On the 6th of July at 9.45am I boarded the Stagecoach 685 bus service from Newcastle to Carlisle handing over my £2 fare, a bargain for a journey which is just under 60 miles and takes 2 and a half hours.  The Stagecoach local public transport bus had USB chargers and Wi-Fi although my phone signal was just fine on its own.  I settled in with my bottle of water and my book as we passed hills and fields on this rural service via Corbridge, Hexham, Haltwhistle and Brampton. My great bus adventure had begun.

I arrived in Carlisle just after noon where I immediately dived into a coffee shop to find out where my Instagram and Facebook followers had chosen to send me to next.  The choices were Keswick, Annan, Langholm and Cockermouth.  I wished hard for Keswick whilst I imagined a lovely weekend touring the Lake District but no, instead my followers chose to send me to Annan.  I jumped on the 79 to Annan and once again settled in as we crossed the border following a lovely rural route.

Annan is a small Scottish town right on the border, it was so quiet it was as if it was closed for the day but no, it has its own museum and a harbour although the harbour is currently not all that nice, do not despair though, it has been chosen for a massive regeneration programme and I hope this might bring tourists back to a town which seemed to me like it had seen better times.

I stayed at The Old Rectory, paying £55 for a double room including breakfast, and my whole day's travel and accommodation cost only £59, I immediately felt like I was onto something, I love to travel but I’m also forever on a budget so if I can find a hack to let me travel more at a lower cost then I am all over this scheme.

Now unfortunately there was a glitch.  You see, what I didn’t know was that Scotland isn’t participating in the £2 bus scheme so it would cost me £6.80 to get back to England, my followers did not mind and decided to keep me going on public transport in Scotland and I found out that Scotland has lots of day savers which makes travel just as cheap so the next day my travel from Annan - Dumfries - Moffat cost me just £7.30 and I could have travelled as much as I wanted that day for that price.  My B&B in Moffat, Rockhill B&B cost £85 including breakfast and honestly, although it was the most expensive B&B I stayed in, it was also the nicest.

Moffat is a charming Scottish town on the border of southwest Scotland and I adored it, there are so many well-sign-posted walks that you can do of varying distances. It’s also famous for its toffee so there are not one but two shops specialising in toffee and fudge, the biggest of which The Moffat Toffee Shop has more traditional sweets than I have ever seen anywhere.  I cannot recommend a trip to Moffat highly enough, it’s a gem of a town and don’t forget to visit the local museum.  Apparently, Merlin might have lived in Moffat for a time but then again he might also have not, I’ll let you make your mind up on that one.

After Moffat, I was feeling full of bravado and my final destination was chosen as Oban, somewhere I’d only spent 6 hours on a coach trip and wanted to explore more of but at that point, the trip fell apart.  I boarded the X74 to Glasgow and found the bus full of young people travelling to a festival.  The bus was too hot, too full and I’d forgotten to bring a bottle of water.  My anxiety started to flare up and by the time I reached Glasgow, I got off the bus, saw the crowds and decided there was no way I could do 3.5 hours more on a coach to get to Oban, even if it was only £24.

I looked for other options and jumped on the first train to Stirling costing £9.50 and taking just half an hour.  Whilst on the train I booked myself into the uni accommodation for a bargain £45.  most universities will let out space on campus over the summer but not all uni campuses are equal.  Stirling Uni has a loch and a castle and miles of sprawling countryside.  It also sits just below the Wallace monument, making for the prettiest photos.  

I didn’t get a chance to visit the Wallace monument this time, instead, I opted for Stirling Castle and I am so glad that I did, it’s got the most beautiful gardens for a castle and spending a few hours there really helped to calm me down.  I actually did over 20,000 steps that day and could have done more so just because you’ve had an anxiety attack does not mean you can’t go on to have a brilliant day.  I always carry CBD oil and gummies with me for those exact reasons.  6 months ago I couldn’t have even done the journey but thanks to CBD I’m almost functioning like an average human (in some respects).

On my last day, I opted to get home by the quickest method and as Scotland has highly subsidised train fares I managed to bag myself a first-class ticket for the bargain price of £45.

In August from the 9-16th I will be doing this all again, this time I will be sticking to England and there are some more details I’m looking forward to announcing as soon as the contracts are signed and the details are firmed up and I will write again when I have more details on a very exciting collaboration.

Some things I’ve learnt from my trip

Carry cash

Enjoy the slower pace

Take a phone charger and back up batteries

Travel as lightly as possible as there isn’t as much luggage storage on public transport

Plan your route in advance if you like safe travel, or just decide on the go if you are daring and love adventure.

and with that, there’s just one thing to say… onwards to the next great bus adventure where we’ll find out just how far the £2 bus scheme can take us.

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram or  TikTok keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Post-lockdown trip to Edinburgh - Part 2

So here I am, in bed at 8pm at night in a tiny wee apartment 4 floors up a winding spiral stone staircase, it was very much like climbing up the Scott Monument and I wasn't sure if I'd be sleeping in Rapunzel's turret.  Suffice to say, with a heavy case, when I made it to my room I did for a moment think I'd require a defibrillator. I sent Abigail the photo and she begged me to be careful, you know I can't even bring a bin in without having an accident.  There's no light on the staircase that I could see so I shall be only attempting this bad boy during daylight hours!

I actually didn't take a photo of the apartments because I was too busy doing a TikTok video instead, click through if you'd like a nosy, it's called the Robert The Bruce Suite and it's old, really old so I hope I don't get visited by any ghosts of marauding Scotsmen!

I should add that I think for £29 a night I got an absolute bargain and you can bet that it's quadruple the price ordinarily.

Since I arrived this afternoon I've done a good 15km walk but it had no purpose and I always seem to stress myself out when I walk with no purpose.  I'll be honest because I want to always be real.  My head is all over the place.  I was too anxious to go to any shops or cafes or restaurants. I did manage a takeaway Starbucks at teatime though.   From today you can actually eat indoors in restaurants in Scotland although alcohol is only served outdoors.  I think it's going to take me some time to adjust.

The good thing about today is that Edinburgh has never seemed more beautiful, it's blossom season and Princes Street Gardens were abundant with cherry blossom, I sat for a while in the shadow of the castle and enjoyed a moment of sunshine and calm.  Edinburgh is the quietest I've ever seen it and that's good and bad, good, because I'm not ready for a hectic, crazy place just yet but bad because it doesn't seem like normal Edinburgh and that in itself is a little unsettling.

Tomorrow, I haven't quite decided what to do yet, I know I want to visit the Kelpies, the Falkirk Wheel and South Queensferry to view the Forth Bridge but I also feel like where my head is at the moment I might be better off getting myself on a bus tour for the day and then I don't have to worry about anything other than getting myself to the bus! Whatever I do though, you can be sure there will be photos.

The thoughts of a woman who craves to travel

It's Wednesday night, it's perpetually thrown it down with an icy rain since Monday night and it's been the blandest day of February I can ever remember.  I'm watching the first episode of Joanna Lumley's Home Sweet Home and within about 5 minutes that familiar itchy feet feeling has returned, I crave to travel and right now, I crave to travel anywhere that's more than a few miles from my front door.

I've written before, dear reader, that I came to travelling quite late in life, well at least overseas travel, where the UK is concerned I have traversed as far and wide as I could as often as I could.  We live in this magnificent country, steeped in history with the most beautiful views at every turn.  There are very few of us who have to travel more than a few miles to find something historic or beautiful or both.  It might be an amazing part of a city or an incredibly beautiful scene in a rural location, the UK is simply amazing.

Last year when we were safe to travel I spent 2 weeks walking in the Lake District and then later on at the end of the summer I spent 10 days in the Scottish Highlands, both trips were completely on my own and unlike when I'm stuck at home alone, I was not lonely, even for one minute because travel was all of the company I needed.

On my trip to the Highlands, I learnt the joy of taking an organised trip which meant that I got to experience even more than I could ever have dreamt of and because of travel restrictions, no trips were busy and I never had to sit next to anyone I didn't know (hurrah).

I think this year I shall take more coach trips and I don't even care if they're filled with others who are much older than me.  I don't drive and I like to drink in the views when I travel so a slow bus with not too many other people is now my idea of a dream, well in this country. I'd go for a cruise right now but I reckon it might be a while yet before they're safe to go on.  The only thing I think I miss when I travel alone is a companion to have dinner and drinks in the evenings with, it's not that I am scared to have dinner on my own but having a gin alone isn't quite so much fun as having drinks with someone you love whether that be a friend or family or a life partner (and I'm on a mission this year to find myself one of those).

I will never regret the travel I did last year because if I hadn't gone, I wouldn't have had the memories and the photos I can console myself with on these long lockdown days alone. I've often said how I don't buy souvenirs on trips (other than the occasional fridge magnet) but I do take a lot of photos and for me, that's what it's about, I travel as light as I can, I find the best views and I look at old photos on the down days, the dark days, the days when you feel you can't go on.  There have been too many of them during this lockdown but at least I am writing again, trying to find my groove and most of all, distracting myself with memories of past trips whilst also thinking about where I'll go first when this last (hopefully) lockdown is finally over.

I have 2 vouchers, both for 2 nights accommodation and I haven't decided whether to use them all in Scotland (because it fills my heart and soul) or whether to be daring and head for Cornwall, one of the few places that I've never experienced, Belfast and Northern Ireland are also on my list for this year, I must take my own photo of the Dark Hedges in County Antrim, one of the amazing Game of Thrones locations.

In this long, dark, arduous, lonely lockdown when very little makes sense and my photography career is like some kind of weird dream, I think travel and the inspiration it provides is one of the few things keeping me going right now.  I don't wish to get too maudlin but I have days lately where my first thought upon waking is when can I go back to bed?  The days are endless and being trapped inside your own thoughts without any other humans for days, well it almost feels like a punishment.  To be honest, at the moment I have no idea how I'm ever going to pay for travel again but I also hope that once lockdown lifts that people will start planning weddings again, they will come out into the sunshine and want big family portrait sessions and with that money I will invest a lot of it into my gift boutique but the rest, well if there's anything else, I shall save it for as much travel as I can possibly cram in.  

I've reached a part in my life where I really only have my cats to answer to, Abigail and Looby both live their own magnificent independent lives, Looby would prefer to be with the horses and Abi, though we do love to travel together, she also has her own life.  I used to believe I could only travel if it was with one of them, that it was selfish to travel on my own but really, it was selfish to expect them to travel with me and enjoy the same things that I do.  I hope in the future we'll travel sometimes together but I'll never make anyone have fun or adventures against their own will.

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram to keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

Scotland By Rail Part 5 - The Best of the Highlands

As the sun rises 9 days after I departed from home, I'm sitting on the train at Inverness having seen the best of the highlands and waiting to be spirited back to Newcastle.  Last night as I watched the sun setting over Inverness, I cried, happiness that it has been such an amazing trip and sadness that it was over.  Coming to the north of Scotland for 9 days is the longest trip I've taken since a trip to Gran Canaria for 2 weeks in 2013.

Long trips are always worth it!

Long trips are always worth it!  When you get to a destination it takes you time to acclimatise, time to feel settled but by the end, you almost feel like a local, you have sussed the best trips to take, you know where the best restaurants are and you know your way around, the little shortcuts, the best photo spots that maybe someone who's only there for a couple of days hasn't figured out yet.

It's not always possible for me to take such a long time away from my desk but you can be sure I want to do it as often as I can in the future.  There are so many places I want to visit and I'm finally getting to the point of having a life which is flexible enough to do that.  It's weird, I guess that it's taken a pandemic and change of career to enable that to happen.

Highlights of the Highlands

I'm not sure where to start with my highlights of the highlands, I could write endlessly about some of the things that I've done, but, dear reader, I know your time is precious so I'll try to be succinct and just round up a few of my favourite highlights - 

Thurso

The Duncansby Stacks at Duncansby Head

The Isle of Skye

Cairngorm Mountain

Glen Affric

They're just a few of the things I really loved about this trip to Scotland by rail.  I never did make it to Wick, the public transport situation just made it too awkward by the time I'd been to Thurso, John o Groats and the stacks at Duncansby and Ullapool, I've wanted to visit Ullapool for years and still never made it so at least I know I have things to come back for and really, I'd love to do the whole of the Northcoast 500, either with a friend in a campervan or on an organised trip or tour.

There's also the west coast of Scotland which I've not done a lot of, I've extensively toured the Southwest coast of Dumfries and Galloway and I've done Ayr, I've even been to Ben Nevis and Fort William although it was so many years ago (Looby was about 6 months old) that I really can't remember a lot of it.

I wonder if there's such a thing as the ultimate tour of Scotland where you see the best of the whole of Scotland, I'd love to do that as well but finding a friend who can take long enough off work and planning an epic long trip around the whole of Scotland is going to take some doing, for a start they'd have to deal with me for however long it takes, nominate yourself if you fancy it.

What is the best tour of Scotland?

"What is the best tour of Scotland?" I hear you ask, well, for me I'd have to say that my favourite trip I took was the ultimate tour of the Isle of Skye with Wow Scotland but I did also love the trip to Glen Affric and the visit to the Cairngorms with Rabbies, they were all completely different in their makeup, The Ultimate Isle of Sky tour is a full-on 12 hour day but it's also the most photographically perfect day ending as the light softens so you get that perfect view of Eilean Donan Castle from the Kyle of Lochalsh.  Yesterday's tour of the Cairngorms with Willie from Rabbies was like going out with your dad in the 80's when on a Sunday afternoon he'd ask "Do you fancy a run in the car?"  Willie seemed to set his own schedule so be warned, it's quite possibly never the same trip twice.  

How much do tours of Scotland cost?

Tours of Scotland vary in cost depending on how long they are and where they depart, I found them to be really reasonable and you should expect to pay around £30-£40 for a one day tour of the areas surrounding Inverness or between £70-£90 for a one day tour to the Isle of Skye which is a much longer day and also much further away as you have to cross the Highlands from east to west.

Should I visit the Highlands

So, as I make my long journey home and if you're asking yourself "Should I visit the Highlands?" it would be a resounding yes from me,  it's actually around the 4th time I've been to the highlands although my first time making it to Thurso.  I would not hesitate in coming back, doing more trips and tours and just taking time to really soak in the atmosphere of this wonderful region.  Inverness may have a population of less than 100,000 (the exact number varied depending on which tour guide told me, from 50,000 to 100,000) but it definitely packs a punch.  Scotland will fill your heart with joy and no matter how long you stay there for, it will never seem like long enough.

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram to keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

Scotland by Rail Part 3 - John O'Groats is Inspiring

John O'Groats is Inspiring, that's actually a lie, John O'Groats is full of souvenir shops selling magnets and postcards but the area around John O'Groats is life affirmingly inspiring!

How to get to John O'Groats from Thurso

At the time of writing the bus timetables have recently changed to introduce more services, I got the number 80 bus at 8.30 from just next to Santander in Thurso, the coach sized bus navigates the tiny and often unmarked roads leading towards Wick and John O'Groats with skill.  It takes around an hour for the journey and may well be one of the prettiest bus trips I've been on and possibly the most remote too. The buses are maybe once every couple of hours so make sure you don't miss the one you want.   The bus drops you off at the John O'Groats bus stop which is next to a technicolour hotel and a craft and souvenir village, from the bus stop/car park,  it's just a few steps to the famous sign and as it was so early in the day, I didn't have to wait long for my photo.

The walk to the Duncansby Stacks

The best thing to do when you've had your photo is to avoid the souvenir shops (although I did buy a fridge magnet for posterity) and take a walk in an easterly direction to the Ducansby Head Lighthouse and the Duncansby Stacks.  It's about a 6-7km round trip and it's sorted of marked out in the way that the Scottish are like "ah well, you'll find it if you keep walking." Please say that in a Scottish accent and you'll know what I'm talking about.

The walk itself takes you along the cliff tops of the very edge of Great Britain, any further you'll be in the sea, fascinatingly Shetland is still another 152 miles further north and one day it's a journey I need to go on.  On a clear day depending on when you're there you may spot Dolphins, Seals, and even Orcas (May/June is migration time) but today all I saw were sheep and seabirds.  Before you get to the lighthouse you'll also pass Sannick Bay, a white sandy beach with azure blue waters, I marvelled at the same kind of clear blue waters you get overseas, of course, not quite the same temperature as the Cote D'Azur.

The Duncansby Head Lighthouse is the true most northeasterly point of Great Britain although John O'Groats gets all of the credit (probably because the car park is bigger and the lighthouse is up a hill).  It's at this point when you reach the Lighthouse that you take a right and just keep walking the half-mile to see the 2 huge Duncansby Stacks rising from the North Sea, there a few things that take your breath away in life but seeing these for the first time is one of them.  It feels so otherworldly, so end of the earth, that this is the exact experience you imagine when you plan a trip to the very top of the map.  It's not the most challenging of walks though walking up the hilly road towards the lighthouse will burn a few calories and by the time I completed my return trip back to John O'Groats, I was in need of a cuppa and thanks to a cabin I managed to acquire a very reasonable coffee and some super cheap chips (for a tourist destination).

After I recovered I had a little time to kill as the next bus home wasn't until 1.40pm, (clearly they've been scheduled for half-day trips and really that's what you need if you want to factor in the walk) so I browsed the John O'Groats Brewery which isn't yet fully complete but I did manage to acquire a little bottle of local gin which I'm going to save for a special occasion.  

A Very Big Achievement

All in all, today for me felt like a big achievement, just to make it over 400 miles from home via rail and coach on my own when I sometimes can't even leave the house makes me feel like an invincible superhero.  I've been through a big period of transformation in these last few months and although I will always have anxiety, I'm really starting to feel so much more adventurous and like I have a whole new lease of life.  Sure, life is going to have its challenges still but I'm feeling pretty stable and ready for my next adventure.

Ways to support my writing

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing I'd love a virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

You could also come and follow me on Instagram to keep up with my adventures, I really am grateful for all

of your love and support.

Oh and of course, you could just treat yourself to something lovely from Philomena's Boutique, my gift boutique

which is diverse, sustainable and totally lush!

The Great Scottish Adventure, Scotland by Rail - Part 1

Around a month ago I travelled the Lake District by public transport and on Monday I set off to the do the same thing in Scotland, it's a journey that will take me more than 260 miles (as the crow flies) or 416 miles (driving distance) to the town of Thurso on the far north coast of Scotland. The great Scottish adventure is something I've always wanted to do, I've been to Inverness twice and every time I get off the train there I wonder just what it's like on the Far North Line.  Although I've yearned to do it for years, I've never had the time or flexibility in my schedule, 13 years of wedding photography doesn't leave a lot of time for anything else but as we all know, 2020 is a very different kind of animal.

Running Philomena's Boutique has given me a much more flexible schedule and with the girls, both grown up I'm no longer needed to be around, even Holly Bobbins has other plans and she's off to the Lake District with my friend Robyn and her family, I've mentioned previously she's a very special dog.  

The Schedule

I'm actually still at the planning stages (and yes, I know, I leave on Monday) but this is the plan so far and I'm going to include the costs, I'm really good at planning travel and often end up with absolute bargain rail fares and hotels - 

Monday - Newcastle to Edinburgh - £13

                 Edinburgh to Inverness - £25 first class

Mon-Wed a guest house stay in Inverness with breakfast included £94 at the Ardentorrie Guest House ( I booked through Booking.com and saved £30 by paying in advance at their genius rate for frequent travellers).  I always check the hotel or B&B's websites before I book as sometimes you can save a few pounds by booking direct and sometimes it's cheaper to go through a hotel booking site, it just depends so do shop around and if you can do it in an incognito window (one which doesn't save cookies) you are more likely to get bargains

Wednesday - Train to Thurso - £35 return ticket, you can do it for £26.40 but the weekend trains were bus replacements so I decided to just stay until Friday.

Wed-Friday - guest house stay - Thurso House, a guest house which you literally open the front door and you're on the beach - £140 (Thurso and Wick were both expensive for accommodation because they're small and it's the summer holidays, in winter you could knock around £20 a night off that price)

Friday - Wednesday - Staying at the Craigmonie Hotel in Inverness so I can base myself there but also explore the whole of the Highlands - £260 including a full Scottish breakfast

Wednesday - Inverness to Newcastle - £45.50

So I make that £612 for a 9-night trip which is cheaper by far than going overseas and the biggest solo adventure I've ever done in my whole life.

Now I should also point out that me, travelling alone is cheap, I can access single rooms, I rarely eat out in the evenings and I take my own bamboo cutlery and just pick up salads and snacks from the supermarkets.  When I was in the Lakes, I rarely even ate lunch and walking is cheap, you can see the most amazing things on big walks and it costs next to nothing.

If you are young you can cut down on costs further with a railcard if you're a student or if you have kids, or even if you're over 50 in some cases, Scotland has a railcard for the over 50's (4 years and counting...).  If you wanted to travel at real bargain prices, you could even stay in a hostel but for me, I'm 46, I'm travelling on my own and I do have chronic anxiety so it's one step too far.  There are also options for bus tickets like in the Lake District but I haven't decided if I'll need one, probably at least one of the days as I want to go to John o Groats although the town of Thurso is actually farther north, it's just that John o Groats gets all of the credit and that's where the "end to enders" start, I should say now, I neither have the time or the fitness to walk from John o Groats to Lands End, I know I like a challenge but...

Whilst some things are the same as the Lake District this time, there's one big difference and that is, I'm taking you all along with me.  I'll be writing each and every day about my adventures, I didn't take my Macbook away when I went to the lakes but I want to write on the go.  When I try and write things afterwards, I get bored, I'm the first to admit that by the time I get back, I'm already planning my next adventure, always keep moving forward I guess.  I also just write better in the moment and so you will be able to follow my adventures on here and also on Instagram where I'll be using Instagram stories as I go about my daily walks and wanders.

I haven't decided when I am coming home yet but I do have a small commitment on the 6th September so I know I have to be back before that, in all probability I'll take 7-10 days and I have some Airbnb  (if you sign up to Airbnb via that link we'll both get £16 off our next journeys) credit to use for the final leg if I don't want to stay in a B&B.

Money-Saving Tips for Travel

* Don't just have the train companies app you're travelling with, sometimes you can find hidden bargains on the Trainline app

* Before you book on Booking.com also check the hotel website in case they can offer a better price, companies pay a lot to be listed on Airbnb etc so sometimes the best prices are going direct but also sometimes it's the exact opposite as sometimes the various aggregator sites have hidden discounts too

* Use Honey, Quidco or similar so you can also get cashback on your purchase, these little things all add up.

* If you are travelling slow, also check the local bus routes as they can work out so much cheaper than the train and Scotland is so beautiful you'd have so much thinking time as you amble through the countryside passed lochs and mountains.

Because I'm going next week, if I do eat out during the day I will definitely be taking advantage of the governments Eat Out to Help Out scheme which is also available in Scotland, if you're just having a sandwich, soup and cake it's pretty easy to bag yourself a lunch for around a fiver.  There are also lots of ways to save on attractions, sometimes regional guides in tourist information shops have vouchers for cheaper tickets.  I'm generally just going to do lots of walking and the best thing about that, it's free, also in Scotland, there is the right to roam which opens up all kinds of possibilities.  Generally, I just stick to well-known routes though as I may be a seasoned traveller but I also have chronic anxiety.

Whatever next week brings I will be writing about it every day, and each day I make it to places I've never been is another virtual kick in the teeth for anxiety, it doesn't matter what happens in life as long as we keep moving forward and that is exactly what I plan to do.

If you have enjoyed this article or found it useful and would like to support my writing, I'd love a cup of virtual coffee

I also have a lovely Facebook group I'd love you to come and join 

Field View Cottage, a dog friendly cottage on the Solway coast

Last weekend feeling rather numb and overwhelmed with life, I booked an Airbnb dog friendly cottage on the Solway coast, waiting until the last minute paid off as we ended up paying just £187 for 3 nights at Field View Cottage in Port Carlisle, a small village on the Solway coast just 4 miles away from where Hadrians Wall ends.  The cottage had only been a holiday let for around a month and was one of those properties that really justifies just how wonderful an Airbnb stay can be.  To be fair I've only had one really unhappy experience of Airbnb and it wasn't anything to do with the site, it was the horrid owners.

Not the case with Field View Cottage though, it had been sensitively renovated keeping all of that beautiful character a cottage is supposed to have and then to add to that it was a two minute stroll down to the banks of the estuary, a village so quiet that Holly Bobbins barely had to be on the lead and she was free to pop outside the cottage for a wander into the small lane without fear although she did find one or two people to "Arooo" at but really, that's kind of obligatory if you are a beagle.

I'd travelled to cumbria to really give a roadtest to the Kodak Pixpro AZ527 kindly given to me by the lovely Kodak folk, I knew I wanted to put it to the test somewhere really special and somewhere it would be given a run for it's money for Cumbria, The Lake District and the Southwest coast of Scotland are some of the most beautiful areas on earth, if it couldn't do a good job there, it wouldn't do a good job anywhere.

Now I should point out if you've just landed here for the first time that I've been a professional photographer for 12 years, the last bridge camera I owned was circa 2005 and I'm pretty used to doing everything manually and the longest zoom I own is 24-70mm, I had to remove everything I knew from my brain to put myself in a position where I could really gauge who would buy the AZ527,  for one it has a 52x optical zoom, AZ stands for Astro zoom and although I didn't have my tripod handy in Cumbria, I did test it on the big shiny moon one evening and yep, it certainly works, it's the closest I've ever seen the moon, I've promised myself an evening with a tripod over the next few weeks to try and get something close up because at 52x zoom, even with optical stabilisation, you really can't handhold, once I got over about 5x zoom I couldn't hand hold.

So, back to the beautiful lazy cottage stay, my brain was furiously working overtime when we left Newcastle and I felt I hadn't breathed properly for weeks, the virus I'd had plus a busy time for photography and running Inspire, suffice to say I was a huge ball of anxious energy, luckily within hours of reaching our destination I felt my shoulders relax, now it may have been the beautiful scenery or it might have been the smell of biscuits in the air as we picked up some shopping at Sainsbury's in Carlisle, for anyone who doesn't know, it's next door to the Mcvities factory and the air is thick with the scent of sweet biscuits, every time you breath it's just delicious.

We'd decided that we would have a day exploring the Lake District and a day exploring the southwest coast of Scotland, and we planned to spend the hottest day of the year in Scotland because the temperatures rarely made it over the low twenties, perfect for Holly Bobbins although she was super grateful to be travelling in a car with gorgeous 15c air conditioning, a happy girl she was only out for short strolls in shady places or a trip on a boat or a quick tasty lunch at a pretty cafe out of the glare of the sun.

For 3 days I managed to completely relax, I took late evening sunset walks with Holly along the estuary, I explored our chosen destinations with Abigail and Harriet and I laughed with them a lot, much more than I usually do because with chronic anxiety, I'm often scared of laughing too much, it induces asthma attacks so i've learnt to try and not let myself truly laugh or indeed relax but for a couple of days at least I tried not to worry so much and just let myself go, I ambled around villages snapping everything in sight, I tried pet mode, beautify mode, landscape mode, all of the things I'd never usually do with a camera although I stopped short of testing the pop up flash, on board flashes are the work of the devil!

The Kodak really handles most situations well, I hated the fixed screen, even with the brightness turned up, I think we're now in the realms of the adjustable screen although it does have wifi and an app you can connect to if you want to shoot remotely or maybe you want to film yourself and you're a budding Youtuber, it does output full HD after all.  I think this is the perfect camera for beginners, teens who want their own camera or people who love simplified processes, although it does have a manual mode I'm not sure you can push it to any better results than the myriad of scene options, it's always a little weird for me using camera's which don't have an eyepiece and that's where an adjustable flip screen would have been a real boon but perhaps this is a consideration for the future.  You know, Kodak were the pioneers of photography so it's a shame that they don't have a professional level camera currently and if they ever release a DSLR I'd certainly love to compare it to my CSC Fuji's and my full frame DSLR Canon.

As soon as we arrived home from our trip the anxiety made it's come back and yesterday I had a full on anxiety attack leading me to believe that I am so much better when I am in remote and relaxing places.  I try to get away around every 4-6 weeks just to keep myself sane and I know I'll return to cumbria time and time again just because it offers that life of calm and idillic living that I crave.  For someone who lives on the edge of the city but craves to be a rural living lady, Cumbria is only a short distance away, I'm not sure if I'm trying to constantly escape or if it's just that I need to calm my psyche often so that I do stay sane.  My life at home is demanding, filled with questions and queries, strategies and way more numbers that I'd ever envisioned and yet when I am away I come up with the most brilliant business strategies and ideas, perhaps because I'm not overwhelmed with the constancy of it, the email pings every 3 seconds, the perpetual messenger alerts (I've had to switch those off as they had gotten too much) and really it's not that I'm scared of hard work but I do acknowledge that life with chronic anxiety is a constant battle when you seek success.

And as for the Kodak, would I use it again?  I would, I think it's a great camera to pop in a bag if you want a day without too much thinking knowing that in landscape mode it'll deliver as well as thinking seriously about your DSLR and all of it's manual settings.  I think this particular camera is going to find a home with my son or my teen daughters who love it and find it super easy to use, much like life, overcomplicating things is never a good idea so it's nice to have a camera which will do the thinking for you and whilst you might not be able to have the moon on a stick the AZ527 will certainly let you capture a photograph of it.

Disclaimer -

I was given the Kodak AZ726 in return for an honest review and this is exactly that.

Dog Friendly Accommodation for two in Northumberland - Cross House Cottages

Holly Bobbins loves going on holidays, she gets to live her best life running around the countryside and she's always made very welcome given the wealth of dog friendly accommodation choices you can find now,  Northumberland especially seems to delight in offering cosy cottages where you can your pooch can holiday together.  Last week we stayed in the apartment, an open plan first floor property which is part of the dog friendly Cross House Cottages in Warkworth on the Northumbrian Coast.  The best thing for me as a home educating single parent is that Looby and I can not only take trips in the quiet times of the year but we can also get a bus direct from Newcastle which only takes around 90 minutes to get to the heart of the Northumbrian coastline.

Whilst the apartment is on the upstairs of the property if you would rather hire a ground level apartment the owners also have a garden studio which is again, an open plan dog friendly garden.  A huge secure back garden is perfect for your four pawed best friend to have a run around and if you're lucky you may even get to meet the resident poodles who are a very handsome pair, there's nothing better than oodles of poodles!

If you've never been to Warkworth before prepare to be wowed on your way into the village as the imposing ruins of Warkworth castle are your first view of this small rural coastal village, owned by English Heritage you'll find it's open at weekends during winter and week round during the peak months of the year, I've been many times and it's one of the most impressive ruins you'll find on the Northeast coast although if you want a castle which is completely in tact with rooms you can still visit you're not too far from Bamburgh Castle or Alnwick castle although both are unfortunately not dog friendly where as Warkworth Castle is.

For a small village they cater well for dog friendly breaks with 3 dog friendly pubs, namely, The Masons Arms (huge portions and my favourite of the 3), The Sun Hotel and the Hermitage Inn and do treat yourself to afternoon tea at dog friendly cafe Bertrams, you're in luck if they have the courgette and lemon cake on offer.

We really didn't do very much other than relax and rest, it's the time of year for staying indoors in cosy places although we did enjoy a sunset walk along the river and a walk to Amble and back the next day to make sure we'd worked up an appetite and doggy partner in crime Holly Bobbins had quite enough fun and exercise.

A stay at Cross House Cottages really involves minimal effort, all of the pubs are a mere hundred or so footsteps away so you can treat this holiday or mini-break as a relaxing haven or if you are more hardy you are right in the midst of the most beautiful coastline in the country with walks which take you to the most beautiful villages which nestle together making up the Northumbrian coastline, the best part is that most of the villages have a dog friendly pub or tearoom and they're all full of delicious treats, so much so that you may need to plan to walk off the calories afterwards.

Holly Bobbins was made so welcome that she couldn't dream of giving Cross House Cottages an immediate entry into her dog friendly guide and 10 barks out of 10 for the big secure garden which meant she could run around doing lots of sniffs to her hearts content no matter what time of the day or night and of course as usual she delighted every one she met and had many pats, dog treats and cuddles, I couldn't ask for a best doggy ambassador for our dog friendly guide.

If you have a dog friendly cottage you'd like to be included in Holly Bobbins Dog Friendly Guide please do get in touch and thank you so much to Lara who invited us to stay for 2 nights in exchange for an honest review.

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