First day in bonnie Scotland

The weather wasn't too bad so we walked from the house down to the Rothiemurchus estate to book our Archery session for the next day. We then walked to and right round Loch an Eilean stopping off for our picnic at the water's edge and an ice cream once we had completed the circuit of the loch. Along the way we were delighted to spot a deer and two red squirrels.

On the long trek back we stopped off to feed the trout in the Rothiemurchus fishery. Trouble is, it was more feed the ducks. Ryan ended up waving his arms at the ducks to give the fish a chance.

Kath and Ryan had both ticked to do indoor rock climbing. Kath was up for it after dinner but Ryan was too full. The wall was in a new sports training facility in Glenmore. Kath was the only climber so we sat on the crash mats and watched. She enjoyed it but it was a fairly small room so she had done all she could after 50 minutes.

Long day

Up at 4.15 to drive to the car rental at the airport for our early morning flight. As we got up I received a text to say the flight had been delayed which did not go down well at that time of the morning. We had breakfast at the airport and played cards to while away the time, finally taking off about two and a half hours late.

My original plan had been for us to eat breakfast at the Tesco near Edinburgh airport but that turned into lunch due to the delay and by the time we had picked up the rental car.

After a smooth and quiet 2 hour drive (several sleeping people) we got to the timeshare in Aviemore just on check in time. After collecting activity leaflets at the tourist office we did a big food shop then settled in. I think everyone was happy to be staying in one place for the next week. Kath baked a deliciously moist lemon cake.

We drew up a chart showing all of the activities we could do along with the cost then everyone ticked off what they wanted to do. Only one activity had the maximum 5 ticks and that was Archery. Several were discounted due to cost. It was a good way to plan the week.

Last day

Today we drove back to Keflavik to stay near the airport due to our 6.30am flight to Scotland. The weather was miserable. I had planned what I thought was a scenic route but most of it was through a flat landscape of lava fields. We didn't even catch a glimpse of Eyjafjallajokull (the volcano which blew out the ash cloud in 2010), due to the low clouds. We stopped in Eyrarbakki, an old fishing village which still has original houses and a statue of the man who thought the location was ideal for a harbour;

We saw the Blue Lagoon which must rake in millions each year.

Last stop was meant to be the Bridge between Two Continents i.e. straddling the tectonic plates, but due to this,

we didn't get out of the car to walk over it.

Kath and Ryan went to Viking World but both thought it over priced (no surprise). Just before dinner we walked down to the harbour where the fishing fleet were offloading mackerel.

Early to bed tonight and then tomorrow we travel for our second week - in Scotland.

Jokulsarlon

We knew today would be a mega driving day but we couldn't miss seeing the Jokulsarlon blue lagoon with icebergs coming off the Vatnajokull glacier (which covers 14% of Iceland). The long drive was well worth it and the scenery along the way made us forget how squeezed we were in the back. We stayed for a couple of hours then drove back stopping at a few places but none of them matched up to the sight we had seen. Jess wants crediting - these are all her photos! In the evening we went back again to the beach and were rewarded yet again with a superb sunset, 100s of puffins,  seals close to the shore and a humpback whale this time showing it's tail fin many times.

Animals

Kath had asked if I had factored any animals into her holiday....today was a bonus for her and unplanned by me. First off she and Ryan had a ride on Icelandic horses along the beach and experienced the special gait called a 'tolt'; fast as a canter but different. This chap's bio stated that he likes being the leader and lets the other horses know....my favourite looking one in the stable and Ryan was allocated him for the ride.

After lunch Ryan chose to have some time off (can't blame him!) so us 4 walked up the hill overlooking Vik and our place. It rained on us twice but we got some good views. The weather changes every 5 minutes here.

In the evening we all went to the beach and had one of those special times which will become a magical memory. The weather was dry and the sunset beautiful. The waves were huge (several tourists have drowned there due to 'sneaker' waves and you can see why. There were lots of puffins (no pics as Martin has the best and I can't get them off the camera till we get home), and rocks to climb.We also got excited to see quite a few seals which was a bonus. But the icing on the cake was a humpback whale feeding just offshore....incredible.  We stayed for ages but still Kath didn't want to leave so I promised we would return for a 3rd evening tomorrow.

Kath in black up highest;

Humpback tail fin just above the rock

Water, water everywhere

Today the main feature was water. It rained most of the time and we were stopping at 2 waterfalls on our journey from Fludir to Vik.

At Seljalandsfoss we kitted up in our waterproofs and walked behind the falls and got quite wet. The force of the water as it hit the pool at the bottom was immense - vicious really. Deceptive when looking at the front. Ryan had come dressed for a dip, knowing it would be cold - but the possible damage to his body put him off! 500m walk away was another fall hidden in a chasm and the kids scrambled through to see it.

The next one was Skogafoss and, despite the rain the girls and I walked up to see the view from the top.

After a total of 2 hours drive we arrived in Vik and followed the excellent directions from the next Airbnb host. We needed them as the cabin was totally remote and hard to spot. I had struggled to find accommodation in the town (it's fairly small) and was on the point of giving up when I expanded the Airbnb locator map and chanced upon Reynisholt. Martin and I had a very small bedroom and the kids slept on three sofas which converted into beds. There was a good kitchen and eating area and I was amazed and relieved that there was enough space for the 5 of us to cohabit in for 3 nights.

The views;

Our cabin is the green roofed building just below the water;

After eating a late lunch Martin took time out to sit in the sun on the veranda and revise for his flying exams. I drove the kids into Vik to have a wander, buy our food and book a ride for Ryan and Jess. In the evening we drove down to the black sand beach to see the puffins returning to roost for the night. But it was still raining and cold so we didn't stop for long.

Which mountain

I had planned for us to walk up Midfell, a small mountain behind Fludir but when I looked on Google maps it showed the mountain miles away. After some more research I found the one nearby.  Confusing here as many towns and places including mountains share the same names. We had a good hike and there was no one else around. The views were amazing.

Afterwards we drove to an eco village (advertised as tourists welcome) where there is a community of people with learning disabilities who make art and craft products to sell, and run a cafe. We wandered around but didn't feel comfortable enough to enter the workshops as all of the signage was in Icelandic and we were unsure what we could/should do.

In the evening the kids paid to spend a few hours at the Secret Lagoon, a thermal pool not too far away.