Celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary Amidst Autumn Hues.
Fifty years ago, we said "I do". Five decades, countless memories, and a lifetime of shared laughter later, we found ourselves asking how best to celebrate our Golden Wedding Anniversary. The answer felt written in the leaves. We decided to chase the utimate seasonal symphony, matching our golden milestone with the spectacular, fiery palette of autumn.
Packing our warmest woollen scarves, we set off, with the family, on a romantic road trip through two of the most breath taking landscapes in the UK: the timeless English Lake District and the wild, majestic Trossachs in Scotland.
Our first stop was at HPB's Ivy House in Braithwaite (located near Keswick). After our journey we all enjoyed well deserved beer/wine at The Royal Oak, a traditional country inn. Fortunately, located very close to Ivy House as the first named storm of the autumn - Storm Austen - brought heavy rain to the area. We then returned to the Ivy House's Restaurant for an excellent meal.
The next morning storm Boelo was battering Cumbria and an amber weather warning for rain and wind was in place. We decided to drive from Keswick towards Borrowdale along the edge of Derwent Water. The storm had caused widespread tree falls and debris on the road. When we stoppped at Kettlewell car park we decided to return to Ivy House.
The rain stopped in the afternoon so the family decided to tackle Barrow Fell, a popular 455 metre "starter" fell. While it isn't strictly on the shoreline, its ridge walk serves up spectacular, panoramic views of multiple lakes, including Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake. It really was one of those walks where you know the weather might be poor, but you give yourself permission to turn around if you're not enjoying yourself or conditions get really poor. As the family made their way up the fell, it began to get increasingly windy, with strong gusts making it a little difficult to walk up. They made it to the top.
Leaving England behind, we drove north stopping at the falls of Clyde to stretch our legs. There had been plenty of rain from the storm so the river and falls were thunderous and spectacular. Amazing views and a lovely series of walks to all four of the falls.
We continued our journey north into Scotland to experience the rugged romanticism of The Trossachs National Park. If the Lake District felt like a beautifully painted canvas, the Trossachs felt entirely cinematic.
We arrived at our destination, HPB's Tigh Mor. A striking Gothic-Baronial building located on the northern shores of Loch Achray. Known as the "big house in the Trossachs," it features fairy tale turrets and grand architecture.
The original hotel was built in 1849 as the Trossachs Hotel. It historically hosted prominent guests, including Queen Victoria. After falling into severe disrepair by the 1980s, the building was rescued, restored, and converted into holiday apartments by HPB.
We were so lucky to be staying in a stunning one bedroom apartment in one of the turrets. The family were in two additional two bedroom apartments, all with beautiful views of Loch Achray.
The next day we all set off to drive over the Duke's Pass. At first the road tightly hugs the Loch with a fantastic view of Tigh Mor and a herd of Highland cows, grazing in the fields. We then rattle through sharp bends left and right. I was grateful I was not the one behind the wheel and I simply leaned back and enjoyed the views along the way.
We parked at the Lodge Forest Visitor Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. A starting point for a network of woodland and hill trails. From the visitor centre we followed Caroline and white waymarkers along a wide gravel path to An Eas a'Mhangain (the Falls of the Little Fawn). As we walked we could hear a small stream ahead gradually gowning louder. We reach the edge of the stream, looked to our left, and there - as if by magic - appeared a narrow gorge. And at its far end, a waterfall cascades down the steep, rocky slope. The water in the stream is golden brown coloured from the peaty soils.
We continued walking, the trail sloped gently downhill until we reached a small clearing, and there, on a pedestal of rocks, stands the life-size bronze sculpture of a woman. She has one hand raised to shield her eyes from the sun, and the other wrapped around the slender handle of an axe. She's known as Lumberjill and stands representative for all members of the Women's Timber Corps, an arm of the Women's Land Army during the Second World War. Between 1942 and 1946 women and girls all over England and Scotland, some as young as 14 years old, were recruited to replace the men who had gone to war. They felled trees, stripped their trunks, loaded them on trucks and trains, and milled the timber wherever it was needed. But as the Corps was disbanded, their service fell into oblivion and there was never any official recognition for the lumberjills of Scotland. In 2006, an artist was commissioned to create a memorial and one year later this sculpture was unveiled.
We continued on our hill trail with a stunning view at the top. The fantastic lichen on the trees attest to the quality of the air.
That evening we felt we had earned our cocktails, made by Mike in the coffee jug ,which we enjoyed in the Games Room, whilst the grandchildren entertained themselves, followed by a delicious meal at Scott's Bisto.
The next morning a first ever fishing experience with Ricky, the Ghillie, and what a teacher. The amount of knowledge this man has is unbelievable. It wasn't just fishing either. From the local wildlife (otters) and places to visit Ricky seemed to know absolutely everything about the area. You could tell straight away this isn't just a job to him - it's something he genuinely lives and breathes. Five rainbow trout caught and two cooked that evening - so delicious. An absolute gentleman with a real passion for what he does. I wish him all the success as he takes over from the recently retired Ghillie. If you're thinking about booking a lesson I cannot speak too highly of him. Tel: 07597337787 or see him down at the Fishing Hut at the Lochside, Tigh Mor.
The family rented bikes from the car park at Loch Katrine from Katrine Wheelz and rode on the 14-mile paved path on the northern shore to the top of the Loch and back. (Unfortunately, the Sir Walter Scott boat had closed for the season so they couldn't do the boat trip and ride back from Stronachlachar ). We were warned the cycle path has numerous long and steep climbs so Grandad and I decided to walk.
As they set off Phil and I walked to Brenachoile Point and then returned the same way which is roughly 4 miles in total. It's a great walk, which is completely flat. A big win in my view! And we all arrived back at the same time.
In the afternoon we drove to Callendar and the Woollen Mill there. At the Woollen Mill we smiled when we noticed they were selling bags of food to allow tourists to feed the Highland cows! There is always someone with a novel idea for making a bob or two.
We then drove to the Upper/Trailhead Car Park, not far away, for the start of the walking trail to Bracklinn Falls Bridge (a visit recommended by Ricky, the Ghillie). The falls are very picturesque and well worth visiting. Due to all the recent rain the river was gushing, crashing against the rocks and it was quite an impressive sight.
That evening we enjoyed Pizza from the van at Tigh Mor. Very good.
The next day the family decided to climb Tigh Mor's neighbour Ben A'an. They loved the adventure. Though short in distance, it packs a remarkably steep punch and is often described as a "mountain in miniature". 4 kms roundtrip. Elevation approx 1,115 feet.
After all that exercise lunch was extra special at Nick's at Port of Menteith.
Sadly the following day the family had to leave for home so we decided to visit the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies in Falkirk.
The Falkirk Wheel is a 35 metre high rotating boat lift, the world's first, connecting the Forth & Clyde and Union canals. An interesting day out if you are into mechanical feats of engineering. Pleasant barge ride to the top and back. The barge operators are fun and knowledgeable and make the trip enjoyable.
For lunch we can thoroughly recommend The Croft and Creel in Falkirk. Don't be put off by the location - the area looks rather tired but inside the restaurant is very nice and the staff lovely. The food was also excellent and very good value.
After lunch we headed to the Kelpies. The Kelpies are the world's largest equine sculptures, standing at 30 metres tall and weighing over 300 tonnes each. Well worth the visit. They are an incredible sight. Mind blowing!
For some exercise the next day we did The Lendrick Hill and Dam Walk (orange walk). Heading up the hill north from the Lendrick Hill car park, the route heads west to Glen Finglas Reservoir before returning through Brig o'Turk. Several lovely vantage points with stunning views over the lower woodland area of Glen Finglas estate, Achray Forest and Ben Venue. Distance 6km. Time approx. 2 hours.
Sunday dawned a beautiful day. No wind and beautiful sunshine.
We headed once again to Loch Katrine, framed by the peaks of Ben A'an and Ben Venue. In 1810, the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott published a poem called 'The Lady of the Lake'. As the story goes, three men fight for the heart of Ellen Douglas. Among them is Roderick Dhu of Clan Alpine, who rules the glens from his castle on an island in Loch Katrine. And with this, Scott laid the foundation of a trend that would continue until this very day.
You see, Scott was a very successful writer. In less than a year he sold over 25,000 copies of this poem and among his greatest fans was Queen Victoria. Inspired, by Scott's romantic poems and historical novels, she travelled up to Scotland to see the locations of these stories for herself. And where the Queen goes, others follow.
Soon Loch Katrine became a tourist attraction. Visitors would arrive by boat or by train in Glasgow, travel up into the Trossachs to Aberfoyle or Callander and continue along winding mountain passes to the shores of the Loch. Rickety huts were built along the Loch shore, rowing boats took visitors out on to the water and finally, in 1843, the first steamship arrived. It sank after just a week in operation but it was soon replaced by a more reliable boat.
The Trossachs Tour became the latest rage in tourism. During her reign, Queen Victoria sailed across Loch Katrine twice and reported in her diary how captivating it was to journey to the locations described by Scott.
The Loch is often called the 'Birthplace of Scottish Tourism" and I can easily see the appeal.
We could not have picked a better day with wall to wall sunshine for the boat trip on the Loch. We sat on the top deck although it was a little chilly.
We then left the shore behind, crossed the car park, and picked up the trail to one of the viewpoints above the Loch.
It's named after Roderick Dhu, an 18th century clan chief and one of the main characters in Scott's poem. Roderick and his men climbed up to this vantage point to keep an eye out for Redcoats travelling up the glen - patrolling government troops looking for the notorious cattle thief Rob Roy MacGregor. Another figure eternalised by Sir Walter Scott and another one of his stories set right here on the Loch.
Scott himself is said to have climbed up the very same path to gather inspiration for its legends but with time the trail became overgrown. For years, the viewpoint lay forgotten until the summer of 2024 when the National Park reinstated the path and built a new view tower overlooking the Loch.
As we climbed higher, stone steps gave way to wooden boardwalks. A handrail offered support and kept us on the trail.
Every now and then, we paused to look at the trees around us. A gnarly birch tree caches my eye. It's scaly stem is covered in lichen and moss and the bark beneath is barely visible. Further up mushrooms are sprouting from its trunk and reaching towards the sunlight. As my gaze follows them upwards, I notice that the tree has no branches or leaves. It's dead and yet, it's alive, giving it's last days to the eco-system around it.
Growing sideways from a birch trunk is a Horse's Hoof Fungus. This bracket fungus is well named - it looks remarkably like a horse's hoof. Most of it lives hidden inside the tree as a vast network of fine filaments called hyphae, drawing nutrients from the wood. In effect, it is slowly digesting the birch from within, and the tree can tolerate the infection for many years before eventually succumbing. During warm, dry weather in late spring and early summer, microscopic spores drift from fine pores on the underside of the hoof-shaped body. Carried on air currents, they spread the fungus to new trees. And before matches existed, fungi like this were essential tools for making and moving fire.
The path continues and we get a view of BenA'an. It's characteristic pointy peak is clearly visible and I even spot a few tiny figures - hikers who have taken on this short, but feisty path just like my grandchildren did a couple of days ago.
The Abbotsford in Callander is an excellent spot for a Scottish-style Sunday lunch. What can I say?!!
On our departure day the low autumn mist was hanging softly over the water as the rising sun caught the yellow larch trees, casting a dreamlife, ethereal glow over the entire landscape. We finished our packing and prepared to leave.
It's time to head home, via the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Glorious countryside. Did get caught in a Sheep Jam though!!
We stayed one night in Askrigg at the Kings Arms dating back to 1760. Familiar to many people as The Drovers, the inn that featured in the TV series All Creatures Great and Small.
En route we stopped to view Hardraw Force. England's highest single-drop waterfall (100 foot) in the grounds of The Green Dragon Inn. A legendary, unspoilt 13th century Dales Inn complete with stone walls, flagstone floors, low beams and a roaring open fire. We cosied up by the roaring log fire and raised a glass of rose wine and a glass of local ale to 50 years of navigating life's waters together.
And with this, I send you off to dream about your own trip to the Lake District, the Trossachs and the Yorkshire Dales. What a fabulous way to spend a Golden Wedding Anniversary.
