Scotland Week One

Not Scotland——

Monday 18th April - pub stop at Kirby Oreblow (Shoulder of Mutton) near Harrogate, very nice, made us welcome, lovely pint or 3 of Black Sheep but pub being stone floors would have benefited from the open fire being lit & Daisy not happy as floor was hard! Last minute goal at QPR relegated us today, dejavu moment. A memorable season though, enjoyed the fight my team put up & a remarkable achievement taking it to the end of the season. Div 3 next year it is then, at least we have a club and I’ve been there before. Some good away trips with Tom maybe on the cards. Highlight otherwise was discovering a squished lump of shit in Daisy’s basket as we got ready next

morning, probably explains why she didn’t want to lie in it that evening.

Tuesday 19th April - a short journey then up to Aysgarth stopping for coffee and wonder round Rippon to kill some time, obviously (much like choosing a pitch on a site) after the customary parking up in 3 different places before giving up and using a car park for a £1 in the city centre. Once pitched up at Colmans Camping, a very well presented CS we enjoyed a circular walk by the popular and busy Aysgarth Falls and along the river following a path up to Edgley, and skirting West Burton (a village we’d previously rented a cottage many years ago). A return to the George and Dragon was inevitable, as we used to stay there BK (before kids) so probably around 30 years ago. It’s not changed, same barmaid we’d remembered and pencil sketches of past locals on the walls bought back some memories. Inevitably Mrs H’s lager was not up to scratch, but I think she was reluctant to upset the newer, younger landlady

who scowled at the suggestion it didn’t taste right as she resembled Catherine Tate’s “Am I Bothered” character . Enjoyed a pleasant few hours nonetheless, the bar being more a snug seating 1/2 dozen people you can’t avoid striking up a conversation. We exchanged tales with folk from Gloucester, and Australia/Canada.

Wednesday 20th April - cracking walk to Castle Bolton up high over moorland after a wimp out early coffee break at the Wheatsheaf pub in Carperby, this being James Herriot’s Honeymoon Inn. Chatted with another couple embarking on a Scotland tour similar to ours, albeit they were winging it with nothing booked. The walk edging Bolton Moor suited me perfectly, I’m probably in one of my happiest places in this environment with typically Yorkshire views from this Peak District like moorland across the softer Dale to the tabular like Penhill. It’s also lovely to see Daisy in her working environment, seeking out pheasant, grouse and rabbit. Bolton Castle is the landmark in this section of

Wensleydale and is a well preserved 14th medieval castle, we sat in the church opposite sheltered from the chilly breeze in the sunshine to have lunch. From here we followed what seemed to be a very old route down the prettily named Stony Stoop Lane and crossing the River Ure via stepping stones and then tracking the river back to Aysgarth. Telling ourselves we’ll not have pubs so on hand in the coming weeks we wandered downhill to what was the Palmer Flatt (we’d rented the bungalow next door a long time ago for a winter break with the in laws), now called the Aysgarth Hotel it was more pleasant with better lager to keep Mrs H happy and a nice citrus local beer named after the falls, this too went down nicely.

Visited this pub each evening of our stay and it was entertaining to listen to folk trying to book in to the camp site associated. Each one either got charged twice or three times to the rate or were told their booking was not showing, computer said no. The amiable but dizzy barmaid did her best but had

no control over the 3rd party website which had to be used and was clearly failing them, shame really.

Thursday 21st April - lazy morning sat in the sunshine outside the van (trying to get in at local doctors, receptionist says no so I settled for a more helpful chat with 111, sympathetic to my explaining I’d been assaulted by some boiling hot Gnochi) followed by a 6 mile walk looping round West Burton and Thoralby after lunch. We’d rented a cottage with friends many years ago in this village and it was nice to rekindle some fond memories. Whilst a short walk it was not easy with some steep climbs and descents, we accompanied a pleasant lady for some of this amble who turned out to be a fellow Derbyshire based camper van owner having relocated recently to Chesterfield. Inevitably a few post walk pints were enjoyed this evening at the Falls Hotel again, after returning over the stone walled copious fields of Aysgarth Moor and it’s annoyingly narrow stiles. Fat Labradors would stand no chance, Daisy happily slinking through with ease rudely barging us out of her way in her eagerness to explore the next field. Chatted to a chap in the pub who lived in Castle Bolton; I could totally understand his comment that the only way he’s leaving this pretty village is in a pine box!

Friday 22nd April - 10 mile jaunt today high over the remote and windswept Aysgarth Moor, down to Thornton Rust before crossing the Dale to Askrigg then returning by the riverside path back. Quite a challenge to navigate, and some varied off track paths. Askrigg was well worth a visit for a coffee stop in a nice little town, we sat in the sunshine sheltered from the breeze which otherwise made the day feel chillier than the rest of the week. Daisy proper hyped up today, working the moors in her head and swimming in the no doubt freezing clear becks we passed. A last visit to the pub was inevitable, telling ourselves we may not be so near to one once in the wilderness of Scotland we were planning on visiting.

Scotland—-

Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24 April - after the obligatory stop at Tebay for coffee and a huge sausage roll sat in the sunny & best motorway services, and then a shopping pit stop at Penrith we soon crossed the border into Scotland; our home for the next 7 weeks or so. We chose to stopover at Camping and Caravan Club site in Moffat, handy for the route and a nice site on the edge of the pretty town with its broad high street lined with pleasant shops & pubs. Seeking out a pub in the village with a beer garden in the sun with free seats was a challenge, as it was busy. We ran out of options and settled in a bit of a run down place at the top of town; landlady took us through to beer garden apologising for the state of it, fence had fallen down and it was unloved but the Tenants was cheap and sun warm. We chatted with a pleasant couple doing

the same to find out their son was the partner of an Italian vineyard owner, millionaire with vague connections to the mafia. Nice story that their daughter didn’t tell him about her family’s wealth for some time, wanting him to be with her not for her money. Her father did sound like Robert deNiro’s character in Meet the Fokkers though.

Sunday continued bright and breezy, so the morning was filled with domestic duties using the washing machine on site followed by a tramp around the paths from the town. The area is well known for hill walking but most are a drive away, so we chose to stay local following the Rive Annan before trespassing vertically up a very steep hill and climbing over 2 stone walls (Mrs H was not impressed with my navigation this time) before getting onto the public footpaths around Gallow Hill with its lovely views over the hills.

Monday will see us start Week 2 in Loch Lomond, as our tour North of the Border gets underway, more on that to follow this time next week.