Walk: 11am to 4pm - 6.1 miles and 425ft of ascent, plus 2.4 miles at the end of the day
Well today was probably my favourite day of our holiday so far. After yesterday's washout, today promised an improvement with a cloudy start followed by sunny intervals from mid afternoon onwards so no rain; and so it turned out to the be the case.
We drove a few miles down the road to Embleton, then took a narrow lane down to a parking area just a few metres from the sea. You needed to keep and eye out for golf balls whizzing past your head as the small path down to the beach cut through the golf course. We picked up the coastal path and headed southwards overlooking a lovely golden beach for the first half a mile or so before the boundary with the sea became rocky; much of this coast it very similar with gorgeous unspoilt beaches taking turns with rocky outcrops. Along this section we also came upon a couple of WW2 pill boxes, a sign of times that we'd all rather forget.
After about 30 minutes walking we reached the path taking us up the hill to Dunstanburgh Castle where we spent about an hour taking in the majesty of the ruins. Although the castle is in the main little more than ruins, it was at one point the biggest castle on this coast, even more imposing than the more famous Bamburgh Castle where we will be visiting later in the week. On two sides it is protected by the sea, and in the past the western flank was protected by a large moat so the castle had lots of natural defences in it's favour.
We then took the path further down the coast to Craster and I can only imagine how busy this path must get at the weekends and during the summer as it was very busy today, a Tuesday outside of the school holidays. About half an hour after leaving the castle we arrived at the small harbour in Craster, a fishing village very famous for it's kippers, and L.Robson & Sons in particular.
After buying a couple of drinks and scones in a cafe so we could take a comfort break (at the time we didn't know where the public loo's were) we then set about looking for Piper's Pitch which was rated at no.1 on Tripadvisor for food in the village. It's 'just' a food van in the public car-park but do not be deceived as the food is very good. Donna had a BLT which was packed with bacon, and I had their famous Auchtermuchty which was delicious. For those that don't know it is haggis and bacon on a roll, and the two fillings really complement each other. We followed our 'butties' with lemon scones and lemon curd....yummy.
After dining on a lovely spot overlooking the harbour we set off on our route back. The first half of the walk would take us inland a little as we walked along the back of The Heughs which is a large rocky outcrop covered by dense vegetation forming a natural barrier, then took the path back down to the coastal path. We headed back past the castle and then dropped down onto the stunning beach at Embleton Bay. The beautiful golden sands and shallow clear waters really makes this a gem of a beach, and one to keep to yourself so it stays relatively unspoilt and not too busy. And of course we just couldn't resist the urge to take off our walking boots and have a refreshing paddle in the sea. A fitting end to a lovely walk.
After spending a couple of hours back at the cottage with our feet up, we donned our boots and jackets and set off for an evening walk in the sunshine. And when I say sunshine, don't for one minute think that it was a warm evening; with the breeze off the sea it was more like a sunny winters day! I had my jacket zipped right up to my chin to keep the breeze out, Donna had been much more sensible and was wearing a light fleece beneath her jacket.
The sea was out and it was lovely to walk along the edge of the sea with the slight waves lapping the shore, the beach was quiet with just a few dog walkers out exercising their pets, and a handful of people packing up for the day. By the time we arrived back at the cottage we had walked another 2.4 miles, so around 8.5 miles on what was a really enjoyable day by the sea.
Well today was probably my favourite day of our holiday so far. After yesterday's washout, today promised an improvement with a cloudy start followed by sunny intervals from mid afternoon onwards so no rain; and so it turned out to the be the case.
After dining on a lovely spot overlooking the harbour we set off on our route back. The first half of the walk would take us inland a little as we walked along the back of The Heughs which is a large rocky outcrop covered by dense vegetation forming a natural barrier, then took the path back down to the coastal path. We headed back past the castle and then dropped down onto the stunning beach at Embleton Bay. The beautiful golden sands and shallow clear waters really makes this a gem of a beach, and one to keep to yourself so it stays relatively unspoilt and not too busy. And of course we just couldn't resist the urge to take off our walking boots and have a refreshing paddle in the sea. A fitting end to a lovely walk.
After spending a couple of hours back at the cottage with our feet up, we donned our boots and jackets and set off for an evening walk in the sunshine. And when I say sunshine, don't for one minute think that it was a warm evening; with the breeze off the sea it was more like a sunny winters day! I had my jacket zipped right up to my chin to keep the breeze out, Donna had been much more sensible and was wearing a light fleece beneath her jacket.
The sea was out and it was lovely to walk along the edge of the sea with the slight waves lapping the shore, the beach was quiet with just a few dog walkers out exercising their pets, and a handful of people packing up for the day. By the time we arrived back at the cottage we had walked another 2.4 miles, so around 8.5 miles on what was a really enjoyable day by the sea.
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