Last Post - My Boots

It’s been a wee while since I have posted my blog, but I’ve been so busy working on my new website that I had almost forgot about it :-( 

Anyway, this will be my last post at sabsrandomblog.blogspot.com before I move to my new home. I hope to officially launch my new site on Wednesday 12^th June!

Please follow me on www.sabrinamaguire.me.uk

My New Boots

Anyone that knows me will be able to tell you, I LOVE my walking boots. I wear them a lot of the time – they are really comfortable, support my feet and protect my feet from elements. They have done every walk that I have done since Christmas and I think I may have clocked up 300 miles in this time.

 About two weeks ago, I was out on a long walk when my boots started to cause me some minor issues. I was aware that one of the seams was a bit iffy but only when I stood in some water did I realise that not only was there a iffy seem but a few little holes that lead to cold water pouring in and my feet becoming wet – not exactly the nicest thing in the world.

Soon, I became used to my wet feet. The rest of the walk was going fine until I stopped at the midpoint of the walk. After sitting down for a wee break, I stood up and my right ankle was unbelievably painful.  I thought that it would sort itself out as I continued on walking, but no. I limped for a while before stopping to examine it. After taking off my sock, I was expecting to see something but no nothing – not a mark. Puzzled, I put on another sock on to add some padding and continued on. This didn't make any difference. Any little downward slope was very painful and this slowed me down greatly.  I think I moaned for most of the walk back but finally I was at the end of the walk and I could take the boots off – what a relief!!  I examined my ankle again and still no marks and then the boots. I could see nothing that would cause this but I did notice that the holes where getting bigger.  This was the end for these boots.

Now I needed new boots and I looked around Aberdeen but found nothing. Any boots I liked the shop didn't have my size or they were very expensive, so I had to look elsewhere. After seeking some advice, I decided that a trip to Inverness would be best.  I really hoped that this trip would be successful as I had an 8 hour round bus trip to endure. And it was!!! After a wee look around I found a pair of boots within my budget, of good quality, that suited my needs and most importantly fitted me. I was so happy with my “New Shiny Boots”!

Brasher Supalite  II GTX Womens's Walking Boots

I was a little afraid of them at the beginning, if I’m honest. I found them a wee bit hard to walk in and the top was higher compared to the other boots making them uncomfortable because the leather was quite hard but by the end of Monday, the leather had soften and they had become comfortable and I am very grateful for them.  

I hope that these boots see me through many miles, many walks and many hills.  www.sabrinamaguire.me.uk

Stonehaven to Dunnottar Castle Circular

I have passed though Stonehaven a few times and always thought it was a lovely town. I was looking into some walks in the area when I discovered this path to Dunnottar Castle.

(A= War Memorial) 

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The route is 5 miles long, taking me about an hour and a half to complete, if you take out the time I spent time looking at the castle and having lunch. The route is a mixture of gravel coastal path and tarmac making it a very easy route to walk.

After getting of the bus in Stonehaven, I wondered down to the beach, a pretty little beach with a wooden promenade running along it. This was a lovely gentle way to start my walk.  After walking along the promenade I passed between two houses and to my surprise there was a lovely little harbour. Walking past the harbour, I came to the most strenuous part of the walk, the tiny, maybe 100m climb up to the headland. This takes you up to a road that leads you to the start of the coastal path.

When I arrived at the start of the coastal path, the path was blocked with a sign saying 'Path closed due to erosion, use the road'. I was disappointed by this, as it was the main point of the walk but I wasn't going to stop because of this, so I started to walk on the path that ran along the road. This path was VERY boring. You couldn't see the sea or anything of any interest from the road path. You simply walked in a straight line for about 2 miles. Thankful at the end of this road you turn a corner and you can see Dunnottar Castle at the end of a lane. Dunnottar Castle seems to be a good tourist attraction, judging by the number of people that were around. When I got to the end of the lane, the path then turns into steps. Before I started to descend the steps, I stopped to listen to a man playing bagpipes, a nice little treat that made me the 2 BORING miles seem better. I guess that from the top of the headland to the pebbled shore there was about 100 steps. I decided not to go into the actual castle as you could see plenty from the outside (Admission Price: Adult £6 & Child £2). I walked for a little bit on the shore before climbing back up the 100 steps to the headland again (hard work). When I was back up on the headland again I went over to an area were people were taking pictures, this actual give you a good view of the castle.

I was getting hungry so I thought that I would have lunch here before heading back to Stonehaven. I picked a stop near where the bagpiper was playing and were I could see the castle. I had a nice lunch in a lovely setting despite the very windy conditions. I think I overhead people laughing at me but I really didn't care!! When I was eating I saw that people were walking around the signs that said 'Path closed due to erosion, use the road'. After finishing my lunch I thought I would walk back on the closed path. I was really glad I did, it was 100 times better than the road path. This path follows along the top of the cliffs which was really nice.

As I was walking I was wondering where this erosion was because I had walked nearly to the end of the path. I was looking at some of the cliffs in the distance and not paying much attention to the path I was walking on when I suddenly I looked in front of me and saw that the path had gone about 2 metres in front of me. I felt so lucky that I had looked back at the path at this point otherwise I would of fallen down the hole! The hole wasn't that well marked as all that was marking it was a single length of cord between two poles which wasn't greatly visible. The hole was easy to pass simple climb up onto the grass verge to the side of the hole and cross, simple. After passing this I then came to a war memorial, another sad reminder of all the people that have lost there lives over the years fighting for peace.

From here it the path goes down towards Stonehaven again, back into the harbour, along the wooden promenade and back into the main streets of Stonehaven.

Another good walk, even with the boring 2 mile walk to start with, the rest of the walk made up for it. One thing that I would say is that even thought the weather was sunny and warm, the wind was really strong which was a disadvantage but as a whole it didn't detract from my walk. Overall, a great way to spend a sunny afternoon.

All Comments are Welcome!!!

Spey Bay

This was the most straight forward route that I have walked so far. The route is about 5.5 miles long and takes under 2 hours to complete.

The whole route is made of paths that are clearly visible and it is impossible to get lost. Basically you start walking and keep walking straight until you come to Buckie, no turnings to be navigated (unless you want to go swimming :-) ). The path runs along the coast so this makes the path level, no inclines or descents to be made, just a flat path. At the start of this path you will walk along the edge of the Spey Bey Golf Course, simple. After leaving the golf course, you now have to cross the pebbled beach/banks that run along this part of the coast line, not so simple. The piles of pebbles are incredibly hard to walk on, they slide away from under your feet which can easily throw you off balance and you fall (this happened me, more than once!!) or worse you could twist your ankle. I would guess that you walk about half of the route on these pebbles. 

About the half way point, you reach the Burn of Tynet. The Burn meets the sea on the pebbled beach, not a problem when the tide is out as you can simply walk across the shallow part, the trouble lies when the tide is in. When the tide is in, you have to cross the Burn further up, for obvious reasons you can't walk across. The only way to cross it is to jump. The easiest place to jump is as close to the sea as you can get as the burn is narrower here, but you have to watch the waves and only jump when the waves are small, otherwise you will end up with wet feet! After you reach Port Gordon the paths turn from pebbles to tarmac. The rest of the route is completed on tarmac foot paths, simple. You continue to follow the coast until you come to a turning that will take you past St. Peter's Church and then straight down the middle of Buckie to the finishing point. 

This path is a good route to walk if you wish to see some of the Moray Coasts wildlife. You walk along the coast so this gives you an advantage in seeing dolphins as well as seals, however this depends on the tides. If you are walking in Port Gordon when there is a low tide you are almost guaranteed to see Seals. Dolphins are harder to see and there are no guarantees with them, although I believe that late evening is the best time to see them. No matter what time you walk along this path you are guaranteed to see birds, mainly Seagulls but you can see some other breeds as well.

                      Burn of Tynet

Pebbled Beach

                                                                    Spey Bay

All Comments Welcome

Craigellachie Nature Reserve and Pattack Falls

I had brought a book called "Aviemore and the Cairngorms: 40 Shorter Walks by Paul & Helen Webster", this little pocket book is a good source if you are looking for either ideas for walks or just wanting short a walk. When my Grandmother came to visit and had expressed an interest in going walking in Aviemore, I gave her the book to look at. From this she picked two walks; Pattack Falls and a walk in the Craigellachie Nature Reserve. Even though both walks are very short, they allow you to view a lot of beautiful scenery within the Cairn Gorm National Park.

It was decided to go to Pattack Falls first, as it was furthest point.

Pattack Falls was the shortest and easiest walk that I have done, a mere 500m on flat ground, taking under 20 minutes to complete (yellow path). The path passes the falls, then after a short walk in the woods, you come to an open heather-ed area with views of the mountains in the surrounding area. The path then slits in two, one route goes further into the woods and to the ruins of the deserted village of Druim an Aird, the other goes back to the car park. (We chose this one). This path went back into the forest and then to the car park. Even thought this was a very short walk, I did enjoy it, the falls where very pretty and this is a worthwhile spot to stop if passing through. 

After some lunch in the Happy Haggis (I love the name!!!) It was time to move onto our main walk in the Craigellachie Nature Reserve.

The Craigellachie Nature Reserve is located behind St Aidan's Catholic Church and Aviemore Youth Hostel. There are a view routes within the nature reserve, simple all ability paths around a pond (the pond seemed to be missing the water), a longer route along the base of the hill and then the longest walk up to a viewpoint on a hill that seems to have no name. We chose to do the viewpoint trail.

A - Aviemore, B - Start/Finish, C - Summit of No-Name Hill

This path is well signposted and is a single track that is mainly gravelled however parts are quite rocky. To begin the walk you have to walk under the noisy A9 via a bridge that goes under the road. The first segment of route is quite unimpressive, mainly due to the "missing" pond; however after this you enter a sliver birch forest. The path runs around the base of the hill and at this point rises VERY slowly. The path seems to stay like this until you come to a water reservoir, then the elevation becomes much steeper in comparison. This part of the route more or less goes straight up the hill. Towards the top of the first hill, you come across some stone stairs. My Grandmother referred to them as "The Stairway to Heaven" luckily she was wrong!!! After climbing these you reach the top of the first hill (about 477m). From here you can see the ski lifts on the Cairn Gorm as well as Aviemore and also surrounding hills/mountains. My Grandmother stopped here but I continued on until I reached the top of the next hill. From the top of this hill (about 542m), you get a better view of the Cairn Gorm. The decent from the hills were surprisingly simple, just straight down. We decided to go back the way we came but you could have followed a few alternative paths to the bottom. 

The completed walk took under an hour and a half to walk and was 3 miles in length.   

I enjoyed both walks, even if they were shorter than what I would normally walk. I would like to revisit Pattack Falls to explore more of the forest and hopefully I will.....

Here are some pictures from the walks:

All Comments are Welcome!!!

Over night Trip including the Ullapool Hill Path

Ross and Comarty, this part of Scotland is amazing, driving though endless hills the views are spectacular, from valleys, to snow covered hills, to the lakes, to the sea, to forests everywhere you look you see endless beauty.....

Once you leave Inverness behind you seem to be transported automatically into fantastic countryside, passing small towns and villages and then into the mountain ranges, completed different to what I am normally used to, city life in Aberdeen or the coastal life in Findochty.  After a few hours of driving and a few stops to take some (bad quality) photo, I arrived in Ullapool for the night. 

Ullapool Hill Path

I was exploring around Ullapool when by accident, I came across this path. I had know idea where it went to or what the mileage was, (there were no signs around) but I decided to give it a go. After some research  back at the guest house, I found out that the path was about 3.25 miles.This path is fairly easy to walk apart from the very top, where it becomes quite vertical, with some loose stones but this is not an huge issue. I was quite unprepared for this walk, the only bit of my gear I had with me was my boots and I did get some strange looks from some of the other walkers, who where kitted out in the correct gear (I was wearing a normal coat and a dress). 

The path is simple to follow, its clearly marked although care is needed as there are a lot of rocks on the path. After about 25 minutes you reach what appears to be the top of the hill, a large flat area. This gives you a great view over Ullapool and the surrounding area. However, at the opposite end of the large flat area, you will see another incline. This path leads to the actual top of the hill. This part of the path is quite steep and has a lot of loose stones/rocks, they aren't much of a problem on the way up but did cause me some issues when making my way down. It only takes about 10 minutes to make it to the top, from here you can see some more amazing views of the hills. I returned the same path that I walked up, there were many additional paths on the hill but I didn't have a map and compass so I avoided these so I wouldn't end up lost. The walk took just over an hour to complete. 

Although there were many small winding roads, the stunning scenery made the routes worthwhile. I wish I had more time to explore on foot, there are many places and hills that I saw from the car were I would love to walk but this trip didn't allow it, maybe sometime in the future I will return........

Here are some photo's from my trip:

All Comments Welcome!!!!

Bin Of Cullen

For years, I looked at this hill with a sense of interest. It stood out, mainly because of its bald top but I never knew what it was called. The Bin of Cullen rises between Buckie and Cullen and it can be seen from miles around.

There are a few angles from which you can start this route. No matter where you start the path, the route is made of wide but can be slightly muddy paths, that zig-zags up the hill. All the routes are easy to follow and the routes aren't strenuous to walk. The hill is surrounded by a forest, again with many paths to follow, and is a useful source if you don't fancy walking up the Bin. When you reach the summit and with good visibility you can see for miles in every direction, including other hills and towns/villages along the coast. If you go straight up the Bin, the path is do-able in about 30-45mins and is about 3 miles long. However you have many options and can make it as long as you like depending on what paths you choose to follow.

I have walked up the Bin many times as well as the paths through the forest. The first time I done this route, after climbing the Bin I continued thought the forest and walked to Cullen, another time I walked from Findochty, up the Bin and then onto Buckie, other times I have simply walked around the Bin, as part of other routes or as a simple walk thought the forest. I have also walked this route when it was covered in snow, which made it harder to walk but still, it wasn't too bad.

One thing that I would point out is that when you reach the summit, the wind is very strong. I haven't been at the summit when it hasn't been windy, even if the weather is completely calm the minute you turn the corner to reach the summit the wind just appears from nowhere. Believe me, this wind makes map reading VERY difficult. I have spoken to a few people that use the Bin of Cullen and they all say the same thing, its always windy.

I enjoy walking in this area as it has various types of paths which suits me.This route would be good for a walk on a Sunday Afternoon or  I would recommend going to the summit if you wish to see a chunk of the Moray Coast, as on a good day, the view is amazing. I would say one thing, be aware of the wind at the top, I've had a few incidents caused by the wind but now I know what to expect!!

 

 



 

 

Image (1) Buckie from the summit, (2) Bin of Cullen, (3) View from the summit, (4) Knock Hill

 



All Comments Welcome!!!!

Findlater Castle

Route: Findochty to Findlater Castle

 

 

Mileage: About 14 miles (circular)

Timing: About 3hrs 40mins

 

Most of this route is flat and unchallenging, with the exception off after you pass Cullen. After you pass the Pet Cemetery, you start to walk along the bottom of the cliff. The path is narrow and some parts are very rocky and in other parts the path has slipped/crumbled away but with care is easily passable. There are a few steep parts but again they are simple to pass with care.An interesting bit of the route takes you down a flight of steps that where build by one man, single-handed, which I find quite amazing.  After completing the shore path you climb up onto the headland, and a short walk over the grass and you reach Findlater Castle. You can come back the same way that you come or you can go back about a quarter of the way and walk up a hill onto the headland. This will lead you along the bottom of a field, then to a farm lane and back into Cullen.

 

 

I have attempted this route three times but only completed it twice. The first time I was walking on this path, I left Findochty too late (1pm, I think), this would be OK to do today but I done this in January and it was dark at 3pm. This made it very dangerous and I ended up having to turn back about 2 miles from the castle and I only just made it back to Cullen before it got too dark to see. Luckily just as I got back to Cullen a bus arrived and I was able to get back to Findochty safely. Something to point out about my first attempt was I was walking on a frozen and snowy path.

The next two times I walked on this route I was successful and completed the route without any issues. I made sure that I started the route in good time so not to have light issues. Funnily the weather conditions was the same as my first attempt.

 

 

I enjoyed this route as it offered some variation in terms of the tracks and I would recommend this route if you want something that is a little more challenging than a flat path. One thing I would point out is that you need to concentrate on the rocky parts as it is easy to miss place your footing causing you to lose your balance.

Tess

18/03/13,  I lost my best friend.  Yes she was a dog but she meant more to me than anything else in the world. 
I loved her to pieces. :'-(

She had 13 years in this world and I like to think that she was happy. 

I could write a book full of stories about her but I'm only going to share a few.

When she first came to live with us she was so tiny, so tiny compared to our other dog, a West Highland Terrier looked like a giant compared to her, you wouldn't think that a Labrador would be so small. I remember once someone split something in the sitting room. The guilty party said the dog had done her "business" on the carpet.  My mum shouted at her and she ran and hid under the sofa. Poor old Tess! The guilty party did finally admit It wasn't the dog but it took ages to get her out from under the sofa. She seemed to love me and brothers, when we were younger and had "paint time" she would sit on the chair next to mine and watch us paint. I did once paint her nose red because I wanted her to be Rudolph.  I also used to draw "make up" her face using chalk, she looked ridiculous!! She was happy to go along with anything that we would do to her. When I played dolls, she would let me put her in a bib and feed her water from a baby bottle. When she was quite young she mastered climbing the slide, which I was very proud of her for. She used to hear the school bus coming down the road and she would always see us off on it and met us coming back.

At the same time she was also an idiot. She was meant to be a gun dog but she was terrified of loud noises. Anything that made a loud nose resulted in her becoming a shivering mess and running to her bed, where she would stay for the whole day not moving and you couldn't talk her out of it. Tess though that the point of fetch was to catch the ball and not give it back. She had a run in with an electric fence, she some how managed to catch her bottom on it. She was running that fast that her back legs were in front of her front legs. Both Mum and Dad were wetting themselves at the site of her. She didn't stop until she reached her bed where she wouldn't leave. This resulted in her being scared of the fields as well. Poor dog.

I called her Spud, I've got no idea why or how that came about but it stuck. I think its lucky she didn't understand English as I used to moan to her about everything. She just sat there and "listened". She would look at me with this look that let me know that things would be OK.

Even when she started to turn grey she was still the most beautiful dog in my eyes. Anyone that met her knew she was special and made a lasting impression.

Love You Always Spud  xxx

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!

La Fhéile Pádraig Shona Duit!

Dia dhuit, Cad é mar atá tú?

Hello, How are you? - (My limited Irish language skills)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!


How do you spend your St. Patrick's Day?

Do you watch the parades, listen traditional music in the pubs while having a few pints of Guinness, go to a Ceili, indulge in some Irish food, dress in green and wear shamrocks, go to mass?

Everyone has different 'traditions' but no matter where you come from, everyone becomes Irish for the day :-)



My St. Patrick's Day traditions were going to mass in the morning, then spending most of the day in Omagh at a Street Festival (I recommend this, if you like traditional music and dance (and live in Ireland)), then spend the evening/night Ceili dancing. Off course I dressed in the traditional green although I must admit I didn't eat Irish food unless you count spuds.

 I can safely say that I will not be doing this, this year; one reason is that I don't live in Ireland so I can't go to the Street Festival and unless I dance around the kitchen table I won't be dancing either. I don't know what I will be doing this year, but I do know that I will be wearing green :-)

However you celebrate today, have fun and stay safe or as we say in Ireland - God Bless

Slán
Sabrina

 All Comments Are Welcome!!!

We all celebrate St. Patrick but who is he?
St. Patrick was born in Scotland in 385AD to Roman parents. When he was in his early teenage years her was captured during a raid and taken to Ireland to be a slave to tend and herd sheep. During this time he turned to God in prayer.
 

        "The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same." "I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

 

St. Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britain, where he reunited with his family.

After his return to Britain he had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

After having this dream he began his studies to become a Priest. St. Patrick was soon ordained a bishop and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. 

 

St. Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. St. Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions.

During his time preaching, St. Patrick was thought to have banished all the snakes into the sea.
However this may or may not be correct, it is thought that Ireland may not have ever had snakes, another thought is that "snake" is term used to describe pagans.

 After years of living in poverty, travelling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461. He died at Saul, near Downpatrick, Ireland,  where he had built the first church.

St. Patrick and the Shamrock
St. Patrick was teaching some of his followers about the Holy Trinity. His followers were finding it difficult to understand so St. Patrick, picked up a shamrock and used it to show an example of  the "Three-in-one", Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The shamrock has become a symbol of Ireland.

Irish Dancing

As its coming up to St. Patrick's Day, I thought that I would share with you something that is close to my heart - Irish Dancing.

 

I've been dancing since I was 6 or 7 years old. It all started when a few of my primary school classmates started to go to classes, after hearing them talking about it; I decided that I wanted to go to and after asking my parents, I began classes. Every week, I would put on my pumps (Irish Dancing Soft Shoes), go to class and learn steps and routines, this was hard work both physically and mentally, due to having to remember all the steps and technical information. After learning the beginners dances it was time to start going to Fèis (dancing competitions). This means having to get a dancing costume. After some searching and shopping, I had my first dancing costume, It was emerald green with a Celtic pattern. I remember the first time that I put it on... It was REALLY heavy. I honestly didn't know and still don't know how dancers could walk in these costumes, let alone dance in it. However there was no options in this, I had to wear it. Now a days the costumes have completely changed, they are now shorter, have more sparkle and less of the traditional patterns and they are made of lighter materials (luck girls!).

Irish Dancers have to have there hair curled, I honestly don't know why this was but it was somewhere in the rule book. Today, Irish Dancers simply put on a heavy curled wig but when I was dancing, wigs weren't really used, so I had to go the old fashioned way. Competitions where held on Sundays so on a Saturday evening I would have rollers, (yes rollers) put into my hair, this was VERY painful process. These rollers had to stay in my hair until I was at the Fèis, what fun as if I went out I had to have a full head of rollers in. Plus they were not the most comfortable things to sleep in. On the day of the Fèis, the dress and shoes would go on and the rollers came out (just as painful as putting them in) and then the competition began. Over the few years that I competed I was fairly successful, I won or was placed in quite a few of the competitions. I also have pasted some dancing exams up to a Level 4.

For as long as I live I will always know one dance, it is implanted in my brain. The Fairy Reel, it is actually a Ceili dance. My dance teacher made use dance it over and over and over again for weeks and weeks so that we could perform it at a Fèis, we came 3rd. However, this now is my favourite dance.

After performing competitively for a few years, I decided to leave Solo Dancing. Irish Solo Dancing became VERY competitive and I wanted to have fun and not spend all my time training. After leaving, it left me at a loose end, I didn't know what to do with my newly acquired spare time.

After a few months it was suggested that I try Ceili Dancing, after some thought I joined a local Ceili Dancing Class. From my time Irish Dancing, I had knew the basics, e.g. the steps, music timing and technical terms. This form of dancing is group dancing. Every week we would learn and practise different dances. This was a lot more fun as there was no competitions so there was no pressure. Every weekend different towns would hold a Ceili. At a Ceili, people from allover Ireland would meet in one hall and dance and listen to the live music together, laughing, making friends and more importantly having fun. Funnily this actually took up more of my time than solo dancing, as I would have a class on a Tuesday and would then go to a Ceili on a Saturday night, every week.

After moving to Scotland, it became impossible to carry on dancing so I found myself at another loose end. I tried to take up swimming but that lead no-where so I went back to the drawing board. After a lot of thought I decided to take up walking and after a few weeks I knew that this is what I wanted to do and I now have found something else that I love.........

Years of Irish dancing has left me with a few lasting injuries, namely my painful knees and ankles but I wouldn't change my dancing past.

When I am rarely in Ireland, I still go to Ceili's, I enjoy the craic (fun), music and off-course the dancing!!

I have lots and lots of stories in relation to this but its impractical to blog them all so I have written an over view. Hopefully it isn't too boring :-)