What a day! I’m absolutely knackered after trying to keep up with this pair. 10,200 steps later and I’m definitely feeling it! Balloch Country Park at Loch Lomond was gorgeous, but while they were zooming around on their scooters, I was doing my best to keep up on foot. 😅 We had a blast though, with stunning views and plenty of fresh air. Totally worth the sore legs! #BallochCountryPark #LochLomond #ScooterVsWalk
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Spent a lovely few hours down at Rouken Glen Park—perfect weather for a walk while the boys zipped around on their scooters. The sun was shining, spirits were high, and it felt so nice to just slow down and enjoy the day. We grabbed hot chocolates from the Boathouse Café and found a quiet spot by the pond to sit and soak it all in. Simple moments like these are the best.
A cracking afternoon and evening out in Barcelona! We kicked things off at the Science Museum—such a fun and fascinating visit, especially the amazing Pixar exhibition. Everyone loved it!
Huge thanks to Judith and Joel for playing host. It’s been so lovely catching up after all these years—just like no time had passed.
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Back into Barcelona today for an absolutely amazing day at the zoo! We had such a great time exploring and spotting all the animals. Sadly, the big cats decided to stay hidden in the heat (can’t really blame them!), but we loved seeing the red panda and giraffes—definite highlights!
After a busy day on our feet, we wrapped things up with a refreshing half-hour splash in the pool. The perfect way to cool off and wind down!
Continue readingToday’s trip took us to Carlisle, a city we’ve visited a few times before, but this time we decided to skip the usual visit to the Castle and explore a little more of the town instead.
We kicked off our adventure at Bitts Park, which is just behind the Castle. The boys were absolutely delighted when they saw the park—it’s a fantastic spot for families! The climbing frame with slides, the gym equipment, the flying fox, and even a water park made it a great place to let off some steam. We even had a picnic here, so we were able to fully enjoy the park for quite a while. If you’re ever in the area and looking for somewhere to keep the kids entertained, this park is definitely worth a visit.
After finally prising the boys away from the park, we strolled into the town center, passing a monument of Queen Victoria along the way. The monument is a nice historical touch to the walk, adding a bit of culture before we reached the heart of the town.
Once in the town center, we couldn’t resist a little break and stopped by a quaint square where we treated ourselves to a Costa—because sometimes, nothing beats a warm drink while watching the world go by. The boys also got a chance to spend some of their pennies in The Entertainer, which, as you can imagine, was a big hit.
Our final stop for the day was the Cathedral, a place we’ve always wanted to explore in more detail. It was as stunning as we remembered, and the boys enjoyed a treasure hunt inside, which kept them engaged while we wandered around. One of the most impressive sights was the sheer size of the organ—it was absolutely massive! We all agreed that it would have been amazing to hear it played, but even just admiring it from afar was a treat.
All in all, it was a lovely, relaxed day spent exploring a familiar city in a new way. Whether it’s the fun of Bitts Park, a quiet moment with a Costa, or the awe-inspiring beauty of the Cathedral, Carlisle proved once again to be a perfect spot for a family day out.
Yesterday, the three of us—Oliver, Lewis, and I—headed over to the Rural Life Museum in East Kilbride for a lovely day out. The sun was shining, but it still had a bit of a chill in the air, making it the perfect day for a little adventure. Armed with a picnic, we were ready to make the most of it!
Since it’s the Easter break, the museum had some fun activities lined up for the kids, all centered around bees. We joined in on a candle-making activity using beeswax, which was super simple but fun. The boys got to roll a sheet of beeswax around a wick, and they loved making their own candles. It was such a lovely, creative activity!
Afterwards, we took the 10-minute walk up to the farm area, where we saw a bunch of baby lambs, pigs, and calves. The boys were absolutely enchanted with the little animals, and we spent some time wandering around the farm, checking out the other animals and the farmhouse. To get back down to the museum, we hopped on the tractor—what a fun way to travel!
Back at the museum, the boys were fascinated by the old tractors on display, and of course, they couldn’t resist a visit to the adventure park for a bit of playtime.
We ended up spending a great couple of hours there, and to top it off, the museum now offers an annual pass for the same price as a single entry, which was an unexpected bonus!
All in all, it was a wonderful way to spend the day, and we’ll definitely be back soon for more fun.
On our way back home from The Lakes, we decided to take a little detour and visit Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries—a place we’ve been wanting to see for ages. It’s a bit of a trek, so we hadn’t made the trip yet, but today felt like the perfect time to do it. And boy, it did not disappoint!
The castle is absolutely stunning—built in a triangular shape with a moat surrounding it, it looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. We all loved exploring the castle, as there are so many nooks, crannies, and hidden staircases to discover. The prison was a highlight for the boys—they were fascinated by the thought of being locked up in such a historic place!
We spent hours wandering around, enjoying the views, and soaking in the history. It’s definitely one of those places that’s worth the extra effort to visit.
We’ll definitely be coming back again, and we’d highly recommend it to anyone in the area looking for a bit of adventure and history. A perfect pitstop on our journey home!
Our last full day in the Lake District was between Keswick and Windermere for our trip, and this time Keswick won. We’ve enjoyed both places before, but today we decided to spend the day exploring around Derwentwater.
As usual, parking near the Theatre on the Lake can be quite expensive, so we did a bit of research and discovered we could park at Keswick Rugby Club for just £4 for the whole day. From there, it’s a lovely walk through the park that brings you straight to the lake. We headed off towards Friars Crag and then followed the lake path, but this time we went a bit further than usual. Along the way, we stumbled upon a massive rock on the beach—split in half, and it had the most fascinating structure inside that looked like a brain!
After the walk, we popped into Keswick town for some well-earned fish and chips. Always a classic when you’re in the area!
With a total of 17,135 steps today, we were all pretty exhausted by the end, but it was the perfect way to wrap up our time in the Lakes. A day full of beautiful scenery, good food, and, of course, plenty of steps to keep us busy!
We’ve been talking about another trip to Blackpool for a while now, and after four years since our last visit, we finally made it happen! This time we decided to stay overnight to make it easier and save the long drive. Plus, Lewis has been going on about wanting to go for months, so it was time to make it happen.
We arrived and parked across from our hotel, then set off for our first adventure—a walk through the amusements and along the shop fronts. Just as we were getting into it, a sudden downpour hit, so we took shelter and decided to pop into the Central Pier amusements. The boys had their 2p coins from Gran Janice, so they had a blast trying their luck on the machines. After that, we explored the pier rides, grabbed some lunch, and walked back through the shops before checking in at our hotel.
After a bit of a rest, we headed back out for a walk along the promenade. We stopped for some rock (of course!) and the boys had a turn at the funfair rides. Oliver wanted to go on the dodgems, but he wasn’t tall enough to reach the pedal, so mum had to join in. It was a fun experience!
For dinner, we headed to The Chinese Buffet, and the boys tried all sorts of new foods. It was a lovely meal, and they were on their best behavior—bonus! Afterward, we had to hit the amusements again, this time with £1 each in 2p coins. The boys were a bit cheeky, trying to steal mum’s winnings and tokens, but we ended up winning a few dinosaur gliders, a rubber, and, of course, a stick of rock for each of us.
By the time we headed back to the hotel, it was well past bedtime, but we squeezed in a family game of pool on the wonkiest table ever! Naturally, there were some disagreements, and Lewis gave up after a few shots to play games on mum’s phone instead. As for who won? Dad and Oliver managed to snag the victory.
Our hotel room was a family room with 2 doubles and a single, so mum and Lewis took one bed, dad and Oliver took the other, and Alexander had the single. The sleep wasn’t the comfiest, and we’ve agreed it might be the last time we try a family room (lesson learned!).
We were all pretty exhausted by the end of the day, but we racked up 17,157 steps, and it was worth every one of them! What a fun day in Blackpool!
Today, we had planned to visit Stott Park Bobbin Mill, but when we arrived, we found out it was closed for conservation works and wouldn’t reopen until Wednesday. A bit of a bummer, but no problem—we whipped out the map and decided to head to Wray Castle, just a short drive away.
The road between the two destinations was a bit hairy, with some narrow, winding lanes, and we encountered a few tractors along the way. But the highlight? We met a sheep on the road, just casually strolling along. Welcome to the countryside!
When we finally arrived at Wray Castle, it was lovely. The castle had a Peter Rabbit adventure trail that the kids absolutely loved, along with activities like dress-up and crafts, including origami. There was also a table tennis and snooker table, which kept them entertained for a while. The castle’s dining room doubled as a place to eat your picnic, which was a nice touch.
However, we were a little disappointed by the lack of furniture and information about the castle’s history and what it would have been like when it was fully furnished. That said, the adventure playground across from the car park was amazing and definitely the highlight for the kids.
As National Trust members, we thought it was worth the visit, but with the cost being £25 for a family ticket and an additional £6.50 for parking (on top of entry), we’re not sure we’ll be back. The price felt a bit steep for what it offered.
Later that evening, we headed back to the chalet, where we played a game of Junior Cluedo. It was a tight competition, but David emerged victorious!
We ended the day with 5,788 steps on the clock. Not a bad day despite the detour!
Today was Mother’s Day, and the first one we’ve celebrated while on holiday. The boys did a fantastic job of making me feel special, with gifts of books, sweets, and lots of handmade cards, pictures, and gifts. After a breakfast in bed, followed by a second breakfast of bacon and eggs, it was time for me to choose the day’s adventure. I went with Housesteads Roman Fort, a part of Hadrian’s Wall that we had planned to visit last October but ran out of time.
It turned out to be an excellent choice! The fort is perched on a steep hill, so it was a bit of a hike up, but once we got there, the views were absolutely stunning, and the fort itself was incredibly impressive. The site has a shop and an information centre, which includes a short video on what the fort looked like back in the day, along with some artefacts to explore. The boys also enjoyed the dress-up station, where they could pretend to be Roman soldiers and reenact Roman fights—definitely one of their favourite parts!
Once we made it to the Roman Fort, we were all really impressed by how much larger it was than we expected, and we had a great time walking around, learning about its history, and soaking in the views. Oliver especially loved exploring every nook and cranny of the fort.
Afterward, we took a short drive to Steel Rigg, which was only a couple of minutes away. A short walk down, followed by a bit of an uphill trek along the Wall and the crag (Lyndsey wasn’t too fond of this part), brought us to the top, where the view was breathtaking. Definitely worth the climb!
Pro tip: Wear walking boots if you plan on doing this walk—definitely makes the journey easier!
We ended the day with a steak and chips dinner and a couple of glasses of rosé—a perfect way to finish off a wonderful Mother’s Day.
8646 steps today, and a perfect day all around!
What an amazing day we had today! We made our way to Pooley Bridge and went for a lovely walk around Ullswater Lake—something we missed in October due to the flooding. It’s a walk we really enjoy, so it was fantastic to finally get to do it again.
As soon as we reached the start of the lake, we came across a rope swing—it was great fun! And surprisingly, it held adults too, so we all had a go. There’s something so fun and freeing about swinging out over the water!
We managed to walk a bit further than we usually do and ended up at the campsite and farm area, where there was a food van. We grabbed some chips to complement our sandwiches and sat down to enjoy them. The boys were quick to spot the small park nearby, and they spent some time playing. However, there were a couple of incidents along the way: Lewis got whacked by a swing and went flying through the air (it was a bit of a shock, but he was fine), and then Alexander fell off the climbing wall, landing right under a swing. He stood up, cracked his head, but thankfully he was okay too! It was a little chaotic, but they both bounced back quickly.
Pro tip: We parked at the all-day parking in Pooley Bridge, which cost us £3.00. There’s also an alternative car park that costs £3 for up to 2 hours.
On the way back home, we stopped by the shops in Penrith for some ice creams, then decided to visit Brougham Castle, which is just a 5-minute drive from our chalet. It’s a lovely ruin, with flowers growing through the old walls. You can walk up to two levels of the castle for a fantastic view. It was a great little stop to round off the day.
By the time we got back, we were all absolutely shattered after a full day of adventures.
11008 steps walked—an excellent way to kick off the holiday!
Gilchrist Family Adventures 