31st May 2022 Hi, This is my first blog post retirement in September last year. As traveling restrictions have eased I thought I would test the water (literally), with a trip in which I could try and restart my scuba diving career which has been in abeyance since 2016. Having had long covid which adversely affected my lungs, the whole question of being able to dive with an aqualung in the future was in some doubt. My last diving trip had been in the Lanzarote ...

September 25th 2021 Hi, Welcome to only my second blog of the year. Hopefully 2022 will generate a few more outings from home with camera in tow. Anyhow the baby of the family, my wee sister Rachel was hitting the Big Six - 0, so a family gathering was in order. Due to the foreign travel situation Rachel's preferred villa ...

12th June 2021 Hi, After a period of 20 months and no travel blog it was time to get out there…! The last work related get together was back in March 2020 just two days prior to the first lockdown. Sharon came up with a plan to climb Goat Fell (also spelt Goatfell) on the Isle of Arran back in the spring of this year and I was one of the first to put my hand up. I had only been to Arran twice. The first was back in 1968 I think, when my brother and I t...

12th November 2019 Hi Nova Scotia (New Scotland) had always seemed like an interesting place to visit, especially for someone like myself who is interested in Scottish history and culture. However it also seemed like an awkward place to get to with no direct routes. A few years ago my newspaper flagged up that direct flights were starting so I put it onto my list and eventually the time came around.... My friend Graham and I share a love of history and music a...

Hi, When you drive up the M74 from England you see a sign for Drumlanrig Castle. I must have passed it dozens of times but never visited. In 2011 there was a half marathon at the location and I went down to run it. The castle isn't near the road at all. You meander through conical hills and eventually you see it at the top of a magnificent tree lined drive. It was at the end of October but the castle was closed. I had always meant to return and see the interior ...