Category: Europe
Catching up on my outdoor reading
28th September 2006 A brief sojourn in Ireland sparked a thought that refused to dissipate amidst the hustle of family and other obligations. As I caught up with my favourite outdoor magazines (TGO, Walking World Ireland, Outdoor Photography) a question lingered: why do we seldom discuss the public transport options for accessing our natural wonders?
Trail and Country Walking, fortunately, have grasped this concept already. Yet, even TGO, which strives valiantly to cover all aspects of the outdoors, could do more. The assumption, perhaps, is that public transport is wanting in many places. For photographers, the timings often run counter to the whims of landscape photography, best captured during the extremes of daylight. However, I suspect there's another reason behind this omission: car-using writers might simply neglect to mention alternative options when they do not use them themselves.
The Traveline phone number or website address, possibly a beacon for many a British traveller, has become synonymous with a certain lack of application in our outdoor community. Could we, as advocates and practitioners of the great outdoors, nudge them towards more providing comprehensive information? It could start with our showing where to find this; even a bus route number would be an improvement on what we see much of the time, and telling the whereabouts of the nearest bus or train stop would help, even if there is more distance to go on foot to reach a trailhead.
To embrace this new frontier, one must first acknowledge the sustainability that public transport offers, and there are times when it works better for linear hikes too. So let us seize this opportunity to redefine our outdoor pursuits, embracing the journey as much as the destination. Why don't we champion public transport, advocate for comprehensive information, and encourage fellow explorers to leave their cars at home?
Northumberland travel
26th September 2006 Being a large county with a low population and dramatic hilly countryside means that care and planning are required when using public transport in Northumberland. Northumberland County Council does produce a useful leaflet that helps a lot with bus services but Traveline remains the best authority. Train services are provided in the county by LNER, Virgin Trains and Northern Rail but it is the bus network that really allows travel to its many sights. What follows are a series of pointers as regards getting to these.
After experiencing Northumberland's glorious coastline last January, I fancy the idea of a return. Arriva and Travelsure operate useful services that allow you to get to such sights as Holy Island, Bamburgh Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle and the villages like Alnmouth that dot the coast. Trains serve Berwick-upon-Tweed and Alnmouth to boot. Historic Alnwick, some miles inland, is also well served with buses.
Exploring Northumberland's national park, one of the least visited of the bunch, remains an aspiration of mine. Given the distance from Macclesfield, a day trip is a tricky proposition but having engineering works on the train line between Edinburgh and Newcastle-upon-Tyne like on next Saturday and Sunday (with journey times doubled as a result) makes it even trickier. Nevertheless, a journey to Hexham via Carlisle remains a viable possibility with a ride on bus service thereafter. Overnight coaches might help but spending a weekend in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hexham or Newcastle is an altogether more comfortable proposition, allowing for Friday night travel and a long Sunday journey home (a minor perturbation if enough time is allowed). A stay in Berwick would mean that I could then pop over and back from Wooler from there on services 267 and 464 and enjoy a day in the Cheviots. Weather permitting, that remains a possibility for the coming weekend. Otherwise, basing myself in Newcastle could get me to Rothbury, Kielder and Bellingham.
Northumberland ambitions
19th September 2006 Northumberland's attractions include stunning coastline and empty moorland; it is also one of the least populated counties in England. The coastline is certainly a sight to behold: beaches, rugged cliffs and castles abound. In fact, the Northumberland coast is classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and it also is possible to follow a lot of it on public footpaths. And there are plenty of beaches too, should one want to walk along them instead. While the dramatic coastline and big skies keep one entertained, Northumberland's coast would not be as engaging were it not for the landmarks that pepper its length. Holy Island, playing host Lindisfarne Castle and also a terminus of St. Cuthbert's Way, is just one of these, and you need to watch the tides if crossing over to it on the causeway. There is a bus service there and the timings follow the tides, making for a very eccentric timetable. Castles also abound and examples include the inhabited Bamburgh Castle and the decaying hulk of Dunstanburgh Castle.
Last January, I took myself up to Alnmouth by train (the station is a mile (less than 2 km) from the village), itself an engaging spot, for a coastal walk to Craster. The coast certainly held its drama and the mild day surprised me with some of the gorse in bloom, unusual for the time of year. The sky, however, was largely cloudy, and I fancy a return before I have photos totally deserving of the location. Continuing further up the coast to take Bamburgh and Holy Island remains another idea for the future.
Before dwelling on the county's coastline, I did mention that Northumberland possessed some splendidly empty moorland. In fact, it hosts a national park, probably the least frequented in the U.K. However, despite my plans to pay the park a visit, it has not as yet come to fruition and sights in the northern extremities of the Pennines such as the Cheviot and High Cup Nick remain unseen by my eyes. The Pennine Way frequents hills like these as it continues through Northumberland to its northern terminus at Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. Also passing through the county on its way from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to the western coastline beyond Carlisle is Hadrian's Wall and the national trail that follows it.
Combine the above with engaging the above with a variety of engaging towns and villages and Northumberland seems to have it made. It is definitely worthy of a few days stay and the price of rail travel from Macclesfield to stations like Berwick-upon-Tweed and Alnmouth might see to it that my explorations may indeed follow that train of thought (no pun intended).
Getting to Moffat
12th September 2006 While getting to Moffat by public transport takes some care, it really is worth the planning and the effort. Moffat lost its railway branch line some years ago and is now dependent on bus connections. Nevertheless, the West Coast Mainline still runs near it, even if the nearest station is Lockerbie. And there is the A74(M) for those endowed with a motor car.
Speaking of Lockerbie, the obvious thing to do is to get the train there when travelling to Moffat. However, the connecting bus (Stagecoach 382) to Moffat is not as regular as it might be. Another option is to get to Dumfries and catch a bus from there: these are more frequent.
However, getting to Dumfries is then the trick to accomplish. There are train services there from Carlisle, but there is an air of irregularity about them. There is, however, a regular bus service (Stagecoach Cumbria 79) between Carlisle and Dumfries with a journey time of up to 90 minutes. From the north, there are somewhat infrequent services from Glasgow (Stagecoach Western X74) and Edinburgh (coach services 101 and 102).
For information, Dumfries and Galloway Council is a good port of call for public transport information, particularly timetables. Stagecoach Western Scotland is the major bus operator in the area, while smaller operators like McEwan's Coach Services abound as well. Stagecoach Cumbria operates services from Carlisle into the region. And DGC operates social services itself as well. ScotRail and Virgin Trains are the rail operators in the region.
A weekend visit to Moffat
10th September 2006 I am back home after taking advantage of the fine weather by taking myself off to Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway to take in some of the walking missed by the hordes passing north on their way to the Highlands; they do not know what they are missing, even if the hills show themselves to all and sundry proceeding along the West Coast mainline and the A74(M). The Southern Upland Way is a major walking attraction around here, but there are many hills to explore as well. They may not be high like the Munros, but the rough country does demand some preparation and respect.
My previous encounter with the place was last June when I based myself in Lockerbie. That time, I got in the section of the Southern Upland Way between Moffat and Ettrick Head, but the day remained cloudy until my return to Lockerbie for the night. This time, I walked the Southern Upland Way from St. Mary's Loch back to Moffat, also covering the ground that I explored on my previous visit. I had designs on more walking, but the after effects of a 20-mile stroll and a heavy pack returned me to my senses.
To get to and from Moffat, I travelled by train between Macclesfield and Dumfries (well, apart from a rail replacement bus service between Manchester and Stockport: they were working on the line yet again). On Friday evening, a taxi got me to Moffat and I left the 114 bus to do the honours on the return. There was a bus on the Friday, but a 60-minute wait would have been in order. Mind you, if I had been more patient, I might have avoided a bizarre taxi conversion laden with strange coincidences.
Over the weekend, I stayed at the Balmoral Hotel, which offered exactly what I needed. The only fly in the ointment was the locals talking loudly among each other out on the street until 02:00 in the morning. And no, I have no idea what was going on. It never endangered my plans, though.
A useful Saturday only service (Houston's 130) got me to St. Mary's Loch and would have been a useful fallback if I decided not to walk all the way back to Moffat. Both St. Mary's Loch and nearby Loch of the Lowes looked so magnificent that I could have spent the whole day on their shores but I had other walking on my mind and it really did take some willpower to get going. Most of the Way followed paths and tracks through the hills, but a five-mile road walk was endured in the middle, a minor complaint given what else was on offer. As regards terrain, the only tricky section was around between Craigmichen Scar and Ettrick Head where the effect of landslips is obvious to all. The sight of sheep grazing on steep slopes littered with them was nigh on unbelievable; it looked like reckless behaviour. Recent land movements have resulted in the redirection of the Way around here (be warned if following the OS map) but I suspect that a more permanent route will have to go up and over West Knowe some day, a potentially tiring but safer diversion.
