Dumfries and Galloway

With the country in mourning and sad news about a good friend over the weekend we contemplated not doing this trip but, motorhome life means we are free to return to base, change our directions! So here we are our first night of a possible 5 week trip north. A wet journey up but the sun came out as we arrived. A lovely walk along the coast, harbour and town of MaryPort. Beautiful sunset looking over the Solway Firth to Scotland, we could even see the Isle of Man.

After another lovely walk and picking up some bread from a local bakery we eventually pulled ourselves away from Maryport. We drove to Gretna, what a commercial mess!

At The Devil’s Porridge Museum near Annan though it was a different story! A fantastic place, nothing to do with food (I knew this prior). Arthur Conan Doyle coined the phrase Devils Porridge after seeing the Gretna Girls mixing cotton and nitro-glycerin that was used to produce cordite as a shell propellant by hand! Our overnight stop reached by late afternoon here at Caerlaverock where the estate have put in a “European “ style aire with many walks on our doorstep tonight we are with another 8 vehicles including one German and one French.

A bright morning with a chill in the air, but still in shorts although a fleece was needed! We walked through the woods to the castle. The castle is closed due to a need for a structural survey but we could walk around it and see inside. The lady at the visitor centre was friendly and we chatted whilst we had a coffee. After lunch we walked the quiet road to Glencaple (2 miles), sat alongside the river Nith enjoying our flask whilst chatting to another motorhomer. There are 5 motorhome places here completely full, a nice walk back to our corner, the barnacle geese have stated to arrive, everyone is so friendly.

We sleep at an Abbey! Sadly it’s crumbling but we could walk around it. We then visited New Abbey Mill. En route here we spent time in Dumfries, small Scottish breakfast at Robert the Bruce establishment (Weatherspoons), walking by the river, visiting the old bridge house museum which adjoins the Devorgillia bridge. Had some retail therapy in the town and then some shopping at a local supermarket.

From Abbey to swimming pool! We visited Dalbeatie and it’s museum, I’m convinced the guy was a collectamania but it was fun, worryingly though he had objects that we have and he calls them history! Onwards to Kirkcudbright, yes at the side of the pool overlooking the park and less than 10 minutes walk into town. Some lovely old buildings, a nice high street and we visited the NT Broughton House and gardens.

“Broughton House is an 18th-century town house standing on the High Street of Kirkcudbright, south-west Scotland. It was the home of Scots impressionist artist E. A. Hornel between 1901 and his death in 1933. During this time Hornel remodelled the house and created the Japanese-influenced gardens. Since 1950 it has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and is maintained as "a living museum of Hornel’s life and work”.

We are sleeping along the side of the river Bladnoch in the old harbour area of Wigtown with another 8 or so. We’ve had a walk around the town and book shops but in true Scottish tradition shops closing up until Tuesday, usually Monday. We called at Newton Stewart this morning, parking was difficult and not a lot going on, except for Sainburys!