Tag: walking
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Knitting trail in Braemar
It has been a while since we last went out to the countryside and I was starting to feel the pull of forests and hills today so we drove out to Braemar for lunch and a hill walk. Braemar was looking beautiful dressed in autumn colours. We were also lucky to see a space-themed knitting […]
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Highland dance exam
Elizabeth had her highland dance exam today. It all went well as far as we know but she won’t get any feedback for a little while as it was recorded and the judges will have to watch it. I took this photo of her waiting outside the dance studio in her full dance outfit. They […]
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Elrick Hill
Being confined to Aberdeen, or within 5 miles of the boundary of Aberdeen due to covid restrictions, has stymied our walks in the countryside quite a bit. But it has forced us to look for hidden gems close to home and Elrick Hill is one such place. I’d never been here before but it was […]
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Back to Craigendarroch
We went for a glorious walk up Craigendarroch today. The landscapes are beautiful at this time of year with a palette of yellows, oranges, golds, reds, browns, pinks, and greens. Craigendarroch is a steep and craggy hill overlooking the village of Ballater in Aberdeenshire. It’s covered in oak trees, hence the name Craigendarroch – craig […]
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A walk in the woods
I always get a bit nervous when I go to the allotment now – will more plants have been pulled out? Will the slugs have eaten all my beans? With slight trepidation, I ventured there this morning and my plants were all still there but the slugs have eaten my beans. There’s nothing but the […]
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Creag Choinnich
We walked up to the top of Creag Choinnich today and it was marvelous. It’s probably one of the loveliest hill walks I’ve done in Aberdeenshire. The views from the top are even nicer than those at Bennachie. I love hill-walking. The effort required to get to the top is always rewarded with magnificent views […]
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Broad Street is open to buses
Broad Street is open to buses again after several months of closure while construction work was carried out. I was there yesterday and took some photos of the new design: Can you see what’s wrong with the new design? It’s not clear where the road ends and the pavement begins. There’s no kerb. It’s all […]
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Diabaig, Scotland
I must be a sucker for punishment because we went for another scary drive today. This time we took the road from Torridon to Lower Diabaig. Like the Bealach na Bà it’s also steep, narrow, and with hair-pin bends but marginally less scary and without the snow. It starts off with a drive around the […]
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Torridon, Scotland
I didn’t think we could top our day yesterday, in terms of scenery and entertainment but we did. This time we went north to Torridon, a remote village in the Western Highlands. Much of the road there was single track and we saw very few other vehicles. It’s hard to believe we are on the […]
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New Year’s walk up Mither Tap
I woke up this morning determined to climb a hill. I pitched the idea to the kids first. Me: Would you like to climb a hill today? Elizabeth: Ok, sure. Daniel: Will there be a cafe? Me: No. Daniel: Then I don’t want to go. Me: We could take a picnic? Daniel: No, thanks. Me: […]
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Living without a family car
It has been three years since we dispensed with the family car and I don’t regret it, not even a little bit. Car ownership is governed by the same law that rules chocolate: when there’s chocolate in the fridge it will be eaten and when there’s a car in the garage it will be driven, […]
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Cycling, naughty words and vegetarian biscuits
I have had a couple of flat tyres on my bike recently. It is very annoying when this happens because it is almost always when I am cycling or about to go cycling. What it has made me realise is how much I prefer cycling to walking and running because what usually happens is that […]
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Bicycle versus helicopter
Now that I no longer have a child under the age of three, I find myself re-engaging with popular culture after a six-year hiatus. So please forgive me for writing about an event from September, 2009. Back then, I was heavily pregnant and deeply buried in dirty nappies. Back in 2009, a challenge was presented […]
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