Never Mind The Trossachs

DSC_1100, a photo by Fraser Millar on Flickr.

A long-standing invitation from the Stirlings to visit them at their caravan by Loch Voil finally came to fruition this weekend. It's a beautifully isolated spot, with no electricity, no tarmac roads and no mobile coverage, yet only an hour and a bit from home. There's nothing to do but explore the woods, swim in the loch, and swing from trees. And drink, of course.

Earth Calling Back

More photos from Holly's Tuesday afternoon outings with Earth Calling Wildlife Club.

Meet The (New) Teacher

IMG_0486, a photo by Fraser Millar on Flickr.

If it's September, it must be time for Meet The Teacher. Louis has Ms. Underwearwood this year, and we had a brief tour of the classroom along with the usual start-of-year spiel. Here's some of Louis' artwork spotted on the walls.

Just Joshing

DSC_1064, a photo by Fraser Millar on Flickr.

On Edinburgh's September holiday - how come nobody else takes it, by the way? - we took Holly's chum Josh to Glentress. It was a hoot, with the usual Skills Loop / Green Loop / Berm Baby Berm combination proving as compelling as ever.

Good As Gold

DSC_0798, a photo by Fraser Millar on Flickr.

So the Mater and Pater have been married for 50 years. That's a long time, and quite a thing. Such a thing, in fact, that the Millar clan gathered en masse in Dumfries and Galloway to mark the occasion. We wandered in Mabie forest, dined Mediterranean in Dumfries, visited Sweetheart Abbey, and braved the squalls on the Solway shoreline. all very nice. Fifty years though, that means I must be almost... d'oh!

Earth Calling

After school on Tuesdays, Holly goes to the Earth Calling Wildlife Club. Each week they visit a different locale, and investigate the flora and fauna lurking just out of view and under their feet. Holly, as you might expect, loves it. Here's the first batch of pictures.

Grey Skyride

DSC_0714, a photo by Fraser Millar on Flickr.

Skyride is a free closed-roads mass participation ride to encourage folks to get out on their bikes. It started in London with huge numbers of closed city-centre roads, and consequently huge numbers of riders. The Edinburgh ride, in typical half-arsed parsimonious fashion, uses roads that would have been closed anyway, or at least have no impact if they are. Closed, that is.

That said, it's still a grand day out. The loop round Arthur's Seat is undertaken anticlockwise, and the climb up past the Commie is a bit of a grind, especially if you're a six year old boy on a single-gear bike carrying a bit of a cold. It's all worth it coming round the bend though, south and east Edinburgh and the Forth are spread out before you, and you get a stonking descent back to the event "village" by Holyrood Palace. Such was the pace of progress this year that I didn't manage to get any pictures of the actual cycling.

We met up with the Earnshaws, and our little peloton was strung out all the way round the route.

There's plenty of other stuff to do too. Sky Procycling were there, and (when we left at least) I was at the top of the 500m sprint leaderboard. Edinburgh Leisure were there, with throwing and jumping games, and tug-of-war. British Cycling athletes were there, signing helmets, bibs and oranges.

Also very much present - and fittingly for a Scottish September - were grey clouds, and occasional showers. It also seemed a bit quieter, a bit more subdued, a bit smaller than last year. So we went home.