Dundee Sat 26th - Mon 28th October 2019

It was a dull, grey, morning as we set off for Dundee, but the weather man said the sun would emerge later - and they are always right aren't they?? As we travelled up the A74M towards Moffat the clouds were very low over the hills, making it rather spooky-looking, this pre Halloween weekend. Along with the browns and greens on the hills and the oranges and yellows of the trees  it was feeling very autumnal. The weather man was right though - as we travelled on the sun did come out to shine very brightly.

We crossed the Kincardine Bridge heading from Stirlingshire towards Dunfermline in Fife. The bridge was built in 1936 as a swing bridge, allowing ships to pass as they sailed along the Forth, but the lack of shipping in later years meant it was permanently sealed shut in 1989.

Pittencrief Park in Dunfermline has been a destination of ours before and as we knew it had a café we searched it out today for a stopping off point for lunch. Delicious home-made soup and sandwiches and a scone big enough for two of us to share solved the lunch problem! Time then for a stroll around the park in the sunshine.

The park is huge, covering 76 acres, and was given to Dunfermline by Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American business man. He became one of the richest Americans ever, but was a philanthropist and gave away millions of dollars in the USA and British Empire to charities, foundations and universities. There are paths heading off in all directions leading to all sorts of nooks and crannies, up steps, down slopes, round corners - never quite knowing what you will find. There are numerous grey squirrels running about all over the park and the occasional glimpse of Dunfermline Abbey and Palace.

Although we had been before we still managed to find pathways we hadn't explored before. The outcrop where Malcolm III's Tower was originally built is just an impressive lump of rock now.

We saw Wallace's Well, where William Wallace might have sheltered on a visit to Dunfermline ….

... and passed along close to an ancient route under Dunfermline Palace.

The Laird's Garden and the glasshouses looked very well maintained although not at their best at this time of year. Unfortunately the glasshouses were closed today too, so they will both have to wait for another visit.

Pittencrief House which houses a museum wasn't open either, but the outside of the house is quite impressive - in colour if nothing else!

The house brought us back to where we had begun our wander and time dictated we needed to move on.
A trouble-free journey from Dumfermline to Dundee soon passed and we were suddenly crossing  Tay Bridge and looking at the city of Dundee. It is becoming a favourite city of ours so we were really looking forward to the weekend.

After a day of brilliant sunshine we had to remember to turn back the clocks before bedtime! Not looking forward to the dark nights that stretch in front of us until next springtime but felt better next morning on opening the curtains and finding more sunshine! Rather than wander around Dundee - no matter how much we like it, we just had to find a walk in the local countryside in this sunshine.
Crombie Park consists of 200 acres of woodland around Crombie Loch.

There are numerous walking trails around the area along with playgrounds, picnic areas and an orienteering course. The Main Lodge has permanent displays about the area, its walks and its wildlife and Countryside Rangers are available for help and advice. There are also a coupe of wildlife hides and deer, woodpeckers, waterfowl and red squirrels are regularly seen. Although we didn't see an awful lot of wildlife the scenery was as beautiful as the weather.

Having enjoyed our walk we moved on to the Scottish Wildlife Trust site at Montrose Basin in the hope of seeing more than the mallards and moorhens we had seen at Crombie. The Basin is part of the estuary of the River Esk and an important roosting and feeding area for a variety of migrants and  important for wintering waders and wildfowl. There were only a couple of visitors in the centre when we arrived who were vastly outnumbered by the volunteers on hand! We soon discovered why - it was just half an hour before high tide! A very high tide was already flooding part of the site and had chased off any birds that had been on the shore. Obviously not our day for wildlife! However the staff were really friendly and we chatted for about an hour while looking out the windows for any activity.

Tree sparrows on the feeders just outside were a real bonus although the volunteers did manage to spot a snipe through the telescope - which I couldn't make out because of its fantastic camouflage!!  As we prepared to move on they did suggest another spot opposite their site where we would be looking towards their shore and might therefore see birds. They were right, there were more birds but the bright sun was shining right in our faces! We did manage to spot flocks of turnstones and oystercatchers who were there in good numbers.
Going into Montrose itself we meandered around the harbour and then found the prom where the sea was really whooshing up the sea defences and throwing spray around. The wind was so strong you could see it blowing off the tops of the waves out to sea.

Heading back down the coast now towards Arbroath we found Lunan beach. Another wonderful sandy beach to wander along. As the tide was now out there were lots of smooth pebbles left on the beach looking very pretty, as they were still wet from the sea.

Arbroath of course is famous for its smokies - a type of smoked haddock. Local legend has it that a store caught fire one night destroying the barrels of salted haddock stored there. The fire 'cooked' the haddock and when the locals tasted it  - the smokie was born, or so the legend has it!! We found a more traditional fish and chip shop and bought our tea to eat while watching the tide recede from the shore. We could even see Bell Rock Lighthouse on the horizon, the world's oldest sea-washed lighthouse. Built between 1807 and 1810, by Robert Stevenson, it sits 11 miles east of the Firth of Tay, is 35 metres tall and its light can be seen from 35 miles inland!

It was really lovely to sit watching the sun go down - remember the clocks went back last night so sunset is now earlier.

We continued to watch the sky change colour form pink through yellow, red and orange on the short ride back to Dundee.

Yet another morning with brilliant sunshine, although chilly. Setting off on our journey home we crossed the Tay Bridge and headed for the coastal road home, passing through Leuchars and then St Andrews - where we had a short, brisk walk along the beach. The tide was so far out it made the beach look huge and almost empty despite other people walking along it.

The villages along this stretch of coast are wonderful little fishing villages and always worth a wander and today we paused at Elie. A curve of sand gave us a short walk before we sat on a bench on the headland watching the birds get moved off their rocks by the tide slowly starting to come in. A very picturesque village that I am sure is very popular in the summer.

Crossing the Queensferry bridge we headed for the Edinburgh bypass, with a stop for refreshments along the way, before heading home through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders. Finally reaching Moffat we joined the motorway home. Stunning scenery all the way today, the trees and hills a range of beautiful colours.

Stafford 13th-15th October 2019

Setting off on a rather grey morning, with some drizzle, we headed off down the M6, pausing at Old Holly Farm near Garstang for a short break. The farm is a family run, dairy farm offering visitors the experience of a real working farm. A farm shop, café and play-barn surround the farm and its animals. Free entry to everything, except the play-barn, meant it was busy even on a miserable day.
Moving on we made our way to the Foxfield Railway, a preserved standard-gauge line south-east of Stoke that was originally built in the 19th century to serve a local colliery. The Foxfield Light Railway Society was formed in 1965 and offers rides on steam and diesel trains - although today it also had a vintage vehicle rally. The car park was full of a huge variety of vehicles - even before we got to the station! The drizzle had left off by now so we were happy to wander around.

We had just missed a train leaving the station as we arrived so after checking out the cars we had a wander around the station. As well as a buffet serving hot and cold food there is also a museum building displaying a variety of artefacts relating to the railway and a shop. We soon heard the train returning and, of course, popped out to see it. A lovely little railway.

The rain - rather than drizzle - arrived as we left, so our timing was just right although it was only just a shower and we even ended the day with a brief glimpse of the sun!
Monday began dry and we headed off to visit a pottery - after all we are in the area of the country well known for, and containing, many potteries. Emma Bridgwater is a modern potter who was looking for a present for her mum in 1984 but couldn't find what she wanted, so made her own - and the rest as they say is history. The factory was originally opened in 1883 and is still producing pots today. The factory offers tours, which we eagerly signed up for and we saw the whole process from start to finish. The skills and craftmanship on display was amazing.

To complete our day in the potteries we also went to visit the Wedgwood Museum. A beautiful new building housing thousands of exhibits produced over the years by Josiah Wedgwood and his descendants.

On Tuesday we decided that as we were so close we would go to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, only a short distance south-east of Stafford. The UK's national centre of remembrance is a woodland landscape featuring 30,000 trees and a vast collection of memorials. Many of the trees at this time of year are looking spectacular in their autumnal colours. The site covers 150 acres so we took advantage of the Land Train, which in 50 minutes, gave us an overview of the site. The on-board commentary also gave us an introduction to the site and its memorials.

The site has memorials to military associations, charitable organisations, emergency services, fraternity groups and individuals and more memorial are added every year. The memorials themselves often look simple but there is huge symbolism behind the design of many of them.

The Armed Forces Memorial in the centre of the site was the one we all recognised from TV, but TV does it no justice. A stunning memorial that is very thought provoking and sombre but very impressive. On top of a mound it honours members of the armed services who were killed on duty. It is a 43metre diameter stone structure with 2 curved walls and 2 straight walls containing the names of the honoured. The centrepiece of the memorial are its two large bronze sculptures. On one an injured soldier is carried on a stretcher by his comrades with family members on either side.

The second is a body being prepared for burial by female and ghurka soldiers. A figure by double doors points to a world beyond, where the soldier will rest in eternity and another figure carves his name on the memorial.

The alignment and axis of the memorial mean that at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month the sun's rays stream through the door of the sculpture, lighting the laurel wreath in the centre of the memorial. I have included 2 photos here from their website - their pictures give much better idea of the whole place than ours do! Hope they don't mind.

The volunteers we met were all extremely knowledgeable about the whole site and were obviously very proud to be a volunteer there. A very sobering visit but not a miserable place at all, the whole atmosphere is very positive and we felt privileged to have visited such a place. Travelling home the next day visiting the National Memorial Arboretum was a real talking point, as a highlight of our short trip to Stafford.

Arran Week 2 September 2019

Sunday proved to be a very lazy day with a misty drizzle falling for most of the morning.

It did improve slightly in the afternoon but we couldn't be bothered to move very far. We did spot the otter among the rocks for a short time but otherwise it was 2 swans drifting past and the seal bobbing in the water - as they have done most days. We have seen a good few different birds during the last week visiting the beach or the wall and post in the garden. We have had oystercatchers roaming up and down the shore, along with pipits, pied wagtails, curlew, goosander, ringed plover, turnstones and gulls. Cormorants and gannets fly past regularly, occasionally diving into the water and the robin frequently sits on the garden post. Our most amazing sight so far has to the sparrowhawk that came and sat on the wall right in front of the window. No time to take a photo - it had gone almost before I realised what it was!

A much more pleasant morning greeted us on Monday when we looked out of the window. Calm water , no wind and a clear sky. The decision was made not to be lazy today but to walk while the weather was good. We had passed a waterfall the other day that looked interesting with a flat path next to the river, so we thought we would investigate. A dramatic waterfall goes through rocks and under a bridge, but in the opposite direction heads off towards a forest. A well-trodden path, although not always very even, follows the water towards the forest. Heading off we met several small tributaries that joined the main water and in places the river bed was made of huge, flat boulders. The water was very brown as it flowed through the peaty ground into the main body of water. The water flows in a series of small falls through the rocks and in places is quite dramatic. After rain they must look quite spectacular!

Passing through an old deer gate we plodded on up the path. It soon became more of a gravel track and began to climb even more steeply so we finally had to call a halt and turn around. Our legs and lungs were protesting too much. Dragonflies were whizzing across the heather as we walked back and one even sat for a few minutes to give us a good siting. We later learned this was a male Common Hawker.

We may not have climbed up that hill to the top but we did wander at lower levels a short while later. Crossing stepping stones we found the beach at Sannox. A beautiful sandy beach that was warm in the sunshine. Wandering along we came to an outcrop of rock that we clambered over, looking at the rocks and in the pools.

We then spotted a seal in the water, fairly close to the shore, and then couldn't believe our luck when it swam to the shore and shuffled out onto the pebbles. It continued to haul itself over the pebbles until it reached the smooth sand - and then just sat there! We were only 20-30 feet away by now and it just looked at us, yawned and totally ignored us. This is my usual spot it seemed to be saying! Leaving it in peace we moved away and continued on our way, but what an experience!

Following such a nice day for weather the moth trap went out again.
Another clear sky and calm water greeted us the next morning. The trap yielded 12 moths this morning  - our greatest catch so far. 9 of those were Lunar Underwings!

Mesmerising as the water was, we forced ourselves to leave the cottage and go for a walk. Kildonan is a small village towards the south of the island with just a few parking spaces by the shore. We wandered through the village to follow the seaweed covered track under the tall cliffs. There are numerous rocky outcrops reaching into the water and seaweed-covered sand between the rocks. Looking over the water you can see the majestic Ailsa Craig and Pladda lighthouse.

Shells are everywhere on the sands and the walking is easy along the grass field right next to the beach. Then we spotted them ….. seals sitting on many of the rocks out in the water and swimming in the water too. Their banana shape on the rocks is very distinctive and amusing. Once we really looked they  were everywhere and we counted more and more as we clambered on the rocks and grassy mounds to look at them. There must have been 50+. Reaching a boulder beach we finally had to turn around and retrace our steps. Another wonderful encounter with wildlife.

Going home we actually sat outside to eat our lunch and the sun got hotter and hotter as we sat there. Halfway through September, eating lunch outside with the sun shining so bright we couldn't look at the water and needing sun cream/hats??? We couldn't believe it either.
After lunch we took a ride to Lamlash and Whiting Bay touring the shops and sampling the ice cream again and on the way back  we spotted a man snorkelling in the water. No photo but I do wish I had taken one! Lamlash Bay is Scotland's first No Take Zone, where commercial and private fishing is banned. A campaign by the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), representing islanders, finally achieved legislation to aid regeneration of the seabed. Since 2014 the water around the whole of the south of the island is a Marine Protected Area (MPA) so there should be no trawling or dredging in the area. Regeneration of the seabed and protection of the habitats is their aim and I wonder what the snorkeller saw under the water??
Guess what? As the weather was nice ….

A lovely Plain Golden Y in the trap this morning along with 9 more Lunar Underwings and a Large Wainscot, so although we haven't had huge numbers we have had some beautiful specimens. Wednesday began with hardly a ripple in the water but a chill in the air until the sun warmed us up.
Our coffee stop this morning after we got moving - which is a quite a job most mornings because of the view - was another of the islands' golf courses. Corrie golf club has a tearoom with more home baking and a man who claims to be a Scot even though he comes from Doncaster! He explained that the town was taken by the scots and signed over to Scotland in the First Treaty of Durham in 1136. English forces regained control of the area later but Doncaster was never formally given back so is technically still part of Scotland!
After delicious refreshments we went to the beach at Sannox we had briefly visited the other day.

The stepping stones are made of great chunks of concrete so are easy to cross and following the footpath above the beach this time we soon encountered a wooded area next to the water. Entering the wood we soon found there were tall cliffs, with amazing caves and rocks  - as well as ….

…. a dinosaur!! Or was it Nessie??
We found fungi growing on old stumps, rowan trees laden with berries as red as Santa's jacket, a Painted Lady and hundreds of Dor beetles. Sadly many of them had been trodden on, which did allow us to see their wonderful colour, but there were still plenty scuttling around.

Coming out of the wood we emerged right next to the burn where it flowed out into the Firth looking over to Ayrshire, where 2 swans were drifting around feeding. Returning along the same path we retraced our footsteps to the shore at Sannox, watching the sail boats out on the water. Plenty of those this week with the calm weather.

A visit to the Brewery was suggested as a conclusion to the days activities - the smell was quite enticing as we got closer. Although not really drinkers, we did sample the beer on offer - it would have been rude not to - right? The cheese shop close by was also frequented - the samples there were more to our liking, but the tea room next door was even better and rounded off our day nicely.
Yet again we woke to a sunny, still morning. Even the birds were quiet this Thursday morning - it felt eerily silent. Heading for Brodick we planned to walk along the beach around the bay. Goat Fell and the other hills were still misty on the top but it was very warm.

The water lapping on the shore was so quiet it hardly audible. This walk was obviously popular and we met and greeted many others having a wander. There was even one lady on her horse!

The walk started by the shore before meandering through the golf course and then rejoining the beach towards the end of the bay. Brodick Castle looked lovely in the sunshine as it poked its head up above the trees under the now-visible top of Goat Fell.

Retracing our steps we headed home via Ross Road, a road that cuts across the southern end of the island, rather than going along the coast road. A single-track road with passing-places that is rather like a roller coaster - up and down with hairpin bends, but spectacular scenery all the way. We saw several buzzards along the way too.
Home for lunch which we ate outside  - again! Too hot to do much this afternoon other than a gentle stroll along the beach, but the weather led to an absolutely beautiful sunset tonight.

It began with a gentle pink hue all over the sky in all directions but proceeded to go a brilliant red and orange. Wow was all we could say!

Friday began sunny again with just a gentle breeze. We sat and watched the birds and the water (again) - including the sight of 2 kayakers rowing past the cottage. Our last full day today, so after coffee in Lamlash we wandered around the village that overlooks Holy Isle.

A ferry boat takes visitors across to the island where you can wander and walk. The Centre for World Peace and Health, where the ferry lands, is open to guests during the summer although a closed Buddhist Retreat is located at the southern end of the island. This retreat is for women but there is a purpose-built centre for men at Samye Dechen Shing, located along the Ross Road.

Lamlash is a sheltered bay that has numerous boats moored during the summer. It has the only police station, secondary school and hospital on the island and also an RNLI lifeboat station. Numerous cafes and shops line the street and a row of estate-worker cottages built by the Duke of Hamilton in the 19th century still dominate the street.

After lunch we made our way home to begin the slightly depressing task of repacking our cases for the journey home tomorrow. More sunshine, but just time to take a few more photos of the whooshing waves!

Then we had to leave and head for Brodick for the ferry. One last ride along the string and along the front at Brodick, but how nice to be able to sit in the sun, looking at the hills, while we waited. A calm crossing again before joining the busy roads (compared to Arran) into Glasgow and beyond.

Another really enjoyable holiday over.