Benmore Blog, day three (Turnip)

It was really fun today because we went gorge walking and got really wet! We had to hold onto some ropes when we were climbing up the rocks, and it was great. We made our way up to a waterfall ad started to make a human dam. Once we had built up enough water we let go of each other and slid down the rocks. We got extremely wet. We then went caving in the afternoon and it was really scary. We got lifted 25 feet underground into the darkness and had to wait at the bottom. We had to climb through lots of holes and small cracks. It was really dark but great fun!

Benmore Blog, day three (Tinkerbell)

We went climbing and abseiling. The climbing was really fun and the abseiling was scary at first but it felt great. Later on we went on a forest walk in the afternoon! We collected tadpoles from the river and put them in cups! Highlander found a newt called Jimbo! My tadpoles were called Popo, Bobo, Topp, Sunny, Taddy and Bimbo! We drank water from the waterfall and crawled though tunnels!
Tinkerbell xox!

Benmore Blog, day three (Highland Cow)

I am having a great time!
We did climbing and abseiling today (we abseiled at 50 feet). We also did a forest trail thing. We swam in a FREEZING cold lake at NIGHT!! We went through a wood and burn on the forest trail. Benmore is GREAT!!

Benmore Blog, day three (Thistle)

The abseiling was amazing! It was scary. The rock was so steep and we kept slipping. It was about a 50 foot drop and I looked down halfway up and that made me a bit wary! But it was still cool! The forest walk was great too. We got to drink from this mini waterfall and it was really nice! We found loads of tadpoles and gave them names (except we couldn’t tell who was who!). Highlander found a kind of newt and named it Jimbo. And the others were just things so they were all “Jimbo and Co.” It’s really fun and we had spag bol for tea. It was yummy!
xox Thistle xox

Benmore Blog, day three (Highlander)

Hi! This morning we went climbing and abseiling. We did it on a 50 foot wall of rock which was very steep. I’ve got tons of photos! In the afternoon we went on a forest walk. There were lots of streams and waterfalls and some people got wet. In one stream we found tons of tadpoles and I found a newt. I named him Jimbo; but then he swam away. After that we played hide-and-seek and that was awesome! See you soon,
Love Highlander
xx

Benmore Blog, day three (Tartan Terror)

Another great day! First we went gorge walking. There was a rock called the keyhole which gushed out water from the river. We had to climb through it! I was soaked!
When we got to the top of the river there was a natural water slide. We lined up REALLY close together and water built up behind us. Then we let go and scooted down into a pool!
Then we went caving! It was cool because we got lowered in through a hole! People kept whacking into me when they came down. When we were halfway through Ally McCoist started singing a song from a Pot Noodle advert for some reason. Later tonight we’re doing raft building! Weeeee!!!

Benmore Blog, day three (Neap)

Today we had beans and sausages for breakfast and got ready for gorge walking. Gorge walking was great. We climbed up waterfalls and made human dams which we built up and then went sliding into a really deep pool. We came back soaking and had lunch. Then we went caving. It was very fun. We had to wear our wet walking boots but I had my own ones from home luckily! The caving was great. You get lowered down a huge hole and it was pitch black but we had torches. Ally McCoist kept singing about Tartan Terror flavoured noodles.

Benmore Blog, day three (Miss Kerr)

We had a fantastic day yesterday. I managed to gorge walk without getting wet feet – quite an achievement I feel!! Caving in the afternoon was a great but being lowered into the cave was a little scary. We all made it out in one piece though.

Benmore Blog, day three (Miss Rome)

Yesterday we had superb weather (again!). My group had wall climbing followed by abseiling in the morning. They all managed to make it up and down in one piece (including me) so well done everybody.

Benmore Blog, day three (Mr Devereux)

We had another great day yesterday and I managed to stay dry doing all my activities (unlike the children!). If you have been reading these posts, you’ll have seen that the keywords are ‘soaked’, ‘wet’, ‘soooo’ and ‘cool’. Yes everyone is very wet and very happy. I am very dry and very happy. However I’m doing the gorge walk tomorrow so the dry bit may have to change. I had a race through the grounds with the class today and came sixth. Not good. Hmm. I think I need to get into a bit more training…

Hello from Miss Small!

Hi everyone, it sounds like you are all having an AMAZING time at Benmore. I am very jealous! I will keep my fingers crossed for sunshine and lots more exciting activities for you all.

Look forward to hearing more about your fun week :)
Have fun, Miss Small xx

Benmore Blog, day two (Tartan Terror)

Today was cool too! We went rock climbing and abseiling but I got scared so I just walked down. Then we went on a really nice forest walk. There were loads of mini waterfalls and there was a big one to camouflage ourselves. Then we came back for tea! After that we went swimming in an ARCTIC cold pond! Brrr! Write again tomorrow. Bye!

Benmore Blag, day two (The Human Nessie)

Today, in the morning, we all woke up at 6.30!! We all got dressed, tidied our dorm and sent messages to the other dorms.
After breakfast we had to do our chores. I had to sweep a corridor and some steps. After that (deep breath) we had to have our dorms inspected. We got 9 out of 10!!
For our morning activity we did the ROPES!! It was amazing!! First we did a practice course where we had to work as a team, or fall down. Then we did the proper one. We got strapped to harnesses then all got jobs. Some people had to hold ropes, one person had to do the course and I had to do videoing. When it was my turn on the ropes course I was really nervous but I did it fine. We went up a ladder, then along a horizontal pole, then up a metal ladder, and then along another pole. In the middle we had to do a dance then JUMP OFF!! We then did another course but it was harder then…we climbed up a 50 FEET high pole…then jumped off to grab hold of a trapeze…then let go and float down. Although floating down sounds comfy, you get a MAJOR wedgie. In the afternoon we went for a walk through the forest and in the evening we went for a swim in the river. It was FREEZING and really deep. It was amazing.
See you,
The Human Nessie
xx

Benmore Blog, day two (Bramble)

In the morning we woke up at 6.30. Bracken was being really loud in the night. We hardly got any sleep. We went and played table tennis then had breakfast. Bacon and toast. Yum. Then we met with Pete and got harnesses and helmets. We then went to the ropes coarse. At the start we played games on the low down version where we didn’t need harnesses then we went onto the big course. It was awesome. It was quite hard to balance and we did little dances on the top. The other course we had to do we walked along wires and clung on to ropes. The funnest part was we had to climb to the top of the pole in partners and jump! We grabbed onto a trapeze and swung for ages. I was with Whisky. Then we went back and had lunch. It was bread and rolls. We went on a long forest walk and Pete showed different plants and what we could eat and couldn’t. We drank from a stream and ate wood sorrow. It tasted like cooking apples. I spotted a grass snake on the path and picked it up. It was so cute!!! We went back and had chicken curry for tea. We played hide and seek tig for ages. Then we went back out to a pool in a stream and jumped in. I couldn’t stand! It was FREEZING.

Benmore Blog, day two (Thistle)

Today we went gorge-walking, caving and swimming. We got soaked on the gorge-walk. We had to swim under a rock. It was freezing!! And the cave was teeny! It was v. narrow but really high. We got lowered down on a rope into this small space. At the end, we went through this crammed place where you could barely move! For our evening activity we went swimming in a pool called “Tarzan Pool”. It was freezing! But it was still v. fun!
Thistle xox

Benmore Blog, day two (Fudge)

Today I did for activities the rope course and forest walking. In the forest I saw a grass snake. It was really slimy but very cute. At the end of the day we went swimming in the river. It was AMAZING! I am looking forward to tomorrow!
Love Fudge

Benmore Blog, day two (Robin Red Breast )

Today we had our dorm inspection and we got 9/10! My group went on a gorge walk and it was hard but soooooooo fun! At the end of it we built a human damn and the pressure was so hard it pushed us down like a slide! I got soaked but it was REALLY cool! Then we went caving which was very scary but awesome. There was a tiny tunnel you could wriggle through but I didn’t do it. And we went swimming in a FREEZING pool! Another long, cool day at Benmore.

Benmore Blog, day two (Highland cow)

I am having a great time!!! We did climbing and abseiling today (we abseiled at 50ft). We also did a forest trail thing. We swam in a FREEZING cold lake at NIGHT! We went through a wood and burn on the forest trail. Benmore is GREAT!!

Benmore Blog, day two (Adder)

Today was our hardest and first whole day at Benmore. We went gorge walking in the morning and caving in the afternoon. I went under Africa, through the key hole and down the slides. In caving we went through 2 caves. The 2nd cave was called Diddy Pit. It was really FUN!!!!

Benmore Blog, day two (Paul Burn)

Today we did the ropes course. It was great. We walked and walked and walked and saw a grass snake and I held it!!!! Then we had a swim in the river.

Benmore Blog, day two (William Wallace)

Today for our morning activity we went gorge walking and I got sore feet because of the cold water but it was really fun. At the end of the gorge walk we got to slide down a rock into a deep pool of water. In the afternoon we went caving and it was amazing. We got to climb through tiny holes and get lowered into a big hole. Then we went into St Thomas’s passage which was really narrow and cold. Fortunately we didn’t get stuck. Later our night activity was swimming in a river and it was FREEZING but I had a shower after that. Tea was curry and rice. Tomorrow we will be dry because we are abseiling and climbing in the morning and going on a forest walk in the afternoon.

Benmore Blog, day two (Whisky)

Today we got up and had breakfast but we also had to do chores! We got dresses and went outside to play tig for 20 minutes. Then we put on our boots and went climbing up a really steep mountain. We drank water out of the stream and we found a grass snake. Eventually we went back to the house and had some lunch. Then we went to the ropes course. It was so fun and we had to climb right to the top and jump off! For dinner we had curry. After dinner we had a surprise! The teachers said we were going to a swimming pool. We were so excited but when we got there it was cold, but when we went in the water it was freezing. I couldn’t breath!!!!!! Me and Bracken were freezing. But luckily we had a warm shower.

Benmore Blog, day two (Haggis)

First we climbed up the climbing/abseiling. I climbed up the wall but didn’t abseil down. Then we had lunch of soup and rolls. Then we went on a forest walk. We ate wood sorrel leaves. They tasted like lemons. It was fun. We got to stand under a waterfall. It was like it was raining really heavily! Then we had tea and cake. After tea we went swimming in the river, It was perishing.

Benmore Blog, day two (Stardust)

Got up, did chores and had a great breakfast. Then we went to the ropes course. Had lunch then went on a forest walk. When we got back we had tea and cake. After tea we went swimming.

Benmore Blog, day two (Berry)

Today we were on the ropes course. I got right to the top. It was scary. Then we went on the forest trail walk but it was really long. Tomorrow we are doing caving and in the afternoon canoeing. Today I saw a grass snake, it is really small.

Benmore Blog, day two (Highlander)

We had an ok sleep last night……..it was fun! This morning we did the gorge walk. I got so soaked, but then we weren’t allowed a shower because we had to rush of to caving. Caving was dark. We went into a tunnel called St Thomas’s. It was tiny but I managed. The food is very nice and I just remembered – we went swimming in a loch (cold!).

Benmore Blog, day two (Tinkerbell)

Today we went gorge walking. We got really wet and were sliding around everywhere! Then we went caving! It was GREAT! We had to do a lot of climbing. After tea we went swimming. It was freezing!!!!

Benmore Blog, day two (Braken)

I am having a good time and we got up really early and I was quite tired but it was fun. We drank water out of a burn. It was nice. See you soon.

Benmore Blog, day two (Loch ness)

Today we had breakfast. It was rice krispies, bacon, scrambled egg, toast and juice. It was yum. Then we got a harness and helmet on and went round to the backyard and did a little abseiling and climbing. Then we went up to a huge place with 50ft cliffs. We climbed up it then abseiled down. Then we went on a forest walk it was fun too. I love it here!!!

Benmore Blog, day two (Ally McCoist)

Today it was very funny because everyone went swimming but I never because I never had a change of trainers. It was Kris Boyd did 12 belly flops and everyone was freezing.

Benmore Blog, day two (Nettle)

We got up at 8am this morning so it was not that bad. I got to write a postcard to my family. We get tuckshop tonight so that is great. We did the gorge walk today and that was great. I swam under a huge rock shaped as Africa and climbed loads of rocks and trees in the river. We then went caving. I went through a narrow bit called St Thomas’s path. It was so scary. When we first went in the cave we got lowered down 10m. It was scary. I woke up this morning by bumping my head on the wooden bar on my bed because I’m not used to the top bunk bed.

Benmore Blog, day two (Saltire)

It was really cool. We did the ropes course! The trapeze was the best. You had to climb up a pole and then jump to a trapeze. Then we went for a forest walk and drank out a mountain spring. Caving and canoeing the morn!

Benmore Blog, day two (Turnip)

This morning we went rock climbing and abseiling. It was amazing. We first had a few practices and then abseiled down a 50 foot cliff. It was really scary. After lunch we went on a forest walk. It was really fun and we got to stand under a waterfall. We walked through lots of burns and camouflaged ourselves in mud. After tea we got on the mini bus and headed for the loch. It was really hard to get in because it was really freezing. Everyone started to swim and it was really exciting. Once we got home everyone had a very hot shower.

Benmore Blog, day two (Neap)

Today we started with climbing and abseiling. It was great. We went up and down 50ft! After lunch we went for a walk in Puck’s Glen and stood under a waterfall. We ate wood sorrel. We had a swim in an outside pool (river!). It was freezing and I mean freezing!

Benmore Blog, day two (Rob Roy MacGregor)

In the morning we did the gorge walk. It was brilliant because we walked up the gorge and slid back down. At lunch we had soup. I did not like it. After lunch we went caving. We climbed through small holes and crawled through a tunnel. It was excellent. For dinner we had curry. Each day the tuck shop is opened. It looks nice.

Benmore Blog, day two (Chris Boyd)

Today we went climbing and abseiling, I abseiled 50 feet down. In the afternoon we went on a 5 mile walk. Tonight we went swimming. It was a bit cold.

Message to parents from Mr Devereux

Hello out there in Parentland. Thanks for the comments you’ve posted – keep them coming! I notice some of you don’t know what your child’s nickname (handle? moniker? pseudonym?) is. It’s very easy to find out: just look back to the early pages of the blog and you’ll see your child’s photo along with their nickname and an introduction to themselves. Then you can reply to your own child’s post.
As you will see we are all having a whale of a time. Everyone’s getting very wet and muddy. And loving it! And so am I. Today the class invited me to play tig with them in free time and be ‘it’. Some of these children can run very fast and Neap ran into the woods and escaped me! Grr… Tinkerbell tricked me into thinking I was about to stand on a hedgehog on a forest walk (“Watch out Mr Devereux! Watch you don’t stand on that hedgehog!”) and The Human Nessie spun me round so fast when I was dangling on a rope that I fell over as soon as I reached the ground. I reckon there might some candidates for getting wet again before the end of camp, don’t you?
Mr Devereux

Benmore Blog, day one (Loch Ness)

Today we had great fun. First we got a tour of the place. It was cool! It’s really big and I love my dorm. It’s really nice, bright and airy. I share a dorm with: Turnip, Highland Cow, Haggis, Tartan Terror, Neap and Me!! Then we went on a walk through the garden. It was lovely. Then we went on a mini gorge walk through a little burn. It was really cool! Then we had afternoon tea. It was cake, juice and I had coffee. Afterwards we watched a PowerPoint about Benmore and then we had free time. At 6:15 we had tea. I had fish, chips, tomato sauce and salad for tea. It was yum! Bedtime is 10.00 pm!!!!
From Loch Ness

Benmore Blog, day one (The Human Nessie)

Today was really fun. Although the bus journey was THREE hours long. We did get to stop in Luss for a picnic on the beach of Loch Lomond. When we FINALLY arrived at Benmore we were all literally jumping for joy. Once we had found our dorms, we got unpacked, then we went to get waterproof clothing and boots. Once we were all ready we went for a walk in the gardens. They were so pretty. We found our way to a stream with a tiny tunnel going through it. We all took turns in army crawling through it. It was FREEZING!! (and we got soaked!) It was really fun. After that we did a mini gorge walk. It was all uphill and rocky (in case you didn’t know, a gorge walk is like walking up a river or stream). We all had to clamber up a muddy bank to get back to the path. We all ran down the path back to the house, taking turns in leading the way. We had snack, then we went to the common room to be told about Benmore and the rules. Then we had free time. We played ping-pong, climbed trees and took photos. Then we had dinner. Fish and chips! Yum! Then we came in to the research room and wrote this! After this we are going for a night walk, then it’s time for bed. See you soon,The Human Nessie x x x

Benmore Blog, day one (Chris Boyd)

We arrived slowly at Benmore. We had high tea, tea and cake. We had fish and chips for our tea. Then we just played ping-pong. I injured someone but I’m not telling who.
We stopped at Luss for our lunch. It was fun. Me and Ally McCoist played football. It was great!
I’ve made new friends at Benmore. Missing you in Haddington and you, granny, and PSP and TV. Loads of Love,
Chris Boyd