A-Camping We Will Go!

As I've said before, I love this random local Monday holiday in June.  Seems like oor wee toon loves it too as there are always 101 events and activities that happen just this weekend, including the local Scout raft race (which Lightning is desperate to take part in - and actually out church took part in it this year).

Anyway, a day off from school for me can never be wasted, even if the toon is trying to keep us here, so back up to Loch Morlich we went, this time adding a SUP to the already fully packed car.  

There really is no more space left! I couldn't put my feet
anywhere near down, and all the kids had their clothes for the weekend
on their laps... Time for a trailer me thinks!?!

It was absolutely cracking weather again all weekend, so the majority of each day was spent on the beach and in the loch.  The two SUPS were a most popular addition, though I think four of them spent as much time wrestling, pushing and jumping between and off them as they spent paddling on them!

Some were even brave enough to do some open water 
swimming - a first for Lightning!!

By early / mid afternoon I'd totally had enough of the sun and sand, so despite many a kid's complaint, out on our bikes we went - on Saturday around Loch Morlich and on Sunday down to Aviemore along the Old Logging Trail for some much earned ice cream.

And man everyone did well with the Sunday ride - in fact, I think we again cycled up the hill home quicker than we did going down, and that was with one toddler in a bike carrier, one small boy on a bike attached to his dad's, and another 7-year old being helped up the hills by the same dad.  Very, very impressive!

Anyway, other than lots of eating, chatting and battling the mean ole' midgies, that was about it.  The midgies actually, they really were a pest this year - to the point on Monday when we were taking down our tent that we wished we were all wearing those awful-looking (but actually super practical) midgie net hats.  They were honestly, horrendous, and we were all suffering badly on Monday morning, perhaps because the sun wasn't out or as strong?!?  Which also put paid to our plan of having a wee trip up the Cairngorm Mountain Railway, which I think only reopened earlier this year.

The loch is definitely down there somewhere!

So instead we travelled back down to the Glenmore Visitor Centre and enjoyed a very delicious full english before starting the journey home. 

Fabulous weekend with fabulous weather and fabulous friends!