National Mining Museum Scotland.

The wonderfully restored Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange, Midlothian, opened in 1885 by the Lothian Coal Company and closed in 1981. Now protected as a Category A listed site it houses the National Mining Museum Scotland telling the story of coal for Scotland through two floors of exhibitions, interactive and tours, retracing the footsteps of thousands of miners and their families who relied on the colliery to make a living.

The Tour begins.

We booked the tour lead by a very friendly and knowledgable former miner who gave us an insight into the workings of the pit.

There were also two floors of permanent exhibitions, The Story of Coal and A Race Apart, which details the daily lives and struggles of mining families. 

The cage.

The Road Way leading to the coal face.

Supporing the working coal face.

Cutting Machine.

Moving coal.

Steam Winding Gear.

Union meeting.

Miners transcending the road way.

Washing after his shift in front of the hearth. 

Washing the dust down.

Mr Moo’s Touring Park. Skipsea, East Yorkshire. May/June 2026.

Mr Moo’s Touring Park is a family-owned holiday park that is famously integrated with an award winning ice cream farm and parlour. Which means its a very short walk to treat your self to one of the 18 gorgeous flavours of ice cream, on display, you might as well make the most of life's opportunities. The ice cream parlour also includes a restaurant serving hot food and at weekends a takeaway Chinese food hut operates at the entrance of the camp site.

We had a full serviced hardstanding pitch for six nights that included EHU, your own fresh water supply and a grey water drain. Facilities were clean and warm. Although the  ‘free’ Wi-FI was not very good. The nearest general shop/post office was in Skipsea which is a 20 minute walk from the site and like all general convenience stores is well stocked.

There is a wide footpath from the site down to the shore, which has an accessible sandy beach only when the tide is out. The English Coastal Path runs along the coast but the cliff erosion makes this a wee bit dangerous and you must be careful to stay away from the edge.

These coastal cliffs suffer from the some of the fastest rates of erosion in Europe, at a rate 1.5 to 2 meters per year, but can loose up to 4 meters  of more annually. This is apparently due to the cliff being made up of soft boulder clay which has little or no resistance against water. Wave and weather action is another reason, along side no sea defences, for this erosion.

Hornsea is a traditional seaside town, its centre has a rather old fashioned feel with many independent shops. Its situated 5 miles from our camp site so we decided to cycle, although the the B road that takes you to the town is very busy.

Once though the town there is a grand tiered promenade that runs the length of the well maintained beach and a nice spot to sit and enjoy your  piece. Also situated adjacent to the shore is The East Riding Leisure Hub, which provides the town with a gym, swimming pool, squash courts and the towns library. 

Although as i have pointed out the coastal path can appear quite dangerous you can, with care walk in both directions. Head north along the path and you will approach the village of Skipsea and its convenience store. 

At the west end of the village you will find The Church of All Saints which dates back to the 11th/12th century. Unfortunately we were unable on this occasion to gain access to its interior. 

On a rather warm and sunny Sunday morning we walked 3 miles south along the coastal path to a very big and crowded car boot sale and a indoor market at Skirlington.

The market and car boot sale is one of Yorkshires largest. It has apparently been running for 40 years and covers a 70 acre site. Both the car boot and the market is exceptionally well attended. It was proposed in the the past to close the market but local opposition the market will remain open. Plenty of free car parking and places to eat. Made a nice change and the weather held while we walked back. 

Glen Coe Trip, Scotland May 2026.

Following on from our trip to Tiree our next stop was at some of the most startling countryside in the Highlands of Scotland, Glen Coe. The spectacular scenery dates back hundreds of million years, when mountains were formed through violent volcanic eruptions and later sculptured by immense glaciers. 

We stayed at the Glencoe Camping and Caravan Club Site,  adjacent to the Glencoe Green Way, with excellent facilities, good size pitches but very busy as it was on the NC500 route. A compliment must be paid to the club staff who were some of the friendliest we have come across on our travels. 

For the first time ever, the Glencoe Greenway makes it possible for folk to walk and/or cycle on a completely traffic free route through this dramatic landscape along side the very busy ,and fast A82. Glen Coe village is a two mile walk on the Greenway, but in all honesty other than being a cute wee village there’s not really a lot for the visitor to enjoy.

A little further on using the same pathway is the village of Ballachulish which is a far better prospect to explore. 

It lies on the south side of Loch Leven to the west of Glen Coe and is famous for its slate quarries which go back to 1693 and was used to provide the roofing slate for much of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Although quarrying no longer takes place its quite a tourist attraction. The village itself is very attractive and has a nice visitors centre, serving food and drink, and a well stocked Co Op supermarket. 

The village did boast two two places of worship. The Church of Scotland, built in 1845 its now closed and in private hands. The owner is in a battle with the local authorities over converting and prolonging the life of the building. 

St Mun’s Catholic Church was built 1836 and is seemingly not changed apart from the addition of the Priests House to the side. As you can see its still very well cared for and loved by its congregation. 

A very short walk from the camp site is the Glencoe National Nature Reserve Visitors Centre which is a great source to find out  the history of the area. Hundreds of Highlanders from Clan Donald of Glencoe once made their home in  what are now long lost townships. 

A turf  and creel house has been recreated by hand using traditional craft skills. Not only can you see a wee film about the building of the house, but the centre offers a free guided tour of the building. Which is most interesting and well worth while. taking advantage of. 

Following on from your tour you can can enjoy something to eat and drink at the Highland Coo Cafe, inside the visitors centre.

The ruins of the old settlement where killings took place. 

One of the most infamous and shameful acts of betrayal acts took place in Glen Coe was the  Massacre of Glencoe in 1692. On the orders of William of Orange the Protestant King at the time soldiers, who had enjoyed the hospitality of the MacDonald Clan for 11 days, rose in the night and butchered their hosts.  MacIan and 33 of his men , two women and two children were either put to the sword or shot dead. Many others members of the MacDonald Clan perished in the deep winter snow blizzards as they tried to escape. All stemmed from a ruling that all Clan Chiefs, many of which had remained loyal to King James 2nd, where told to swore an oath of allegiance before January 1st 1692 and therefore would be regarded as loyal subjects and no action would be taken against them. But due to various administration problems MacIan was unable to take the oath before the dead line.

There were certainly other places on the Greenway to enjoy if you head south. 

Loch Achlriorochtan.

A small shallow fresh water loch located to the east go Glen Coe village.

An Torr

A small mixed woodland owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Marked paths through the wood lead to Signal Rock.

Signal Rock.

I am stand standing on Tom a' Ghrianain, Gaelic for Hill of the Sun, capped by Signal Rock. Many myths and legends surround Signal Rock and tradition has it that this was the gathering point for the MacDonalds of Glencoe at times of emergency. The rock may have taken its name from its use over the years as a site for lighting a beacon, and some people believe that it was here that a fire was lit to signal the start of the Massacre on 13 February 1692. However, there is no evidence to support this theory.