A Long Weekend...

We've just been to Galloway for three nights. We were very lucky with the weather and it is a beautiful part of the world so I have many photographs to share...

First, the view from Carsphairn, a little village in the middle of nowhere but which has nice public toilets - very good to know if you ever find yourself on the A713...

We were heading to Kirckudbright and were to be staying in a campsite a few miles south of the town. Kirckudbright is a very pretty little place and is well known as an artists' town. In addition to several galleries and the usual tearooms it has a castle and a harbour and is very pleasant to wander round...

The campsite we were staying in was on the coast between Kickudbright and Borgue. We only got our tent on Wednesday but managed to get it pitched without too much difficulty. It's absolutely massive! We were well equipped with blow-up beds but I was still very cold and didn't sleep well, perhaps not surprising as the temperatures dropped to about 2C (35F) at night. Next time I'll take the sleeping bag and not the duvet!

The first evening we were keen to go down and explore the nearby beach. It was a beautiful evening, ending with a lovely moonrise...

Next morning, two very excited children got themselves up and dressed just after 6am! Being awake so early meant we were able to hear the amazing dawn chorus. I heard so many different birds to those we have at home, I couldn't even begin to identify them all though I did hear a chiff chaff for the first time.

Then I had a little crochet time while A and N made some new friends at the campsite playpark. I'm joining in with making some granny bunting for Lucy @ Attic24.

I only got a few rounds done as it was soon time to go off and explore. We started at the Isle of Whithorn, which was somewhere we'd not visited before. Another very attractive village with a harbour and a 13th century chapel.

It would have been nice to have had more time to explore the cliff walks at the Isle of Whithorn, but we had other places we wanted to see. Our main destination today was the pebbly beach where St Ninian's cave is located and which  is reached through a long dell carpeted in bluebells at this time of year.

Beautiful! The wild garlic was only just starting to flower, so we only got faint whiffs of it's delicious scent. I loved the bluebells. Once we reached the bay we enjoyed our picnic lunch and relaxed before venturing up the cliffs for a walk. It was a little alarming up there with a 7 and 4 yr old wearing big cumbersome wellies, so we didn't go terribly far before coming back down to the beach and making our way back up the dell. 

 

One last look at the bluebells, then back in the car and off to Wigtown, Scotland's Book Town. First we had tea and cake in a cafe which didn't leave a lot of time for browsing the shops, but I did find two books I'm very pleased with - more on these at the end of this post.

Quite close to Wigtown there is a Bronze Age Stone circle which we've come across a couple of times whilst cycling in this area during previous visits. This is the first time we've sought it out. It's in a lovely, peaceful spot, and is just a special place. Someone visiting before us had left a little offering of an apple and a bunch of flowers on the central stone.

We finished the day by having fish suppers back in Kirckudbright.

Now to the following day, which we spent much of at Brighouse Bay. We cycled there from the campsite, A on her own bike and N now on the "follow-me". Again we took a picnic. We are easily amused. Rocks, sand, pebbles, shells and rock pools can entertain us for quite a long time. I also brought my crochet and managed to complete my first triangle for Lucy.

The back to the campsite. Hubby and the children tried the outdoor pool but I'd conveniently forgotten my swimsuit. I went into town to buy stuff for a BBQ instead. Apparently the pool was not warm at all! So our last evening began well. After the BBQ we found a different path down to a larger beach. I could spy an old wrecked boat in the distance which looked promising for photographing. However, the children waded into too deep a puddle and got stuck in the mud, wellies were overflowing, hubby waded in to the recscue, we returned to the tent. We should have packed up and left that evening as rain was forecast. We didn't realise just how much rain was coming our way. We now have one very wet tent in the bath, waiting for a good day so we can try and pitch it in the garden for it to dry thoroughly for the next adventure.

Now to the two books I bought. They are "Nature Through the Seasons" and "Nature Day and Night" and are a collaborative effort by Richard Adams (writer), Max Hooper (scientist) and David Goddard (artist). The illustrations, particularly in "Nature Day and Night" are wonderful (see below for a small sample). I've just started "Nature Day and Night" and it's a pleasure to read while still being very informative. Fitting mementos for a great weekend.