The Rhins of Galloway 2006
Holidaying in Dumfries and Galloway, a brief tale of three go wild in northern climbs.
Scotland has much to offer the traveller. We enjoyed the food, the locals were pleasant, the scenery was very country and the weather, well, very British. We stayed in a lovely hotel, Tigh Na Mara Hotel, on the coast at the top of Luce Bay. The Rhins of Galloway extends down from Milleur and Corsewall Point in the North to the Mull of Galloway 27 miles to the south - the southern most point of Scotland. We visited several notable places on the peninsular, Portpatrick, the Mull itself, Drummore, Stranraer for some shopping and the forest inland.
Day 1 and relatives from Glasgow drove down to see us for the day. They recommended Portpatrick so we all trogged off to the little village port. It has a fantastic little bay with many rock pools that David delighted in hunting for sealife with help from Fiona and mum.
Excellent lunch time fayre was had by all of us in The Waterfront Hotel. We then walked up to the large hotel dominating the northern view and looked down on the port with only the faintest incline of what a real winter, in this place, would be like. We were getting sun burnt when the clouds kept off but felt something of an autumn chill otherwise. The lifeboat museum was small and closed but the associated shop was open so we popped in - the usual fayre. We considered the nearby toilets were expensive too - so we held on until we could pee without paying at the door!
To round off this lovely start to the holiday we returned to our hotel for more fine fayre. Day 2 we trekked down to the Mull and the lighthouse at Scotland's southern most extremity. Unfortunately the lighthouse itself is only open at the weekend but the RSPB has a visitors centre that was open. Inside were pictures from the cliff face cameras that are not possible from the pathways around the reservation. Later in the evening we tried the book town of Scotland, Wigtown. A slight disappointment but the people were pleasant and the food good. The rain didn't help of course.
Day three and we went up to the Forest of Galloway. The weather didn't do us any favours but we still saw the goats and deer which live amongst the hills and trees. On our last full day we did some shopping in Stranraer and then drove down the coast for a picnic in one of the many laybys within metres of the water. Naturally David insisted on paddling in the waves ignoring the less then Mediterranean temperatures. We stopped at several more beaches, paddled some more, then meandered off for some tea and coffee in a cafe in Drummore. Then back to the Gallie Craig for the evening repast and fine views westward towards Ireland. Finally we read, David slept and the fishermen fished as the evening sun came down.
Great fun, must do it again soon! - Actually, we did it again a couple of years later!
E-mail
