Souther Fell Half Way!

5 highlights and a few reflections from Lake District and UK adventures in 2024

Reflecting on the year gone has become a new tradition I’ve enjoyed doing in the last few years, one that has been made easier as I now sit down at the end of each month and record in my diary the highs and lows of each month, from tiny moments of joy to the things that felt tricky.

So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in with the highlights….

#1. A summer Scottish adventure to the Isle of Arran 

My week-long trip to the Isle of Arran in early June was by far my most memorable highlight of 2024. As usual my trip was done entirely on public transport, hopping on the train to Glasgow and then Ardrossan to catch the Calmac ferry to to Brodick

Scottish Islands have also been a place of real heartfelt memories for me, with my dad taking me to the Skye and the Outer Hebrides in my early teens before spending a summer working at a hostel in Oban, which allowed me to explore Mull and the Inner Hebrides, and I spent an incredible summer in 2014 living and working in the Shetland Islands.

Arran stole my heart just as all those Scottish islands previously had – white sandy beaches, waterfall walks, a whisky distillery tour, seafood, cocktails at a cool little beach bar (followed by a bracing dip in the sea) and one of the best sandwiches of my life at The Sandwich Station (Five spiced roast pork shoulder with Sezchuan Mayonnaise).

But the ultimate highlight was coming face to face with a stag in Lochranza during an evening run around the bay, followed by sneaking into the neighbouring village hall next to the hostel and joining the small crowd singing along to Loch Lomond by a Runrigg tribute band. Five star.

#2. Hiking another section of the Cumbria Way

My adventures on the Cumbria Way began in May 2022 when I originally planned to try and hike the entire way from Ulverston to Carlisle in one go. I set off with a stupidly heavy bag, and only vague plans of accommodation, and my feet were wrecked on the very first day, a hefty 16 miles from Ulverston to Coniston. Consequently, I rang my housemate, who came and fetched me, and since then, I have been tackling the long-distance path in small, more manageable sections.

In May, I set out from the Old Dunegeon Ghyll in Langdale down the Mickleden Valley and over the stunning Stakes Pass to drop into the stunning Langstrath Valley. It was mid-week and mid-afternoon, so I pretty much only saw a handful of people all day, and I had a blissful dip (and maybe a quick cheeky skinny dip, too 🤪) in the Langstrath Beck before plodding into the Borrowdale valley for a night at the alpine hut like YHA there. The next day, I continued on through Grange along the western shore of Derwentwater and into Keswick before heading home,

#3. Spending my birthday in Dunbar on the Scottish East Coast 

Scotland is a consistent theme for 2024! I booked a little birthday adventure to the small town of Dubar, which is 30 minutes east of Edinburgh by train. I’d previously been on a day trip to nearby North Berwick and was captivated by the area, so I returned to stay in the fab Dolphin Inn hostel (SO friendly, well-equipped kitchen and loads of funky decor) in Dunbar in early May for my birthday.

I very much enjoyed a run/plod along the sea when I arrived and a bracing evening dip in the wavy North Sea to welcome in my 39th year. My subsequent days were spent walking sections of the John Muir Way, devouring doughnuts from Bostock Bakery, and taking a day trip into Edinburgh. After a very mediocre 31st birthday, I promised myself always to book my birthday off work and try and go on an adventure – and I have very much succeeded! It’s a tradition I hope to carry into my forties, too!

#4. Camping adventure in the North Pennines 

My annual camping trip with my friend Amy! This year rather than wild camp, we opted for a campsite experience on the far eastern fringes of Cumbria near Alston. We enjoyed a walk to a waterfall (plus the usual bracing outdoor dip, another standard highlight from the year!), a trot along a tiny section of the Pennine Way, and camping in the tiny campsite in Garrigill sandwiched between the village hall and a kid’s playground! Sadly, the rain and midges were out in force in the evening, so we retreated into the village hall to watch the Olympics (which captivated me all summer). Still, I always love our annual adventure under canvas!

You can read more about the trip in this post: North Pennines Microadventure: Camping, wild swimming, and exploring Alston

#5. Reaching halfway in my Wainwright’s quest!

Souther Fell Half Way!

I’m still plodding on with hiking the 214 Wainwrights in the Lake District which I started when I moved to the Lake District in 2019. I did not hike anywhere near as much as I’d liked last year (laziness mixed with crappy summer weather), but I was pleased to hit the halfway mark of 107 hills on Souther Fell in October! A nice chilled grassy affair with stunning views over to Blencathra and the northern fells – although I was gutted to find I’d not washed my flask out properly from its previous outing, and the celebratory hot chocolate turned into a disappointing oily mess!!

My most memorable day in the Lake District hills was on the last day of August, getting an early bus to Thirlmere and hiking across the ‘Dodds’ – Stybarrow, Watson and Great and finishing on Clough Head before walking back towards Thirlmere on a stunning August evening.

Embracing the small moments 

  • My monthly outdoor dips goal continued! Many were in my local lake of Rydal but also lovely memories of a wild and windy Derwentwater in February, Baileys hot chocolate by Rydal in October and a post cocktails sea dip on the Isle of Arran.
  • Bluebells in Fishgarth Woods were stunning this year!
  • Discovering Undercrag Cafe near Coniston 
  • Walking the Dalemain loop and discovering a harvest festival 
  • Having breakfast on the hill near my house in all 4 seasons
  • Reading 15 books – the most I’ve read in my adult life! One of my favourites was You Are Here by David Nicholls, which is partially set in the Lake District
  • Finally visiting Caldbeck on the northern fringes of the Lake District
  • Hiking in the Long Mynd near Shrewsbury with my old best friend
  • Visiting Liverpool with my dad and sister and going to see Kate Rusby’s Christmas concert, which has become an annual tradition!

What didn’t go so well in 2024

I kicked off January with high hopes, having bought an Interrail ticket in the Black Friday sale and had planned to spend most of the month exploring Europe. The day before I was due to go, my boyfriend got ill (which I ended up getting too), which meant I delayed the trip for a week.

When I finally headed out to Bologna in Italy (annoyingly by plane rather than train trying to catch up on my trip), I just felt I couldn’t relax into travelling and staying in hostels the way I used to back in my 20s. I caught the train up to Innsbrook in Austria (which was stunning) but just found myself overcome with my old friend anxiety.

Rather than persevere, I just decided to come home early instead. I returned to Paris at the end of February to try and use a bit more of the ticket – but not only did I mess my bookings up, I also ended up getting my phone pickpocketed on the Metro and spending half a day in a French police station! Needless to say, I’m sticking to the UK for adventures this year!

I had one of the most challenging days hiking solo in April since moving to the Lakes. After spending the morning with friends in the Patterdale valley, I continued on towards Grisedale Tarn, where I slipped on mud and fell hard on my shoulder. After the initial shock, I managed to pull myself together and head off the hill towards Grasmere, only for my bag to tumble into a waterfall whilst briefly stopping for a rest! I did manage to salvage my bag, thankfully (minus my water bottle RIP) and make it back home, but my shoulder was sore for the entire month, and I felt like I had temporarily lost a bit of confidence in hiking solo.

I actually didn’t end up doing a big hill day solo again until late August, partly because of the fairly grim summer weather we had and partly because of work and a tiny bit of my confidence being knocked – but the year ended more strongly and fingers crossed for more hill time in 2025.

Looking forward to 2025 

This year feels like a real milestone as I turn 40 in May! Which feels unbelievable, like just yesterday I was celebrating my 30th in London….how life has changed! I’ve already got two trips pencilled into the diary: a trip, of course, to my beloved Scotland to an area I’ve not been to before and tentative plans to hike to Norfolk Coast Path with my two oldest best friends in a collective celebration of our 40th birthdays!

This will be my 6th year of living in the Lake District, which is by far the longest I’ve spent in one place my whole adult life, and I’m hoping to continue to embrace all the things I love about being here – the walks both big and small, my monthly outdoor dips and watching the seasons change – I’m looking forward to taking you along for the ride 😊

If you are interested in a trip down memory lane, these were my review posts from previous years….

5 highlights and a few reflections from the Lake District in 2023

Wild dips, near peaks and a reunion: Goodbye 2022, Hello 2023

Tiny moments of joy and a dozen Wainwrights: my 2021 year in review

10 memories from the defining year of 2020 in the Lake District

Not strictly an end-of-year review – but most of my highlights in 2019 were from the summer!

Wild camping, skinny dipping, and learning to run: 10 highlights from a heartfelt summer in the Lake District

My 2018 review: the year of adventure