The Steven Family website

January 2022

We started the year with a canoe trip. A fast trip down the South Esk to Brechin. A few fallen trees and branches kept us on our toes as we wizzed downstream! A good day out with an instant roast beef dinner on the table within an hour of getting home, just what we needed.
John was quickly back to work, followed by Wendy and eventually Euan went back to school.
Euan should have started pool sessions for kayak club but the first one was postponed so we popped down to our campsite in the woods and did some maintenance, it's looking good.
Euan got his second covid jab, John got some new glasses and we grabbed a couple of pizzas whilst in Perth, they survived the drive home and were devoured in minutes once home.
We popped down to Berwick to take Aunty Gillian out for her birthday. Slight change of plan, the Turkish restaraunt was closed (until March) so we went to the Queen's Head. Very tasty.
Euan and John rounded off the month by rebuilding the web server on a wet Sunday afternoon.

February

The month started with John popping down to Berwick with a new printer for Aunty Gillian. It took a bit longer to install than anticipated but we got there in the end.
Euan has continued with pool sessions for kayak club, except for a two week break for pool maintenance. On return he managed a roll!!
Some time has been spent in the woods sorting out the camp. The routes in are all compromised by fallen trees, but that means there is loads of firewood. John & Euan spent a night down there to test the tent repairs, they were fine. It was cooler than anticipated but we survived, coming home to an excellent bacon roll for breakfast.
Wendy & John got a nights peace as Euan had a sleepover at Shan's. We entertained the budgie but he wasn't interested in the film.
Euan & John spent some time setting up a mail server, limited sucess, much harder than a web server.

March

Euan has been busy this month with kayak club, back outside, and scout camps. After the last pool session we even managed a few hours climbing at Bennybeg on a sunny afternoon.
Whilst Euan was at his second scout camp, John & Wendy walked into a new bothy - Shielin of Mark. A two hour slog up hill carrying a bag of coal, but well worth it. A nice wee bothy and we managed to keep the fire in overnight to keep the chill off the place. We also invented the breakfast wrap, having sorted scrambled egg, in a boil in the bag bag, we added a couple of sausages, very tasty.
Wendy had some random days off to use up her annual leave and went gallavanting round the country, well a visit to Aberdeen to meet Aunty Jennifer.

April

Lots of outdoor activities in April. The first weekend we went west, to Cashel campsite on the banks of Loch Lomond as reconnaissance for the West Highland Way trip later in the year. Having attempted (unsuccessfully) to cycle part of the route from Rowardennan to Inversnaid, we can confidentaly say we'll stick to the plan of hiking it in July.
The great bothy trip eventually happened. Euan, Cian & Shan (Driven by John) walked into Luib Chonnal bothy an d spent two nights there. On day two John walked out and moved the car to Melgarve and walked back in to rejoin the boys. A good time was had and they were exhausted at the end of it.
During the Easter holidays, Euan went to stay with Auntie Rosemary and Uncle Brodie for a couple of days. He helped out with feeding the lambs and ponies and even managed to get some driving lessons from Rosemary!
We spent the Easter weekend at Rothiemurchus campsite near Aviemore. On Good Friday we set off on a bike ride, to visit Ryvoan bothy before heading back past Loch Morlich and back to the campsite. Euan had a little solo adventure on his bike later to do a lap of Loch An Eilean. He managed to remember the route back and did so without injury! On Saturday we headed to Inverness on the train for a bit of retail therapy and tent research. This involved a lot of walking round the industrial estates of Inverness. We were all starving by the time we found somewhere nice for dinner. John particularly enjoyed his pasta with duck ragu.
Euan was away at scout adventure camp in Glen Lyon at the end of the month. He had a great time and we have a souvenir in the shape of a giant wooden mallet he made, currently being used as a doorstop for the garden shed. While Euan was away, John and Wendy were lucky enough to go and distill their own gin at Kingsbarns distillery courtesy of Brodie and Rosemary. It was a fun afternoon and we are looking forward to sampling the gin once its had a little while to mature.

May

John started the month with a day off, mostly spent collecting Euan & Shan from the scout camp up Glen Lyon.
At the weekend we had a family run into Perth on the Saturday, farmers market, haircuts etc. Once home we played with the new tent in the garden. Euan slept in it and declared it good.
Sundaysaw us have a good days climbing at Bennybeg, busy but not too bad.
The following weekend was afamily adventure to Shielin of Mark bothy but we didn't quite manage to get too it. Never mind, we found a suitable alternative and Euan used the new tent again. Nice walk out in the morning and home by mid afternoon.
Euan completed his bronze DofE exped the following weekend whist Wendy & John had lunch out at the Pickled Peacock. Sunday was a long day by the time we collected Euan and brought him home, he sort of enjoyed the exped.
Euan & John went back to Glen Lee and camped at Tarfside, excellent spot. We tried cyclin up to Muckle cairn but it started raining so we turned back.
John ended the month with a few days off work. He took himself off to cycle into Ben Alder Cottage bothy. The first 11km were excellent but the last 3km were a peat bog. Nice bothy once there, didnt explore much as the rain set in mid afternoon. Got home OK and started packing for the Tay trip................but that's next month.

June

We started the month with a three day trip down the River Tay. We got Wendy to drop us off at the picnic site just past Kenmore. We paddled out to the small island and set up camp. Next morning we packed up and set off to Grandtully. We got there in under 4 hours, we were whizzing along. This meant we had a lazy afternoon around the campsite. The following morning we portaged down past the bottom rapid, loaded the boat and set off for Dunkeld. Slight headwind on the last stretch but we made it and managed a food resupply. Another hours paddling got us to a nice little island to camp on. Saturday we got up, loaded up and paddled down to Isla meet where Wendy met us and brought us home.
We all went to see Top Gun - Maverick on Sunday - Excellent.
The following weekend was a bit less hectic, a lazy Saturday and a good day climbing at Black Crag on the Sunday. Some good lead climbing by Euan & Shan.
We all returned to Tarfside for a nights camping, a bit breezy but we survived. Good little 10km bike ride on the Sunday before coming home.
We rounded off the month with a quieter weekend at home, the Sunday spent dismantling and upgrading laptops after a quick 10km bike ride.

July

Euan & John started the month with a good days climbing at Black Crag followed by a BBQ in the evening.
We all ventured up to Shielin of Mark bothy, training for the West Highland Way. A good evening, some interesting company in bothy.
The West Highland Way trip took Wendy & Euan a week to complete, starting on the hottest days of the year! The first day was a short walk from Milngavie to Drymen, where John had set up camp and had dinner sorted. He then came home to look after the budgie whilst they tackled the rest of the trek.
We rounded off the month with a karting session at Knockhill, good fun, John got a puncture and his lap times suffered.
The last weekend of the month saw us load up the car and trailer and head off up to Kylesku for our big canoe trip...........

August

We started the month with a trip to Kylesku to visit two bothies. The plan was to spend a night in each of the bothies but the weather forecast was poor so we had lunch at the first bothy, Glencoul, then paddled round to Glendhu and set up home for two nights. The second day was spent hiding from the wind & rain but we managed. The third day we paddled back to Kylesku and drove to Evanton, to a camping pod & showers! The chinese take away for dinner was excellent. A nice run home saw us back in time to unload, jump on a bus to Perth and go to the pub for dinner.
After kayak club for Euan, John & Euan cycled out to visit the Red House bothy, nice. It was busy with work still being carried out so we camped nearby. A hard cycle into a headwind the next day was rewarded with a good run back to the car. A small snack in Braemar and we headed home.
The following sunday we popped down to Berwick and took Aunty Gillian across to the Jim Clark museum at Duns. A nice bit of lunch in the Jim Clark Bistro and then headed home. A nice day out.
Euan had his Teen Drive session at Knockhill, a christmas present, and he did very well. A couple of days later and it was back to school!
John went kayaking on the Tay with the kayak club, got a blister but can still roll.
For Wendy's birthday we took her to Callater Stables bothy with a nice picnic lunch from Braemar on the Sunday.
The month ended with John having the Bank holiday Monday off so he took himself off to Faindouran lodge bothy. 20km good hard cycling into the wilds of the Cairngorms. He returned safely, in one piece and not even too munched by midgies.

September

On Thursday 8th the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth 2nd was announced. This led to a few days of mourning and an extra bank holiday.
We started the month with a free event at Errol Village hall where we got some free bits for the bikes and some tips on maintainance.
John managed a bit of surfing at St Andrews before popping down to see the funeral cortege come past. There was a lot of vehicles involved, including a spare hearse.
We took advantage of the extra bank holiday by cycling into Faindouran Lodge bothy. 25km, each way, into the wilds of the Cairngorms. There were some other people there and a pleasant evening ensued, sat around a good stove.
Euan & John cycled into Gorton bothy the following weekend, OK but probably just as easy to walk into.

October

October started with Euan doing some training for his upcoming DofE exped and then we were off on our holidays. A nice cottage in the Lake District for a week. We went the long way, calling in to see Gillian on the way down.
The week was good although we didn't get to the Black Country Living Museum as hoped. Train cancellations and the museum was shut for a couple of days! We had a good run home, after a scrummy breakfast at Tebay services.
The following weekend Euan & John went searching for a new bothy, Carron. We found it, after an hours walk down a stream, definitely wellies next time.
Euan was away on his DofE practice expedition so Wendy & John popped over to Crainlarich youth hostel for a night out. Nice dinner at the hotel next door. On the Sunday we walked into Abbysinia bothy, about 45 mins each way. Nice bothy, need to come back and stay sometime.
John nipped off for a solo bike trip into Alt Sche..... bothy. Arrived in the dark, pleasant evening. On Sunday he went looking for Sarah's bothy, just north of Dunkeld. Found it but hard going to cycle into.

November

Euan had a sleepover at Shan's and John & Wendy had a quiet weekend cooking and generally pottering about.
Wendy & Euan popped up to Shetland for a few days, a smooth crossing despite the weather.
Euan has continued with kayak club on Saturday's and they have been training for the Silver DofE exped.
We ended the month with visitors here for dinner, to celebrate Euan's birhtday.

December

A cold & wet start to the month with Euan paddling on Loch Faskally. We had a short bike ride on the Sunday and whilst Wendy was out in Perth, we cooked a beef stew for dinner.
The following weeknd was the santa paddle with kayak club and on Sunday we went to the theatre. We went to Pitlochry to see "Peter & Wendy" an updated Peter Pan. It was very good. We had dinner in Perth on the way home.
All change for John's work, after 13 years of the night run for Tuffnells, they ended the contract. John is still with the same employer but now away all week.
Wendy was out in Edinburgh for afternoon tea so John & Euan popped down to Berwick to see auntie Gillian and swap Xmas presents.
John had some time off between Xmas and New Year so he dragged everyone off to a bothy for a couple of nights. Stove worked this year so we did two nights. Wendy & Euan walked out and did a food resupply whilst John collected firewood. Four other people joined us on the second night and it was very cosy with a good fire going.

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2022