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This was to be Isabella's first munro! So, with the excitement of setting up camp over, we moved across to the local pub for dinner and to draw our maps for the next day's outing!
A beautiful day dawned - as good a day as you would ever get in sunny Scotland - and the road up the Esk River valley is quite stunning.
We did the first stretch of the walk into the valley by bike - a bit tricky in places with all the rocks, but a great challenge for a wee six year old
Scotland at its absolute best - the heather ablaze and grouse aplenty
Drinking what we've come to call 'hardcore water' over the years
The obligatory stop at Queen Victoria's Well, near where we left Bella's bike and set our targets for how far we could climb without being carried ... ...
Another beautiful picture down the little Ladder Burn
Half way up and time for a rest for us both (carrying 20kgs up a hill is not that easy!)
Getting closer, colder and windier
Energy and enhusiasm for the climb now gone ... ... until we hit the steps
A big achievement for my big girl ... ... and a Twix.
A small tick in the box for me, but a big one for my walking buddy xx
Looking west to Lochnagar and the real mountains
East down the way we came (and the sea off Aberdeen and Angus)
And north to land never seen by us before ... ...
Heading home, back to the campsite, a return match of monopoly and many more rounds of Uno. Well done, big girl, you're a champ xxx
