This is very late but we had another little family holiday at the end of July for my dad’s birthday and went to an area I’ve not really visited before. I admit my knowledge of the Scottish/English border, and its various battles, is sorely lacking and I was never quite sure which country we were in or looking at (mainly England).
The highlight was definitely The Alnwick Garden and we spent a whole day there. It has a huge and impressive fountain – The Grand Cascade! – that cycles through various displays of jets and fountains so that’s fun to watch and walk around.
It’s definitely more of an interactive garden than a typical show garden with lots of activities for children, including a seriously bizarre magical village mini theme park. In the main garden there’s a guided poison garden tour, a sculpture garden of water features, bamboo maze etc. but still also lots of pretty flowers and views to look at.
The other highlight was my dad’s birthday lunch at the garden’s main restaurant, The Treehouse. It’s a massive and quirky wooden building with handmade wooden furniture and fittings. It was a really lovely experience and the food was great. Nicolette had also brought a special birthday cake that we ate for the rest of the weekend.
I’m glad to have visited the Holy Island of Lindisfarne as I’ve seen it form the train many times and it was a lovely day for it. You can only get there across a causeway (full of ominous signs warning about not trying to beat the tide).
It is quite touristy but there’s some nice walks away from the village with lovely views and an observation tower high up. This is the ruined abbey. It felt quite similar to Iona, if it was easier for mobs of tourists to get there.
We stayed in (the private gated part of) a holiday camp outside Berwick-upon-Tweed and only really went there on our last day. It’s a classic old town with loads of history and some very impressive bridges – with regular trains to add some interest to your photos! The town centre is a bit run-down but still with some nice shops and cafes.
You can see all my photos on Flickr. I was a bit distracted all weekend so there were a few other things that I didn’t end up taking photos of, including beach day and lots of good food. I also beat everyone at adventure golf.
