Welcoming dogs seems to be second nature on the Isle of Wight, as Deb Bridges finds out on her first visit to the island.
The Isle of Wight is known for being one of the sunniest places in the UK, boasting more hours of sunshine than parts of Spain, with plenty of sandy beaches and quaint seaside towns where the climate can be fully appreciated. The island is rich in history and its unique geology offers glimpses of a prehistoric past, including a set of dinosaur footprints at Compton Bay. There are over 500 miles of footpaths and there are even red squirrels. Red squirrels! It’s easily accessible by ferry or hovercraft and, with so much going for it, I’d recently started asking myself why on earth I’d never been there. So, time to put that right. And what better way to get acquainted with the island than to whistle up the dog and follow the designated path around the entire length of its 70-mile coastline? My friend and fellow dog-walking enthusiast, Sue, elected to join me and my dog, Ula, along with her Labrador, Pip, and we set aside ten days in early June for our expedition. This would allow for a day off and leave time for some sight-seeing on shorter walking days.First and foremost was the question of accommodation. Being only 23 miles across and 14 miles from top to bottom, nothing is far away on the Isle of Wight. We concluded it would be best to base ourselves in one fairly central location. This meant we could drive to and from the end of each day’s walk, using public transport to get ourselves back to the starting line.
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