After Battlesteads we had planned to venture into Kielder Forest before moving on to Moffat. The weather forecast, combined with a problem with the van, persuaded us to cut out Kielder and to head back to Winter Base, where we made every effort to secure the new pod tent against the coming storm. Mr Snail also addressed the issue of the split waste pipe by applying copious quantities of self-amalgamating tape.
On Saturday morning Mr Snail emptied and filled the tanks and was happy to note that the tape had done its job. We left Kippford once again and turned our heads towards Moffat.
We would have done better to stay put, not least because the forecast for Dalbeattie was far better than the one for Moffat.
Given that our intention was largely to avoid Christmas and to keep our heads down we were disappointed on arrival at Moffat to find the site quite busy and bedecked in tawdry ornament. Many of the vans have fairy lights and other nastiness. Back in Kippford there was rather more good taste in evidence and in fact very few folk about. Alas, we had booked and paid our fee and there was no chance of refund and so, here we are, attempting to do Christmas our way and acting rather like King Canute, holding back a tide of tinsel.
It is warm and quite still but very wet indeed. We have managed to get our boots muddy though. The Southern Upland Way was deemed inadvisable this morning but we went for a hike along the Annandale Way instead. We came home to a pork pie and some of Tesco’s delicious Sweetfire beetroots.
A very easy and very simple Christmas Day.
We are here in Moffat until Tuesday, with very little idea of our plans thereafter.