If chapter one was setting the scene then chapter 2 was the beginning of the narrative. At the start of the month we were still living from one ‘Airbnb’ to another but soon enough we got settled into an apartment of our own and I started working, and so our daily adventures changed to weekend epics almost overnight.
Fort William Road Trip
Our first adventure was to Fort William so that I could watch the Downhill World Cup, more on that adventure here, but this region is also home to some amazing landscapes, so the adventure really began late on Friday night as we drove into the highlands in our little van with literally every possession we had to our name in the back. We took a detour down the road to Glen Etive for a picnic dinner in the back of the van and the next morning we hiked to the beautiful Steall Falls over the famous wire bridge. The weather was as wet as could be but that only made this lush environment even more beautiful.
Foraging for Seaweed
For Lina’s birthday we went on a little outing to Limetree Walk Beach, to go on a Seaweed Foraging course, led by John Wright. This was a truly eye-opening experience to discover the sheer variety of edible seaweed that can be found at lowtide, on any beach. It was also my first taste of the Scottish coast.
Weekend exploring Argyle & Bute
To celebrate our anniversary we spent a weekend in the historic Dunan’s Cottage, hidden in the forest above Cairnbaan. During our stay we explored nearby Oban, famous for its whiskey and seafood and hiked in the forest around our cottage, including up to the summit of Cruach Mor Dunardry for an afternoon coffee with a view! We also ate the stunning Inver restaurant and explored the village of Crinan.
Exploring the Doorways of St Andrews & the shoreline of Anstruther
St Andrews is famous for its golf course and university, both of which we stopped briefly to look at but we were more ensconced in exploring its laneways, local food and the town’s apparent fascination with the doorways and the front facades of it’s laneway homes, which were all immaculately presented and each with its own quirky style. After lunch we went for a seaside stroll through Anstruther and dipped our feet in the admittedly rather cold but very refreshing waters.
An Afternoon on the Crags
In our first month we hiked to the peak of Arthur’s seat and gazed down on the Salisbury Crags below, which although not as tall, enjoy a shear view straight into the city of Edinburgh. We knew we had to return to visit these too, so on a warm Friday evening, we packed a picnic dinner and hiked to the top to enjoy the view in the sunshine.
