Although I could have stayed at the Tarland by Deeside campsite as part of my welfare weekends, I had already booked six nights there in September, so I ended up staying as part of my tour of the north east of Scotland after I finished my contract. This is an absolutely stunning area of the country, with the Dee similar to the Spey, a beautiful shallow river spanned by many Victorian iron bridges, with lots of pretty little towns and villages around it.

It is also castle country, so on the way there, and while I was staying I visited a few of the ones I have previously blogged about. I didn’t have time to visit all of the ones in the area, so am hoping to see a few more on my way up to my caravan storage this year.

The campsite is gorgeous, very similar to Speyside as it is very wooded, with shaded pitches and views of the hills.

The village with some lovely shops and cafes is within walking distance, and the first day I was there they had a food a drink festival, so I got to go and see some more fantastic pipe bands.

There are also the Tarland Trails near the campsite, with lots of purpose built mountain bike trails, and part of these are in Drummy Woods, which is right next to the site. I had a short walk through the woods after the food festival, and met some very nice cows!

As well as a couple of lovely chilled days sitting reading, stitching, and enjoying the peace and quiet, I also ticked off somewhere that has been on my bucket list for a long time. Several of the people I follow on Instagram have done this walk and it looked fantastic. Ciss Outdoors, who I have followed on Instagram for a while, has just set up a fantastic website full of useful information about hiking in Scotland and beyond. Sam Culley has a You Tube and Instagram that I have used when planning lots of my adventures in places like the Peak District and Yorkshire.

The walk was on the Balmoral Estate and covered visiting some of the memorial cairns built for Queen Victoria’s family. The royal family were there at Balmoral when I visited, so I couldn’t do the full trail, but did get to see Princess Beatrice’s and the famous Albert Memorial, which is a pyramid overlooking the edge of the Cairngorms.

This was an amazing moment, it is quite a steep climb, but so worth it, and a very emotional one for me. Those of you who have been following me for a long time know that I have had a number of issues with my mobility over the years.

For about five years before I retired I was struggling to walk, and needed a stick even to walk short distances in the last years, which was partly why I took early retirement. To be able to do all the things I do now, especially after a season of tough physical work, is amazing, and standing up there looking at these views is something I will never forget, and be eternally grateful for.

The following day I visited the nearby Muir of Dinnet, a nature reserve with trails up through the woodland, and around Loch Kinnord. It was a beautiful day, the views were stunning, and I had a quiet picnic by the loch, just thinking about how lucky I am.

If you get a chance to visit the area, please do. It is so beautiful, and a real undiscovered gem of Scotland.

I am on the final two days of life here in La Marina. It will be sad to leave, I have had a fantastic few months, but am SO EXCITED to be going back to the UK and to Scotland!!! I still have to pinch myself that this is my life, it really does keep getting better and better.

There will be a quiet couple of weeks, blog wise, as I am visiting friends and family, but then am having a couple of weeks of caravan life where amongst some outdoor activities, I will be mainly writing. I have been very disciplined this week and have gone back to the first novel, in an effort to finally finish it this year. The last few chapters are the most difficult, but really interesting, as they are the ones set at Hardwick Hall in the 1940s, so I have been doing lots of interesting research.

So until I see you again, have fun, and thanks for visiting.