Rambling Russells

We first thought about going to Lowther Castle in November when we found out about the craft fair they were putting on until Christmas Eve. However other commitments, and then the dreadful weather Cumbria and Southern Scotland experienced, prevented us going until now. Even then when we looked out the window and saw the fog and drizzle, we wondered if it was the right day to go. The weather forecast said there would be cloud and some rain at first but that it would then clear up in the afternoon. Would they be right?? We have to say they have been very accurate recently so decided to go! Well they were correct about the rain – as we got to Carlisle it was quite wet and misty – but then it brightened up! Our planned route had to be adjusted slightly as some roads were still closed (due to flooding). We ended up travelling through little villages with narrow wooded roads, spotting 2 deer bounding through the trees at one point. There were plenty of signs announcing the presence of ...

Had a lovely Christmassy afternoon yesterday at Broughton House in Kirkcudbright. It is an 18 th Century Georgian house and the former home of Scottish painter E A Hornel, one of the Glasgow Boys. It is a living museum of his life and work, full of his paintings and those of his contemporaries. There is a library, which includes one of the world’s biggest collections of works by Robert Burns.   Behind the house is Hornel’s garden, which is a mixture of Eastern and Western horticulture and is a delight to explore. The National Trust look after the house and had organised an afternoon of carols. We began the afternoon with mulled wine and mince pies and then went into the Gallery for the carols. The staff had organised a terrific programme of carols and readings, which they presented with great aplomb. The readings for the afternoon were all related to Christmas in one form or another - from "The birth o Jesus" from the Glasgow Gospel by Jamie Stuart, where the story is ...

This month has been very unusual in that the weather has been very mild. The wind has been so gentle that the leaves are still on many of the trees showing off their beautiful autumn colours.  There has been no frost to put an end to the growth of  many summer plants so we still have cosmos, nasturtiums and dahlias flowering! Moths and butterflies have almost disappeared from our records this month though on sunny days the odd few have still been spotted. Moth traps and accessories have been officially put away for the winter! Our max for this month is as follows: Red Admiral - 7 Small tortoiseshell - 1 Silver Y moth - 1 (a day-flying moth) Many birds have reappeared this month - house sparrows and starlings have been most numerous but it has been nice to see a good variety. We have also seen geese flying overhead as they return to D&G for the winter, often hearing them before we actually see them! However we have said goodbye to House Martins and Swallows as the...

A much better month for weather - some lovely sunny days although the evenings are beginning to draw in and cool down! Much of the wildlife this month has been butterflies again. The sunflowers and buddleia have finally fully opened their blooms and the butterflies have loved them!  The max for each species seen is as follows: Painted Lady - 1 Peacock - 10 Red Admiral - 7 Small Tortoiseshell - 7 There have also been numerous white butterflies flitting around the garden. We have noticed a good number of day flying moths around the garden too - especially on the sage! Usually a Silver Y, which is a very pretty moth, named for the mark on its wings. They have not however been caught in any numbers in traps. Moths in the traps have still been in short supply. Cooler evenings have probably had something to do with it. New for us however is the Bulrush Wainscot (pictured on the right below) and Agonopterix arenella (pictured bottom left) A few birds seem to be re-appe...

We set off from Annan on a journey to Argyll hoping to see lots of autumn colour along the way. The weather wasn't exactly encouraging - mist and drizzle accompanying us. Photos were not therefore a very good idea until we got beyond Glasgow, and even then they were difficult. However there were some spectacular colours on the trees alongside the road and further in the distance. Beyond Loch Lomond the visibility improved slightly and the colours began to intensify... The return journey, on Sunday, looked much more promising.... The sun was shining! As we had plenty of time we took the more scenic route home - beginning with a short detour through Stronmilchan. Only 2 miles to the village but the hills were ablaze with colour. It was not a difficult decision then to take the road along Glen Orchy as our way back to Tyndrum. With the weather and the colours we had already seen we were sure to see more. All along the road the colours were beautiful. We ...

Hidden underneath a farmhouse near St Andrews is a secret Scotland kept for 40 years. The farmhouse was put up for sale with Estate Agents who were unaware of what was underground. On purchasing the house the new owner then brought in builders who discovered a steel door! What was behind the door must have been a real surprise - or shock! 2014 was the twentieth anniversary of the opening of the Bunker to the public. The Bunker lies 100ft underground and is the size of 2 football pitches, one on top of the other. There is a 450ft tunnel .......      leading you to the Security Office.....     ... before reaching the entrance to the Bunker  - through the blast doors...   These doors weigh 1½ tons each!     The Bunker was built to safeguard Scotland during the Cold War in the event of a nuclear attack. Scotland would have been governed from here, where it was  hoped, those in charge ...