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April

We started the month with a bothy trip and some driving practice for Euan. We set off from Invergarry and let Euan drive to Dalwhinnie on the way up. We had excellent weather for the walk in and out. We let Euan drive back to Dalwhinnie on the way back. Once Home we took Euan's new kayak to Perth ready for him paddling on Monday.
The following weekend John decided to cycle into Camban bothy. "Might be a bit rough in places" said Wendy. It was more than "a bit rough" but he survived. Got home in time to take Euan and a canoe to Meigle for a padddle. Went back later with the other canoe and joined him on the river.
Home for an early night before an early start for the airport. We went back to Portugal so John & Euan could do some more Scuba diving. It was a pleasant few days away.
Whilst we were away Angus & Brodie popped up and did a bathroom renovation for us - it looks excellent now.
We rounded off the month with a quiet weekend at home.

May

We started May with another bothy trip, this time way up north of Inverness. We could drive to the doorstep and we did, eventually. The next day we visited two more bothies in the area, covering 31km of hard cycling. We had the bothy to ourselves on the second night. A slick departure in the morning saw us home at a reasonable time, ready for John to go in and sllep in the lorry ready for an early start.
John didn't get home until the Saturday morning and had a quiet day around the house. John & Euan went to St Andrews for a bit of surfing, small, but good to be out paddling.
Wendy & John went off to another bothy at the weekend, leaving Euan at home to fend for himself. A good 3 hour walk in with good weather. Excellent views from bothy, all the way to Fife. Only 2:45 walk out. Home to feed the abandoned youth, he had hardly noticed we were away!
At the Bank holiday weekend at the end of the month, Euan & John went off to do a recce for the Spey trip we have planned. An excellent couple of days collecting some very useful information for the trip. Ran home on the Sunday which meant we could go kayaking at Stanley on the Monday. John pottered about with the canoes, checking them out for the Spey trip.
We rounded the month off with a quick trip to Berwick to see Gillian.

June

A slightly different start to this month, John drove down on Sunday afternoon for work. This was so he could do an early delivery in Birmingham on the Monday morning.
The following weekend was spent ferrying Euan around for various activities, including working at Pitlochry theatre.
Wendy & John popped down to Ikea, Glasgow, for a new bit of furniture for the lounge. The old piece was listing a bit and the doors didn't line up anymore. Brief stop at Lakeland on the way back up before hanging around in Perth to collect Euan from his trip down the Tay.
A quieter weekend followed with Euan working at Pitlochry and Wendy out for the evening. John survived and pottered about sorting stuff for a skip run on the Sunday. John spent some time sorting out his new lorry - yes a new, well 21 plate, lorry. It is very nice.
Rounded the month off with Wendy doing a sponsored walk around Loch Ore, John pottering about at home and Euan working at Pitlochry theatre.

July

A quiet start to the month, mainly sorting kit out for the Spey trip.
The great Spey trip - well it turned into a Tay trip. Lack of water in the Spey and thunderstorms for the Saturday meant we delayed launch until Sunday. Good run down to Grandtully from Kenmore.Got camp set up, dinner cooked then the boys went back on the water for a couple of runs down the rapids. Next morning we loaded up the boats and made good time down to an island just past Dunkeld. Got camp set up and dinner cooked before the rain started. Next morning the river had risen a lot and we were making good time to Stanley until we met a headwind. Had lunch at Stanley and decided to call it a day there. Got collected and brought home to sort out all the damp kit.
John & Wendy decided to walk into the Tarf hotel - a very remote bothy. 20km walk in - it was hard going especially the last 3km. Excellent bothy but I don't think we will be back.
We then all went to Glasgow to drop Euan off for his summer school. Nice dinner out in an Italian restraunt. We treated Euan to breakfast in Wetherspoons before leaving him for the week.

August

Well the big news this month is that Euan passed his driving test - Congratulations. Due to some odd way of thinking from insurance companies, it was easier to get him insured on the new blue car rather than the old black car! He is making good use of it, running back and forward to Pitlochry for work.
Euan got himself home from Glasgow succesfully and then disappeared off sea kayaking. He was then away at Grandtully for a Young Ambassadors weekend. He's even got a mention on Paddle Scotland website.
After collecting Euan from his Tay trip, Wendy & John managed a quick bothy trip, making the most of the good weather.
John didn't get away at the Bank holiday, too busy moving the website and emails to a new hosting company. Rounded the month off with a quick trip to Go Outdoors, Coatbridge. Euan drove both ways, in the rain, he's getting better at driving.

September

We started the month with a celidh at the farm, Euan drove us down!
John drove us home before Euan drove Ava back to Oban and Wendy took John into Perth so he could drive down to Newton Le Willows ready for an early start on the Monday. Euan's return journey was a bit damp by all accounts but he made it.
We abandoned Euan the following weekend and used our 25th wedding anniversary gift of dinner bed & breakfast at Forester Park - an excellent meal and very nice surroundings.
Euan moved into his student accomadation in Glasgow. John got home quite early on the Friday so loaded the car up and popped down with all his stuff. He seems to be enjoying the course and managing to feed himself.
This left the weekend free for John & Wendy to pop out to a bothy for the night. We went to Gorton, joined by three others, a very pleasant evening.
We rounded the month off with a return to Glasgow with more stuff, lunch in the Persian restraunt and a quiet Sunday giving the lorry a muck out.

October

We started the month with a trip to Beamish.. The plan was to take Aunty Gillian but she was a bit poorly so couldn't come with us. We called in on the way back to see her and rearranged the trip for May next year.
John popped out for a solo bothy trip midweek before we cycled into Souie bothy. It was harder going than anticipated but worth it as we met the caretaker and got told of some more bothies. Bit damp on way out, not forecast. Small food resupply then cycled into Red House bothy.
We had a quiet weekend at home, managing a local walk on the Sunday before the rain.
We rounded the month off by meeting Euan in Perth for lunch before John headed off in search of a new bothy. Found it OK. Plenty of firewood lying around, so got bothy nice and cosy.

November

Wendy & John popped down to Berwick for a Halloween party at Robert's Lodge, very nice. Pizza for dinner once home. Weather was OK on the Sunday so the cars got a wash and the grass got cut.
We had guests for dinner the following weekend and didn't do much on the Sunday, in the rain.
We had a quiet weekend at home with John driving down the road on Sunday afternoon rather than the Monday morning. Made for a long week but we follwed it by getting the bus to Glasgow to take Euan out for dinner for his birthday. Somehow he ended up in Oban so Wendy & John just had to go to Margo's without him. It was excellent. We did manage to meet him for breakfast before getting the bus home.

December

Wendy & John started the month with a trip to a bothy, a recce for a potential hogmany venue. Excellent bothy, good stove straight forward walk in.
John had a quiet weekend at home sorting stuff for future bothy visits. Wendy popped down to the farm. Euan is surviving in Glasgow, with the odd trip to Oban.
Yippee, John is on his holidays. We walked into Ryvoan bothy, busy but OK. Nice and cosy. We then travelled across to the west and walked into Coire Fionnaraich bothy - it's the one on the cover of the bothy bible. What an excellent bothy it was complete with a knitted mascot.
A steady run down to Berwick to swap presents with Aunty Gillian was a nice day out.
John, Euan & Ava went for a paddle on the River Teith on Xmas eve, cold but nice little paddle.
Christmas day - Santa was very good to everyone. Ava joined us for dinner. A nice relaxing day.
John took himself off to a couple of bothies, cycling, in the icy conditions. This involved a quick recce for hogmany. Took me half an hour to clean the stove out but got it done and lit. Nice and cosy once it was going.
We all travelled up to the bothy for Hogmany. It is a private, estate bothy, hence few details of it's location

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