A Little Sand Between the Toes

From one holiday almost straight to another. This was a very different holiday for us as we visited Seaton Sands with our good friends and thier 7 year old twins. Whilst holidays with small children are common enough for us (having done the lakes with an 11 week old once upon a time, and more recently Wales), this was the first time we never actually left the site. This was always the intention as this is our good friends were the dad suffers long covid, so we wanted to design a holiday where he could join in at points, but sit out and rest at the same time. We also wanted to give the twins' mum a break so she could enjoy time with the kids without worrying about dishes. 

So Seton Sands was the chosen destination. Less than an hours drive for all parties and right on the beach. After our near-summer holiday only a few weeks ago, it was a shock to the system that this one had overnights of -2C and daytime highs of 10C. Still, it was dry, which is really why the holiday worked so well. 

We arrived for check in and got unpacked and the kettle on in time for our friends arriving. Our neice and nephew knew about the holiday, but not that we were coming, so we had to peel them off the ceiling and take them to the beach before they internally combusted. 

Neice decided to pick every shell off the beach (no joke, 2 buckets, the bag said buckets were supposed to be kept in and her own pockets were full) whilst nephew went looking for monsters in the rock pools. It was thier mum who won that contest, finding a dead crab about the size of a dinner plate. Then it was home, food and bed (after much promise of adventures the following day) before we managed to catch up as grown ups and turn in for an early night. 

Missy is always the most important focus for us, so we had booked activities around her walks and made sure that she would be with someone at all times. We had intended that hubby and I would sit out of some of the activities on the Saturday, but as it was, the dad had overdone things the day before and sat out for the day. 

There was an archery lesson (nephew was delighted to be classed the overall winner) whilst I officially got the highest score in one round with three arrows. 

We found Missy fast asleep with dad when we returned. I know that the twins want a dog, so I'm sure they were delighted to see him warming up to Missy so much. She's always been very good at sensing when people aren't feeling right or are upset. Of her own free will, she did spend a lot of time choosing to cuddle up to him. 

There was some tears that afternoon when nephew realised that hubby wasn't coming to the pebble painting that afternoon. Whilst Missy was allowed at the ranger station, she was due a proper walk. I had clocked that nephew was starting to monopolise the hubby, so decided to nip that in the bud and sent hubby off on the walk, to the clear look of betrayel of my nephew. 

Still, after racing across the beach as penguins, and saving him from a deserted island in the vast ocean, we were firm friends again. A game of tig with all four of us (him, his sister, hubby and I) cemented the deal and the issue didn't come up again. I'm all for indulging the kids whilst on holiday, but I will not have any child play favourites!

Sunday hubby and I got to spend some time together and explore the wider site with Missy on the morning walk. The morning plan was a coastal explorer show that I was going to sit out on whilst everyone else went to watch followed by swimming that afternoon. 

I was surprised to be disturbed from my podcast and sewing with the return of everyone sans nephew and hubby. Neice (who had cheekily refused to go to sleep the night before) had passed out at the start of the performance and then it turned out it was a run-about-the-site activity, which my friend was completely incapable of keeping up with. Neice and dad were put to bed, and I made tea. After some grilling, it came out that the mum really wanted to see what the bingo was like (for that full butlins-esque experience) so I vowed to make sure it happened. 

Hubby and nephew returned high as kites, neice awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed and off we went to swimming. I know from my sister that sometimes what people enjoy best is sitting back and watching thier kids have fun, and I think that summed up the swimming. Hubby and I raced the kids down the slides in every combination possible and splashed about in all the spray and tap areas. 

Hubby carried them back to the caravan whilst we girls stayed behind for the bingo. It was good getting some girl time, even if we had no idea what we were doing and found that everyone seemed to be taking it far too seriously. We had a laugh and, after a round, decided to head back for dinner. 

And then it was bed and up and home today. A very quick holiday!

Would we do it again? Absolutely. But not in that way again. 

We had hoped the self contained nature of the holiday would allow our friend to join in more, as there was less distance to go to the activities and he could rest appropriately in between them. And had that been the case, the frequent down time would probably have been fine as the kids would have seen that as a good pay off. But as it was, the stopping/starting meant that the kids were swinging between over and under stimulated - they'd have been better doing a full day out somewhere and then a recharge day doing smaller activities. 

Also, whilst touted as dog friendly, I would describe Seton Sands as more dog accommodating. I totally respected that she wasn't allowed in the restaurant or the activities, but there was a few things that annoyed me, mainly, that the playparks were absolutely no dogs. Which would have been fine if there was a bench outside the park I could have sat at and watched the kids play from. As it was, we had to stand on the main path in everyone's way or the road to do so.

But nonetheless, it met the needs of the holiday, and had we planned it out more like the Wales holiday, it would probably have been fine. Which incidently is how we would organise a second holiday with our friends. A big day out so that the dad can rest, then a quieter day he can join in on whilst the kids aren't as hyper and full of beans.

I would say perhaps next year, but my holiday schedule is filling pretty fast already! 

An Early Spring Trek

So, the weather had made a full about turn from our snowy valentines last week. It ramped up to 10C and rained non stop most of this week, getting rid of any hint of snow. The warm turn, and probably all the rain, have set off the snowdrops who are all showing thier little white lined caps with the promise of thier full flowers in a few days to come. My rhubarb has also started growing, so my mind has turned to the garden and my plans for the planters this year. Carrots, I suspect, will be a much demanded choice.

Yesterday was one of those days where I got the house turned around to it's spring colours - the winter themed quilt has been swapped with Peter Rabbit and the thick fleece throws have been exchanged for a lighter place to snuggle up in. 

Missy is also putting on her springwear and, in the last few days, has begun to cast terribly. Despite the bed hair, she's doing well and we seem safely past the ailments of the cold winter. 

Today the rain stopped. The first laundry to be dried outside made its appearance and it was definitely the kind of morning that required an adventure. But where? We've done almost every woodland in West Lothian and are still not allowed to sneak into neighbouring areas. Then I recalled that the dog walker had posted online previously that West Lothian had a single beach. The hubby dismissed this as the scrubby rocky bit at Blackness Castle and I was adamant that whilst, OK, that was in West Lothian, but there was apparently an actual beach. I trawled for that post online and found the name of the place.

Abercorn, right beside North Deer Wood and, lo and behold, coastline. So we packed the kites and some snacks and made our way there. We were immediately within a lovely woodland walk and played pooh sticks on the bridge. A little further and we could see the promised beach before us. It was onf the pebbly sort, but that was fine so long as we could fly the kites a little. So we let Missy leas the way out of the trees and to a spectacular view of Blackness Castle, just a little further down the coast. 

We agreed to a draw. 

It was too still to fly the kites so, after getting our wellies wet, we continued along the woodland path and spotted a sign stating the way we had come was half a mile back, and Blackness was 2 more ahead. 

Why not. 

It was a busy little path with other dog walkers, cyclists and joggers and very soon, after much exchanging of pleasantries, it actually started to feel like a normal day, pre covid. Spirits lifted, we were soon at the castle (which we both decided we had to go and physically poke to say we'd actually been to the castle). We had our picnic, found a strong enough breeze to get the kite flying and all was well again in the world. 

Whilst the kite got many compliments from passers by, Missy was soon bored and we decided to head back and complete the 5mile circular. 

Once home, we got on with the garden jobs that have been neglected and Missy only stirred from the sofa to insist it was dinner time now. 

A very pleasant end to the week. 

I did manage to find some time to get on the sewing machine and I'm very pleased with this upcycle. What was once hubby's very nice quality chinos (which now make him look like he's wearing a paper bag as he's lost so much weight) have now been given a second chance as some dungarees for my nephew. Hopefully he'll wear them more than my hubby did!

Looking for Vampires

So, on last weeks ghost walk, the story of William Henry Millar and his truly bizarre burial was brought to our attention. Buries in a lead lined coffin, in a shaft 40ft deep, was this man who had a huge collection of occult books afraid of grave robbers, of vampires or...was he a vampire himself?

Set in the middle of Craigintinny, near to Portobello, the Craigintinny Marbles, a 30ft tall monument, towers over the little council built bungalows and bowling green that surround it. There were  no information stands nearby, so I was glad I had done my homework before my mother and I went looking for it. Millar had requested to be buried away from the population of Edinburgh and, in the 1860s, this would have been farmland so it would have completely dominated the landscape. Whilst interesting, I was disappointed at the way it has mostly been ignored, like a large inconvenient rock, and built around. I felt it deserved perhaps a small grassy park and some trees, not a high fence and a car park.

Either way, it's an impressive monument, and it's peculiar situation fits the peculiar man it was made for. 

I had suspected it wouldn't be a long visit at the monument so had already organised that there would be a trip to the seaside. Portobello was only 5 minutes away and, despite the chilly day, there were plenty of dogs out walking their humans. I always love the visual juxtaposition of a blue sky and sand with people in wooly hats and thick coats. I don't know why, but it makes me smile.

Despite best attempts, I could not coax my mother into having an ice cream on the promenade and so we headed back to where I had parked the car. I have walked that beach a hundred times and lo and behold, yesterday was the first time I had noticed the absolutly ginormous pottery kiln, neatly tucked away behind some flats. 

Clearly a day for finding odd giant things in bizarre places! We detoured off and had a look at it (I had originally thought it was perhaps an old grain silo from when Portobello had a proper harbour, but the sign corrected us as to the rich history of pottery making in the area. News to me, but fascinating nonetheless.

I've been making Christmas the last few weeks and prepping an army of doggy bows and bandanas for a craft fair I have next weekend. Don't let the photos fool you, there has been so much Christmas fabric that I'm almost bored of the season and it hasn't even begun!

I've been putting together squeaky heart toys too, so will get a more festive photo later. Having lots of little things on the go at once has worked well as I can easily pick them up and put them down again, although I am looking forward to getting my teeth into a bigger project soon! 

Scottish Seabird Centre

I often start with a weather update, but this time I feel its truly worth commenting on. Thursday was the all time high temperature recorded in Edinburgh (31.6C) and then by Saturday the high was 18 complemented with torrential rain. Saturdays doggy play date with Maisie was downgraded to a pop round for lunch and a shuffle round the park so today I was determined to have a bit more of an adventure.

I always love to find a new dog-friendly day out and the Scottish Seabird Centre has been on my radar for a little while, but I've held off as the good weather meant that the place would probably be rammed. A slightly damp weekend seemed like a good time to try it and we pre-booked the morning boat with fingers crossed for better weather. I also rang them to double check just how dog friendly they were and was pleased to be informed that, apart from the kitchen, Missy was more than welcome anywhere.

The weather was kind - it was still overcast and a bit drizzly, but it was warm enough a light rain coat was all I needed and cool enough that Missy was comfortable to be exploring. We timed our arrival to get checked in for the boat and were surprised to learn it was a full boat. We'd been warned that the skipper had last say about the dog (basically if they were being boisterous they may be asked to leave) so it wasn't until we were on the boat that we breathed a sigh of relief. It was a nice catamaran type boat and we left those with kids to the sheltered bit and sat at the back so Missy could have some space and I could get some nice photos.

A very different perspective of Tantallon Castle

It was a bumpier ride than we are used to! Loch Katrine with tea and cake, easy. An audio tour on Loch Ness with tea and cake, no problem. Windermere with, yep, tea and cake, a breeze. Tea would have been a safety hazard on this boat as we lurched and bounced over the waves and laughed as we were asked continuously if we felt OK. I had a bag to hand just in case Missys travel sickness returned and we all watched as someone made a dash to the privy to lose their breakfast. Missy was a trooper and just cuddled up to us, taking it in her stride as always.

The worst was over as we arrived at Bass Rock and it was certainly worth the rough journey:

So. Many. Ganets. The noise and smell was astounding. I remember fondly doing the same boat ride as a young child and I was surprised at myself that those two things had not left an impact. We made a leisurely sail around the rock and were given its history and had the behaviours of the birds explained to us. It was fun watching them dive into the water by us and see them flying back and forth to the (now very large) chicks. Missy clearly found the smell exciting as she stood up and wagged her tail at all the activity, but she's not daft and showed no inclination to move to the edge of the boat or water.

We then sailed over to another island and watched puffins and shanks in the water. I was pleased to spot a seal before anyone else as we watched the tiny puffins. In a moving boat, it was very hard to get photos of them, so I sat back and just enjoyed watching the little birds. After that it was almost a trundle back to dry land and we decided to grab some lunch before going into the seabird centre proper.

We decided to upgrade to the annual pass as I can definitely see us at the centre again with other family members. The staff were great and seemed genuinely pleased to see Missy and we happily played with all the cameras and read all the information about the conservation projects that were ongoing for the birds.

There was a very nice looking cafe and soft play and we scoped out the play room ad well which had plenty of appropriately themed kids books sat out for parents to read.

We finished with a walk other beach and I was surprised to see the old tide pools in existence. Perhaps next time I'll come prepared with a swimming cosie and go for a paddle - or at the very least a bucket and spade to build some sand castles! A lovely day all round, I'm already planning a repeat trip with the neices and nephews and their fur cousins!

Fisherrow Harbour Festival

Its been a glorious week for weather. Tuesday hit low 20sC and its been shorts on and no coats. I had spotted the Fisherrow Harbour Festival a few weeks back as a recommended event on Facebook and had roped my friend into coming along to keep me company as the hubby was working all weekend. 

Saturday morning arrived and so did the rain. The fine misty rain that creeps into the bones despite the mild temperature. We were belligerent and decided to go on ahead with going to the festival anyway. There was live music, a fire truck, search and rescue and the good old guess the sweets in the jar. 

I think its a pity it wasn't nicer as the turn out would have been better, but we still had a nice time mooching about the stalls and watching the harbour being officially opened before Missy had a good run on the beach. It was a bit too chilly to hang about so, after watching the live band for a few songs, we abandoned our visit.

Ironically, my friends parents are so used to her going on walks with me and Missy that they have started recommending dog friendly places they've found. There was a garden centre by the Straighton Park and Ride they had previously recommended, so we gave that a try and were not disappointed!

I've had a productive week in the garden and in the house with my sewing. The vegetable patch is starting to take shape again after the frost and I'm pretty happy with how its coming together. I've started the annual saga of spring cleaning and keep fiding more fabric hidden away, so I've been thinking a little outside the box on what to do with it all. Sewing wise I've managed a string of projects, but I'll just share the one today as it ties in with the clean up:

Some lovely Winnie the Pooh storage boxes. I'm super pleased with these ones as I actually used some old plastic bag-for-life bags instead of interfacing to stiffen them up. I dont know about anyone else but I seem to collect these types of bag and half of them are ridiculously oversized or awkwardly shaped! A good way to use them up without throwing them out. And it saves my interfacing for other projects. A win-win!

Fun in the Sun

With the thermometer set to hit 22C at the weekend, we decided we had to go out for a day at the beach...and at the same time tick off a few more on our Historic Scotland to-do list.

We started by going up to Arbroath and getting the Abbey ticked off. It was apparent from the start though that it was going to be one of those days: we were late setting off and then we lost Missys lead on the walk before going into the Abbey. We literally think someone lifted it as we'd left it on a large stone whilst getting bags sorted and it wasn't there when we ran back to get it. Fortunately I had packed a spare lead, but seeing as it was a really nice good quality bungee we'd lost I wasn't very happy. Well, it will teach us for next time not to rush about.

The Abbey itself is a beautiful ruin, it's a distinctive red sandstone that had weathered eerily. I prefer my castles to abbeys and cathedrals (more back stabbing and bloodshed) but we still managed to fill in a few hours wandering about the grounds and having lunch in the sunshine.

Highlights were the lego exhibition (bizarrely enough!) - the underwater scene was my favourite one but there was loads of little cityscapes and monuments made from lego. We also found a tower with some incredible acoustics where they kept the lunatics, and Missy only got one question wrong on her quiz sheet, so we were pleased to walk away with a sticker.

An ocean of Lego

It was about half one by this point and we weren't sure what to do as we were both tired and it was very warm. Very glad we did push on with the day!

Initially it looked like another disaster - we were going to do St Andrews Castle, only to discover it wasn't dog friendly. It didn't have a roof (the usual telling point that it is dog friendly) and the website hadn't specifically stated no dogs (although further inspection shows they do have the symbol there, it just wasn't that obvious when your in a hurry, although, again, they normally explicitly say). 

At the Cathedral

Nonetheless, a quick search and we discovered St Marys was dog friendly and we decided to have a gander about that. Then it came to the Cathedral - talk about conflicting information! The sign said no dogs, but it was full of dogs. Even the website says dogs must be on a lead, followed by no dogs allowed. We took it to mean that she was allowed on the grounds (where all the other dogs were) but not into the visitors centre or up the remaining tower which was ticketed. No one seemed to mind and we felt a sense of achievement at another site getting ticked off the list. Then off to the beach!

Missy is funny about water. She's getting braver in her old age and will sometimes step into it, but she's never shown any inclination to wanting to swim and play in water. Because of that, we'd never done a 'proper' beach with her before (mud flats and rocky shorelines don't count as proper beaches!) so we were curious to see what she would make of us wading in the water. The end result was hilarious - she kept running away from the waves and kept trying to coax the other dogs onto the sand flats to play instead of in the water.

A woodland dog, through and through, our Missy, although she did have fun and the water was a good idea to help her keep cool. We finished the day with fish and chips by the band stand watching people play and swim in the sea, and the aquarium was kind enough to refill Missys water bottle with tap water for us, so I picked up some ice creams from the gift shop and we had another wonder down the beach.

So, despite not going to plan, we did have a wonderful day. Missy was shattered and happily spent the rest of the evening having cuddles on the sofa and, though we wouldn't do an entirely beach holiday with her, we're more confident about adding beaches into our future staycation plans. We may make a water dog of her yet!