It was a leisurely start to the day, waking up to our beautiful view of the Firth of Clyde. We had had this spot all to ourselves overnight. Today, was the day where we would pick up our dog George before heading to Glasgow for one final adventure. We had chosen to go whitewater rafting […]
Today was our final day with Go West Sailing. We set off fairly promptly today and had breakfast on the move as we had around 10 naturical miles to cover – from Port Bannatyne to Largs – and then we needed to re-fuel and unload our belongings, etc. all prior to lunch. We had to […]
Portavadie is much more than just a marina. It’s a luxury resort with a variety of accommodation options from luxury apartments and lodges to guest bedrooms, couples hideaways and motorhome facilities. It’s also home to a restaurant, bar and shop, as well as spa and leisure facilities. We took the opportunity to use the gym […]
We practiced on the moorings at Otter Ferry today – both hooking on to them and safely leaving them. We had arrived in darkness the previous night and anchored just a short disstance away from them. Whilst we were fine with what we had done, the moorings would have given added peace of mind (particularly […]
We did a bit of pontoon practise with Go West Sailing this morning – practising our ‘spring starts’ where the stern stays close to the pontoon, as well as practising coming into a pontoon – before heading out to sea, when something immediately caught our eye. We motored out to what looked like dolphins or […]
Last Summer our eldest son did his RYA Day Skipper qualification (which you can do once you turn 16) with Go West Sailing and our plan this year had been for him to do the next step up – his RYA Coastal Skipper. You do need to quite a bit of study for this but, […]
Our plan was to travel to Largs today, for the next stage of our Scottish Summer adventure: a sailing holiday, much like we did last year. But before we took the two-hour drive north, we went for one last mountain bike ride at Glentrool. Some of the routes at Glentrool are short enough for us […]
In the morning, we let the dog stretch his legs and took him for a short stroll just out of the campsite. Turning left out of the site, we by chance stumbled upon the Glentrool Kindness Path where the local villagers had taken it upon themselves to decoarate stones along a 200m or so stretch […]
After a good night’s sleep, we took the opportunity to go for a quick dip in the sea (brrr!!) whilst the boys went paddleboarding. Once the initial shock had passed, it was actually surprisingly pleasant. In recent years the water quality hadn’t been rated so highly in parts of southern Scotland but, thanks to efforts […]
With the pandemic still dragging on, our Summer holiday plans were never looking likely to go beyond our own shores. Not that we minded at all – we actually love exploring the UK! And having upgraded our modest campervan to a slightly more spacious (but equally modest) motorhome the previous year, it made sense to […]
Traveling with kids is fun, and is my passion, but it certainly has its challenges. It’s important to stay cool and it surely pays to know what to do make things go smoothly. Here are my top tips for helping ensure that your family trips are memorable and fulfilling. 1. Choose a hotel suite or […]
Can you go on an African safari with your kids? Yes! In 2021, with Covid? Yes! This is your best chance to observe wildlife with far fewer tourists jostling for prime viewing positions in safari jeeps. The best months to go are from now to September. Malaria is an obvious concern, more so than Covid […]
Few things beat a paddle down the river with the family on those sweltering Summer days. As an activity that promotes team work, effective communication and the acquisition of numerous outdoor skills, it is unsurprisingly that swathes of families around the world take to the rivers once school is out. That said, nothing comes before […]
With so much uncertainty surrounding international travel, whether or not we will be able to interact with those outside of our “bubble”, and our employment arrangements – it in unsurprising that sales in the home fitness and outdoor sport industries have soared during the pandemic. With less attention placed upon travelling away from home, the […]
While vaccinations are going forward, an increasing number of travellers are starting to plan new adventures as for most it has been way too long since their last escape into another world. This also goes for the children that have endured months of online classes, missed playing with their friends or just being able to […]
As the world slowly recovers from COVID-19 and borders gradually start to open, families are increasingly anxious to again set out exploring the world. However, these intrepid souls are much more cognizant of the need for destinations that make it easy to maintain social distancing, avoid public transportation and evade crowded tourist areas. In this […]
