And so it was that Anne and I set off from Selkirk at 7am on Tuesday 5th July 2012.
ready to go
A 3 hour drive to Cairnryan …
Superfast funnel
Two hours to cross to Belfast on the Superfast VIII …
camped at Roundwood
Two and a half hour drive down to Dublin, and by 4.30pm we were pitching our tent at Roundwood, on a lovely sunny evening.
So, how about a little afternoon stroll? 10 minutes drive from the campsite was the Great Sugar Loaf, a superb mini-mountain (501m), overlooking Dublin and the Irish Sea. Having seen the weather forecast for the following day, we decided to make the most of the lovely afternoon!
Great Sugar Loaf from the car park
From the car park, a broad grassy path led up to a shoulder on the west side, then a steep scramble to the rocky summit, reminiscent of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. 35 minutes from the car!
David on top of the Great Sugar Loaf - Wicklow Hills behind
Superb views all round, although a little hazy. We could see to the Mountains of Mourne to the north, Snowdonia on the eastern horizon, and the Wicklow Hills to the west and south.
view from summit - towards Dun Laoghaire
Descended by the same route, in 25 minutes.
A good start to our holiday, although, as it turned out, it was to be the only clear, dry summit of the fortnight!