River swimming (numbing but exhilarating)
Barefoot paddling
Dam building
The joy in the simple things.
Wood-fired bath
on the river’s edge.
Bird song
Deep breaths.
Tree-patterned sky.
The sound of water rushing by.
From the river’s biting sting
into the heat of the bath –
bliss.
Fireside meditation.
Listening to the flames hiss and spit.
Ember watching
Marshmallow toasting.
Hillwalking (with some coaxing).
Sun and rain and midge swatting.
Bike riding
Purple heather
Board games.
Outdoors,
to eat and play and splash and draw.
To explore.
Time together.
I couldn’t ask for more.
Back in the summer I was beyond excited to win a 7-night stay at Glen Dye Cottages and Cabins in an Instagram competition. We spent the first week of the school holidays at this gorgeous lodge just over the Cairn o’Mount, picking up our son from his last day of school and jumping straight in the car. It was an amazing way to start the holidays and the highlight of the 6 weeks.
We chose the North Lodge with its lovely river cabin. We spent most of the week scrambling in and out of the river and climbing in and out of the wood-fired hot tub. The setting is idyllic, it felt a million miles away (even though we were only half an hour from home). It was a week where we just revelled in the simple things – crackling fires, making dams, playing board games, drinking hot chocolate under the trees… A time where we could get away from it all and make memories.
