Yet again, despite all my good intentions, I’ve failed to post any photos from my monthly walks this year. Work has been busy (I’m not complaining, I’m thankful to still have one!), then throw in the demands of living through lockdown & adjusting to the new ‘normal’, and time just seems to disappear these days. So, with 2 months left before we leave 2020 behind I’ve decided to look back & reflect on some of my walks earlier in the year.
Weather dictated our walks for the first couple of months, with icy conditions in January followed by Storm Dennis in February resulting in us having to make some last minute changes to our plans!
January 2020, Benone Strand, 6 miles
Black ice inland meant we were forced to head from the mountains to the coast!
After a warming pit stop at the Temple Cove Coffee Shop we were ready to face the return journey.
Nippy on the fingers but a great leg stretch from Benone to Downhill (& back) was a great way to get 2020 off to an icy start!
February 2020, Lough Fea, 3 miles
Storm Dennis forced us to rethink our February walk around Springhill when we arrived to closed gates, so we rediverted to get blown around Lough Fea instead!
It wasn’t the best of days & it wasn’t our longest walk by any means, but despite the wind & the rain it was still great to get outdoors.
March 2020, Dunluce Castle, 6 miles
With Coronavirus making the headlines, & lockdown imminent, March saw us staying local and heading to Portrush for a “socially distanced” walk to Dunluce Castle, returning via the White Rocks.
Looking back, little did we realise that we wouldn’t be able to see our beautiful coastline again for some time, nor that we’d be looking for rainbows of hope as we experienced the ups & downs of lockdown in the days, weeks & months ahead!
May 2020, River Bann to Camus Cross, 9 miles
After 2 months of lockdown, and having to sacrifice our April walk, we were finally able to meet up again! Staying local, and adhering to social distancing rules, we took the riverside path towards Castleroe & the Camus Cross on the west side of the River Bann.
It was great to get out & about for a good leg stretch, exploring the local area and enjoying the lockdown weather.
June 2020, Slieveanorra Forest, 9 miles
In June we ventured a little further towards Loughgiel & Slieveanorra Forest. We’d planned to walk Croaghan Way but it was temporarily closed so we diverted towards the forest.
The day improved as we went along & apart from some hardy runners we had the Moyle Way to ourselves.
Well that’s been fun, looking back at the first half of the year & reliving some of our monthly walks – they say a picture tells a thousand words so hope you have enjoyed mine!
Walking Through 2017 and Beyond 
Some lovely photos of some of my favourite places on the north coast. It’s good to be able to enjoy nature in these challenging times.
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Thanks, it took me some time to get back to this blog but I enjoyed looking back at the photos and remembering some fun days despite 2020 being a year most of us will want to forget!
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