Day 7 — Flyaways, Forgotten Lunches, and Lakeside Glimpses

The forecast had promised relentless rain, so much so that some campers packed up and left the day before to avoid a soggy breakdown. We decided to lean into it and spend the day out exploring. Ironically, the weather turned out far better than expected.

We kicked things off with a trip to Keswick and visited the Pencil Museum—a place I can now say cost me £29 I won’t be getting back. Still, the kids seemed to enjoy it, and the coffee afterwards helped take the sting out.

After a quick wander around town, we headed over Honister Pass en route to Buttermere. The drive was steep, winding, and surprisingly fun in the van. We pulled over to take in the view, and I sent the DJI Neo up for some drone shots. That’s when it happened—the dreaded “flyaway” I’d heard about but never experienced. It just took off. Luckily, it veered straight into a hillside and, using the “Find My Drone” feature, I managed to retrieve it—rattled but relieved. Needless to say, it stayed in the van after that.

(After checking the play back it seemed it lost GPS)

Buttermere was absolutely stunning. We'd planned to walk the full circuit, but quickly realised we’d forgotten one small thing—lunch for the kids. After reluctantly spending £17 on crisps and bottled water, I drew the line at buying a full meal. So instead, we soaked in the views, took a short walk, and I managed a few frames with both the RealitySoSubtle 6x17 and the Mania.

We ended the day in Cockermouth for some more sensibly priced food, then headed back to camp. A full day of driving, detours, and light chasing—a taste of places we’d love to return to and explore more deeply.

I may leave the yellow kayak on my van, it makes it so much easier to find in a car park.