to enjoy that and loves it when I stop pedaling and she powers us both along. Beth pedalled like crazy to get her single speed, small wheeled bike the 4 miles around the Loch. It was a great morning and the carrot at the end was the playpark which is conveniently placed right at the end of the bike track.

15 April - Team Development

2008-04-21T22:42:00.002+01:00

This is one of the bonuses of working in the Outdoors. Development time can include fun times like jumping on mountain bikes and heading out for the afternoon. Ok there was a purpose - we were heading out to one of our regular trails to check out some new routes and the general condition of the runs. We also shared some ideas on best tracks to use and how best to manage groups of various ability. All useful stuff but really good fun. This development afternoon was like a tranquil haven in the midst of an otherwise hectic and difficult week.

Sat 12 March - The Big Walk

2008-04-14T23:06:00.002+01:00

Ok it was only 5 miles but when you are 8 and trying to keep up with the big boys and girls that can seem like a long way. It didn't take much persuading to get Beth to come along on this walk along a section of the Fife Coastal Path. She loves hanging out with the older kids although she frequently had to break into a run just to keep up. We walked for 2 and a half hours to Aberdour then jumped on a train for 5 minutes to get back to the car. I am glad that 3 out of 4 weather forecasts were correct and the rain stayed away.

31 March - ML Training Course

2008-04-09T23:50:00.002+01:00

Have survived and enjoyed the ML training course with Pete Hill and company up at Grantown on Spey. Didn't get into the Cairngorms as conditions there weren't "summer" but had an excellent week with great leaders and a really fun bunch of fellow trainees.

28 March - Bikes and Stags

2008-04-09T22:58:00.002+01:00

There is good reason for the blog being quiet for a while. It all started on Wednesday 26 March when Beckie and the girls jetted off south to visit grandparents and left me to look after myself. only for a couple of days as I had plans of my own.

The weekend kicked off on Friday 28 March with a test. Just like being back at school. There is always something new to learn and get qualified in and today it was the Trail Cycle Leader course. I love the bike. It's a great way to get around and explore so now I can do this with groups at the centre as well. Excellent day and quite hard work concentrating for 4 hours out on the trail knowing exactly where you are and how long it will take to get from A to B and dealing with my crazy fellow candidate who decided to go up an extremely steep slope and try and cycle down (this was a scenario of course). Thanks to Andy the assessor (for passing me) and Jess (for not actually cycling down that slope).

After that excitement it was straight in the car and up to Fort William for cousin Johnny's stag weekend. This included some beer, golf, football, table football and some more beer. An excellent weekend finished off on sunday afternoon with a spin round one of the Mountain Bike trails at the Nevis Range.

21 March - A hill with a view

2008-03-24T00:01:00.003Z

It was actually a mountain not a hill and when you go up one of these in winter, spring, autumn or summer you are not always guaranteed a view. This time we did and it is amazing to look out and see snow capped peaks in every direction. The group this time were all instructors from the Outdoor Ed team all working towards assessments at various levels. We were also joined by Gordon from Glasgow who we met in the car park and was grateful for the company.

Although I have enjoyed quite a number of winter walks over the past few years this was my first opportunity to get stuck into the winter skills of using ice axe and crampons (we didn't use the crampons in the end as the snow stayed quite soft). The wind was a blustery 60mph on the top of Ben Tuallachain, our only peak of the day, so we didn't hang around there. The descent was made more interesting as we found a good snow slope and practised with the ice axe.

An excellent day out and a good shakedown before the ML course next week. Thanks to all on the trip for the company and tips.

New week, new job

2008-03-14T19:41:00.004Z

Well I have survived the first days with Fife Council. My new job is Outdoor Learning Officer with the Outdoor Education team based at Lochore Meadows Country Park. I am really happy to be working in the outdoors industry again as I have definitely missed it since leaving Ireland. I am also thrilled to be only driving 25 minutes to work. It is a great idea starting a new job on a wednesday as the first few days are always a bit of a shock to the system. There are a great bunch of people working there and everyone has been very welcoming. Looking forward to the weekend now and Eilidh's 5th birthday party tomorrow.

I have posted a couple of pictures which show the view from my new office. It's a great location as you can see so I hope to see you down there sometime.

10 March - Kidz Free Zone

2008-03-10T23:56:00.004Z

I am enjoying the last 2 days of holiday before starting a new job as Outdoor Learning Officer with Fife Councils Outdoor Education team. I am really looking forward to getting started and working with the team up at Lochore Meadows. Until then I am making the most of the freetime.

We are lucky enough to live in a village where we can walk for just a few minutes and be out into rolling fields and fantastic woodlands. This morning, after dropping the girls to school and nursery, Beckie and I indulged ourselves with a walk up to the Dean plantation. It was a cold day but sheltered in the woods and not too wet (just very muddy). Being a Kidz free walk we managed to set a decent pace and covered a good distance in the hour and a half time slot we had. Obviously the coffee stop was built in to the time schedule ( I am on holiday after all).

2 March Leith Docks - Edinburgh

2008-03-09T23:04:00.004Z

OK it may be stretching the outdoor theme slightly but it was on the programme last weekend. Beckie was off gallavanting to Ireland to teach at a craft show. I headed over with the girls to visit Auntie Kirsten in her new flat in Edinburgh. We were heading down to Ocean Terminal to spend vouchers in the Build a Bear shop. Not requiring a map for this outing we optomistically thought it would take 20 minutes to walk down there. It actually took 40 minutes there and 40 minutes back. That's a fair walk for a 4 yr old (it was actually 7yr old Beth who put up most complaints) even if it is to buy a cuddly new bear.

It made me think about challenge and how we perceive things so differently according to our age, interests, experience. To me challenge was hiking up Ben Vorlich on a sunny but very cold and windy winters day. To the girls the hour and a half walk in Leith docks was a challenge. Both trips fulfilled the criteria for this blog which is getting out and enjoying the Scottish Outdoor and both were equally enjoyable.

Wildlife on Ben Vorlich

2008-03-09T22:43:00.003Z

You may have noticed there's not much to read on this blog. I am not too much of a writer and prefer to say the basics and let the pictures or your imagination do the talking. Having said that I was chatting to my sister a few days ago and we were talking about the amazing views we had on the Ben Vorlich walk but also how much wildlife we had seen.

The first spot was while still driving down the narrow snow covered track along the south side of Loch Earn and nearly running over a red squirrel. They are basically smaller and cuter than their big grey cousins and I don't ever remember seeing one in Scotland before.

Next up was the amazing line of deer on a neighbouring hillside. I have seen lots of deer before but always hanging out or moving in a herd. There is a photo on the slideshow where you can make out a long, winding single file line of deer making their way up the hill. We estimated there must have been 50-60 in the line. Can anyone shed any light on this behaviour.

Andy's dog Brinkley didn't even make an attempt to keep up with the mountain hare that shot across the hill only about 10m n front of us.

Finally we were treated to an aerial display from a number of birds of prey which we unfortunately were not able to identify. Initially the 4 birds appeared to be jousting together with 2 larger birds fending off 2 slightly smaller birds. One of the larger birds then appeared soaring in the fresh breeze blowing up the hillside just a few metres above us. Our best bet as a group was a buzzard but nobody was claiming any expertise in this field.

For a very cold winters day out in the snow it was quite a feast of Scottish wildlife.

3 March - Early Morning Stroll Up Ben Vorlich

2008-03-03T22:49:00.002Z

Enjoyed a cracking walk this morning with Andy and sister Kirsten (my sister not as in a nun). For once this winter we had clear weather - absolutely freezing (-20 wind chill) at the top but amazing views. Well worth the early start. Hope you enjoy the photos - Scotland's Winter Wonderland.

24th Feb - Mountain Biking

2008-02-24T23:08:00.004Z

Today we headed up to Lochore Meadows for one of our favourite and most relaxing walks with the girls. It's always good to try and make these outdoor trips of ours exciting so the girls had the option of bringing bikes which they chose to do. So instead of it just being a sunday afternoon walk they went - wait for it - Mountain Biking!

More pictures of Ochils Adventures

2008-02-22T23:57:00.000Z

New Tunes

2008-02-16T00:10:00.002Z

Hope you enjoy the new tune on the blog. It was requested by nephew James who is nearly 2 and loves the Beach Boys.
Happy listening Jimmy from Uncle Kickball

9 Feb - Och 'il go for a walk

2008-02-09T21:15:00.000Z

After a couple of epic days out recently it was nice to head out for a relatively leisurely stroll in the Ochils this morning. The Moteley Crew were Scott, Iain, Andy and me. I had planned to use bikes to cycle in as far as we could up a fairly good track and then leave the bikes to walk a loop into the hills and back along the main track from Dollar to Glen Devon. Quote of the day had to be from Scott who decided at the top of saddle hill that "it must be time to get my Bobby out" - you can have a guess but it was all caught on camera.

2 Feb - Funny Creatures in East Fife

2008-02-08T22:59:00.000Z

This post is for the FIL who was hassling for the blog to be updated a bit more. We had the chance last saturday to meet up with friends we hadn't seen for ages. There was a great walk from right out the back of their house through a nice woodland area and ending up in a brilliant park. I say that as the adults had as much fun as the kids. On the way we found a few of these overgrown animals scattered around the woods - and we saw the carvings as well.

Scotland Here we Come

2008-02-03T23:30:00.000Z

Unbelievably we have been back in Scotland for a year already and we have not been disappointed. As well as getting all the dull stuff out of the way like settling into a new job, buying a house, decorating the house etc we have also had a great time meeting up with old friends and exploring Scotland again, something we have not had the chance to do for years. 2 highlights have definitely been this winter. An epic mountain bike trip through Glen Tilt and an attempt at climbing Ben Nanairn in thick snow. I hope there are many more aventures like these still to come.

Life Before Scotland (Part 4)

2008-02-03T23:24:00.000Z

After 4 years (about 3 years longer than planned), all good things come to an end but we didn't actually leave Ireland. We moved south to the cosmopolitan town of Kinsale working at the superb Oysterhaven Centre. I enjoyed getting back into sailing and kayaking again as well as still fitting in plenty of time windsurfing on the south coast. One of the highlights of this time was a trip to Baltimore and circumnavigation of Sherkin Island with my dad.

20 Jan - Mission Possible

2008-02-03T23:12:00.000Z

I am a couple of weeks late with this blog but Eilidh and I took the chance to check out Blairadam Forest 2 sundays ago. She would normally prefer to relax on a sunday afternoon with her feet up and watching CBeebies. Her meanie dad (me) persuaded her that a stroll round the woods in zero degrees was going to be good fun. A packet of chocolate buttons and given the job of finding the yellow markers all the way round managed to grab her attention and she led us round the forest for an hour. She was also chief photographer.

Life Before Scotland (Part 3)

2008-02-03T22:57:00.000Z

After the excitement of seasons in Greece and France we decided to stay put for a while and settled in a remote corner of Ireland - the Dingle Peninsula. You might ask why we chose such a quiet and rugged part of the world - simple answer - BRILLIANT WINDSURFING!

27 Jan - Blown Away By Blokarting!

2008-01-28T22:00:00.000Z

Thanks to Bill from East Lothian Outdoor Ed for organising great wind and weather for our days Blokarting at Belhaven beach, Dunbar. A crew of East Lothian staff gathered on the windblown beach, quickly learned to assemble the karts, quick lesson on how to control them and off we went - brilliant fun if you ever get a chance to have a go.

25 Jan - Life Before Scotland (Part 2)

2008-01-28T21:59:00.000Z

The story continues. While the summer seasons in Greece were brilliant fun, variety is the spice of life someone once said. So we spent a few winters in the mountains of France. The ski season is memorable for it's highs and lows (appropriate for a mountain resort). We enjoyed 3 amazing seasons of great snow, brilliant skiing, meeting loads of people and enjoying running a chalet right on the slopes. I also remember these seasons as the hardest I have worked often up at 6.30 to help with breakfast duties, getting the clients out on the slopes, happy in ski school, fix skis, shop for dinner, balance the books, always remember to fit in some ski time then sort dinner, entertain guests and finish off the day with a beer on the way home. Crawl into bed about midnight and then do it all again the next day and the next.... Tiring but great fun. Beckie and I reckon when the girls are all grown up we might relive our youth and go and work another season??

24 January - Life Before Scotland

2008-01-28T21:57:00.000Z

This blog is hopefully going to be all about getting out and about in Scotland and enjoying everything this amazing country has to offer. But before moving back to Scotland last year I spent the previous 12 years in Greece, France and Ireland. Young, free and single for the first 2 months, then with Beckie (now my wife), then with 1 kid (Beth), then with 2 kids (Beth and Eilidh) - still no dog though.
The first couple of posts on this blog are going to be a few highlights of those years in happy exile overseas.
The last time I windsurfed was Boxing Day and 6degrees. A good time then to remember the seasons '95 and '96 in Kefalos Bay, Kos. Water temperature 20degrees and air temperature 25degrees.