Dundee 7-10th Feb 2019

Our plan was to travel by train to Dundee using the Border railway - so Thursday saw us set off by car to Hawick. Why go via Hawick? Well the friends we were going with live there! We took the scenic route via Talla Reservoir and St Mary's Loch on a lovely sunny day. The hills looked amazing - the sun and shade  made all the variations in terrain really stand out.

Talla looked pretty too with the sun just behind the hills.

But … just to prove we were only in February - some water was still icy from the overnight frost.

Friday
Not such nice weather this morning as we really began our latest adventure. We headed for the stop to catch the bus to Galashiels before crossing the road to the train station, where just a few minutes wait soon passed. The train arrived on time and our journey to Edinburgh began.
After a refreshment stop we boarded our next train to Dundee. Some sunshine allowed us good views of some of the scenery.

Crossing the Tay Rail Bridge meant we were arriving in Dundee

- unfortunately just as the rain started again. We were lucky it was only a short walk to the hotel, where Reception is on the first floor giving  stunning views overlooking the Tay road bridge. (barring lamp posts!) It is really easy just to sit in reception and watch the traffic and people passing by. One of the reasons we enjoy coming back to this particular hotel! You also get a good view of the new V&A Museum.

Saturday
We had planned to visit the Dundee Museum of Transport today. Another short bus ride (good use of our free bus passes this trip!) led to an absorbing couple of hours. We don't know why, but we were treated as VIP's with personal service and complimentary drinks!

Don't think this was a real person, but it did make us look twice!

Another use of our bus passes took us back into Dundee where we went to the new V&A Museum - recently opened by The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge. We had seen the outside of the museum on a previous visit but now we could go inside!

What a building - the outside is stunning - what would the inside be like?

There are terraces as well where you can get a really good view of the city and the river.

On leaving the V&A we revisited the Discovery Centre next door - another place always worth a visit with a nice café too.
Sunday
Two members of our party decided to walk across the Tay road bridge this morning (only two, because of a bad knee) - there is a pedestrian walkway that goes across the bridge between the lanes of traffic. The ladies did walk to the bridge, but not all the way across. More traffic/people watching from the hotel instead while we waited for the walkers. The men had planned to walk across (about 1.4mi) and then catch a bus back, but the best laid plans …….
It was Sunday, and the bus was going to mean waiting for an hour on the other side - so they walked back as well!

They got back to the hotel just in time to collect our luggage and head back to the railway station to begin our journey home. Connections and timings almost worked as well on the return journey as they did on Friday. A slight delay leaving Edinburgh meant we missed our bus connection at Galashiels but a local café and a cup of tea soon passed the time.
An uneventful journey from Hawick had us back home by tea time, having enjoyed another trip away. Looking forward to the next one already!