We normally go with Mike on our July break to the Lakes, but this year we took Karen and Jack with us, and instead had a long weekend in September with Mike and Denise at the Heights Hotel at Castlerigg.

We arrived at the hotel late afternoon and after unpacking went for a walk along the path to the Stone Circle to stretch our legs before going to the Crag Bar at the hotel for dinner.

One of Mike's favourite places in the Lake District is Buttermere, so we chose a circular walk round the Lake as our first walk of the break. David did not join us for the walk, as he went fell-running to Walla Crag, Bleaberry Fell and High Seat instead.

We drove through Borrowdale and across Honister Pass to Buttermere - a wonderful and picturesque drive.

When we arrived at Buttermere village, the weather looked uncertain, so we put on waterproof jackets, just in case, but we were lucky and the rain held off for the whole walk.

We started the walk along the path to Burtness Wood, where we took the high path through the woodland to the junction with the path to Scarth Gap, where we took the path to Gatesgarth Farm. Here we had a break by the car park and a cup of coffee from the ice cream van.

Then we set off along the shore path back to Buttermere, where we stopped at the Buttermere Dairy shop, and were told off, not only for bringing in our backpacks, but also for taking too long to decide which flavour ice cream we wanted. Goodness knows what the shopkeeper was like before she went on a customer relations course!!!

After our walk, we drove across Newlands Pass to Whinlatter Forest Park, where we had coffees at the Visitors Centre.

In the evening we had drove to Keswick and had dinner at a pizzeria, having agreed that the menu at the hotel was not varied enough for three nights in a row, and then it was back to the hotel for an early night before our ascent of Skiddaw!