This is the new domain replacing balmerino.info Julie and Lance, Personal Website of Julie Harris and Lance Thompson, including; Latest; Julie’s Geeky Gardener Blog; What Inspired me: Apollo Moon Project; Cycle Routes; Cycling Grading System, Walking Routes; Favourite Wines; Food; Recipes; Archive; Ideas and Geeky Electrical Electronic Tools; Family and Friends Pages; Sandy and Graham Harris; Italian Connection; George Gibson; Ashley Johnson; Brian Thompson; Byker; Heaton; Newcastle upon Tyne; 1960s; 1970s; Tyneside.

 

Personal Website of Julie and Lance

Intended for our family and friends: to keep them up with our adventures

|

When emailing, the subject must include “Fife” to pass spam filters

Latest!

Here’s a selection of photos from across 2026.

We start with celebrating our 25th anniversary: we holidayed for a week in Scourie, Sutherland, in the far northwest of Scotland. We have been to the Scourie Hotel many times, almost as many times as we have tried to get across to Cape Wrath. We were determined to get to the Cape on the day of our anniversary. Did we achieve it? Read on and see.

Many years ago we visited the Bone Caves, and we thought it high time we revisited them.

 

 

Also many years ago we walked along Loch Glendu, to the east of Kylesku, and we thought it high time to repeat the walk.

 

 

 

And yes, we did make it to Cape Wrath this time – at the sixth attempt!

And it was also the day of our anniversary – 25-years.

 

 

 

 

On the longest day, 21st June, Federica, Walter, Julie and I walked up our local hill to watch a gorgeous sunset.

 

 

In July, for my birthday, we holidayed in Anglesey.

 

On one of our bike rides we stopped for coffee (but no doughnuts) at the Melin Llynon, the last working windmill in Wales, famous for its doughnuts. They’d sold-out of doughnuts!

 

For my birthday, Julie booked a table at The Lobster Pot – very nice seafood!

 

We explored the Menai Strait, and visited its famous bridge.

 

We had fabulous weather the whole week, as did all of the UK – the first of 2026’s heatwaves!

 

For Julie’s birthday in August we visited friends (Marina and Gareth) in Ilkley, Yorkshire.

 

We visited the York Railway Museum – always worth a look – and dined at Roots – excellent restaurant!

 

Late August and Early September, we took the bikes to the Highlands: The glens of Cannich, Strathglass and Strathfarrar. We stayed at The Cnoc Hotel, and excellent location from which to explore the area on bike.

 

 

 

The glen of Strathfarrar is (perhaps) the best location for traffic-free cycling: the glen is a private estate, a maximum of only twenty-five permits per day are issued for car access, primarily for fishing. The glen has year-round open access for walkers and cyclists. On this occasion we saw only one vehicle. A round trip of 30-miles on an excellent sealed road takes you through some stunning Highland countryside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glen Cannich, although not car restricted, was also very quiet. Not as hard a ride as Strathfarrar, Glen Cannich is 20-miles round-trip from the village of Cannich. (There is a challenging little hill right from the beginning, but that does mean downhill at the end).

 

 

 

 

 

So that was our 2026, year of the heatwaves. Luckily, unlike other parts of the UK, we didn’t experience the crazily high temperatures.

 

Cheers!