This has been a great year. If you are a Facebook Friend you will know a lot of this, but I’ve been to Vienna and back to Cornwall, and Terri visited for about 10 days so we did lots of tourist-type things then. I also paid a return visit to the Isle of May.
I ended up running the Edinburgh & East of Scotland Cat Club show in September, and outside of that I’ve still got several other things on the go including some more Munro-bashing.
As always, I’ve taken lots of photos. The link will take you to all my 2025 posts at Fifescapes.
Vienna
Vienna is a fantastic city to visit, and I met my friend Terri there. Of course I had to visit the Beethoven Museum, the Mozart House and also the palace at Esterhazy where Haydn was employed for many years so that meant Terri visited those places as well. I was also struck by how clean it was, not just in the tourist centre but where we were staying a couple of miles out. The other massively impressive thing was being able to get a week’s travel on all the Vienna trains (U-Bahn, S-Bahn and OBB), buses and trams for just under Eu20.
Cornwall
I loved Cornwall so much last year I went back, though by train this time as I can’t drive 600 miles in a day. I had to go a week later than I originally intended, but it turned out to be just as well as Storm Amy hit while I would have been there. Eek! As it was I had excellent weather, not too hot for walking, and returned home with a brand new set of waterproofs unworn! As well as using my phone for photos, I also took the Pentax plus the 55-300mm lens. The two of them covered all options.
The main part of my holiday was to walk the South West Coast Path from Mousehole to St Ives. That took 5 days, 45 miles of walking and almost 12,500′ of climbing! I had booked a self-guided tour which meant all my accommodation was booked, my suitcase was taken from place to place and there were also some route notes.
There were endless wonderful beaches
I also visited St Michaels Mount and the Greevor Tin Mine with my friend Pauline, and the National Maritime Museum Cornwall on my own.
At the NMMC there was one exhibit that truly moved me. It was off a tiny pram dinghy which a couple of Jewish refugees used to escape from the Netherlands in 1940. It is only just big enough for two people and rowing it across the North Sea is an unthinkable thing to try to do.
St Ives
My walking ended up at St Ives, and as the last day was shorter with a bit less climbing I got there at about 2pm. Once I’d found my hotel, showered and changed, I went out with my camera and took photos!
Once again I found the cafe’s balcony at Tate St Ives gave me super views, and the architecture caught my eye as well. I also took a couple from my room as it overlooked the harbour.
Isle of May
I returned to the Isle of May and of course took many, many photos. The puffins were as wonderful as ever, and there were also several other species of bird. I was delighted to see, and take photos of, puffins with sand eels in their beaks. The trip over was rewarded with skeins of Gannets, flying from Bass Rock to some feeding grounds.
Munros
Having managed some for the first time in almost 30 years in 2023, I didn’t climb any in 2024 as I had ongoing foot issues, sorted eventually by the Fife Podiatrists with a small orthotic, and also a new pair of walking shoes. I managed 9 in the year, in 7 trips, and have now completed one of the SMC Sections – the one with fewest Munros that are all easily climbed from the A9 near Drumochter and Dalwhinnie!
Dennis
Very sadly my cat Dennis – IGrPr Johpas Kobe – had to be euthanised. He became very unwell and probably had pancreatitis, which is a very serious illness in both cats and humans. He has left a huge hole at home, though his son Finn has taken over washing my hair, and I’m glad none of them have started eating plastic!
2026
Next year I resign from a couple of Cat Club positions and Committees, and from helping run cat shows. That should give me a lot more freedom about when I can both go out for the day, and go away. I intend to be more systematic as to which Munros I attempt in the hope of finishing another section, possibly two. My ultimate aim isn’t to climb all of them, but to finish all south of the Great Glen fault. Finally, I hope to meet some of my old Knighton Morris friends.
Wishing you, your family & friends, a healthy and happy 2026.