Sunday 3 September 2023
Chris and I finally drove up into the forest behind our house to find a pool that the previous owners had told us they used to swim in. We drove for just over six miles along forestry tracks, stopping a lot to take photos and for me to walk chunks of the tracks (in pursuit of 10,000 steps) while Chris drove on and parked up to admire the view. We drove above the mysterious house that we know is over three miles up the forestry tracks and which was once owned by, apparently, a one-hit-wonder from the 1990s whose one hit is so famous that everyone would know it. Except no one has been able to remember the name of the person or the hit, or even hum the tune that apparently everyone knows. Anyway, we can now fully appreciate why someone musical who might want to make a lot of noise without disturbing anyone would want to live there. It really is three miles up an unmarked forestry track in a stunning basin of a valley surrounded by wilderness and forest. Three miles further and we parked by the pool, which is a former quarry. We already had our swimmers on, knowing that we’d more likely go for a swim if we were properly prepared.
As with all quarries, it wasn’t a smooth transition into the water, though we’ve earmarked a higher but easier route in and out for next time, as there most definitely will be a next time. The water was full of small fish, who are slightly annoyingly curious and tickle as they ‘peck’ at you if you don’t keep moving. But the water was clear, clouding up with our movement on the surface because of sediment. Unsurprisingly, after initially thinking it was kind of warm with the first dabs in the water, the water was cold. It was warm enough outside the water to not be cold just wearing swimmers. We ended up staying in the water, more standing and treading water than swimming much, for maybe quarter of an hour. It was magical. Around the quarry were spruce trees, pretty blue and cloudy sky, a lovely strong smell of spruce and woodland and so much space and quiet. “Magical”, we agreed, really was the perfect word to encapsulate how it felt.
After we got out and stayed in our towelling hoodie-gowns, we walked to a nearby loch. No people, no cars, nothing. Just a loch, birds, loads of butterflies, heather, trees and unspoilt wilderness and woodland. I then walked along the track while Chris drove chunk by chunk. Our exit from the forest via a different route was scuppered by a forestry gate being locked so we had to turn back, but it was absolutely stunning. I expect we’d have been really shocked to see another vehicle, let alone a person, though there is a right of access, particularly for cyclists and walkers. We did exit the forest, Craik Forest, from a different route though, returning a much longer way home. That section of the forest was different to the rest we’d driven through. There were more rolling hills as we emerged from the forest and a huge field full of pheasants, more than one hundred, clearly bred for shooting season.
We both had a magical, massively enjoyable, hugely unexpected late afternoon, not getting home until shortly before seven. I then had an outdoor shower, which I hadn’t done for ages. We both felt very much awake and lively after all that. Maybe we should go again today, I need livening up!