September weekend camping

We just returned from our latest camping trip. I know, many of you will have the heating on but we are a hardy bunch. The children get two days off for the September weekend, a traditional Glasgow holiday. We have been going camping during September weekend for years and still go even if our employer doesn't acknowledge this holiday any longer. It is worth saving up annual leave for a weekend with family and friends. It is good for body and soul to spend time outside and in good company.

This year we went North East to a campsite near Arbroath. It is called Greenhillock Glamping and it was rather nice - if you don't mind composting toilets, outdoor toothbrushing and cold showers. If you visit during stretch of sunny weather, the showers might be heated up by solar panels. We booked one of two group pitches. This was a ridiculously small, we could barely fit three tents on them, guy ropes crossed over between tents, making walking around the pitch difficult. These pitches are advertised as comfortably sleeping 30. I guess if you happen to have a multi-story tent this may well be true. The single pitches were of a good size, only marginally smaller than the group pitch. All pitches are cut into the deep grass and I imagine it must be amazing during wildflower season, unless you suffer from allergies. There are no cars on the pitches but a large number of colourful wheelbarrows are provided to move camping stuff to the pitches and back. The wheelbarrows are also excellent for wheelbarrow racing, a sport I can highly recommend. The campsite is children friendly: there is a barn with tables, games (and cooking facilities), a small art shack, a den building area, a pond and a bug tent. Our own bunch of children (all nine of them) were rarely seen and if they were, it was for food. The adults were generally found around the fire pit, coffee or beer in hand (depending on the time of day).

We always eat well on camping trips. If you have been a long time visitor, you'll know our camping food routine but it is worthwhile repeating. Fried breakfast for all, and pick & mix lunch. Dinner is BBQ on day one, curry bonanza on day two and fish and chips on day three. This year's curries were outstanding. We had a lamb & spinach curry, egg curry, paneer curry, chicken korma and a red lentil daal. All these were served with rice and fire toasted nan breads. The fried breakfasts were also delicious. Nothing beats crispy bacon and tattie scone in a roll. We had luxuriously creamy eggs, black pudding and Lorne sausage, too, and of course links and baked beans. What can I say? The fish and chips were still hot when they arrived on the campsite but unfortunately the heavens opened just as we sat down around the fire and some got a bit soggy. Still, it was a good dinner - once we ran to the barn, paper wrapped food and all.

The beaches nearby are stunning. The dunes are huge. Climbing up the dunes and then running down en masse is a must. Not for me of course, I have an aversion to sand and the thought of rolling down a sand dune and ending up like James in the photo above is more than I can stomach. The funniest sight was Jack with his short legs scrambling up the sandy hills.

The region is well known for soft fruit growing and the landscape is covered in long poly tunnels full of strawberry and raspberry plants. Unfortunately, the harvest season is over and we didn't get any local fruit. At least the kids now know where all the Scottish berries come from.

I enjoy sleeping in a tent, listening to the sounds of nature, the murmurings of other campers around their own fires and the odd car speeding through the night. Birds in particular are a joy to be awoken by, far better than any alarm clock. I normally sleep well and fall asleep even quicker than at home in my bed. Maybe I should start sleeping in the garden!

The last night was wet and it was raining well into the morning. Packing up a tent in the rain is never fun and packing up a ginormous family tent even less so. We didn't bother stuffing it back into its bag, just piled it high on the trailer. After a final hearty breakfast in the barn we headed homewards. The weather brightened up as we approached Glasgow - rather unusual to have better weather in the West than the East but it was welcome. We unpacked and dragged the tent into the garden for a few hours of drying. It is now in the garage, loosely piled up and hopefully it will continue to dry out.

The post camping laundry is a pain and I had not done the normal weekend laundry loads either. Our drier died after >23 years of service. Richard thinks he might be able to fix it. Eventually. In the meantime, washed clothes are everywhere and I fear we may be wearing the odd damp t-shirt. This morning, Richard speed dried Annie's only school jumper in the oven on a low setting. Probably not a viable option for all the laundry but needs must!

That's it all for today. I'll be reliving many moments of this camping trip when the darkness sets in proper. I am grateful for a fantastic group of friends that love me even when I am grumpy and not caffeinated first thing in the morning.

Have a lovely week dear readers! Thanks for stopping by. xx