The Serial Adventurer

  Welcome to The Start of the Scottish Highlands My first ever visit to Loch Lomond, a fantastic weekend with great company. We packed a huge amount of activities into our short weekend at this magnificent place.  After planning the trip for weeks, the weather had not predicted very promising results, heavy rain and downpours given for the entire weekend, we were not sure whether to cancel and re-book for another weekend when dryer weather predicted. We decided to go with it, a bit of rain never hurt anyone, even in a non-waterproof child sized tent.  And so we set off, 0430hrs on a summer morning from Chesterfield. A great start until the moment we passed the England/Scotland boarder, immediately rain was smashing down onto the M74, spray from lorries, cars skidding even one crashed over 4 lanes, not a pretty sight. We couldn't act surprised as we knew the forecast.  After another couple of hours having to slow down on the motorway to avoid skidding we even

Castleton, my favourite village in the peak, it is so beautifully picturesque and there is so much to see and do.  Here are my top 5 favourite things to do in Castleton.  1. See the view from Mam Tor  Also known as the shivering mountain, Mam Tor stands out amongst other peaks due to its unique crumbling face. There are several routes to the top. You can either park in Castleton Village and take a long hike up, or park at Mam Tor National car park (S33 8WA) for a shorter stroll to the top.  2. Trek Over Caverns at Cave Dale  As you make your way through the rocky opening, you are actually walking over underground caves (peak cavern).  You also get a great rear view of Pevril Castle from the farside of Cave Dale.  3. Driving through Winnats Pass  One of the UK's most scenic roads. Road trip anyone?  Pull up and climb to the tops for the best view of Winnats Pass from above. 4. Exploring the Caverns  Castleton is home to several caverns

1. Lumsdale Valley  Set just outside the town of Matlock lies the wonderful valley of Lumsdale. Park in the town center and walk to the falls. At Lumsdale, you will come across a ray of waterfalls in stages as you make your way up through the mill ruins. As you reach the top you will find a pond, the main water source for the many waterfalls throughout the valley. 2. Dovedale  Stroll along the river Dove, take a hike up thorpe cloud or make your way across the stepping stones. Dovedale is a great day out. Use post code DE6 2AX for a large car park 10 minutes walk from the stepping stones. 3. Chee Dale  From the car park, walk along the river Wye, there are so many natural wonders to see along the way. You will come across several sets of stepping stones you must cross. Chee Dale and the River Wye runs under the monsal trail. You can make your way up to the monsal trail at many of the viaducts along the river path to make your return journey to the ca