At long last my partner and I managed to get away for a couple of weeks in our motorhome. We bought it last February, although it’s far from new. Last year, we really made the most of it with three different holidays around the UK.
By far the most special was a five-week tour of the Scottish Highlands and islands. Of course, five weeks isn’t really enough to cover the whole of the north of Scotland, let alone its many islands. So, we stuck to the west. Our plan was to do another long trip this year along the east coast, taking in the Shetland Isles. I’m a fan of Ann Cleeves and her Jimmy Perez books, and the TV series has made a trip there all the more enticing.
Anyway, that was the plan. Sadly, the plan got changed. Frustrating but, given the current circumstances, we just counted ourselves lucky to remain healthy.
Instead we were able to find availability in the north of England, starting at the very top, in Berwick – Upon – Tweed. Actually, we did stay over the border in Scotland for that one, in the grounds of the very lovely Paxton House in Berwickshire.
As we journeyed southwards along the north-east coast, we came across some stunning places that we never knew existed. We were also treated to some wonderful glimpses of the natural world including basking seals, leaping dolphins and plunging gannets. My favourite had to be two squabbling weasels on a quiet country road in North Yorkshire. One was chased off by the other. As he ran to the safety of the other side of the road, the defeated weasel spotted us, stopped and stared us out for a few minutes, then scurried under a hedge. A magical moment.
Here are a few snaps of the places we visited. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.
