The kids and I went to the Cambus O’May suspension bridge today. Ben is snowed under with work and couldn’t join us unfortunately. The bridge reopened in April this year following major repair works after Storm Frank nearly washed it away back in 2015.
It’s a beautiful Edwardian suspension bridge built in 1905 across the River Dee so it’s wonderful to have it preserved and back in action again. It reportedly cost £400,000 to repair which was paid for by the local authority and by donations from the community including a significant personal donation by Prince Charles.
This next photo was taken during the storm; it’s amazing it survived at all.
Here it is again today.
On the south side of the river is a sandy beach where we set up a picnic. The kids are spoilt and used to getting bought sandwiches from M&S for our picnics but today I was frugal and made cucumber and humus sandwiches which Daniel complained endlessly about. What he needs is a good dose of WWII rationing then let’s see he thinks of my cucumber and humus sandwiches.
I was the only one of us three to go swimming and there was not another soul around until shortly after I got out when several other people arrived and also went for a dip. A couple of them even jumped from the bridge into the river. I got a couple of photos of this in the next set of pics.
After filling our tummies we went for a wee walk.
There’s an old train station near the bridge which would have been used in Queen Victoria’s time and I guess right up until the 1960s when the train line was abandoned. It’s privately owned now and looks like it may be a holiday house. The train tracks are no longer there and the pathway is the walking and cycling path known as Deeside Way which goes from Aberdeen to Ballater.
Daniel took these silly videos of my swim and I share them here now, unedited. They’re pretty boring but for the second one I got Daniel to film in landscape which is much better. I didn’t realise he was filming the first one and he managed to film the strap on my phone case throughout.
rachel.blog 
You are a brave soul! Good on you for giving it a try.
It is a lovely spot and loads of great trails around there for walking and biking too. Suspect it would be great to take a trip on a paddleboard or canoe too.
Thanks, Ian! I swam in the North Sea in winter once and this wasn’t as cold as that. I think we may invest in some wet suits though.
Wetsuits are the way to go, a friend goes daily to a group who go for a morning dip at the beach and the photos have them all in wet suits.
Lucky kids having an adventurous, courageous, and slightly ‘unconventional’ mother 😊 Especially your daughter – role models are important – lol!
Maybe the kids need to make their own sandwiches now – make them appreciate your efforts more. It’s interesting how having to make our own meals stops us from moaning about any meals that someone else makes. Works for me anyway – I love just about anything someone else makes 😄
Ah what a great idea and how true that is. Elizabeth made her sandwiches and she ate them. Next time I’ll make Daniel do the same.
I adore how your kids give you so much grief. I found myself laughing along at their commentary. What a lovely day!
They’re so mean aren’t they?! I’ll have to get some wetsuits for them so they’ll go swimming as well. It’s too cold for them now.
The swimming videos were hilarious! Loved the railway station and the bridge!
Thanks, Colin. Maybe Daniel will become a comedian one day!