A wee trip to bonnie Scotland

 First stop Penrith, England

Carlisle

 The Cathedral

 The Cloisters

 The Castle.  Not the best view from across a busy road

Then on to the Scottish Borders of Dumfries and Galloway where there are many castles and abbeys bearing witness to its skirmishes.  Dumfries was supposed to be our first stop, but parking was difficult so we  went on the Castle Douglas.

 The high clock tower od Castle Douglas

Next was Kirkudbright  (pronounced kir-coo-bree by the Scots)  at the mouth of the River Dee.  The town is full of art galleries that the dog prevented us from visiting.

Onwards to Stranraer via Newton Stewart, Girvan with a view of the island of Ailsa Craig,  and the prestigious golf clubs of Turnberry, owned by Donald Trump, and the golf club of Royal Troon.

 Ailsa Craig

The Ferry to Ireland used to leave from Stranraer but now goes from a little further up the coast.

On our return journey we stopped at Alloway the birthplace, now museum of Robbie Burns.

We drove through such beautiful scenery of coast, lochs, forests and mountains that I often forgot to  take photos!

A Busy July

 Bamburgh Castle

We spent an enjoyable break in Northumberland where we spotted dolphins in the North Sea at Seahouses.

A few days later, further down the coast at https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/bempton-cliffs we saw two pufflings

It was my privilege to judge Filey and Hunmanby train station for Yorkshire in Bloom

During a week in Mallorca, we hired a car to Manacor market before making our way to Palma. We we parked near the harbour opposite the cathedral which was surprisingly only 2 euros for three hours and allowed us to wander around the old town.

One day we took the bus from Sa Como, the resort where we stayed, to Cala Millor and walked back. We thought it was a paved promenade but the route took us by the sea and through woodland to a castle. Here was a lovely bar like finding an oasis, before resuming our journey.

The next day took we took a bus in the other direction to visit Porto Cristo, where Nadal resides.

The hotel was next to a very pleasant beach where the clear and mostly calm sea made swimming a delight.

Back in th UK we did a new-to-us walk, the Brandesburton circular. Most of the route was on paths which took us through the countryside until we turned on to the road for the return journey which was a bit hairy due to the speed of the traffic.

Coronation Gardens in Beverley, East Yorkshire

Coronation Gardens, North Bar Within

This pleasant and tranquil place is opposite St Mary's Church and just round the corner from the main shopping area.  Walking from where we parked the car, we saw the former mews where the horses were kept, now charming cottages with newer housing added in the same style.

The Coronation Garden was built to commemorate the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and was completed in 1955.

Made from the old graveyard of St Mary's Church, the headstones were moved the the walls of the garden leaving space for paths and planting of shrubs and flowers.  At the rear of the gardens, some of the graves have been left and flowers have been planted between them.

 This had been a water  feature but was not working when we visited

Sculptures add interest

Reading the inscriptions give a social history

There is also a sensory garden and, on the warm day of our visit, there was a wonderful scent from the aromatic flowers and shrubs.  

The main shopping streets in Beverley are always busy but if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle, this peaceful garden is a real haven.

   

 

Short break in the Lake District

First stop, the North Yorkshire market town of Settle

After stopping for a spot of lunch at The Cow Shed in the village of Windermere, we drove along Lake Windermere to Bowness. This well known tourist spot was relatively quiet compared to other visits, except for the low flying jets which went back and forth. We were to see and hear them throughout our stay. Some thought they were being used for training Ukrainian pilots.

We then drove over the Kirkstone Pass with its stunning scenery to to reach our dog-friendly hotel, The Ullswater Inn, right on Lake Ullswater in Glenridding.

The back of the hotel opened on to the lakeside with plenty of green space to wear out the dog as well as the pier for the Ullswater Steamer.

A plaque to show the launching location of Donald Campbell's record-breaking speedboat Bluebird

The next day we took the boat to Howtown, where our walk began. It was quite cold and breezy for the 40 minute steamer ride with its sides open to the elements but it was worth it for the scenery. 

The walk was described as: fairly easy, 3 miles or 5 km in length, easy going but with some uphill stretches and slightly rocky sections of path. We began our walk using the downloaded route which was very easy to follow, towards Sandwick.

 As we walked up the path, the views of the lake below and Hallin Fell above were spectacular. We had the route to ourselves and didn’t come across other walkers until we reached Hallinhag Wood which skirted the lake. Here we came across the first walkers and the woman told us the route was “quite hairy in places”. We continued and wondered how hard it could be. We soon came across “the slightly rocky sections of path” referred to on our route directions. We faced a long stretch of uneven terrain with huge tree roots, jumbled stone and a steep drop to the lake. Others passed us, some of whom enjoy the walk and do it quite regularly, and told us it was just another 100 yards before it got easier. It was definitely more than that before we reached an easier path to navigate and we could, once more, appreciate the view without worrying about where we were putting our feet.

On reaching the Howtown Hotel, we had a well-deserved afternoon tea at the newly opened Tea Shop before catching the steamer back to Glenridding. This time, we realised that there was a saloon and bar below deck. The views were not as good, but it was warmer than the outward journey.

That evening, we exited from the front of the hotel which opens on to the main street and walked up to the Travellers Rest, a popular traditional pub. We met a couple we had seen earlier in the Howtown Tea Shop and there were a few guests from our hotel. Our dog is very distinctive with his large, sticking up ears and is always a talking point. From the outside seating area you can see Glenridding and beyond below and Helvelyn above. The walk hopefully counted against the calories consumed!

The next day we visited Lowther Castle and Gardens near Penrith which was built in early 19^th century. The castle was not built as a mode of defence but allows beautiful views of the surrounding countryside from its strategic position. It is surrounded by woodland and gardens, which are in the process of being renovated. The courtyard café is open to the public.

We then visited the town of Penrith with its main street full of cafes and shops, many of them independent. There was a vibrant, holiday atmosphere here with walkers, shoppers and tourists enjoying the sunshine.

There is still a lot more of the area to be explored and hope that we will be as lucky with the weather on our next visit.