Summer Holidays - Part 2, Vatersay

We had arrived on Barra but that was not going to be our first island of the trip, after a quick halt in a layby for Hilda to use a patch of grass we were back in the car and heading south to Vatersay. There are no campsites on Vatersay but Wild Camping is permitted and for a donation you can use the facilities at the Community Centre, so this is what we did. The community centre is on the narrow spit of land between two fabulous beaches, Taigh a Bhaigh and Traigh Shiar, this second one featured in The Times top 10 UK beaches to walk your dog on. We parked and pitched our tent just below the sand dunes and after dinner had an evening stroll along Traigh a Bhaigh beach as far as the outgoing tide would let us. We saw plenty of birdlife both in the air and feeding on the tide line plus a grey seal out hunting for it's supper.

A sheltered dip

First Beach of the holidays

First piece of seaweed

Grey Seal out hunting

The outer and inner doors on my little 2-man tunnel tent have multiple zippers allowing me to get thoroughly confused when half-asleep about which one to pull in which direction to get out. But lying snug and warm in sleeping bags and extra blankets (just in case) I unzipped the top part of both doors so we could look out at the sky. Despite the late hour it was still too light to see any stars but there was a lovely moon.

Moon from the tent

Tuesday was a gloriously sunny day, we started with a walk on Traigh Shiar. The sand is crushed shells meaning it is white rather than yellow and the sun shining on the sea turned it a deep turquoise colour, the temptation was too high and within a couple of minutes shoes and socks were off, the trouser legs rolled up and I had joined Hilda paddling in the sea. I may be a Born and Bred Yorkshire Girl but I do draw the line somewhere and did NOT put a knotted handkerchief on my head.

One of the Sunday Times top ten beaches to take your dog to

The tide was going out so there wasn't much beach so we made our way back up and over the dunes to Traigh a Bhaigh and then down and over to the third beach on the island, Bagh A'Deas. We had lunch here and then the shoes and socks came off once more for another paddle. Rather than retrace our steps we continued clockwise round the island following the marker posts that show a circular route starting and finishing at the Community Centre. We stopped plenty of times along the way to watch butterflies and inspect the brightly coloured wildflowers growing everywhere. We detoured off the route to avoid walking through a field full of cows and calves who showed great interest in Hilda over the fence. We ended up back on Trigh Shiar and this time the tide was out and we had the whole of the beach to ourselves - magical!

Bagh A'Deas beach

Crystal clear waters

Proof of Paddling

Splish, Splash, Sploosh!

The car is on that narrow spit of land in the centre

Traigh Shiar again - heaven!

Vatersay Photos

Summer Holidays - Part 1, the journey up

As I was having a spring clean of the computer I discovered that I had written about my and Hilda's trip to Scotland in May this year. On checking I never got round to publishing it so, slightly later than planned, here are our adventures.

The 2017 expedition was once more off to Scotland but this time to the Southern end of the Outer Hebrides to go island hopping. As we were going to be moving on every few days I bought another tent. I wanted one that would have space to move around in but not be excessively heavy and time consuming to put up or take down. After some research I settled on the OlPro Abberley 2-berth tent. The small 2-man tunnel tent got packed as well for those one-night stops.

Meadow Pippit watching us pitch the tent

We set off bright and early on the Sunday morning and took it nice and steady for the nearly 300 mile journey to our first stop at Strathfillan Wigwams. This was just a one-night stop as we were booked onto the Oban to Castlebay ferry the next day. I was woken early on Monday morning by Hilda telling me she was cold, Hilda is a tough hairy dog so if she says she is cold it must be. I realised that I too wasn't as warm as I would like to be so we got up for a quick pee break and to grab an extra blanket from the car. When we got out of the tent we discovered there was a layer of frost on the tent, car and ground. Inspection of Hilda's water bowl revealed it to be frozen over too. Brrr. Back in the tent and wrapped in the extra blanket we both dropped off to sleep for another couple of hours. When we got up again the sun was shining and all traces of frost and ice had gone so it was time for a leisurely breakfast before the short drive to Oban to catch the ferry.

Brrrr! Frost on the outside of the tent

Hilda remembered the ferry port from last year and had a fun time exploring and meeting people as we waited to get on the ferry and also when we were on the ferry. The crossing was 5.5 hours and the first part of the journey was good, it wasn't too cold and there was a gentle movement but nothing to make you (me) feel ill. Once we were past Coll and out into the open water the temperature dropped significantly and the movement picked up. There were two options, stay outside where I could watch the horizon but feel incredibly cold or go indoors where it was nice and warm but there were no windows in the designated dog area so after a while I started to feel a little ill. We alternated, 20 minutes indoors and then 20 minutes out on deck. Once we spotted Barra we stayed out and were joined by quite a few others watching it grow larger.

More Photos

Agility Fun

In June 2016 Hilda had her first go in an agility competition, we entered the All Sorts class which is for dogs who are still learning (we had not mastered the seesaw or weaves at that point) and is sometimes combined with veterans which is for dogs who are retired from competing but still love to take part.

The rules of agility are similar to that of showjumping. You go round a set course and get points for knocked over poles, refusals or being outside the course time. If you go round the course in the wrong order then you are eliminated.

We got eliminated in all our runs at that first competition in June 2016 but we still had a great day out.

By the autumn we had mastered the seesaw and also the weaves so, with some encouragement from the trainers, we entered a competition in December. It seemed a good idea in the warmth of the late September sunshine. It didn't seem like such a good idea when the alarm went off at 5am on a cold wet December morning. We were entered into four classes and again managed to get eliminated from all 4, but for our first ever 'proper' agility competition we had a great time especially as it was an indoor arena so a new experience for us both.

Fast forward to the late spring and more encouragement to enter competitions. The next competition was in early April and again it was 4 eliminations out of 4 classes, but we really enjoyed ourselves and the eliminations were handler error. A few weeks later and we were off again 4 more classes entered but this time only 3 eliminations! We managed to get round one of the courses without getting eliminated and only picking up 5 points for a refusal. We ended up fourth in the class but no rosette, I was so very proud of Hilda.

In June this year we were back at the same show, one year after our first ever visit to an agility competition. We were there for two days and a total of 6 runs. I was hoping that we might get one or two runs without getting eliminated, we managed three. I was even more surprised when we finished one of the runs and got a round of applause from the judge and ring party. Clapping from the judge at the end of a run only happens when you get a clear round. We had just got our first ever clear round, I was grinning from ear to ear. When the results were posted I thought we had come second and was thrilled with that result. When they announced the results over the tanoy for the presentation of rosettes I was a little confused when the second place was awarded to someone else. I decided that I had read the results wrong and we hadn't been placed but I was still thrilled with a clear round. The thrill turned to absolute amazement and joy when Hilda and I were announced as the winners. When I had read the results I had only looked at the times, I had not looked at the penalties, there was one dog who went round faster than Hilda but had picked up points. A win with a clear round within the course time meant we progressed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.

We managed a second win in June, two more in July and two more in September. One of the ones in September was clear but not within the course time so we remain at grade 2 for now.

Hilda and her June Rosettes & Tumblers

Hilda and her July Rosettes

The equipment shaped trophy's for her July win

Hilda and her September Rosettes

What I did in my Holidays

I am just starting to put the finishing touches to the plan for this years main camping trip and have realised I never wrote about last years trip. I wrote about some off days out and about but not our week on a slightly remote island.

Last year I booked a couple of weeks off work at the beginning of May with the idea that we would go camping. I have always wanted to visit the Giant Causeway but the Scottish end appealed to me more than the Irish one did. So after some research I decided on Mull as our destination. Ferries and campsites got booked, the car got packed and on a slightly grey morning we set off.

We took things nice and steady and stopped off at Sallochy Campsite on the shores of Loch Lomand on the way up for an overnight stop (after successfully navigating round the Glasgow by-pass roadworks & diversions). Then the next day it was on to Oban to catch a ferry over to Mull then a drive across the island to Fidden and the campsite that is part of the farm.

The next 5 days were lovely and relaxing and spent walking and exploring and we did fit in an excursion to Fingals Cave on the tiny island of Staffa. Sadly the stay came to an end far too quickly and once more we made our way across the island to catch the ferry to the mainland. This time we avoided Glasgow and it's roadworks and made our way over towards Edinburgh and Linwater Campsite where we had an overnight stop on our way home.

We both had a fabulous time, from the tent we were about 25 paces from a lovely white sand beach which looked out towards Iona where we could watch the sun set every evening. Lots of photos were taken, mostly of the huge variety of wildlife that surrounded us. The only two things that we saw that I didn't manage to get photos of were a cuckoo and a nightjar.

If you are interested in seeing any of the photos click here Hannah & Hilda's May 2016 Scotland Camping Trip Photos

wiggle wiggle wiggle

When Hilda turned one we started doing agility. I had wanted to go to the fun agility classes but they were on at a time when I am at work so we ended up going to the competitive classes.

I enjoy going to agility but compared to Hilda my enthusiasm is just a passing interest, she loves it. We have advanced to the point where, after a year's worth of classes, she could do all the pieces of equipment including the weaves!

Hilda practising weaving in the local park

So in December last year we were talked into entering a competition, we had a great time but were eliminated in all four of our runs, the same happened at a competition at the start of April this year. But I don't care it's great fun and a certain hairy little girl thoroughly enjoys herself and that is the most important thing.

But having said that it would be nice to get round without getting eliminated.

At the end of April we achieved this! We got 3 eliminations but one run where we made it round and just picked up 5 faults.

Next challenge get round without getting eliminated and without picking up any faults.

Pink?

I don't really wear pink, it's not me. If I have to wear pink then I usually go for a bright fuchsia knock your eyes out shade.

I don't really run either. Last time I did any serious running I tripped over my own feet and broke my leg.

So how exactly I have ended up being part of the Pretty Muddy Leiborschy Ladies and doing one of the Cancer Research Race For Life Pretty Muddy events is still a bit of a mystery to me.

But I am taking part with a bunch of other equally crazy ladies, should you have a few pennies free then Click Here to Sponsor me (please)

Most Improved

I was asked and asked and pestered and nattered at to go to the dog training AGM the other evening.

So in the end I gave in and went, it was worth it.

Hilda and I were awarded Most Improved Handler/Dog in Agility. We get to keep the trophy for a whole year.