We met up in Aberdaron, a small village at the furthest tip of the Llyn Peninsula, where we were staying for the first part of the holiday.

Most women had driven and some were collected from Bangor Station. By 6pm we were all here, except for one woman who was coming the next day.

We settled into our accommodation and met in the bar of Ty Newydd Hotel, where some of us where staying and which overlooks Aberdaron's fabulous, golden-sand beach. We talked about the Edge of Wales Pilgrim's Trail walk, and got to know each other while waiting for dinner.

We had breakfast in The Ship Hotel and were then taken by minibus to Tudweiliog on the north coast to start our walk.

The Pilgrim's Trail usually starts from Clynnog-fawr, further up the coast, however we would be doing what would usually be the last two days first, before visiting Bardsey Island and then returning to the trail to complete the earlier section.

This would give us an easy start rather than starting with the more hilly days.

We set off south west along a stunning coastline of rocky coves and hidden beaches.

The sun was shinning, and a pleasant breeze cooled us as we walked by the sea watching cormorants and oyster catchers on the rocks below our path - we felt very lucky!

The coastline includes lots of little natural harbours and at Porth Ysgaden we saw places where in the past coal and lime had been brought on shore.

Further on at Porth Gwylan, we basked in the calm beauty of the tiny bay.

We arrived at Porth Colmon as the retreating tide revealed a long sandy beach.

We had our lunch on the beach, followed by a paddle, and then walked the length of the beach before walking back up the small cliff.

After a couple of miles we followed the trail in-land and then walked along a little lane before taking a blackberry-lined path back down to the coast and onto the beautiful Porth Oer, also known as Whistling Sands.

Here we treated ourselves to very delicious ice creams before being collected by the minibus and returned to our hotels. That evening we ate a lovely meal at The Ship Hotel.

Breakfast was at the Ty Newydd Hotel following which the Edge of Wales minibus took us back to Porth Oer.

From there we resumed our walk along the coast, passing Mynydd Carreg where jasper had been mined.

After about an hour, our path climbed along steeper cliffs and then, on a broad grassy path we continued up through heather and gorse in flower.

We contoured just below the top of Mynydd Anelog and stopped at a pretty cottage which had an impressive display of iron work, weather vanes etc.

The owners invited us in to look at the restoration they had done, and the iron work, which they foundered in an outbuilding.

Soon after continuing we got our first view of Bardsey Island which seemed to rise up out of the sea at the end of the headland.

Passing another pretty croft we stopped at a café on a small caravan site and had tea, coffee, hot chocolate and banana milkshakes.

Back on the road, and a short distance later we were climbing the steep, but thankfully short, slope of Mynydd Mawr.

The views were breathtaking and it seemed we were almost surrounded by sea, with just the peninsula stretching back to the north east.

We walked down the slopes towards the sea and Bardsey and found a sheltered spot for lunch.

After lunch we contoured around to St Mary's Well, a natural spring only just above sea level (and sometimes at high tide, below sea level) at the place where, many years ago, boats left the mainland for Bardsey.

With the waves surging against the rocks we were relieved they had now built a slipway on a more sheltered cove further round the coast!

We followed the coastline around the headland and on up to Pen y Cil, where we again dropped down on the path to walk back along the south side of the peninsula towards Aberdaron.

As the tide was out, the final leg of our walk was along the Aberdaron beach.

Dinner that night was back at Ty Newydd, during which we received the good news that the weather conditions meant that the boat would be going to Bardsey Island tomorrow

After checking out of our hotels, we stored our luggage in the cars and set off walking along the coast for a mile to the slipway where we were to get the boat to Bardsey Island.

The weather looked less positive than forecast and a strong wind was developing.

When the boat arrived we were informed that the trip would go ahead, but we would have to return earlier because of the weather.

Because of the weather some women decided not to go and were given details of an alternative walk. Those of who decided to brave it went by dingy out to the boat and then sped across the sea to the island, which emerged from the mist as we got closer.

As we docked we saw seals bobbing about in the harbour - they seemed to be watching us!

Bardsey was an important pilgrimage in the middle ages and still attracts many people, both for its spiritual significance and for its wildlife. We had about two and half hours on the island.

Bardsey is the full-time home of 5 people and a few more live there in the summer months. It has a hill on one side and is flat on the other with a lighthouse at the tip.

We followed the track from the boat house, past the tea room to first visit the bird observatory where we saw a Manx Shearwater which was going to be ringed.

We learnt many interesting facts about the wildlife and then walked on to the chapel and remains of the Abbey.

The island was very peaceful, and by now the sun had come out, so we wandered at will, ensuring we were back at the harbour by the appointed time.

We were all sad to leave so soon. Back on the mainland, we walked the mile back to Aberdaron and met up with the others.

We then drove to our second base, Woodlands Hall Hotel at Edern. After settling into our rooms we had a drink in the bar, and then our meal

After breakfast we were taken by minibus to the village of Clynnog-fawr where we spent a while looking round the church there.

Founded by Saint Beuno, and parts of which date back to 1480, the church held a number of interesting items, including some beautiful carved woodwork and a pair of dog tongs dated 1815 for removing unruly pets from services!

We were then driven up some steep lanes before starting the walk. The weather forecast promised rain in the afternoon and clouds were gathered over the mountains of Snowdonia.

Nevertheless, the views were still impressive as we climbed up Bwlch Mawr. The wind was strong, but the rain held off and we sheltered by a stone wall for an early lunch.

We then took a track through farmland to the village of Llanaelhaearn.

We continued along the road for a while and then took a path that went sharply up hill towards the Tre'r Ceiri hill fort, situated on the third prong of the three hills forming the Rifles, a landmark on the Llyn.

The path contoured through bracken before again rising steeply over rocks and then entering the hill fort, one of the best preserved hill forts in the UK.

Constructed in about 70AD it was occupied for around 500 years and now consists of the outer walls and remains of 150 dwellings within.

The wind was so strong it was sometimes difficult to stand up but a further climb to the top of the fort was exhilarating and we were rewarded by magnificent 360 degree views, fully demonstrating that the Llyn is a unique combination of mountains and coast in one place.

Somewhat reluctantly we returned down the hill to Llithfaen, where the Edge of Wales minibus met us to take up back to Woodlands Hall.

The impending rain finally arrived and the waterproofs came out.

The minibus dropped us a little way up the road from Llithfaen at the top of the road that leads down to the Nant Gwrtheyrn, the Welsh Language and Heritage Centre.

This has been built on the site of an old quarry village in an amazing location, looking across the sea. However the mist hung low and we could see very little as we made our way down.

Walking through the Centre building we came across an inquisitive feral goat.

We walked down to the beach and along to the other end and more disused quarry works, where we followed old tracks back up the cliff. We saw more feral goats at the top.

The rain got steadily heavier as we walked along the cliffs and we were very grateful for the shelter that the tiny church at Pistyll offered and went in to dry off and eat our lunch.

This church was used for treating the sick on the pilgrim trail, and many medicinal herbs still grow in the church yard. The floor of the church is covered with dried herbs and lavender, and smelt lovely as we walked on it.

We were all very pleased to find that the rain had stopped when we left the church to continue our walk.

Turning inland, we went initially up hill and then descended to cross farmland and followed a path through a forest, full of wonderful mushrooms and toadstools.

We emerged just above Nefyn and cut across a field to take another blackberry lined lane. We stopped for a cuppa at a café in Nefyn and then rejoined the coast, eventually walking down onto and along the beach.

A short walk inland took us back to Woodlands Hall.

That evening we agreed to form the Walking Women choir and sing a surprise happy birthday to another guest at the hotel, at the request of his friend!

The sun was shinning again! We had decided to do the last outstanding section on the trail in reverse order - walking from Tudweiliog back to Nefyn and the Hotel.

This was originally so that we could stop at the famous Ty Coch Inn at Porth Dinllaen for lunch (although we had since found out that the Inn would be closed for a wedding on the beach).

Nevertheless, we still decided to go in that direction. The minibus took us to Tudweiliog and we walked to the coast at Towyn.

It seemed even more beautiful than it had been on the first day and we walked along the coast path with the sun sparkling on the water beside us.

Ahead of us were the hills we had walked on the previous days.

We paused many times to watch the cormorants and oyster catchers, and several other birds we could not name.

On one occasion we saw a heron fishing, and then three mallard ducks!

Then finally we saw a seal, sunning herself on a rock. A little way further and we saw a large group of seals doing the same on some other rocks at the edge of the water.

We stood and watched for some time, sharing binoculars.

We stopped for lunch in a little pebbly cove then continued round the coast.

We circled a golf course and reached Trwyn Porth Dinllaen, where stopped again for some Bara Brith (welsh fruit cake) and Eccles cakes.

Just as we were leaving, a bride and groom arrived for a photo shoot on the cliff!

A little rocky path just below the top of the cliff took us on to the beach at Porth Dinllaen, which is a beautiful sandy beach almost 2 miles long.

Half way along we took the road up to Morfa Nefyn and found an al fresco café selling the same lovely ice cream we had had on day one - a fitting end to our trail.

After this it was a short walk back to the hotel. That evening in the bar we had a slide show on a laptop computer of all the pictures taken by two members of the group.

It was lovely to see the past week unfold and reminded us of all the memories we would be taking home.

During the holiday, one member of the group composed this ditty:

North West Wales 2006
The guinea pig group needed their sticks
Lorraine at front, Maggie puffed at the rear
Not 'till the end of the day could they have a cold beer.
Buffeted by wind, sun burnt their skin
Tupperware boxes to keep their lunch in
Would they do it again? Yes, every one
They've set new paths for more women to have fun.

By Maggie, at top of Tre'r Ceiri fort