Category: Travel UK

Fans of dolphins know the best time to see them at Chanonry Point near Inverness is an hour or so after low tide when the dolphins follow the current, chasing the fish up the Moray Firth.  It therefore wasn’t surprising that even in arctic conditions (I was wrapped up like Nanook of the North) we found a small crowd on the pebbly beach below the lighthouse.  Among them was the Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s Field Officer and, knowing him from previous visits, we caught up while we shivered in the bitingly cold wind, constantly looking hopefully across the choppy water.  ‘You can say you’ve seen The Black Isle turn white,’ he quipped as we turned around to see the fields above Chanonry Point dusted in snow.  Our bone-chilling patience was eventually rewarded with an acrobatic and cheering display from five dolphins.

Scottish Gaming

Our Scottish trip had started in much warmer temperatures in the pretty town of North Berwick on the Firth of the Forth.  It felt like mid-summer not late March when we walked to Tantallon Castle that sits dramatically on the cliffs near North Berwick.  Skylarks fluttered high in the blue sky, joyfully singing their hearts out and seabirds were already bagging their spots on the cliffs below the castle’s stone walls.  Shimmering in the blue sea was the volcanic island lump of Bass Rock, home to gannets,

In North Berwick we had more fun than I expected in the Scottish Seabird Centre thanks to an array of interactive games that are popular with children and adults who haven’t quite grown up!  The games were challenging for a non-gamer and I was soon a hungry seal and a dead fulmar chick!  There are more traditional exhibits too and watching the close-up film of flying geese I was mesmerized, feeling part of the flock.  Used to seeing these birds high in the sky, witnessing the power radiating from their necks and wings was remarkable.

Fog rolled in that evening ending the unseasonably warm weather and lingered into the next morning as we left North Berwick.  Driving down a narrow lane, a hare raced towards us hugging a mossy stone wall.  Knowing how devastating it would be to hit one of these mythical symbols of good fortune we pulled in and watched the beautiful animal gallop by.

Wildlife Havens

It was chilly at Loch Leven RSPB reserve and we walked briskly between the hides around the pools.  Despite the cold the birds seemed to sense spring was on the horizon and pairs of lapwings twirled in the air, their swanee whistle call reminding me of Sooty’s fun and accident-prone friend, Sweep.  The noisiest neighbours, the black-headed gulls, mixed up their own raucous mating dance with swooping attacks at the swans.  Unperturbed the male swans, feathers impressively puffed up, powered through the water in pursuit of nonchalant females.

The woodland uphill trail not only warmed us up but showed that Loch Leven has more than birds.  A couple of adorable red squirrels bounded around the trees, a roe deer raced up the hill when it spotted us and another lucky hare crossed our path.  From the top we had a birds-eye view over the reserve.

Sometimes a campsite immediately feels like home and Silverburn Park near Leven was one such place.  The tree-lined entrance road opens out to a camping area with views across the golf course to the sea.  Run by a charity, campers receive a warm welcome and as well as the beach, have the run of a delightful walled garden.  While I eyed up the cakes in their café a biscuit-coloured cat with a deep purr rubbed around my legs.

Looking out the next morning there was a colourful sunrise and a flurry of snow which soon melted.  In fresh weather we walked along the sandy beach to the charming seaside village of Lower Largo.  Here creative and colourful gates and sculptures adorned with local scenes and seafaring themes brightened up the streets.  In the opposite direction the beach took us to Leven.  Returning through golf courses we had views across the Firth of the Forth with Bass Rock highlighted by the sun.

Fine and Dandy

Shopping for some essentials in Dundee we admired The Discovery, one of Scott’s ships displayed on the quayside, and stumbled upon the amusing and energetic Desperate Dan statue.  The publishers of The Dandy and Beano comics were based in Dundee and a life-size Dan struts confidently across a square dragging his sidekick Dawg on a lead while Minnie the Minx is ready with her catapult.

Before driving to the campsite at Stonehaven, a favourite of ours, we stopped at Fowlsheugh Cliffs.   Even this early in spring this crinkly coastline was packed with noisy kittiwakes, the birds balancing on the narrow ledges of their high-rise accommodation.  Stonehaven campsite has fabulous coastal cliff walking, a castle and a picturesque harbour on the doorstep.  An added bonus are the quirky metal sculptures of boats, planes and lighthouses that line the bay, but don’t take my word for it, if you’ve never been add it to your list!

The cliff path to Dunnottar Castle is packed with breathtaking views, starting with Stonehaven and its harbour.  Spring weather had blown in and we stopped at the temple-like war memorial to take in the panoramic views that now included the towers of Dunnottar Castle that perches on a rocky outcrop above the sea.  We’ve visited the castle before so returned through Dunnottar Woods where, judging by the profusion of tiny doorways, the fairies hang out.

Happiness Comes in Waves

Heading north, we were treated to the magical sight of a marsh harrier at Loch of Strathbeg.  Parking at the ruined Rattray Chapel that overlooks the loch we had lunch watching the birds.  The narrow road deteriorates after the chapel so we hiked the mile or so to Rattray Head, a remote and striking stretch of coast.  Sand dunes sculpted by the wind and sea to form mini-mountains covered in spiky grasses that whispered in the wind led us to the beach.  The tide was high and water surrounded the small lighthouse.  Walking along the beach watching the waves and the cormorants we felt so lucky to have this spot to ourselves.

The sea stayed close at the Fraserburgh campsite and as warming sun streamed through the ‘van windows I was comfy watching the tides, the surfers and some hardy swimmers in the bay.  Anthony muttered about salt and mud and made the most of the good weather to clean the worst muck off the ‘van.  Later we strolled around the harbour packed with boats of different sizes and colours and watched scores of herring gulls skilfully wheeling through the air, amazed you never see them collide.

To the Lighthouse

The next morning the weather reminded us it was still only March as dark clouds obscured the sun and hail bounced off the pavements while we sheltered in a doorway before running to a café for coffee.  Once the sun returned we made for the Scottish Lighthouse Museum, the highlight of which was climbing the spiral staircase of the disused Kinnaird Head lighthouse where from the light and gallery we had blustery views over the sea and Fraserburgh.

Later we walked along Fraserburgh Bay, a sweep of golden sand where children paddled in a shallow stream and gleefully raced up and down the largest sand dune.  At the end of the bay we headed inland by a serene river and returned on sheltered paths between the dunes.

Back on the road we pulled in to Cullykhan Beach car park for a short walk by a stream that tumbles through a gorge to a delightful sandy cove.  Beyond we could see the row of white cottages of Pennan.  We have explored this north-facing coast between Fraserburgh and Inverness many times and I have happy memories of the beaches, cliffs and picturesque villages but there are still new corners to explore.

Tweet of the Day

A bumpy farm track took us to the car park for Troup Head where RSPB signs directed us to the cliffs where gannets nest.  Graceful gannets always take my breath away.  About as big as a goose, gannets are experts in elegance as well as being accomplished fishers.  Close up we could see their heads were the colour of thick clotted cream and their fearsome-looking beaks were baby-soft blue.  Huge-winged gannets soared below us, their throaty call filling the air and we watched others gathering clumps of grass for nesting.

We had never visited Lossiemouth so, as the weather cranked up for an autumn-like wet and windy storm, we pulled into the East Beach car park hoping to explore.  In a break in the heavy showers we strolled around the harbour and the grid pattern of streets before battening down for a windy night in the ‘van.  Always looking for the bright side, Anthony hoped the torrential rain would clean off some of the mud we had picked up during the day.

Culbin Forest and Nairn’s East Beach are so vast, even though we have visited before we were soon on unfamiliar paths through the fragrant pine trees.  There is plenty of space for everyone here and even though Nairn isn’t far away we easily found quiet corners.  Leaving the trees and dunes we reached the sandy beach and I spotted handsome black and white oystercatchers with their long orange beaks that are perfectly designed for probing mud.  As they deftly flew along the tideline we grinned at each other as we heard their exuberant sharp calls. 

Dancing Dolphins

If you’re lucky at the Rosemarkie campsite you will bag one of the pitches with an uninterrupted sea view.  We were fortunate perhaps because everyone else had seen the wintery weather forecast and stayed home.  It was bitterly cold and the next morning we once again woke to sleet.  Undeterred, after breakfast we walked along the shore to Chanonry Point, the best land-based place in Scotland to watch dolphins.  After our amazing dolphin encounter we thawed out in the ‘van and spent a cosy afternoon relaxing, eating and drinking, occasionally glancing up to watch the birds on the shore.

Before leaving Scotland’s east coast we had a date with our favourite pizza place north of Gretna Green.  The sleety-snow had ceased but it remained chilly as we parked in the village of Cromarty.  Whatever the weather pizza has to be earned and before ordering at Sutor Creek Café we had a brisk walk around the harbour, seafront and pretty streets.

The bonny Cromarty Firth was dotted with a bizarre collection of rustic (or rusting) defunct oil platforms.  These strangely beautiful structures loom like industrial dinosaurs and contrast sharply with the picturesque cottages and attractive streets of Cromarty.  Striding out along The Links we came upon The Emigration Stone, a tall artwork that commemorates the ships packed with people that left these shores for the New World.  It is inscribed with the description of one ship’s bittersweet departure.

While our pizza cooked in the wood-fired oven at Sutor Creek we enjoyed the warmth of the café and chatted to the chefs about the oil platforms.  They told us some locals complain but others have become so accustomed to them they’re almost invisible!  We ate our pizza back in the ‘van overlooking the firth and it was as delicious as expected (my mouth is watering just writing this).

We have been to Scotland more times than I have fingers and toes to count on so it is remarkable that we still find new and awesome sights to see, but then it is an outstanding country.  As usual we experienced every season but there is no doubt we will be back again for pizza and dolphins and so much more.

The Derbyshire market town of Buxton is famous for water; having the highest market place and its graciously curved Georgian crescent. We have visited many times and find it perfect for two campervanners who like hiking. Buxton has a number of campsites [see below] and does offer sights for those who don’t want to spend the day in the surrounding countryside. But if, like us, you enjoy a warm day in the great outdoors, below are five of my favourite walks for five days camping in Buxton.

The distances on the walks below are approximate and are based on walking from the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Buxton site. I haven’t given step-by-step directions but the paths in this popular part of the country are well-walked and I hope that you can pick up our route [or make up your own] from an OS map.

Day One – Exploring Buxton [at least 7kms]

Solomon’s Temple is a perfect introduction to Buxton. Climb the winding staircase of the hilltop tower and Buxton is laid before you, clustered around the dominating slate-grey Devonshire Dome.

Having taken in the view, we head downhill on the woodland paths with occasional wooden sculptures and reaching the streets by Poole’s Cavern. If you’ve never visited you might want to dally and explore this underground cavern.

We like to amble through the town’s restored Pavilion Gardens. There might be an art fair being held in the Octagon Hall or we will idly watch the ducks and look hopefully for chicks on the lake. I also like to admire the preserved tree trunk sculpted into figures and animals that stands in the park.  The water-carrying figure of Arnemetia is a reminder that in Roman times Buxton was named Aquae Arnemetiae after this Romano-British goddess.

Our next stop is The Crescent, a Georgian grade one listed masterpiece and the pride of Buxton, recently restored as a luxury hotel.  The gracious symmetrical curve of the stone building, the ground floor colonnade and fountains playing at the front are stunning.  Opposite is St Anne’s Well which is decorated with flowers in the annual well dressing, a tradition followed in many Derbyshire villages and towns.  The Pump Room has a tap and souvenir glass bottles, and I did once fill one with Buxton spa water to taste the lukewarm mineral-rich water. It is an aquired taste!

Buxton’s spring water emerges from the ground at around 28°C and has been exploited since the Romans, who built a bath and threw coins into the spring for luck.  In the 16^th century visitors took the water and in the Georgian era the Duke of Devonshire developed a spa resort.  A ‘Well Woman’ was appointed to care for the well and tourists, a post that continued into the 20^th century.

After all this strolling, we are ready to sit and there are plenty of cafes and tearooms in Buxton. Later we will walk over for a close-up of The Devonshire Dome.  This building has an interesting history and has been used as stables, a hospital and is now a University.  Finally, we will climb the paths up The Slopes to the upper part of Buxton, where the town’s oldest buildings surround England’s highest market place and from there head back to the campsite.

Day Two – Goyt Valley and Errwood Reservoir [about 14kms]

From the A53 near the campsite, we picked up Bishop’s Lane and climbed the hillside until a path took us to the disused railway line. Views over the two reservoirs in Goyt Valley will open out before you.

Reaching a lane, we descend to the shores of Errwood Reservoir. From here we chose paths that climb through the trees to the ruins of Errwood Hall. We are walking through what was once the grand ornamental garden where fountains played and the Grimshawe family, who lived here, relaxed on the lawns.  Demolished in 1934 after the last of the Grimeshawes died, Errwood Hall was originally a dressed-stone building with a tower above an impressive entrance and rooms packed with fine furniture and art works.  In those days the hall enjoyed views over the valley but is now surrounded by trees and rhododendrons.  For me, the ruins have always retained a sense of romance tinged with loss but on our last visit it seemed particularly woebegone.  The site deserves a little more care and I was disappointed there isn’t even an interpretation board to show what used to be here. However, there is an app and more information here.

From the hall we headed uphill finding the small circular St Joseph’s shrine that huddles in a hollow with pine trees.  Dedicated to Dolores, a Spanish companion to Jessie Grimeshawe in 1889, the shrine has an elaborate altar of Spanish tiles and there are often fresh flowers.  As we descended the moorland back to the reservoir a grey cloud threatened rain and we followed a circling buzzard towards the trees and shelter but the storm never arrived. 

Walking south along the valley beyond Errwood Reservoir we crossed the old packhorse bridge and picked up a path over the moorland and back to Buxton. More walks in the Goyt Valley and its history can be found here.

Day Three – Three Shires Head [Around 17kms]

At Three Shires Head, where Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire meet, we joined the throng. These falls are a popular picnic and wild swimming spot.  Sitting by the waterfalls I slipped off my shoes and dipped my toes in the gaspingly-cold water of the River Dane.  As I dried my tingling feet I watched the hardy woman swimming in Pannier’s Pool in admiration.

Climbing up the hillside to Flash, a sheltered lane alive with butterflies took us to Flash Bar Stores where we devoured two of their delicious homemade vegetable pies at an outdoor table.  A popular halt for cyclists, we chatted to a young man who was fuelling up having cycled from the West Midlands and was surprised how hilly the Peak District was!

Exuberant skylarks sang as we crossed the fields, criss-crossed by stone walls, below Flash. Multitudes of signs heralded the Health and Safety Executives huge Science and Research Centre. We skirted the buildings on the public footpath and picked up a lane that took us back to the road below the campsite.

Day Four – Five Dales from Tideswell [13kms]

We began in Tideswell Dale where a winding stream lined with bright yellow celandine wound beside us and rock cress hung from the limestone cliffs.  Ash trees grow here but many have been chopped down due to ash dieback, a destructive fungal disease.

Miller’s Dale, not surprisingly, is home to many disused mills along the River Wye, often now converted to housing.  I was concentrating on looking along the river for kingfishers. I didn’t see a kingfisher but a birdwatching couple pointed out a peregrine they had spotted on the skyline above us.

At Cressbrook we sat by the millpond watching the climbers on the crags and a pair of tufted ducks. The ducks dived into the shallow water to feed, stirring up the silt into billowing muddy streaks so that we could watch their underwater progress.  Cressbrook Dale is thickly wooded with pungent wild garlic and carpets of soft green moss covering the dry stone walls.

The landscape opened out as we reached the short Tansley Dale where we found cowslips just coming into flower among the grasses.  We climbed up to the patchwork of walled fields above the dales where lambs gambolled in the sunshine and the shallow Litton Dale led us back to the ‘van.

Day Five – Five Wells & Deep Dale walk (13kms)

Our first stop was Five Wells Chambered Cairn. Here the stones that remain of a circular chambered cairn  perch on high ground above the source of five springs.  Although many of the stones have been taken, the two back-to-back chambers can be recognised.  Descending to the village of Chelmorton we passed Bank Pit Spring, inexplicably and bizarrely known locally as Illy Willy Water.

The path into the wooded Deep Dale was steep but the sheltered dale was perfect for a lunch stop.  As we ate, three sheep nose-to-tail went purposefully by on a lower path.  When minutes later a fourth sheep appeared we assumed she was lagging behind and helpfully pointed in the right direction.  Instead she came over and nudged my arm with her nose demanding food.  We were eating more delicious pastries from Flash Bar and so there was no chance we would share!

The scenic uneven path along Deep Dale, over moss-covered stones and between trees, took us below the cave known as Thirst House before climbing up to King Sterndale and returning into Buxton under the 13 arches of Dukes Drive viaduct.  Back in Grin Low Woods, we found a thick carpet of wood anemone and on the way back to the campsite picked up part of Buxton’s Ring of Trees Walk, a circular route through surrounding woodland. 

We stayed at:

The Caravan and Motorhome Club Buxton campsite. Set in a quarry, this is a peaceful site with walks from your campervan door.

Alternatives that we have stayed at:

Lime Tree Holiday Park – We have stayed here a few times. It is in a peaceful position just a short walk from Buxton.

Beech Croft Farm – this family-run site is between Buxton and Bakewell and in quiet countryside. Walk Five is near here.

Longnor Wood Camping – This adult-only site is near the village of Longnor. There is good hiking from the campsite and some cosy country pubs in the vicinity.

We are never put off by chilly weather and walking under wide and luminous skies and beside sparkling seas on the Solway Firth is a winter treat. The dark days of the year can seem endless and an injection of this clean light and a few colourful west-coast sunsets help me feel optimistic about spring.  This is an isolated corner of England, no one just passes by these coastal towns along the Solway, and for me, this sense of being on the edge adds to the charm.

The estuary known as the Solway Firth separates England and Scotland and we began our tour on its English shores in the small Cumbrian seaside resort of Allonby.  The hazy February sunshine was welcome, the sea shimmered with a pearly light and across the water we could see the distinctive hill called Criffel in Scotland.

Wrapped in layers we headed for the beach for some invigorating fresh air.  Anthony watched for birds and I walked along the tideline, constantly stopping to admire a shell, pebble or piece of pottery that caught my eye.  The chilly breeze whipped up the sand and we both had a healthy sand-blasted glow as we wandered back along Allonby’s street.  A quiet backwater out of season, Allonby is still a popular resort with swanky houses from its heyday.  Most striking is the old Quaker Reading Room, an unusual red-brick building with a clock tower and an uninterrupted sea view.  The building was a sorry derelict sight for many years but has now been renovated as a stylish private house that I yearn to peek inside.

The rolling green countryside in this corner of Cumbria is largely ignored by tourists and the quiet roads are a pleasure to cruise along.  With the exception of a friendly ginger cat, we had the remains of Holme Cultrum Abbey to ourselves.  I was delighted to find one of my favourite flowers, snowdrops brightening up the rambling graveyard and ruins with their shiny green stems and bobbing brilliant-white heads.  Snowdrops cheer up the dreariest day.

Planning our trip, Grune Point had caught my eye.  This remote spit of land, shaped by the tides, stretches along the Solway Firth from the town of Silloth.  Before walking along Grune Point the next morning we went in search of an essential warming coffee and stumbled into the Fairy Dust Emporium Café, a flamboyant and charming café with welcoming staff.  Sitting at one of the wooden tables surrounded by fairies of every shape and size, we rang a bell for service and another fairy gained her wings.  As well as hot coffee the irresistible warm cheese scones with fiery chilli jam were a tonic.

Striding out along the wide promenade above the beach, the Solway Firth and Scotland were to our left and houses with an enviable sea view to our right.  After a larger-than-life metal sculpture of a man and his dog and East Cote Lighthouse we picked up a lane lined with yellow flowering gorse bushes that held the promise of spring.  Nearer to the point we walked along a beach that alternated shingle of colourful pebbles and soft deep sand blown into mini dunes and dotted with bleached driftwood.  The blues of the sea merged into the huge sky, sharp calls of oystercatchers filled the air and the sun warmed our backs; it was as stunning as I had hoped.

Turning the corner of Grune Point we were looking over a vast area of salt marsh and mud flats, wriggling with channels.  The cheese scones and coffee had worn off and we found shelter near an old pill box and cupped our hands around mugs of hot chocolate from our flask, another winter essential.  In a clamour of honking, hundreds of barnacle geese rose from the salt marsh and flew over our heads in unruly v-shaped skeins.  A heavy shower followed the geese and we hurried back to Silloth.

We received another warm Silloth welcome in the Motorcycle Museum, a Tardis-like place packed with bikes and motorcycling memorabilia that will delight anyone.  Silloth once had a racing circuit at the airfield and the owner talked passionately about his experiences of racing there and on the Isle of Man.  Wistfully I recalled my visit to the TT in the 1970s but couldn’t pinpoint the year; of course the knowledgeable owner soon pieced it together from my muddle of vague memories.

A frost had turned the green countryside into a winter-wonderland white the next morning as we drove to Newton Arlosh to see the fortified church.  In this border area churches were built with thick walls, narrow doorways and a tower as a refuge for people and animals during attacks from Scotland.  This medieval church fell out of use and became a roofless sheep pen but was restored in the 19^th century by Sarah Losh, a local wealthy and determined woman and it now has many fascinating features including a stone eagle on the roof.

The Solway Firth had narrowed when we picked up its shores again and pulled into the RSPB reserve at Campfield Marsh where the pools were frozen and the ducks waited patiently for the water to melt.  A railway line once crossed these marshes and a viaduct took it over the Solway to Scotland.  In the cold winter of 1881 ice, up to 6ft thick, bumped against the pillars of the railway viaduct destroying sections.  A local paper reported that workmen on the viaduct were distracted when they spotted a hare stranded on a block of ice and floating out to sea!  The railway closed in 1921 and the disused line became part of an ambitious and dangerous pub crawl.  Thirsty Scots would cross the viaduct on foot to take advantage of the more lenient Sunday licensing laws in England.  There are stories of inebriated individuals missing their footing on the bridge and never making it home and until the viaduct was demolished a guard was employed to try and prevent these fatal journeys. 

We wandered around the quayside remains at Port Carlisle before parking in Burgh by Sands to hike onto the salt marsh to the monument to Edward I who died here on his way to invading Scotland.  This land is the grazing for prized salt marsh lamb and an annual auction for parcels of land called stints is still held every year.  Across the River Eden we could see traffic on the M6 and The Metal Bridge Inn, [not surprisingly] named after the metal bridge over the River Esk. This would be our stop for the night.

The Metal Bridge Inn is a landmark for anyone driving north on the M6 and a place that combines isolation with six-lanes of traffic.  Under another orange-red sky I climbed the steps of the railway bridge and looked down on the River Esk as it wound its way through salt marshes to the Solway and the Irish Sea. Skeins of pink-footed geese flew overhead, their energetic honking so loud and uninhibited they drowned out the traffic on the M6!

Although I was craving light, coziness is also essential to get through the winter months and this snug pub welcomes campervans on a dedicated parking area and serves good beer and hearty food.  By the time we walked back to the Blue Bus in the dark all the ‘pitches’ were taken and I was pleased to see we weren’t the only campers enjoying our ‘van all year.

Part Two and our journey into Scotland and the Scottish shore of the Solway will be in my next post.

Photographs of the Allonby’s old Reading Room, Grune Point and Newton Arlosh church below.

Red Kite Touring Park in Llanidloes in mid-Wales is an adult-only high quality campsite. Staying there had been on our wishlist for a while and this year we got the chance to enjoy the excellent facilities it offers for three nights.

If you don’t know the campsite, it sits above the small town of Llanidloes and has hard-standing pitches with views down the valley. The facilities are modern and excellent and the welcome is friendly.

We like to leave our campervan on our pitch and walk and a quick look at the map suggested there would be no shortage of options and this was true. The campsite is well-run and reception keep a folder of walks from short strolls to long hikes. There are multiple copies of each walk so you can take away the instructions, pack a picnic and set off into the Welsh countryside.

Llyn Clywedog & Old Lead Mines (approx 13 km / 8 miles)

Red Kite Touring Park sits on the hillside above the Afon Clywedog that flows into the River Severn. From the campsite dog walk we picked up a lane that follows the Afon Clywedog away from Llanidloes. The lane climbed steadily through woodland to a farmhouse where we turned right and joined the Glyndŵr’s Way. This is a 217 Km long-distance path that meanders from Knighton to Welshpool. It is named after Owain Glyndŵr who was a Welsh prince and leader who led a rebellion against Henry IV in 1400.

The section of this path by Bryntail, passing a former outdoor centre, had open views across the valley and was so enjoyable we stopped for lunch on the bench in the photograph above.

Dropping down the hillside we could see the massive dam holding back the waters of Llyn Clywedog. We explored the buildings of the old lead mine and appreciated the information boards that explained the grimy processes that were carried out in this industrial site.

We chose to take a path around the head of a small valley to Cwm Deildre. The first section of this path traversed the steep-sided valley and was tough going as we fought our way through flourishing bracken. This was so arduous we were relieved to reach the head of valley and an easier-going track. At Cwm Deildre we joined lanes that took us to paths back to the wooded banks of the Afon Clywedog which we crossed the bridge back to the campsite.

This walk had plenty of interest and big views and I would recommend it.

Llanidloes, the Severn Way & Glynbrochan (approx 16 km / 10 miles)

From Red Kite Touring Park you can either walk into Llanidloes the pretty way, crossing Afon Clywedog and skirting the valley side through woodland. This is about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) or you can walk along the pavement by the road which is slightly shorter. We followed the campsite instructions for the pretty route and after looking around some of Llanidloes elegant and interesting buildings we sought out a coffee shop. The Wild Oak Cafe was an excellent choice for the range of food, good coffee and comfortable atmosphere.

We left Llanidloes on the minor road that follows the River Severn, turning left to cross the river on the quiet lane towards Glynbrochan. Leaving the tarmac we picked up paths on the hillside to our right and became just a little lost until we realised which side of a hedge we should be on! Eventually we scrambled down a steep path through trees to reach the dam of a small reservoir where we had our picnic lunch.

The path from the reservoir to the farm was boggy and we were glad to reach the tracks without our feet getting soaked. A farm track took us downhill back towards the River Severn where we joined a lane that led back to the bridge where we had crossed the river earlier and we were soon back in Llanidloes and climbing the hill back to the campsite on the road route.

Apart from Llanidloes, which is worth a visit, this walk only had the reservoir as a focus for our interest but we stretched our legs and felt we had deserved tea and cake later!