Wednesday was forecast to be a fine day at our peak district cottages so we headed for Ladybower Reservoir to walk up to Derwent Edge.  We were off early to get one of the roadside parking spaces but when we parked found we were amongst a group of women walkers but luckily they headed off in a different direction.  We took the path heading up to Whinstone Lee Tor but at the first gate found two notices that meant the dogs had to stay on their leads for the duration of the walk.  One was because of the nesting birds and the other was that a shoot was on.  I had forgotten the grouse season had just began.  Nevertheless off we went and made up to a meeting of paths where we then took the path along to Derwent Edge.  I had always wanted to see the Salt Cellar, one of those iconic rock symbols of the peak district.  Along Derwent Edge there are a number of rock formations with names such as the Wheelstones (aka Coach and Horses) the Cakes of Bread and the Salt Cellar.  There weren’t as many walkers as I expected, probably busier at the weekend and hardly saw any women!  This is the highest we have walked at and being quite clear we had wonderful far reaching views back to Abney Moor where we walked last week, up the Derwent Valley, along the Vale of Edale with Win Hiil. Lose Hill and Mam Tor all lined up.  This is what you call a WOW walk!  And of course the heather!  Probably just peaked but still wonderful to behold.  Just before we stopped for lunch we met a party of beaters with their dogs.  They were all dressed in the livery of a hunting party in plus fours etc.  At lunch on Derwent Edge we were joined by hundreds of heather flies.  They are very big and just appeared each time the sun came out.  The walk we were following was about 10km which is probably too much for me so after lunch we took a short cut to pick up a lower path heading back to the car.  It is a path we have walked before but it seemed strange to be lower down, we still had the fine views but now we were below the summits.  On the way up we had stopped to watch a farmer on the other side of the hill move his sheep, even with a quad we could see his dogs as black blobs moving the sheep.  Later on in the walk a helicopter landed in his field and a couple of times during the walk it took off then returned so we were speculating as to what was going on.  The walk was about 6 miles in the end.  Once back at the car we took a drive up the Ladybower Reservoir and stopped at various points to take some photos.  We were also looking at parking places as I have another couple of walks for the area and where we can park will determine which walk we can do.  When we stopped to take some pictures by Howden Dam  a couple of planes flew over, not sure what they were but I hesitated a guess as Spitfires but probably not!  The water levels are really low in the reservoirs.  We stopped at Hassop Station on the way back for tea and cake, just getting there before they closed so we didn’t need any tea!  When we did get back Chris had to check all the cottage TV’s as it was the first day of the digital changeover.  He will have to do it all again in a few weeks time too!