After a greasy fry-up we drove south west and then west towards Westing. At Lund the road turned into a track, and then was blocked by a gate. An old morris minor approached from behind and a woman got out to open the gate ahead of us. We carried on and parked by the ruined …
After breakfast we picked up our packed lunch from the bar and drove to Hermaness. On the way we stopped to look at about 100 great skuas bathing at the end of the freshwater Loch of Cliff. We drove down a bumpy track to get a better view. At Hermaness we parked and followed the …
We disembarked when the ferry docked at 7:30, and had a good breakfast in the Peerie Shop Cafe in Lerwick. Before that, we stopped to look at a bearded seal that was lying on the jetty next to the town centre car park. After breakfast we stopped at the co-op to buy bread and cheese …
We set off at 8:30 and arrived at the Aberdeen ferry terminal at 15:30. The ferry left at 17:00. We saw bottlenose dolphins as we were leaving the harbour. We watched a fulmar follow the boat for a bit, skimming very low over the water. Also puffins, gannets and lots of guillemots. Nightcap, watching the …
On Friday we progressed northwards on the M5 much like a snail would, on account of a succession of roadworks and heavy traffic. After 7 hours we arrived at the Plough Inn at Lupton, not far from Morecambe Bay. On Saturday we went to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve. The reed beds were bright green. We …
Outside our room there was a guest book from the early 20th century. We drove to Dartmeet via Ponsworthy. We passed Uphill Farm, where R worked for 7 days in 2005. At Dartmeet we walked about a bit. We went down to where the East and West Dart rivers combine, and we watched the birds …
After a good breakfast, we walked from the pub up to Haytor. It had just stopped raining and the air was damp and still, and the peaty ground wet underfoot. Glassy pools of water reflected shapes of the granite outcrops. We passed the old mine workings on the way up to the tor, and followed …
We set off after lunch for the Rock Inn in Haytor Vale, on the north-eastern edge of Dartmoor. We stopped at Yarner wood, a mile or so from the inn, on the way. We walked some trails in the wood and stopped in a hide for a bit. While we were there a warden came …
We walked from home across the Downs to the peregrine look-out point. On the way we saw a dead crow. No peregrines, but a few photographers with long lenses, and climbers at the top of the gorge. Some long-tailed tits. We had lunch in the Mall pub in Clifton. On the way back we passed …