Housesitting in Scotland Week 2

Kayaking with Arbroath Cliff Tours. Here we are in one of the 'Big 5' caves, Stalactite Cave 

Wednesday as Angus was in DDC (doggy daycare) we took ourselves out. Colin and Louise had mentioned a kayaking trip they had been on, along the cliffs we walked on on Monday. The photographs they had looked stunning. When we parked up for our walk we saw Cameron of Arbroath Cliff Tours waiting for his next group, so went to say hi, we kept seeing them as we walked round, and then In the But’n’Ben having our lunch, the staff were all talking about the kayak trip they were going on ‘tomorrow’. It just seemed we had to do it! 

Inside Moby's Cave through the very narrow entrance

He kitted us up in shortie wetsuits, booties and life jackets, and after a short safety briefing off we went, just the two of us and Alison, a solo guest. A lovely number, for the three hour tour. There was space for one of us in the double kayak with Cam, so as Alison has her own kayak, I went in the double. Sea conditions were perfect, more important than sun obviously and we were very lucky, we got to see his ‘top 5’ best caves, including one he hadn’t been in for a fortnight. All of the caves have names, but we can’t remember them (Brian: yes we can: Stalactite Cave, Moby's Cave, Smugglers Cave, Blowhole Cave and the Bunker Cave). We also made it into, and out of very narrow Moby's cave, just in time as about 10 minutes later the tide would have made it undo able. We came out, just in time to see the dolphins swim past the entrance, jumping and playing. I had said I’d ‘booked’ the dolphins, but still didn’t expect it to happen. So very lucky! Cam has only been doing this since lockdown as before this he was a wedding musician and a photographer, neither of which were happening, so he was out exploring, taking pictures, at which he is very talented, to find people wanted to get out with him. We had a great day and can thoroughly recommend a trip out if you are up this way.

Paddling out to the Horseshoe

Most of Angus’s walks since then have been round the golf course, which he is very happy with as it avoids the indignity of being lifted into the car, as the weather has been unpredictable. Not actually too bad, apart from Saturday which was horrible, but not guaranteed, though today looks lovely so we might take him out after lunch. We did take ourselves to the blue door walk, along the river which was very pretty, by only taking ourselves it meant we didn’t have to worry about Angus balancing on the cliff edge, on three legs, marking that bit of grass growing into space. It also meant that we could stop to look at the red squirrel and the dippers, which would never have coincided with where he wanted to stop!

Dolphins ahoy! They did play and leap into the air in front of us, but catching that moment rarely happens

Yesterday we went to Broughty Ferry, (no ferry now since the Tay bridge opened) as a stop off en route to Sole Body Soul, the foot clinic I went to 7 years ago on our first stay here as I’d been having problems with my Achilles’ tendons. The shoe inserts I bought have lasted amazingly well, but it’s time for some new ones. Sadly once there they found the delivery hadn’t come in so they didn’t have what I needed, so we are back tomorrow! Broughty Ferry has an interesting castle come museum, though we had been before when we got there, but that’s ok. We went into the town for lunch which was very pleasant before walking back along the sea to the car, only to get caught in a horizontal downpour. We looked very funny as we dashed back into the museum, as harlequins, both wet on the right sides of our legs but dry on the left!

Paddling in front of the Needles Eye

Chilling has been taken very seriously, though it’s not all we’ve been doing. Brian has been scanning and labelling old family photographs and I’ve been working on the jigsaw dad and Elizabeth gave us a couple of years ago for Christmas. We brought it here as we knew the table would be big enough! While scanning he has to jump up every now and then to rescue his new best toy, it’s not quite as amusing as the robot lawnmower from last year, but the robot vacuum cleaner does make you smile!

Here we are wading into the water in Bunker Cave

Paddling into Dickmonts Den a deep inlet 

Making silly shapes in the entrance to Smugglers Cave

We paddled into Mermaids Kirk and Cam pointed out a cliff jumping site. It wasn't that high and Cam assured me the water was plenty deep enough so, it had to be tried!

The entrance to Rocks of Solitude riverside walk. Everyone knows it as the Blue Door Walk for obvious reasons and you can make it as long or as short as you want along a very pretty gorge with plunging waterfalls and sometimes precipitous drops

Walking along a high section of the track

You can scramble down in various places to get up close to some stretches

Saw these two Dippers on a rock in the river

And this very cute Red Squirrel in the trees on the banks

Back to the house for some Hector love

He does like to chill out in style!

I did go for a ParkRun on Saturday and got a reasonable time, but it wasn't the best of weather!

Saw this hedgehog too while taking Angus out for his bedtime walk

Angus wearing his towel coat after getting a bit wet on one of his walks. We can change clothes, but he can't!

Angus on todays coastal walk along EastHaven near Arbroath

Hector in his little house

Angus on one of his walks through Letham Grange