July 16th

We flew back into Vancouver on July 2nd staying overnight with family and headed back to the Sunshine Coast midday on July 3d. It’s been a busy time playing catch up on the domestic front but thankfully we had a great house sitter and awesome garden help while away. We enjoyed our trip but it was wonderful to be home to see family, the animals, and our house and garden.

The last 14 days or so of our journey was quite full so I was unable to keep up with my blog entries. Some may know that during the first week of our trip, my laptop died. I have been doing the blog on my phone. It has been onerous so I was happy to be at my desk at home and be able to type on a large keyboard with two hands to complete the blog. Well, I guess I was so used to writing the blog on my phone that typing it on the computer was not working for me. So I’m back to tapping on my phone with one finger to complete the blog and wrap things up

Following is the first of the final blog entries of Guy and Joys 2025 UK and Ireland Campervan Trip. Thanks for bearing with me and my long blogs. Thanks too for all the support and words of encouragement along the journey. You my readers, are the best.

OK, on to the final days of our adventure, finally.

June 18th

We left Montrose fairly early so we could have a reasonable amount of time to see around Edinburgh. We found a park and ride just south of the city, where we left Paddington and took the short train ride into the city. It was a perfect location, just a 20 minute drive from Guy’s cousin Andrew and his wife Claire’s place, Greenhead Farmhouse. We would be staying with them for a couple of nights.

As we exited the train station in downtown Edinburgh, I could feel the city’s towering regal, ancient presence. It echoed the feeling of many of the towns and cities we’ve visited, but Edinburgh was ramped up to the next level of grandeur.

We crossed the street and went for coffee before starting our exploration of the city. Afterwards, we walked along part of the Royal Mile to the start of the trail to Arthur’s Seat. This popular hill is an old extinct volcano. The walk offers spectacular views of the city and the countryside surrounding Edinburgh. It was busy on the trail with locals and tourists. We made it up to the top, got our photo opps, and blasted down. I don’t linger in high places. 😆 I fell on the way down on some loose rocks but did a terrific recovery.

We took the road less travelled down from Arthur’s Peak and added a half hour, Stanley Parkish looking addition to our descent. Once down, we passed Holyrood Palace and stopped in for a cold drink and a snack at the cafe there. Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the British Royals when visiting in in Scotland “and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining”.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holyrood_Palace

We wandered back up the Royal Mile, named such because the street links Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. The length of the walk was absolutely jam packed with tourists but I was still entranced by the “oldy worldy” beauty of the city.

We walked through the crowds and hopped a train back to the park and ride to pick up Paddington. Once off the major roads out of Edinburgh, we were on quiet country roads to Andrew and Claire’s house in East Lothian.

We had a warm welcome then chatted and toured around their beautiful country house and garden. Then we were treated to a wonderful vegetarian dinner.

That night, the sunset out the kitchen window looking westward was stellar.

June 19th

In the morning, we went back to the park and ride, left dear Paddington and caught the train back into Edinburgh. It was 10 am and the city was already heaving with people. We had a coffee then hiked up the 120 or more steps of Warriston’s Close, popping out onto the Royal Mile near Edinburgh Castle.

We spent a couple of hours wandering the Castle grounds and interiors as well as the museum there. Edinburgh Castle, like Arthur’s Seat, has excellent views of the city.

Afterwards, we wandered the crowded streets.

In the afternoon, we had a one hour walk down to the harbor where the HMY (Her Majesty’s Yacht) Britannia, the Royal yacht, decommissioned in 1997, was docked. We took a self guided tour through the Britannia. It was fascinating to see where the Royals spent time when on holiday or on official visits. For 43 years, the HMY Britannia sailed the world and tallied up 1 million nautical miles before it was docked forever. John Major’s government ended funding to keep the Britannia in service. The Queen cried at the ceremony on the day of the decommissioning in 1997. Royalist or not, one would find the ship impressive. The engine room was a masterpiece in itself. Everything was perfectly cleaned and polished and glistening and one could have happily dined there. 😄

After a very enjoyable second day in Edinburgh, we made our way back to Andrew and Claire’s where we had a beautiful El fresco dinner in their garden. The breeze on this warm summer evening was welcome.

We hit the hay reasonably early as we planned an early start to Northumberland in the morning.

June 20th

In the morning, Claire and Andrew got up early to see us off. It had been a lovely couple of days. It was great to see the cousins meet again after many, many years and talk a bit about family history. We were grateful for their hospitality.

And on the road we went, making our way to Northumberland and Chester’s Roman Fort. In September 2023, while I was doing the Camino in Spain, Guy and his friends hiked Hadrian’s Wall. This trip, Guy wanted to go back and see Chester’s Roman Roman Fort and Museum again.

During the drive from Edinburgh to Northumberland, we crossed the border back into England. It was a poignant moment because crossing this point meant we were well on our way to completing the circle of our journey.

After a couple of hours driving through beautiful countryside, we arrived at Chesters Roman Fort. It is the “the most complete Roman cavalry fort in Britain…..Around 500 cavalry troops – the elite of the Roman auxiliary forces – were based here”. (https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/chesters-roman-fort-and-museum-hadrians-wall/things-to-do/#section2)

Chesters Roman Fort is on Hadrian’s Wall and includes an impressive bathhouse ruin on the banks of the North Tyne river. There is also the fascinating Clayton Museum on site full of Roman relics found by an original owner of the land, on his own land and on other sites on Hadrian’s Wall.

We had a number of hours at the fort including the last hour with Guy napping underneath a tree and me staying cool on a bench in the shade. Later, we headed in the direction of our campsite, Bellingham Camping and Caravanning Club Site. We stopped off for groceries in a quaint little village whose name I do not recall and then drove to our campsite over very scenic roads. Northumberland is a truly glorious landscape.

June 21st

In the morning, we headed to the Sycamore Gap Memorial on Hadrian’s Wall. It was a pretty drive of less than an hour.

The Sycamore Gap is an area along Hadrian’s Wall that for 150 years was home to a Sycamore tree. It was the most photographed tree in England. In 2023, a couple of idiots felled the tree to the dismay of many. Guy and his friends happened to see the Sycamore tree one week before it was felled. He wanted to go back to see the stump and its new growth as well as show me some of Hadrian’s wall. It was a nice hike out to the Gap and I got a sense of Hadrian’s Wall and the Sycamore’s place in this very picturesque landscape.

After visiting the Sycamore Tree Memorial and Hadrian’s Wall, we journeyed to Windemere in the Lake District where we would be staying for a couple of days.