What a weekend of beautiful weather. I hope you found a bit of time to get out in it too!
So – this weekend I headed up to the Pentlands from the Flotterstone side (reachable by bus services 102 and 101A) and hop off at The Flotterstone Inn – follow the road down past the inn .. then onwards! There is a little café at the start of the walk where you can grab a coffee and some cake …. . Must. Have. Sustenance.
A lovely start passing some friendly cows and sheep.
Also – let me introduce you to my doggy friend and walking companion Mitzie, the lovely labradoodle. We’ve been hanging out for around 2 and a half years and she’s amazing – and a wee bit crazy. In the best way 🙂 More about Mitzie later!
Through the lovely woodland we went – as your follow the path there is a slight left turn which leads to a beautiful waterfall ( you do have to climb over a fence to get in and have a proper look) but it can also be seen a bit further back. It can be heard before it can be seen! Then you head up a short hill through the big pine trees until you reach the road where you take a left. Then it’s straight forward walking past the reservoirs and wee fishing boats. You first reach Glencorse Reservoir 🙂
Not a cloud in the sky we walked on in the sunshine!
So lovely to see the heather out on the hills just now too and some happy sheep – who were actually jumping across the river. So funny hearing their Baaaa’ing … even funnier when the largest one came out with the deepest *had one too many last night* Baaaa.
Even saw a few people swimming in the reservoir! This is amazing – although if you are planning to swim in it, I recommend walking along a bit until you get to the stretch of road that takes you past a large reed filled pond on the right and the reservoir on the left. To the left is a good place to go from ( just at the start of the bridge ) as you can wade in through shallower parts – allowing your body to adjust. The rest of the reservoir can have quite an unexpected drop in depth which can be dangerous.
Be Aware – there are plenty of signs about to discourage you getting in the water which should be noted – especially when it’s not a warm day. Be safe.
This is the second reservoir you come to as your follow the road along – Loganlee Reservoir.
The length of the walk was just under 8 miles – that’s from the car park to the end of the road – and a bit beyond – and back again. I do recommend going a wee bit further as there is a lovely spot you can stop and get your feet in the water (and stop to have a snack or two, which you must always bring!!)
Mitzie and I cooling off in the river – important to keep the doggo cool in the heat!
Borrow My Dog
I met the lovely Mitzie through a website called Borrowmydoggy.com – where you simply sign up to borrow a dog! You do pay a small fee for the whole year ( this covers insurance etc ). You just make a profile with a bit about yourself and your availability – then you search for dogs in your area and send the owners a message. Most owners are casual about it so it’s not a strict timetable of borrowing you have to stick to. Then you just meet up with the owner and dog to see if you get on and then you’re off! 🙂 Best to be open about how much time you realistically can give to borrowing the dog .
Becoming friends with Mitzie’s family was a bonus and it’s such a nice way to meet new people. Hanging out with a dog and going for walks is social in itself and always nice to have a chat with fellow doggy people who are out and about (or just chat to the dog .. which I do. A lot.)
So if you’re keen to get out and about with a dog, which I find is super motivating and fun – then GO FOR IT! 🙂
Sunshine and dog = happy!
I was up there for about 6 hours, so quite a chunk of the day ( Some of this was just lying in the sun too) But each chunk of the walk is beautiful – if you want to go further you can carry on along for a while to get to Threipmuir Reservoir too. Or even further beyond!
Yet again the outdoors did not fail me and I came home feeling invigorated – and ready for dinner! Haha. I slept well that night I tell ya. I hope this inspires you to get up in the Pentlands – if you have been or haven’t been before! It’s so close to us here in Edinburgh and such a treat to get out of the city and into the fresh air!
I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to outdoors too – so please comment and let me know 🙂
I will be learning to surf this coming weekend – so fingers crossed that goes well…! I will post about it next week in the blog 🙂
This week my positive song is from the film ET – quite inspiring 🙂 It’s called Flying – by John Williams
Til next time,
Ana
Looks lovely, and great weather too. I love the sound of the Borrow my Doggy website. Must look into that …