A long weekend in Aberaeron, Wales

We had an excellent reason for staying in Aberaeron. Zeph’s breeders, Woodleigh Border Collies, had organised a puppy reunion in nearby Llanon. We thought we would take the opportunity to spend some time in an area of Wales we have never visited. Aberaeron is in mid-Wales, on the Ceredigion coast and is known for its charming, colourful houses.

We enjoyed strolling around the harbour and discovering a variety of independent shops and cafés.

We stayed in ‘Ty Bara’, Welsh for Bread House. This attractively renovated Victorian cottage was perfect for our weekend, as it accepted dogs. It also had an excellent location, a short walk from the town centre with its many delightful shops and restaurants, the harbour, beaches and access to the Ceredigion Coastal Path. 

We arrived on Friday, and the next day, we decided to tackle a section of the Ceredigion Coastal Path. Unfortunately, the weather was dismal – wet and gloomy – but we were not to be dissuaded and were glad we made the effort despite the grim conditions.

As luck would have it, the weather improved and we had an enjoyable walk with stunning views. Zeph was in his element – glad to be back in the land of his birth, perhaps?!

The focus of the weekend was the Collie Day on Sunday. Unfortunately, it was the worst day weather-wise, but the pouring rain couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm for the reunion. Not only did we catch up with Denise and Nigel, who own Woodleigh Border Collies, but we also met up with many other mad collies and their owners!

One of our main reasons for selecting this breeder was that the dogs are first and foremost pets. Equally, the dogs have a wonderful life, living on an extensive smallholding with a river where they can swim. It was marvellous to see Zeph’s parents, although we were a little disappointed that none of his litter mates attended; maybe next time!

Throughout the day, a professional photographer took hundreds of photos. This is not an exaggeration, as there are over 900 examples on her website! We selected ten, mostly of Zeph! There is a sample below.

The weekend was everything we hoped it would be and more! I’m so pleased that we discovered a new area of Wales and one where we would love to spend more time.