Holidays, social and 30m steel sculptures

Well, it’s been a busy summer though not in the blogging sense – obviously. After a ten day trip to the Lake District in April various delays meant our planned two month holiday in the Highlands became a one month sojourn. The weather was rather good – in fact very good - though we were too far north to be bothered returning southwards for a trip to Rum and Knoydart as we’d originally planned.

The last days of June were spent at a The Beatrix Potter International Study Conference in Birnam where Lynne was reading, signing books and acting as tour guide for other members from the USA, Japan, the Netherlands and Canada as well as from other parts of the UK. A really enjoyable few days.

Eastwood House, Dunkeld where Beatrix Potter wrote the famous picture letter to Noel Moore. The letter was to become The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

During those few days we celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary. Forty years of climbing, walking and backpacking together at weekends and holidays; often summer evenings were spent rock climbing at a local sea cliff or, very occasionally, at Craig-y-Barns near Dunkeld. Great years.

Immediately following all this social activity we went to the Lake District – a home from home since we met - and enjoyed a ten day heatwave. I was surprised how few climbers were on the crags given the perfect conditions. The fells were pretty quiet too.

Since our return it’s been hedge cutting, the odd day out in the Ochils and generally getting the garden back in order before our next trip in September.

On Thursday we went to see 'The Kelpies', information about which can be found here. We had seen programmes about them, watched videos but nothing had really prepared us for the real thing. They are located only twenty miles away so we'll be back to see them illuminated one winter's night. If you are ever in the Falkirk area go see them. The visitor centre is not due to open until 2015 but coffee and snacks are available.

                           

                            

                         
I've started to upload photographs to Flickr and they can be found here