Durness to Clachtoll 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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We woke up to rain.. and lots of it! It was therefore ponchos on and make a dash for the showers. We had our staple porridge pot, packed up Ruby and headed a few minutes down the road to our first stop.

Smoo cave We pulled into the car park at Smoo Cave and noticed that the cheese toastie van (which everyone raves about and says is the best toastie you will ever eat) was closed, despite their website saying it was open! So.. I got straight onto Facebook messenger to enquire, especially with missing out on Crumbs yesterday. Luckily they replied quickly and had decided to open at 11. This meant we would have plenty of time to explore the cave and then return to a tasty treat. Smoo is a dramatic and spectacular sea cave set into the limestone cliffs. The cave entrance and main chamber have been considerably enlarged by sea action and is now the largest sea cave entrance in Britain. The inner chambers, where the waterfall is located, were formed through freshwater rainfall erosion. During the summer months (and autumn months when the weather behaves) you can go into the cave via boat, however this wasn’t an option for us today. Once we had explored the cave and checked out the waterfall, we headed towards the sea for some rugged views, and was greated by a rainbow. We were the only ones up there, and as the rain had stopped we sat and watched the waves crashing on the cliff edges. We walked back to the car park and luckily, the cheese toastie van was open! We ordered our cheesy treats from the most Scottish woman we have met so far (most people working here are not Scottish!) and just as they were ready, the heavens opened again.. so we ran back to Ruby and had them there. They were INCREDIBLE and so so cheesy 🧀

Oldshoremore beach As this often appears on the list of the UK’s best beaches, we wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Crisp white sand, turquoise blue water – it was like being on a beach in Thailand. It has parking and toilets which was an added bonus, and after navigating a steep sandy path, we made it to the beach. It would be the perfect place to sit with a picnic or just read a book. It was so tranquil and so so clean! It really is a hidden gem in the Highlands.

Kylesku Bridge We got back to Ruby and bashed off our boots (the hire company really doesn’t want a sandy van) and set on our way to our next destination. During this drive we were lucky to see not one, but two animals associated with the Highlands – a stag who ran out into the road and gave us the dirtiest look before running off, and Highlands cows. Mark popped in to get us a latte from the local petrol station (which was awful!!) whilst I went for a closer look. As I love a good fact in this blog.. here are some about the gorgeous heilan coos. They are the oldest cattle breed in the world, male horns are thicker than female horns, and the most exciting fact – the most common breed in the Highlands is the ginger one. After spending far too long looking at the cows, we headed for the famous NC500 bridge. The bridge crosses Loch a’ Chàirn Bhàin, replacing the old Kylesku Ferry, which linked Kylestrome to Kylesku. It was designed to blend into the Highlands it sits within, and even has a viewing area on either side.

Wailing widow falls Doing the NC500 at the end of the season means we have been really lucky with parking. The parking area for these falls fits about 4 cars, and there was only one more there when we arrived. It’s definitely classed as a hidden gem because unless you’ve done your research, you wouldn’t know it was there, especially as there are no signposts to it. There are lots of stories and legends relating to this waterfall, with the most popular one being the name comes from the local legend that a young man was hunting deer in the fog, and sadly didn’t see the gorge of the waterfalls and fell to his death at the top of the falls. Distraught, his mother (a widow) came to see where he had died and, consumed by grief, threw herself off the top of the waterfall. Because of the weather, the route to the falls was rather twitchy arse, and excellent balance was needed as we scrambled over wet rocks and waded through soggy bog. It was worth it though, even if I did nearly slip over at least 100 times as they were really impressive!

Achmelvich Bay & Hermit’s Castle Another award winning beach and said to be one of the most popular on the NC500, although is a bit of a pain to drive to because it is accessed via a single track road. We were really fortunate that again, we had it all to ourselves. Access to the beach itself is super easy and doesn’t involve climbing down sand dunes or other steep paths, and again it feels like you’re on a tropical beach. The water really is a stunning colour. I’d also read about another hidden gem – Hermit’s Castle, and it’s known as Scotland’s smallest castle. The instructions were just keep walking across the peninsula for 10 minutes, but keep an eye out because you might miss it as it’s camouflaged. After wading through sheep poo, we managed to find it quite easily.. and what a strange little structure it is! I think the word castle is a bit of a push.. more like a concrete bothy maybe? It certainly fits into its surroundings, but it just seems a bit pointless! Apparently it was built in the 50s by a bloke called David Scott. It took him 6 months to build it and he only stayed one night 🤷🏼‍♀️ shame really because it does have incredible views!

Home tonight was a lovely campsite in Clachtoll. It had a communal fire pit, a games room, a microwave and a herb garden you could help yourself to. It even had inspirational quotes in its jazzy toilets. What more could you want!

JOG to Durness 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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We woke up to a glorious morning, and decided to have breakfast at one of the cafés in JOG. Most were actually closed 🤦🏼‍♀ but that seems to be the case on Monday’s when the season is beginning to wind down. Mark enjoyed a fry-up, complete with tattie scones and haggis!

Dunnet head Our first stop today was another lighthouse. But not any old lighthouse! It’s the lighthouse at the most northerly point of mainland Britain. A lighthouse fact – it has a range of 23 miles and flashes white 4 times every 30 seconds. In previous times it was run by a series of lighthouse keepers, whose job after dusk was to keep watch in the lightroom and ensure that the light flashed correctly and to character. How many times can you say lighthouse in one paragraph… It’s also an RSPB site as it’s home to many seabirds. But again.. we had another very poor seabird show. Another exciting thing about Dunnet head is it has a trig point. So that’s another one bagged in our trig bagging quest. We were really lucky with the weather, and because it was so clear, we could easily see the Orkney Islands.

Whilst doing my research I’d found a bright pink cake cupboard which is situated on the side of the road at Bettyhill. Everyone raved about it, saying it was the best cakes and treats they’ve ever eaten. Today however.. it was closed.. obvs. A bit further up the road we found a cute little cafe and treated ourselves to a haggis sausage roll. We found a scenic P along the route and stopped to make a coffee and to enjoy the sausage roll with the views.

Coldbackie beach A lot of the places we have marked on our map are a bit of a faf to find.. and this was no different. Once we found somewhere to park Ruby, we then had to find out how to actually climb down to the beach. We eventually found a gap in fence and headed down the hillside to the hidden shores below. Golden sands and clear blue water, with little signs of life.. it was absolute heaven. We had the whole beach to ourselves. If we didn’t need to reach our next campsite by a certain time then we would definitely have stayed there a lot longer. It was just so peaceful! And the photos really don’t do it justice.

Castle Varrich Because we missed out on Castle Sinclair, we really wanted to make sure we got to a ruin. Castle Varrich is perfect because it has a superb prominent position overlooking the Kyle of Tongue. We parked up in Tongue in the small parking area outside a hotel, and began the climb up to the castle. It’s such a beautiful walk, with views over the dramatic rocky peaks of Ben Loyal. After zig zagging our way through the trees, and a final ascent we made it to the castle ruins. The views were incredible, and you are now able to climb a metal staircase to the top for an even better lookout. The precise origins and age are unknown, but it is thought to be associated with the Bishops of Caithness, the Mackay clan or the Norse.

The rest of our day was taken up driving, but with each turn came something more breathtaking. There are so many places to pull over and take in the views and get some incredible photos. It is a game of dodge the sheep however! We arrived at our campsite for the night – Sango Sands Oasis. We were really keen to stay here because we had heard good things. And they were right! It’s situated on a cliff top with views over the award winning beach below. We had originally parked Ruby on the edge overlooking the sea, however it was on a bit of a slope and the wind was getting up, so me being a massive wuss, we moved further back so we didn’t roll off during the night. The rain then came and decided to stay for the rest of the night, which meant cooking in the van. I made a bloody good chicken curry which enjoyed with a glass of wine. We also decided that sleeping in the pop roof probably wasn’t a good idea due to the weather, so spent our first night on the ground level bed, which was actually very comfortable!

NC500… The Road to John o’ Groats 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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Before we get started.. this Scotland series is in memory of two very special people who we sadly lost this year. First is to my wonderful Grandad, who spent many happy years in Scotland. Second is our dear friend Jayne, who also had a love for travel, and a love for these blogs 🕊

After months of research and multiple post-its on our map, it was time for the long drive to Scotland to collect our campervan. Because of the distance (and due to Mark finishing nights on the Friday morning) we chose to break the journey up by staying in Stirling (because this was far cheaper than Glasgow or Edinburgh!) Obviously the M6 had other ideas, and after only 2 stops, one of which obviously including Tebay, and 8hrs later, we eventually arrived in Stirling. As a treat before 10 days of potential terrible sleep, I booked a posh room at the Premier Inn. Unfortunately, due to my terribly English accent, he couldn’t understand what I’d said my surname was, and told me they didn’t have my booking. The hotel was also full due to a wedding and a run happening in the city that weekend. This was not the news we needed after such a long drive. I gave him my booking ref, and after a few minutes said ohhh Hannah WOOD. I asked him what he thought I’d said, but he didn’t want to say 🤷🏼‍♀️

After a lovely sleep in the posh room, we decided to have a little walk around Stirling and then head to Culloden battlefield. In hindsight, we should have booked a guided tour, as to us we were essentially walking around a massive field with a few flags, with no idea what we were looking at! We headed to Tesco to get some shopping before getting the van, but unfortunately picked the enormous Tesco Extra which is next to a retail park; and that meant not being able to find anything because the Tesco was so big, and then getting stuck in traffic on the way back onto the main road. We then got stuck in more traffic heading over the bridge, which meant we had a phone call from the campervan hire, essentially asking where we were. Luckily, at this point, we were only a few minutes away, but she informed us we had got stuck in the two main traffic jam areas in Inverness. After a very long (but much needed) lesson on everything our camper Ruby does, it was time to be on our way. Unfortunately we were booked into a campsite that required you to be there at 6pm, and due to the time it meant we had to just go straight there, rather than do one of the waterfall walks we had planned.

We arrived at Dornoch campsite and parked up, ready for our first night. We walked to the beach where we got some food from The Highland Larder – a seafood focused food van. We both had the haddock wrap with tartar sauce and a side of truffle fries. They were absolutely delicious. After a walk along the beach, it was back to the van to set everything up ready to sleep. We decided to go in the pop roof as the wind was at a minimum, and after a bit of faffing about, we managed to get everything sorted ready for our first night sleep.

We woke up to a glorious morning, so were able to have our porridge pots and OJ Al fresco. We battled with the pop roof, packed Ruby up and got ourselves ready for our first full day of adventure. During our research, a popular recommendation was Cocoa Mountain – which apparently does the world’s best hot chocolate. To be fair.. they were right. It was delicious and not too sickly.

Big Burn Our first stop was Big Burn (or for the football fans out there, Big Dan Burn as Mark calls it) a lovely short woodland walk, up a gorge criss-crossed by footbridges and ending in a waterfall. It was so peaceful and we only saw two other couples.

Dunrobin Castle A romantic castle and the ancestral home of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland, and often called the Jewel in the crown of the Highlands. It has 189 rooms that you can walk around a good chunk of, which are accompanied by good quality information boards (saving the awkward and super long chats with the sometimes slightly over enthusiastic room volunteers). There is also the beautiful grounds to explore, and a falconry display twice a day. It’s £14 per adult to get in here.. such a shame it doesn’t belong to NT!

Whaligoe Steps After a quick stop at a scenic P for a coffee and a pastry, we arrived at the tiniest car park for the walk down the 365 Whaligoe steps. Whaligoe Haven is surrounded on three sides by 250ft cliffs and forms one of the most remarkable harbours in Scotland. There is also a ruin of a building once used to store salt for curing fish. Unfortunately after the decent, comes the ascent.. and it really is one to get the heart pumping. But as long as you can get a space, we 100% recommend coming here.

Castle Sinclair Considered to be one of the earliest seats of Clan Sinclair and comprises of the ruins of two castles: the 15th-century Castle Girnigoe; and the early 17th-century Castle Sinclair. Unfortunately the one and only road to this Castle is closed until 10th Oct.. we could have walked from the closest town, but this was just over 2hr round walk, and we just didn’t have enough time to do this ☹ which is a massive shame!

Duncansby Stacks Sat just off the northeast corner of mainland Britain lies the natural wonder of the Duncansby Stacks, as well as the lighthouse guarding the perilous shores. The first is a rocky arch, the second a group of large jagged sea stacks. This area is often missed for the much more touristy JOG, but this is technically the ‘real’ northeastern tip of the British Mainland and the furthest point to Land’s End in Cornwall by a mile or two. There is usually a wealth of seabird activity here, including puffins. We however didnt even see a single gull. There is also a lighthouse built in 1924, and it became fully automated in 1997. With the added bonus of free parking, the stacks and lighthouse shouldn’t be missed.

John o’ Groats We arrived at our 2nd campsite still with enough light to explore what JOG has to offer, included getting the all important photo by the sign. As I was walking towards something else super touristy, I nearly went arse over tit because someone had left their fishing rod buried in the grass. Safe to say he wasn’t happy about it.. but neither was I! As the weather was still relatively warm we decided to have a BBQ, and then pop to JOG brewery for a fantastic finish to the day.

N.I Day 4 🏝

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Today is our last full day on the Emerald Isle. It was a toss up between a visit to Rathlin Island to see the puffins, or more of the coastal drive. As we were incredibly lucky to see the puffins when we did Skomer, we decided to continue with the last few towns and beaches along the Causeway Coastal Drive. Santa decided to have a morning walk whilst I had a little lie in, but unfortunately he didn’t take a coat.. and drowned rat is an understatement when we arrived back at the apartment.

Bushmills No visit to NI is complete without a visit to the distillery (just the shop as we were pushed for time!) Santa enjoyed browsing the many whiskeys on offer, and opted for a Black Bush (🤣) and a glass to go with it. He also got a smaller tot to have on one of the beaches later on in the day.

Ballycastle The eastern gateway to the coastal route. We managed to park in one of the only pay and display car parks in the whole of N.I.. and unfortunately when we were nearly in the town, I had a horrible feeling I hadn’t locked the car, so had to powerwalk back up the hill to check (obviously I had locked it 🤦🏼‍♀) Ballycastle is a bustling town with plenty of bars and restaurants, a harbour and a beach, the ferry to Rathlin Island, and a friary ruin just on the outskirts. It also has its own heritage trail, with information boards dotted around the town. We found a cafe with great views over the beach, and the coffee here was delicious – big shout out to Shorebird Coffee Hut. We had a lovely walk along the beach, then headed to Bonamargy Friary, along the side of the golf course. It’s picturesque, yet eerie at the same time, and is definitely worth a quick visit if you are in the area. As we were walking back to the car park, the heavens opened, and they opened hard! We were very soggy doggies when we got back to the car.

Murlough Bay It is said that this is one of the most overlooked places to visit on the Antrim Coast. The journey to the small car park is dow a long, single track winding road. But with every twist and turn, reveals more spectacular views. On the walk to the bay, a lovely old gentleman stopped us for a chat, and very enthusiastically told us about seal he had seen catching a massive salmon. He was so enthusiastic, he talked and talked for about 15 minutes 🤣 he lives in a very remote place, so he probably doesn’t get much human interaction, bless him! After he got on his way (and found another family to talk to) we turned the corner and got our first look at the bay. Wow. It was breathtakingly stunning. Perfect white sand, perfect blue water, and perfect views of Rathlin Island and the Kintyre Peninsula. I’d say this beach even rivalled some of the ones I saw in Thailand! And for the most part, we had it all to ourselves. This really is a hidden gem and one not to be missed.

Torr Head Not far down the road from Murlough Bay is another very narrow and winding road to Torr Head. This drive requires you to go incredibly slowly and keep your eyes peeled for all the possible passing points. We got to the car park and headed up the mound and towards the building on the top. This used to be a signal station for shipping passing through the North Passage. However, this is now an eerie graffiti filled ruin being battered by the wind and rain. There’s even a rusty old ladder to climb up onto the roof. The views at the top again were fantastic, and we were so lucky with the weather that we could see for miles. The road back to the main route was a bit twitchy arse as we met quite a few vehicles, but we got there after a little bit of manoeuvring and clutch burning.

Fair head The last of the super twisty drives. The car park here is privately owned (£3 all day) and the area and land is also privately owned and farmed by 12 generations of the McBride family. There are so many walks around this area, but unfortunately they were all too long for us to attempt given the time we arrived. We did however manage a little stroll to one of the viewpoints. The rugged landscape here also features in many seasons of GoT, so it is definitely one to visit if you are a fan.

Portrush We had hoped to visit Carrick-a-rede, and had obviously read the opening times wrong because it was closing when we got there… it wasn’t a massive issue because I’ve been before, Santa has been before, and nothing was getting Momma on that bridge! So instead, we popped into Portrush, as we have only driven though it but never stopped. It has much more of a ‘seaside town’ vibe about it, with its funfair and amusements. We grabbed an ice cream and had a walk along the beach, before heading back to Portstewart for fish and chips.

All of the other evenings have been cloudy and rainy, but tonight was clear with minimal cloud, and that meant we finally got a sunset! We found a great spot as recommended by our Airbnb host, and with the sound of crashing waves, we watched the sun go down on our last day in Northern Ireland.

N.I Day 3 ⛵️

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Today’s POA was to tackle some of the other half of the Coastal Causeway Route, as well as a few hidden inland gems. It has mostly consisted of waterfalls, small towns and villages, and A LOT of rain dodging – but that’s all part of the fun!

Carrickfergus As we have already done Belfast (the start of the Coastal Route), we decided to begin the day in Carrickfergus. It is County Antrim’s oldest town and one of the oldest towns in Ireland as a whole. It also has one of the best preserved castles in the country, which we decided to admire from the outside rather than go inside (because we’re tight 🤣) We personally didn’t find much going on here, so decided to have a coffee and cake (obvs) to kick-start the day. Unfortunately the heavens opened and we had to run back to the car in the torrential downpour.

Glenoe Just a short walk from the car park on a winding path through the glen, we arrived at this magnificent 30ft waterfall. All the rain we’ve been having made it more spectacular (every cloud) as you could hear it thundering away way before we got to it. And, because its not featured in the National Trust handbook, it makes it less known, so we had it to ourselves for the majority of the time we were there.

Glenarm We arrived to cars parked absolutely everywhere! We then heard lots of screaming and loud music. Turns out today is ‘Dalefest’ weekend, headlined by The Vamps and Sam Ryder. This meant we were unable to see the castle, as it’s grounds were holding the concert. The village of Glenarm is small, but has a lovely harbour, and a very enthusiastic man in the Tourist Information. Unfortunately, they had the WORST toilets ever. I used cleaner ones in SE Asia. Thank god for epic hovering skills.

Carnlough Another stop for another waterfall! Cranny Falls (best name ever) is a 1.5km walk from the car park, and again is one you can hear way before you get to it. The walk there was a bit slippery and muddy thanks to all the rainfall we’ve had, but was mostly along a well maintaind path. There is a viewing platform so you can see it safely, and all the luscious green flora framing the falls gave it a tropical feel. On the way back there was a gorgeous cat rolling around and sunning itself. A young girl came up the path to the cat, to which Momma asked her ‘is this your pussy’ 🤦🏼‍♀ Puss did belong to her, she was called Tilly and was being naughty because she wouldn’t go home for dindins. Carnlough itself is another small village with a harbour, cafés and an ice cream shop. We were going to get one, but then the heavens opened once more, meaning we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy our tasty treat.

Cushendall A small coastal town with lots of bright coloured shops, a sandy beach and a backdrop of the Glens of Antrim. It had started raining again and the wind was getting up on our arrival here, so it was unfortunately a quick jump out and look around.

Cushendun After a big but quick downpour, we were luckily able to explore Cushendun in the dry. It’s a village steeped in character and folklore. Here is where you will find Cushendun caves, another location for GoT. The caves are thought to have formed over 400 million years ago, and these incredible rock cavities in the cliffs on the coast have been naturally eroded over time by wind and water. We were lucky as we were the only people here, as research suggested that since GoT, the caves have become an incredibly popular location for tourists. There is also an Irish pub (which was full of rowdy lads lads lads) and a Costcutter (which didn’t sell any alcohol, much to Santa’s annoyance!)

Just as we got back to the car, the heavens opened again, and as the drive back to Portstewart was a little over an hour, we decided to call it a day. Unfortunately, we got stuck behind a horsebox, and then we got stuck behind an incredibly slow driver who kept slamming his breaks on for no reason.. but we eventually made it back. Top tip – listen to dramatic music (we went with a Hans Zimmer collection) on the coastal drive, it makes it much more fun! Tonight, we decided to book a highly rated Italian restaurant, and it certainly lived up to the hype. The food was absolutely delicious!

We were hoping for a sunset tonight. However, the clouds had other ideas. We still, however, managed to see some dramatic skies and the sea crashing over the rocks.

N.I Day 2 – The Causeway Coastal Journey 🌊

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Last night was rough… with crashing waves, thunder, lightening and a power cut (and lots of house alarms). Luckily by 1am it had all calmed down, and we were finally able to get some sleep. Today was all about the Causeway Coastal Drive, and we woke up to drizzly to start the morning. We had a lovely refreshing walk along Portstewart Strand – a two-mile stretch of golden sand, with views of Inishowen headland and Mussenden Temple perched on the cliffs above. Bearing in mind we were in thick coats, we were very surprised to see the amount of people in swimming costumes, frolicking about in the ocean! I just had to look at it as was borderline hypothermic!

The next stop was Whiterocks beach, with its stunning limestone cliffs stretching from Curran Strand to Dunluce Castle. The cliffs here are unusual as they are made of chalk; whereas most of the causeway coast is made of basalt. There are so many interesting geological landforms here, from cliffs, shore platforms, caves, arches, and sea stacks.

The great thing about the coastal drive is its many viewpoints, and Magheracross did not disappoint. Here, there is a purpose built viewing platform offering panoramic views of the coastal headlands. Another plus point is the coffee and ice cream van! We were incredibly thirsty by this point, so it would be silly not to pay them a visit. Santa enjoyed an ice cream snack, and Momma and I shared a very delicious brownie.

Back onto the official coastal route and a few minutes drive later, we arrived at Dunluce Castle. We were expecting something small, but the site is actually huge, and very reasonably priced. The castle played its part in Northern Ireland’s dramatic history before falling into its current state of ruin. Today, the remains stand out on the dramatic cliffs, but remain in danger of crumbling into the sea below. It’s also the filming location for House Greyjoy in Game of Thrones.

Whilst walking round, I (thought I had) spotted Santa and wondered why he had changed his shirt. Turns out there are actually 2 Santa’s 🎅🏻

We then headed for the one we had all been looking forward to – Giants Causeway. Clearly being very thick, I assumed the ‘giant’ part of the name meant ‘big’ and not a legend that a giant was the one who had built the causeway. I was therefore expecting the actual hexagonal stepping stones to be much larger than they actually were 🤣 Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an incredible sight to see, but it was incredibly busy, and it didn’t help that we chose to visit on a weekend when the weather was actually decent. It’s Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site and is thought to be almost 60 million years in the making. If you plan on visiting here, don’t come on a weekend and try to come out of season. Also, leave enough time to explore some of the walks in the surrounding area.

We continued the trail to Dunseverick, starting at the ‘castle’ and following the coastal path to the waterfall. Standing on the edge of the promontory are the crumbling ruins of the castle. Therefore, using your imagination is key. King’s gazing out to sea, watching potential invaders circling the rugged cliff below. By this point, it was really hot, and so we were able to enjoy the walk in just t-shirts – a stark contrast to this morning. Unfortunately I haven’t packed any suncream as the forecast suggested otherwise. An error I don’t usually make! We continued along the path to the waterfall, and I think this can be classed as a hidden gem, as it’s where a narrow river finalises its journey free falling down to the sea. The waterfall’s volume is obviously dependent upon rainfall.. but no need to worry about that because we’re in Ireland! The water cascading down is so calming and peaceful, so we took a perch on a nearby rock to sit and relax.

What do you think of when you hear the word beach. Is it the sea? The sand? I’m sure it isn’t cows… but that’s what you’ll find at White Park Bay, and they are said to be the most photographed cows in N.I. The bay itself is a huge stretch of golden sand, and is backed by ancient sand dunes that provide a range of rich habitats for bird and animal life. Swimming here is not permitted due to rip currents.

As the day was closing in, we decided that we would only have time for a few more activities. Stopping at Ballintoy Harbour meant we could get a few things ticked off in one go – the harbour itself and Elephant Rock. The walk to the rock is another beautiful one as you are surrounded by all sorts of rock formations, but MY GOD the initial part of it absolutely stunk of rotten fish and poo… however all was well when Elephant Rock came into view. Local folklore says this rock was the result of a woolly mammoth which had the misfortune of being caught as it tried to flee from an erupting volcano! The harbour here is very small, but also plays a part in GoT – where Theon Greyjoy arrives back to the Iron Islands and where he first meets his sister, Yara.

Feeling very tired and ready for our final stop, we headed for Dark Hedges (such a GoT filled day.. and Momma and Santa have never seen it!!) When I was last here, people we abandoning cars all over the place. Now, it is access only (although some bellend decided to ignore this and park their car right in the middle…) and you have to park in a car park just a short walk away. Although it’s hard to properly appreciate with the amount of people that choose to visit, it’s still worth it for a quick swing by.

The ocean was incredibly rough when we eventually got back to our apartment, and whilst taking the last few photos, we spotted dolphins 🐬 There was so many of them, jumping in the waves and having the absolute best time. Unfortunately they were incredible hard to photograph.. but here is some of my poor attempts…We had a lovely picky tea and drinks whilst looking out our window. We have been so so lucky with the weather today, but my crispy ginger face certainly knows about it 😭

N.I Day 1 🚢

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It was an early start this morning for an early flight to Belfast! It’s been ages since I’ve flown from BHX, and there is so much work being done within the airport to try to improve the security process. We were the first in the queue (obvs) for baggage drop, but right at the back of the chaos that is the (current) security process. When we eventually got through, we went for the obligatory Spoons breakfast, with all the stag and hens. It was at this point that I got a message from Easyjet to say our flight had been delayed by 2hrs… thank god for the free coffee refill! This luckily soon changed to only an hour delay, and as soon as the gate was available, we were straight there, and one of the first in the queue (again.. obvs).

We got off the plane in an incredibly soggy Belfast, and walked what felt like a mile to the Sixt office to pick up our ride for the next few days. I went in with Momma to collect the keys, and we were given a Kia Picanto. When he saw us then meet Santa with our massive suitcase, he decided to give us a free upgrade to a Kia Rio 👍🏻 We had a straightforward drive into Belfast City Centre, however it turns out I’d picked the car park that you need to sell a kidney to park in – £3.50 an hour 😱 the original plan was to walk to the Titanic museum later in the day, but at this eye watering price, we decided to give ourself 2hrs only. We headed to the Cathedral Quarter, as research showed this is a cool and hip place. If you love street art then this is the place is for you. Unfortunately all of the cool people were taking shelter from the rain. We went into the Cathedral for cover. It’s got a very modern interior, and was nice to see for a small £2.50 fee.

We then popped to Primark to stock up on things I’d forgotten (my entire makeup bag 😭) and then headed to City Hall in the heart of the City Centre. We didn’t have enough time to go in, but it’s a lovely building from the outside, and it’s definitely worth going to. We had now worked up an appetite, so we decided to check out St George’s Market – voted the UKs best large indoor market. It’s only open from Fri – Sun and is full of everything you can think of for an indoor market. We had a burger from Sizzle & Roll, and although they took a while to make it, it was worth it because they were delicious! We power walked back to super expensive car park (as quick as possible on the slippery pavement) and got there bang on 2hrs. However, they charged us for 3!! With nobody to have a moan to, I’m tasked with sending an email to claim my £4 back 🤣

As with a lot of people, I am fascinated with everything Titanic, so this was a must do thing whilst here (and a shelter for the torrential rain) We moved the car here for a bargain £1.50 per hour. The museum is enormous, but unfortunately incredibly busy, therefore it’s difficult to properly read everything. What did surprise us, was the ‘cable car’ ride around the construction of Titanic. A fascinating insight into the sights, sounds and smells of the shipyard demonstrating what tasks had to be carried out in order to build the Titanic. The museum doesn’t hold any artifacts from the wreck site or debris field, but what you are able to see is items such as letters written on board ship (this particular letter only survived because it was in the pocket of her husband’s coat which he had given her to keep warm) and the china that would have been used. Although you will struggle to read and see everything due to the volume of visitors, I’d still 100% recommend this museum – one of the most visited attractions in NI.

A questionable Titanic themed gift..

Included in your ticket is a visit on board S.S. Nomadic – Titanic’s sister ship and the only surviving White Star Line ship in the world. For 172 passengers, she was the last stage of their journey to the doomed liner. Here you will find a lot more interactive and hands on story telling, and it’s a lot quieter.

We’ve booked an Airbnb in Portstewart overlooking the ocean, and the journey here was pretty smooth (apart from some questionable instructions from Google Maps resulting in wrong lanes). Unfortunately, the weather on arrival was absolutely awful, so we haven’t been able to get a coastal walk in yet. Fingers crossed the weather improves over the next few days.

Apartment views 🥰

Luxembourg Day 4 🇱🇺

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Our last day in Luxembourg! As it was National Day, we knew that shops and cafés would have reduced opening hours, however it was basically a ghost town as nothing was open at all.. apart from Pret! We had hoped to visit one of the local bakeries this morning, but the chain will have to do. We had a granola bowl, toasties and drinks, and because we were bordering on re-mortgaging the house to pay for it all (don’t let all this talk of cost put you off.. we’re just pigs) the lovely man behind the counter gave us a free cookie. The food was really tasty – I definitely think Pret is up there with the best tasting coffee chain foods.

We could see large groups of people and families heading over to the Adolphe Bridge, so we guessed this is where the events of today would take place. We joined the crowds of people who were all waving their flags, and watched the military planes fly past. Although really cool to see, they really don’t do it as well as the Brits 😉 the Luxembourg Amry then all drove past, followed by the police, fire and ambulance. We were a bit too far away to hear the band that was playing, so decided to move a bit further down to see what was going on. Unfortunately we got there just as they had finished, however we managed to grab a spot at the front just in time to see the Grand Duke and his wife get in their car and drive past. We even got a wave! So surreal, but funny to think we have gotten closer to the big bollocks of Luxembourg than we have to our own.

The craft bar we had stopped at a few days prior wasn’t far away, so we decided to pop in for a cold one. We watched the dignitaries in their smart get-up wandering the streets and shaking hands with people, and members of the military band chatting to the crowds. It was really lovely to watch. We spotted a large crowd over by the army tents so decided to check it out. They were only giving out free beer!! As many as you wanted! They had stands where you can try on their gear and sit in vehicles. There was a band playing and food being served. It was such a great atmosphere, and the weather was perfect.

We decided to spend our last few hours in Luxembourg just wandering the streets. However, now the parade was over, the shops and restaurants were starting to open. We have walked past a bar called Urban every day, so we grabbed their last table and settled down to a fruit beer and some lunch. The food was really tasty, and the portion sizes were huge! For the final drink, we went to a vintage bar over the road, where locals sat on knackered old arm chairs playing chess.

On the walk back to the hotel to get our bags, we took the scenic route for one last look at the ruins and then up the panoramic elevator. It takes you from historic at the bottom, to modern at the top and is 71M tall. It’s free to use and gives great views across the city. We could hear music playing in the park so decided to check out what was going on. It was absolutely swarming with families. There was games everywhere, including inflatables, racket games, giant board games, as well as food and drink carts. As we’re not one for early arrival to the airport 🤣 we decided to grab one last drink and take a slow walk through the park. It’s such a massive shame to be going home. We’ve had such a great time soaking up all the atmosphere of the last few days, and The Script and 1975 were headlining City Sounds that evening!

I hope we have put Luxembourg on your radar to visit as it’s such a lovely country. Maybe even get a trip booked for 22nd/23rd June 2024 to party with the locals! Whilst public transport is free, hiring a car will allow you to see all the little towns around the country in just a few days. There are plenty of hiking trails, and even a little waterfall. The old town is stunning and perfect for a peaceful walk, and the bars are great for just watching the world go by.

Luxembourg Day 3 🇱🇺

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We woke up this morning to the weather we are usually blessed with on our adventures… rain. We had planned to explore the Mullerthal Region today, which is referred to as Luxembourg’s little Switzerland, however we hadn’t really packed for wet weather, and decided it would just end being a soggy and miserable day. Instead, we went for breakfast at one of the highest rated spots. Obviously, when we got there, every table was full; the majority with cool young hipsters and their laptops who clearly had no plans to move all day. Luckily, a table of mature ladies vacated, so we dived straight in. Whilst the latte was a massive letdown, the food made up for it and set us on our way for a day of cafe hopping.

Walking tour Ken had recommended the Chocolate House for its delicious hot chocolate and perfect view of the guards outside the Grand Ducal Palace. We got there as the rain had stopped, so we were able to get a seat outside. There are so many different flavours of hot chocolate to choose from. Mark chose orange, but unfortunately, he had to say pardon 3 times when the waitress asked if he wanted dark or milk. When he eventually realised what she was asking, he went with milk, but she had other ideas and gave him dark instead.

Another recommendation we had been given was Bock Casemates – a subterranean defence system made up of kilometres of tunnels and one of the most important visitor sites in Luxembourg. It’s an inside activity, so perfect for a soggy day! During the two World Wars, the Bock Casemates (and those of the Pétrusse valley) served as a shelter with the capacity to protect 35,000 people in the event of a bombardment. It’s an interesting site to walk around and also gives you alternative views across the city. Luckily, these tunnels are a lot bigger and wider than the ones we visited in Vietnam! As there was a break in the rain and feeling a little snackish, we popped to Ladurée for some overpriced drinks and super tasty macaron. The rain break didn’t last long, and accompanied by lots of thunder, it began again.

When we booked this trip, we had no idea of the significance of the 22nd/23rd June to Luxembourg. The 23rd is National Day – a day to celebrate the Grand Duke’s birthday, but celebrations get underway on the 22nd. It all begins with the traditional changing of the guard in front of the Grand Ducal Palace, with the participation of an honorary detachment from the Luxembourg Army. The Luxembourg Military Band also provided musical entertainment, including ACDC Highway to Hell! We managed to get a really good spot to watch everything, but felt very out of place without a Luxembourg flag to wave.

The evening celebrations was a DJ set by Flavour Trip, Wade (nope.. no clue either!) and Lost Frequencies. As this didn’t kick off until later, we decided to pass some time by visiting a cat cafe. The first one we visited in Prague was a bit of a disaster as a cat piddled all over my scarf! Luckily no such event happened this time. We were surrounded by lots of fabulous kitties who were very interested in trying to lick the cream out of Mark’s milkshake. Just before we left, the owner gave us some treats to give them, and they all came running. Actual cat heaven.

The forecast for the evening was poor, so we decided packed our umbrellas. As we got bag searched to go into ‘City Sounds’ we were told we were not allowed to take umbrellas in, and to leave them by the entrance in a giant umbrella pile. I’ll give you one guess as to whether they were still there when we left 🙄 we got some food, beer and wine and got our spot ready for Lost Frequencies. The heavens decided to open just as the set began, and everyone around us got their umbrellas out!! Absolutely fuming! Luckily I had the wanker hat. The main event of the 22nd is the firework display – one of the biggest in Europe. We piled onto the tram with 1000s of others and got to the viewing area. There was so much pushing and shoving, and we ended up being stuck behind a tree. Although we had a slightly reduced view, the fireworks were INCREDIBLE. There are so many great places to watch the fireworks, so getting there early is a must.

We had seen all the bars getting ready earlier in the day for the huge street parties which kick off after the fireworks, so were keen to check them out. Unfortunately being 5ft2 in a crowd isn’t the best, and I hated every minute of being squashed, shoved and trodden on. It really was hell. Although the atmosphere was great; the drinks were massively overpriced and it was impossible to move, so we decided to head back to the hotel. On the way back through the square where we had met Ken, we discovered lots of space, a great DJ and cheap drinks. So we were able to enjoy some of the party vibes with the locals.

Luxembourg Day 2 🇱🇺

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We woke up to a glorious first morning in Luxembourg. On our tour with Ken yesterday, he told us about a local market on Wednesdays and Saturdays which is perfect for getting meat, cheese, fruit and veg and other tasty treats. We decided to check it out and get our breakfast like the locals do. Mark decided to try out some of his GCSE French, but got as far as Bonjour, before ordering a punnet of strawberries in English. Luckily the stall holder spoke excellent English, so there was no confusion with what we wanted. It was then my turn to order the pastries, however this time all of their labels were in German. As I didn’t even reach GCSE German, I decided to just point at what I wanted – we’re such British tourists 🤣 we spotted Pret had some seating outside, so grabbed a coffee and sat with our goodies watching the world go by.

There are so many places to visit in Luxembourg, and it’s so small that you could drive North to South in around 2hrs. We however have not hired a car, so decided to spend today visiting Vianden as it’s easy to get to on public transport. As I mentioned in day one, one of the great things about Luxembourg is public transport is free! I did however have to pay 70c to use the toilet in the train station. The first leg of the journey was via train to a town called Ettelbruck. The trains are double decker and very clean, with plenty of leg room. The second leg was via bus to Vianden. Unfortunately we had the craziest bus driver known to man, who decided to overtake a tractor, and car, whilst going round a bend and going uphill. This is obviously a manoeuvre he has done before, as he did it with such confidence, and we are still here! This whole journey took around 1hr.

It is said that Vianden is one of Luxembourg’s prettiest towns, and its clear why. It has charming winding streets, pastel coloured houses, and of course, the castle up on the hill. The castle had been renovated over a number of years so its worth going inside for a visit. There are a few ways to the top, but we obviously had to take the chair lift. The ride is slow, meaning you are able to fully take in the surroundings, and the views are stunning. Once at the top, there are a few viewpoints, and of course a restaurant. You then need to walk to the castle – we chose the ‘challenging route’ as it was much quicker. Its very do-able, just a bit uneven underfoot.

Entry to the castle is €10, and is definitely worth it to see this authentic masterpiece of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. You can go around at your own pace, and luckily no volunteers that want to grab you in every room 🤣 there are plenty of rooms to visit, as well as items found on digs around the castle, outfits they would have worn and towers with great views.

We decided to take the easy route back to the chair lift, however this wasn’t signposted well at all, and after about 10 mins we decided we would definitely get lost in the middle of the forest, and retraced our steps back to the challenging route. We had read about a bakery selling the best croque monsieur in Vianden, so we headed there to try it our before we headed back to the city. Unfortunately.. they had sold out 😭 so we settled for a meat and egg baguette before heading back to the bus stop, to begin the journey back. As it had been a hot and sweaty day, a few of the passengers were rather fragrant…

We got back to the hotel, showered and headed out for a Maccies. We went to one a bit further out as it was bigger and had screens to order off – always makes it easier in another county! It was the cleanest one we have ever been in, and we enjoyed adding another one to the world tour list. On the tram there we spotted a busy area with a funfair, so decided to head back there for a look. Mark fancied a pudding and went to the churros stand. After being told multiple times to just get a small, he ordered a medium, and there was enough churros to feed the entire country. Although they were tasty and not greasy like some of them can be, we were quickly defeated.

We had also spotted a cool looking bar, and soon realised they sold 100s of cans of beer from all over the world. Mark enjoyed getting beer advice from the owner, and we sat outside with our drinks (I even had a beer! Fruity obvs) There was a very interesting group of people next to us however, and the bloke was really getting into telling them how he didn’t like being fingered 🤷🏼‍♀️ As it was getting late, we decided to head back via one more bar we had seen in the town. A gin and tonic was €12, however I definitely had at least half a pint of gin, so I guess it was worth it! The heavens decided to open, so it was a quick dash back to the hotel and to bed, ready for another day of exploring.