So once the sheep had also abandoned our overnight camping spot, it was just us, snug inside Gillian and my God did it rain. The noise was deafening, like sleeping under a waterfall in a tin shed. I didn’t get much sleep until the early hours as the rain eased.
Daybreak revealed a whole new world, blue sky, white clouds and the final hints of purple heather on the hills. We were parked below Simonside, a distinctive ridge, with a craggy profile, that stands guard above Rothbury. A walk up to the top was the order of the day as it gives you a 360 degree view encompassing the Cheviot Hills and North Sea coastline.
We walked for 2 1/2 hours, up and along the ridge. Grouse, all relatives of the Famous one,fluttered up from the heather as we walked and we spotted a bird of prey but it was too quick and far away to identify.
The walk along the Simonside ridge was identified by a path laid with stone. We felt like Roman Centurions, walking and climbing up this path, that followed up to the ridge, then down through the peat bogs and back up to the ridge.
Each peak had its stone cairn to which we added a stone. The views were spectacular and only pictures can do them justice.
We had foregone breakfast as we had booked into a local pub for lunch, so after our appetite inducing walk, we returned to our camping spot. When we left for our walk, there was one other car, by the time we got back, the car park was packed. The sunshine had brought everyone out. So we headed down into the valley, driving through floodwater and came upon flooded fields and a raging river.
After a splendid Sunday lunch, we left the Rothbury area and made our way to Bamburgh. Most campsites have a last check-in of 5 pm so we have to be on the road quite smartly in the afternoons.
Looking forward to visiting Bamburgh Castle, known as Bebbanburgh in The Last Kingdom series, which brings me back to whether we have Viking ancestry. Currently Oliver, our son, is sporting a Viking beard so should I rename him ‘Olaf Redbeard’?
RoundandAbout 