Leith and the Amazon! 17th - 20th Nov 2019

We travelled to Leith, via Hawick, with friends on a rather grey day. Some trees still have leaves left on them but they are looking really brown now. A lack of wind lately has kept them on the branches longer than might be expected and we are hoping that these few days away will be just as calm. After pausing for lunch we arrived at our hotel and unpacked before heading off into Edinburgh. The bus stop is right outside the hotel and riding upstairs we see many sights on the way - including all the road works, and the congestion this produces! It is really nice not to be the driver in this situation but to sit and look out the window at the chaos with no stress whatsoever!
The Christmas Markets began yesterday so Princes Gardens is full of stalls selling a huge range of goodies, both edible and drinkable as well as for presents. There are some scary-looking rides too - the screams are very off-putting and the height they reach is very scary!

The crowds thronged every avenue and it would have been very easy to lose each other.
After a stop for refreshments we ventured back into the throng to find the Christmas Lights had been  switched on!

Some fireworks were let off but the official firework display was not due until much later in the evening. The centre of Edinburgh now sparkled with all the lights on rides, stalls, traffic and shops.

There was a murmur among the people too as they moved around. Catching the bus again the streets and roads were just as busy as they were hours earlier.
Monday dawned dry but cold and we decided to use public transport and go to Musselburgh. This meant a change of bus partway through the journey but the front seats upstairs gave us another good view of the city and its people as we travelled through Portobello towards Musselburgh. It seemed very strange to suddenly see a beach in Edinburgh but of course Edinburgh sits on the Firth of Forth. The sandy beach is only 2 miles from the city centre but looks quite long and inviting! Another time.
Eventually reaching Musselburgh we walked along the main street and on to the race course before turning and following the river back. A very pleasant walk in the winter sunshine.

A return ride on a different number bus, so we weren't seeing exactly the same sights, took us back to Princes Street. We found a volunteer-run church café to have something to eat before yet another bus ride back to the hotel.
Tuesday was a big day as we were going up the Amazon! Although cold and frosty the sun was shining so a walk around Pittencrief Park in Dunfermline passed the morning very comfortably.

A visit to the greenhouses was a very good way to thaw out while we were there and the Peacock Rooms café provided essential refreshments. We even saw the peacocks in the park this time too!
It was soon time to go to Amazon - we had booked a tour of their Fulfillment Centre, also in Dunfermline. Security was very much in evidence from the moment we got out of the car. We had to be buzzed in and our identities checked before we hardly got inside the building.

There were about 30 people on the tour so we all had to wear headphones, to ensure we all heard what was said, and bright yellow high-viz jackets, but after a short intro we were off. What a fascinating place! No-one knew what to expect or what we would see but the tour leader took us all round the building (which covers the equivalent of 17 football pitches) and showed us the whole process and journey of an order from beginning to end. The technology that ensures a smooth operation is amazing and apparently has never gone wrong! The sight of shelves full of merchandise stretching as far as the eye could see and the miles of conveyor belts moving boxes of orders around the building was incredible to see. Some of the machinery was quite mesmerising to watch and everyone on the tour was full of chatter about the whole visit. An hour passed by very quickly before we were presented with a free gift and allowed out of the building - after passing through security of course! There was so much to discuss about the visit the return journey didn't seem to last very long but we all agreed it was well worth the trip and was worth recommending to others if they get the chance - especially as it was also free!

We were still talking about going up the Amazon the next day as we travelled home and would definitely be spreading the word to friends and family.

Glasgow & Greenock 1st - 4th Nov 2019

A miserable time as we travelled to Glasgow, with constant drizzle for most of the day. We did stop off at Drumpellier Country Park, thinking we could have a stretch of our legs here but as it was so miserable we just had coffee and moved on. The park sounds interesting, having 2 lochs with trails and walks and a variety of wildlife. Perhaps another time.
We reached our hotel in the continuing drizzle and checked into our room overlooking the airport. Not many flights tonight and as the room had double double-glazing we didn't notice them anyway!
Saturday didn't look as if it was going to be much better weather-wise - thick fog in all directions.

We stayed at the hotel for the morning as the Rugby World Cup Final was played this morning. Unfortunately England were beaten by South Africa.
Moving on after the disappointment we headed for Ardrossan, planning to travel slowly up the coast.
Arran had just about disappeared under the cloud ….

but we sat and watched the birds on the beach - and the ferry - for a while.

No wind meant the water was calm and moving on we called in at a couple more villages down on the shore to see what birds were about before the tide came in.

Largs gave us a good view of a pair of dippers where a waterway enters the sea.

We spent a while talking to a local man about dippers who also suggested we might be interested in the 'Greenock Cut' where he had also seen dippers. The 'cut' is an aqueduct that was specially built to carry water to industries in Greenock and supply the area with drinking water. In use until 1971 it then became a Designated Ancient Monument and now has a Visitor Centre and a selection of  walks with scenic views, as part of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. We went to investigate and followed narrow roads, with passing places, through the hills to eventually find the visitor centre. Stunning scenery on the way with a patchwork of colours on the hills.

We decided we didn't really have time for one of the walks today, so made do with tea and cake before moving on to our hotel in Greenock, thinking ourselves lucky that the weather had stayed dry all day.
Having enjoyed our visits to various villages on the coast yesterday we thought we would continue the trend and visit some more along the coast from Greenock today. We began at Lunderston Bay which is also part of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. It is the nearest sandy beach to Glasgow and has a mix of sand, pebbles and rocks and a footpath goes in both directions above the beach. There are great views over the Firth of Clyde towards Dunoon and the Isle of Bute, which were definitely visible today with the very calm weather we were experiencing.

There were a flock of male and female eider ducks drifting along the shore. We love the sounds they make as they communicate with each other.

Having enjoyed our walk by the shore we moved on to Lochwinnoch and Castle Semple.

We have visited the RSPB bird sanctuary here on several occasions but today we called at the Visitor Centre by the watersport centre on Castle Semple Loch. This is also part of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park and is a 1.5 mile long inland freshwater loch with trails and walks. There was actually a craft fair on today with some interesting stalls. The sunshine we had been experiencing so far today deserted us as we set off on a walk by the loch and the grey skies soon turned to rain.

The weather now became very showery so a last walk on the beach near Ardrossan was quite short - but the view between the showers was worth it!

Home today - but continuing the theme we travelled down the Ayrshire coast, which is one of our favourite journeys. A stop at Lendalfoot to see the seals on the rocks, the view of Ailsa Craig and any wildlife that may be around,  never fails to disappoint us.