Outdoor Discoveries

What originally was a news section for the rest of the website soon became a place for me to write about human-powered wanderings in the countryside. Photography inspires me to get out there, mostly on foot these days, though cycling got me started. Musings on the wider context of outdoor activity complete the picture, so I hope that there is something of interest in all that you find here. Thank you for coming!

Reeling in some leap years

27th February 2020

There was a series on Irish television called “Reeling in the Years” where each program covered happenings in a certain year in the past using archive footage. The concept may not have been all that original though the focus of Irish events gave it a certain uniqueness. It was the sort of light television programming that could be repeated endlessly should a vacant slot need occupying.

Of course, that is not how I tend to view the entries on here and I often struggle to complete a trip report as I have been doing for a while with a day spent along Derbyshire’s Great Ridge in the autumn of 2017. Sometimes, what should produce a timely report can gain the feel of an archive item.

Nevertheless, 2020 is a leap year and a very rainy, snowy and windy February gains an extra day; it is hard to believe that we were basking in unseasonably warm sunshine just over a year ago. Perhaps, it is little wonder then that I often state that we get weather instead of seasons and such is the defining characteristic of a maritime climate.

January and February often are the quieter months of the year so there is some time for looking back and a little forward planning. Thus, I take this opportunity to cast my mind back over leap years from a outdoor wandering vantage point since that stops me at 2000 when I commenced my working life after formal education.

By 2004, my pedestrian hill wandering had come into being with Scotland being a major focus along with England and Wales. The year itself was terrible from a weather standpoint with the summer being a washout. Only some flexibility at work allowed me to snatch a drier interlude to go north to Lorn and Lochaber to make the most of a fleeting opportunity.

2008 then was the third calendar year for this blog and saw a high point in my Scottish rambling. Until very recently, a week in August spent among some of the Western Isles became my most adventurous escapade ever. Skye was a staging point and I managed to avoid much of the rain that came from a stalled front lying across Ireland, England and Scotland. It now seems surreal that there was some glorious weather to be enjoyed on Harris, Berneray, North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist.

The occasional good fortune of those islands again manifested itself in 2012 when they in fact endured a drought while the the rest of Britain has the wettest summer ever. It was only the dryness of the Outer Hebrides that stopped the year going down in records as being wetter than in 2000, a year that I hardly regard as being that rainy at all though there were autumn deluges. The differences in weather were missed in 2012, not only because of a certain weather myopia but also because the heavy workload of 2011 had drained me to the point that energy for planning a return to the Western Isles just was not there.

By 2016, major changes were taking place in my life after the passing of both my parents. These were becoming evident in 2012 and the combination of a busy working life and ongoing inheritance works became enough to break me. One saving grace was that I started exploring elsewhere in Europe and that began in 2015. 2016 saw an extended weekend spent in each of Austria and Norway while there also was a mid-winter break in Mallorca. It was the latter than really taught me a lesson with a heavy cold and the others might have been but palliative care for an ongoing malaise. Changes were coming.

As I look back, it is tempting to think that leap years are not always the best for me though I now reckon that they were not as bad as I might have thought them at the time. 2020 could prove no different but that remains to be seen. Changes are continuing and I now work for myself so overseas and other excursions can continue alongside the other things that need doing. Only time will show what chances are available.

Into the 2020’s

1st January 2020

2019 had its share of preoccupations, both political and professional, and I did get out and about more during the first half of the year than the second. Weather had its part in that as much as those aforementioned preoccupations but the dividing line appears to be my trip to British Columbia in July. That also needed recovery from jet lag together with financial restoration.

Before all that, there were numerous trips to Yorkshire and Scotland between February and May. The Yorkshire outings took me around Settle and Malham after a visit to the North York Moors near Great Ayton. Easter was spent around Edinburgh with excursions to Linlithgow, Peebles and Penicuik getting me out into more natural surroundings on a sunny weekend that rather spoiled me. Subsequent return visits in May even featured a return to Stirling as well as another stopover in Linlithgow.

The Canadian trip was the highlight though and my base in Vancouver allowed for plenty of exploration around the city itself as well as fitting in side trips to North Vancouver, Squamish and Vancouver Island. The introduction was so thorough that I struggle to think of an excuse to return and there should be plenty of those as long as I figure out how to spend time on any associated long flights.

To some, 2020 is not when the new decade begins but popular opinion is not awaiting 2021. For me too, a certain wistfulness has descended and I look back to 2000 when I began my career and 2010 when I changed jobs. The 2010’s have been life changing too and unwanted political developments to come in 2020 will bring more change. For that reason, I am not planning very much and will see how the year goes.

It this was 1990 or 2000, my sentiments would be more optimistic since that was the world view at the time. However, all that has dissipated and popular dissatisfaction is causing all sorts of upheaval. Throughout all this, it is important to keep a sense of perspective so it is likely that sunny days will lure me out of doors like the last days of 2019. After all, my late mother left me with a constant desire never to waste bursts of sunshine.

We appear to live in a time when making one’s own new happy experiences is never more needed and then there is the necessity to share them. Distractions in 2019 have lengthened the trip report backlog though I am writing one at the moment. As I now look to 2020, that motivation is one that feels sound even if I largely will let the opportunities come to me. Then, less of them get wasted and more stories are there to be told. If a few are uplifting too, that will be even better.

Logjam

3rd July 2019

One I feature a trip report for an overseas trip on here, chances are that urban strolling gets mixed in with rural hiking. Separating the two has a habit of feeling very wrong even when the the countryside explorations are subsets of what else occupied me. The comment applies as equally to Swedish explorations as much as they do to Aberdonian ones. It might be tempting to move the urban activities into my Travel Jottings and leave the shorter incursions into more more natural surroundings for here but it just feels like I am doing the whole task a disservice so they all end up here instead.

That has its consequences and the Swedish trip report was the cause of getting in the way of adding other content on here. After all, the trip was a six day affair and writing up each day would have proved challenging on its own but I left the whole lot go together. With overseas outings always likely to combine urban and rural, that conundrum is likely to remain but there may be chances for a split just as well. An Easter sojourn in Edinburgh could lend itself to such division and they are some ideas in my mind for purely urban explorations just as well. It all depends on how I feel about things at the time.

Another outcome of the uncomfortable juxtaposition of walking around built-up and wilder areas is that I decided on a name change to cover what is here that little bit better. After all, all my walking and cycling takes me out-of-doors so Outdoor Excursions is now the name you find at the top until I find something else or get in the mood for a change.

As it happens, there have been a few names for this place over the years and Collected Musings of a Hill Wanderer still feels the best even it now longer fits the style of the rest of the website. Maybe, it can return as a strapline even if I mix up the destinations for my wanderings these days. What will not alter is the intended focus on celebrating quality time in more natural surroundings while a better name might come to mind.

A busy spring

31st May 2019

The continuing non-availability of Northern train services on Saturdays due to industrial action became such a source of personal confinement that their restoration produced such a dramatic effect. From February until now, I have been away most weekends making use of the increased opportunities for train travel. The promising weather helped too even if it meant that water supplies were not getting replenished as required after last summer’s extended spell of hot and dry weather.

The result was that Yorkshire got a lot of attention throughout February and March. It started with a visit to the North York Moors on a sunny day in February that felt more like summer than the actual time of year. Roseberry Topping was revisited as well as nearby hills as I traced out part of the Cleveland Way on a circuit centred on Great Ayton’s Train station.

Other circuits were followed by train as dictated by the extent of day ranger ticket areas. Two of these took me between Leeds and Carlisle so it might have been inevitable that I ended up getting ideas for walking outings as a result. The departure point for such attentions was Settle since I had not passed Attermire Scar or visited Malham and its nearby tarn for far too long. Sunshine may not have been in ample supply through my walking rounds so another trip to Malham Cove cannot be ruled out and it could see me going to Skipton on foot as well. There were two outings in total and there already is another in mind.

It has been a spring full of city visitations too. In the north of England, the tally included Newcastle, Leeds and Sheffield and Scottish cities like Edinburgh and Stirling got their share of attention too and there even was a trip to Cardiff for some wandering by the River Taff. More will be written about these below while Newcastle saw more wandering than other northern cities as I pottered along by the River Tyne on the way to Wallend using part of Hadrian’s Wall Path. That again was a quieter stroll and there was much to savour on a journey from a city centre to greener parts of its suburbs.

An elongated Easter weekend allowed for a longer stay in Edinburgh that has been in mind for some time and there was a truncated effort in 2017. 2019 saw no such intrusions so I was there from Holy Thursday through to Easter Tuesday as planned. That allowed for a lot of city rambling and there there were two visits to Linlithgow. Hill wanadering featured too and days were spent among the Pentland Hills and doing a round of the hills encircling Glen Sax. Along the reminisces and silly daydreams entered my mind but the time spent around a city where I spent part of my university years also became a chance to deal with any episodes of unfulfilled promise that returned to haunt me.

When I moved away from Edinburgh in 2000, there may have been an element of unfinished business that drew me back again and again to somewhere for which I still hold much affection. The 2019 version of the same was a suboptimally composed photo on Calton Hill so I returned on the Mayday bank holiday weekend to set that to rights. Other sights like the city’s botanic gardens and Costorphine Hill Local Nature Reserve were frequented too and the latter featured on another visit during the following weekend.

Though I was bound for Stirling, a stopover in Edinburgh did allow me to revisit the Royal Mile and Costorphine Hill in good sunshine for the sake of a little closure of what was becoming like an Edinburgh trilogy. Stirling saw plenty of sauntering with photographic pursuits in mind but the prospect of a walk among the nearby Ochill Hills remains outstanding so that could be another excuse to go back up there again.

After all those weekend forays elsewhere, it now feels as if some quiet time at home is in order and that pervaded the Spring Bank Holiday weekend aside from the aforementioned day trip to Cardiff. Others making the same journey had the attendance of a Spice Girls concert in mind but designs were far more demure as I avoided bands of cyclists to amble by the River Taff to take in the spring foliage on trees around Bute Park and Llandaff on a sunny afternoon that could not be enjoyed further north, such was the available weather. The summer awaits so only when that arrives will its roaming be revealed.

Visiting castles and coastline around Aberdeenshire

9th April 2019

Sometimes, thoughts cannot be expressed as envisaged. For instance, it might have seemed a good idea to compare 2010 and 2017 in this post but it did not fit well and instead inspired another one. The choice of years could have included 1997 just as well since that year saw the first of three visits to Aberdeen and it is the third of these that gets related here.

Another factor that inspired the 2010/2017 comparison was the that both years bookended a period spent working for the same employer and the fact that my enthusiasm had waned became apparent to me during my spring sabbatical break. In a vain effort to ward off an eventual and inevitable resignation, I planned some excursions: the first took me to Aberdeen for the Spring Bank Holiday and June saw me go to Norway for nearly a week.

A trip into a bookshop during the 2010 stay highlighted how many castles there are to be found in Aberdeenshire. That partly influenced what I got to explore during the 2017 getaway because both Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven and Crathes Castle near Banchory were visited during the weekend. The former of these lay on my wish list for a number of years and has graced many a calendar so I had designs on some photography too.

Getting Away

Prior to my career break and subsequent ongoing period of self-employment, an annual leave allocation was something to be managed carefully. Thinking back to my employer from 2001 to 2010, there was a possibility of buying two more weeks of holiday every year that I no longer had between 2010 and 2017. For what life had in store for me in 2016, the extra time off from work would have been very valuable but it was not to be had. As it happened, I never had recourse to buying additional days of holiday during the first decade of the century in any case and the act added more personal independence than you might think.

That rationing mentality meant that I needed to leave my departure to the end of a working day or lose one day out of the weekend. After all, the journey from Macclesfield to Aberdeen takes between six and seven hours by train so it was little wonder that I booked one off from work for the 2010 escapade. For an evening departure, another approach is needed with overnight travel being a possibility that could leave one more tired than is ideal, especially if coach travel is involved. Overnight train travel can be an expensive affair that gets booked up before a bank holiday weekend.

Those considerations led me to considering air travel instead, especially given the way that the cost of train travel has risen in recent years. After looking at schedules, I found Flybe flights that did what I needed in spite of a delayed departure caused my needing to retrieve my mobile phone from the office desk where I accidentally left it. That scuppered a planned train journey, but a taxi did the needful in its place. The flight itself was late anyway so getting into my hotel involved ringing a doorbell to secure access to the building. Aside from those very minor hiccups, all went smoothly.

Wandering About Aberdeen

After a decent night’s rest and a good breakfast, a day of strolling commenced. This was to have two parts with the first spent around Aberdeen and the second taking in Stonehaven. The pervading ambience was one with the same sort of peace that I tend to find along numerous North Sea coasts, regardless of their being in Northumberland, Lothian or Aberdeenshire. It was a vast contrast to the sensation associated with a terror attach in Manchester earlier that week or with the Grenfell Tower fire a few weeks later. There are times when life can bring too much despair so it is good to step away from that for a while.

Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen, Scotland

Oases from such horrors can be found in unexpected locations and Union Gardens in the heart of Aberdeen is but one of those. It may be found next to the city’s main thoroughfare but the fact that it lies below street level ensures that a certain sense of sanctuary can be found there. All of my wanderings around the city have found me drawn to the spot since I discovered it in 1997. In 2010, a day of city strolling began there with a looming threat of reconstruction to create a street level park that obscured any signs of a railway or a tarmacked dual carriageway. Thankfully, that scheme came to nothing and the park remained there in 2017 for the start of another day of stravaiging.

The quiet atmosphere on that sunny Saturday morning did its best to belie not only my location but also the times in which I was living. Simpler pursuits like photography caused me to linger until at least until the departure of council workers attired in high visibility clothing before making some photos, but that was a mere passing intrusion. Bright colours like yellow and red did not fit my intended palate of green, blue, brown and grey so I awaited their exit before gaining my fill of satisfaction and more architectural delights awaited revisitation.

Part of Marischal College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland

After climbing steps up towards His Majesty’s Theatre and taking in a statue of William Wallace, I continued on my way to the statue of another hero from Scottish history: Robert Bruce, one-time king of the country after winning its medieval wars of independence. Another landmark lay adjacent to its situation in the form of the once independent Marischal College that now forms part of the University of Aberdeen. If I was not bound for Old Aberdeen, it may have been worthwhile to try photographing the lofty edifice from a better vantage point than its immediate environs, whose low level presented many challenges despite such successes as the photo you see above.

Towers of Saint Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen, Scotland

It only took two of the charms of Old Aberdeen to draw me there again but there happens to be more to the area than those. The first was King’s College, another part of the University of Aberdeen that once was an independent institution, and the second was St. Machar’s Cathedral Church, one of a small number under the custodianship of the Church of Scotland that retain that designation.

The mention of King’s College takes me back to 1997 when I was based near there for a chemistry conference during the very week after the death of Princess Diana and the displays of public grief that it provoked. Aberdeen then offered respite from the vagaries of the world and it has become a theme. The village like atmosphere of Old Aberdeen makes it a pleasing place to visit with its cosy-looking houses clustered around larger university buildings, such of which are less elegant modern constructions that are kept away from the older architecture.

It took until 2010 for me to reach St. Machar’s Cathedral on a damp grey night, but a repeat visit happened the next day, though weather conditions were not so permitting of photographic activity. 2017 made up for that, though I did need to allow a wedding party its privacy as it entered the church for a nuptial service. Such events are to be expected, so a little patience and so time exploring other vantage points was all that was needed before I had the churchyard to myself again.

Trees in Seaton Park, Aberdeen, Scotland

The route that I had taken from King’s College to St. Machar’s Cathedral had been an indirect one that took me through part of Smeaton Park and I was to sample more of the place after leaving the churchyard. The weather had lured many others into the park and I was surprised to see a Segway tour being led along its paths. My own strolling took me along the south bank of the River Don and away from those other users.

Following the river, I hiked east to the Brig O’ Balgownie and from there to the A92. Crossing that, I headed for the Donmouth Nature Reserve, lured by the appeal of being near where the Don enters the sea.  Possibly because of geographic realities such as tides and the presence of mudflats, I did not venture so close to such a point but chose instead to continue south along the Esplanade.

As I did so in typical North Sea coastal peace and quiet, there were ships lurking in the sea haze. Some were stationary while others were passing. Others were out strolling, but there was enough space for all of us with an amusement park drawing most of those who were attracted to the shore.

Castle Street, Aberdeen, Scotland

Most of the way to Footdee, I remained on the solid walkway but I occasionally ventured onto the sand too. For reasons of human occupation and disordered building, my ambling around Footdee took a meandering course until I pottered out along the North Pier and then back again. Quayside rambling soon enough brought me to Castle Street in the heart of the city. Along the way a Northlink ferry had been spotted, a reminder that I never ventured north to either the Orkney or Shetland islands. However, another destination beckoned more immediately and that was where I went next. Island exploration was to be left waiting.

Seeing Another Stretch of the North Sea Coast

My pending and momentary departure from Aberdeen brought me to its train station and a reminder of contemporary events. The sight of armed police officers at a city station far away from the site of a preceding terror attack in Manchester did not strike me in the same way as the removal from public use of luggage lockers at Fort William’s train station. Then, the overriding impression was one of overreaction, but my mind was full of other thoughts in 2017. All I did was to catch a train to Stonehaven without greater contemplation of the situation.

Stonehaven may be but fifteen to twenty minutes away from Aberdeen by train, but it might as well have been much further for the weather was very different when I got there. The skies were clouded and grey as I covered the longer than expected distance from the town’s coastline to its shoreline. At times, the air even felt damp but I remained undeterred from continuing as far as Dunnottar Castle. Others were doing likewise since this is a well known Scottish landmark.

Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Given enough time, the cloud cover broke in concert with the passing of any light rain showers. These are times when a seemingly hopeless quest becomes fruitful and a momentary vigil gets its reward. For my own, I sought a quieter spot where no one else bothered to loiter by the dramatic coastline. All it took was a few-minute southbound walk from the start of the path leading to the castle itself for that is where most had congregated without designs on further coastal exploration.

Dunnimaol and Maiden Kaim, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Maiden Kaim, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

In fact, my mind started to wander further along the coast than I did. It might have set to wandering as far as Montrose but my lack of time and equipment ensured that I did not do likewise. The cause had been the dramatic coastal scenery and there was a tempting path leading south, but my self-discipline held.

War Memorial, Black Hill, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Though coastal views were hazy, brighter skies accompanied my return to Stonehaven. There was a brief stop at its war memorial before I descended to potter along the coast where another reminder of ongoing political tumult lay: election posters for the then incumbent SNP MP, Stuart Donaldson. He subsequently lost the election, but that incursion of world events was left after me quickly as I ambled up the coast before stopping in the town centre for some food and making my way to the train station again. Once back in Aberdeen, I returned to my lodgings for the night after what had been a fruitful day.

Following an Old Railway Alignment

While its predecessor was divided between two pieces of recreational business, Sunday’s wandering was to consist of a single thread: walking the Deeside Way from Banchory to Aberdeen. What actually drew me to Banchory after attending to a matter that morning was the proximity of Crathes Castle, but that proved to be a sideshow from the main activity of the day.

The Deeside Way extends from Ballater to Aberdeen yet it seems that the section going east from Aboyne to Banchory is not marked on OS maps while other parts are indicated. It was not my intention to walk all the way to the trail’s eastern terminus, but the sunny evening led me along all the way to Duthie Park where I arrived in the gloaming. The decision had been made with serendipity but it also could have been said a long walk was in order given what was happening in my life back then.

The start of my hike was a grey one and I even reckon that the weather was no different in Aberdeen, though a lack of photos and the effect of other events on my recollection both mean that I cannot be sure. In any case, the city in question was left after attending to a matter and I pottered around Banchory before making for the River Dee where I met with the trail that I was to follow for all the remaining hours of daylight.

Austin A35

Once I was on my way, the cloud cover began to break to allow the sun to work its magic from time to time. By then, I was strolling along the bed of the former railway line with the River Dee beside me. At times, the pastoral nature of the surrounding countryside was on show though I was among trees for much of the time. More vintage installations like the Royal Deeside Railway, a heritage line, and an event like the Crathes Vintage Car & Motorcycle Rally added a momentary feel of an earlier age, even reminders from my own youth when vintage rallies were momentary diversions from contemporary life.

Crathes Castle, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Leaving the trail after me for a while, I strolled into Crathes Castle and that was what drew me this way in the first place. It also was an encounter with another heritage attraction, albeit one that was nearing the end of its opening hours for the day. My start had been an early afternoon one and the sun had drifted behind clouds, so a vigil began in the hope of our nearest star escaping what might have felt like its cloudy prison.

As I did so, a request for a photo came my way from a mother who spotted my DSLR. Unfortunately, the sun was coming out right then and I was not as cooperative as I otherwise might have been. The above photo came at the cost of someone else’s disappointment, but others had done the desirable before me, so that was one consolation.

Disappointing others does not come readily to me so I was happy to have some solo time afterwards. This allowed me to move on from the moment a little and return to the Deeside Way. There was a choice to be made about what to do next. Quite why I rejected the possibility of returning to Banchory is lost to my recollection but I chose to continue east. Maybe there was an urge to explore a little more.

Deeside Way marker, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

While the Deeside Way uses the former railway alignment for much of its length, there are deviations but these, thankfully, are well signed. That notably helped near Milton of Crathes and I was sent along parts of the A957 and A93 near Crathes. In fact, the section between Crathes and Drumoak shadowed the A93 and made it much less of a wild walk, though the road and the trail both were quiet at this part of that Sunday. In fact, this was the prevailing mood for the rest of the walk.

At Drumoak, I was tempted to await a bus to Aberdeen but instead chose more walking and the Deeside Way also left the course of the old railway until not far outside Peterculter. Going this way also meant that thoughts of bus travel needed to set aside for a longer period, but the feeling of being out and about in the quiet countryside was more than enough reward.

Going along a narrow lane leading south from Drumoak brought me onto an off-road track that took me through forest and field before returning me to tarmac again. Some were using the facility for dog walking, but that was no intrusion and quiet lane walking followed on a blissfully peaceful evening.

At Coalford, I returned to the railway alignment near where beef cattle were standing on a part that without any right of way. It was a curious scene but I did wonder at any damage that might be done by leaving such hefty beasts traipse around the embankment as they were doing.

My mind had other things to occupy it. Mid-evening was upon me and the prospect of fading daylight loomed large. Nevertheless, I strode onward with tiring limbs. Every landscape feature was noted as a progress indicator and there were information boards describing former stations that could be checked off against my map as I went along.

After all, this ended up as a purely suburban railway in its last days, but there was a reminder of modernity as I was directed to plod across what now is a newer section of the A90. Though the landscape was scarred by the then ongoing construction, the River Dee remained in view and gentler surroundings lay ahead of me.

After this, light began to decline as the distance to Duthie Park became ever shorter. There were others about who were snatching a quick stroll before darkness fell, a practice that I also witnessed in Sheffield last November and December. Eventually, any thought of leaving the trail could be vanquished by its providing the clearest route ahead and that got me to its end near the aforementioned park.

There was a brief visit to the park that left me wondering at its being left open to the public at all hours, something that often is not offered by some of its Cheshire counterparts. The idea of seeing the place in daylight remained as I then went through the streets to my lodgings for the night. It had been a long hike accompanied by lengthy peaceful moments that were sorely needed at the time. Even a passing bus did little to intrude on that overriding ambience.

Returning to Real Life

The next morning, I arose to see grey skies overhead and largely is how things stayed. Even so, I still revisited Duthie Park before heading to the city’s airport to commence my journey home. The sun did struggle to break through the clouds but without much in the way of success. In its own way, it may have planted the idea of another visit in my mind.

Life has gone elsewhere since then though and the summer of 2017 was a dramatic one for me. There may have been trips to Norway and Sweden, but the season is remembered for the emotional toll of the events that led me to begin a career break dominated by recovery and re-energisation.

A renewed enthusiasm for living has resulted as much as a new way of working for a living that better suits my situation. It is a reminder that nature’s soothing embrace cannot work on its own but that you may need to do something constructive to gain a better outcome, not that such a lesson stops me from exploring any countryside as should be apparent from this blog.

Travel Arrangements

Taxi ride from Wilmslow to Manchester Airport. Return flight from Manchester to Aberdeen. Return bus journey on route 737 between Aberdeen Airport to Aberdeen city centre. Return train journey between Aberdeen and Stonehaven. Bus journey from Aberdeen to Banchory. Train journey from Manchester Airport to Macclesfield.