Well after a few days back in Fife we hit the road and travelled to one of the areas we had previously visited Kilmartin Glen which is an area in Argyll not far from Kintyre. This area was once part of the Dalriada Kingdom and home to the Dunadd Fort where kings were annointed Kilmartin Glen is known for its linear cemetery of five prehistoric burial cairns. They form a 2km-long line across the valley floor which is very impressive to see. The area is jammed full of Castles, Cairns, Standing Stones, Rock art and that hardly touches the near 800 sites in this area alone. Here are just a few of the places we visited on this trip. Dunchraigaig CairnThe first site we visited was Dunchraigaig Cairn, This site is maintained by Historic Scotland, there is a small car park opposite the site. The site is fully accessible at any time and is free to wander around. We had a walk around the Cairn before following the signed pathway to the ajoining field where you will find some impressive Standing Stones, The Standing stones are fascinating and the sheer size of the stones leave visitors with many questions about the stones. The site is well worth a couple of visits at different times of the day to see how the light changes the shadows from these massive stones. If you have an interest in Cairns and Standing stones then this site is not to be missed. Carnasserie CastleKilmartin Glen MuseumWe headed to see the museum in Kilmartin, the shop and cafe are busy and popular, it was a hive of activity. We enjoyed the interactive museum which is full of interetsing information (please note that the museum is due for closure in 2019 for upgrading) Opening Times 10:00 to 17:30 from 1st March until 31st October 11:00 to 16:00 from 1st November until 23rd December Closed from Christmas until the end of February Day Tickets Adult £ 7.00 Child (Under 16) £ 2.50 Child (Under 3) Free Family Pass £14.50 (2 adults + 1-4 Children) valid for 1 year Family £14.50 (2 adults + 1-4 Children) Family £ 9.75 (1 adult + 1-4 Children) Concessions £ 6.00 Senior Citizens Students Unwaged Friends of Historic Environment Scotland Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Natural History and Antiquarian Society of Mid Argyll The area surrounding the museum was full of bloom and I took a few photos of the flowers in bloom around the museum. The staff are all very friendly and welcoming to the site. Nether Largie standing stones and cairnsIt is not very far down the road from Dunchraigaig Cairn you will come to a car park where you can walk to Nether Largie Standing Stones, the South, Mid and North Largie Cairns, Temple Wood Stone Circle all within easy walking distance of each other. The sun was beating down through the valley and seeing how all these Cairns line up and having so many different sites to see so close together. We explorded the Cairns and there is access to go inside one of the Cairn which is highly recommended, these structures are not only impressive but have character about them. Inside the Cairn we found these very cute spiders who had made webs which shone like mini lanterns from the lightsource inside the cairn tarbert castleWe left Kilmartin Glen with plans to return the next day and climb up Dunnard Fort and headed to Tarbert, This beautiful town with it's many boats and spectacular views overlooking the pier from the castle is highly attractive tourist spot. Tarbert Castle is little more than a ruin and very little remains of this once spectacular building and conservation work has been carried out using modern brickwork which ditracts from the building but can understand why it has been done. While we were visiting this free open all year site there was a herd of sheep grazing in the vast green hills that surround the castle. Take some time to walk up to the Castle and enjoy the beautiful scenic viewpoint. SKipness CastleThe drive from Tarbert to Skipness is spectacular and the views are stunning, the roads are fun and keep you focused but when you arrive at Skipness Castle it is just a short walk from the car park to this beautiful castle. The castle does open but you are free to wander around the outside at any time, from the Castle the views are breathtaking and across a small field you can see Skipness Chaple, there are livestock in the field so caution is advised as you walk to the Chaple. There is a smoke house next to the castle and this is such a pretty location to take some time out to explore. If you have time to drive to Campletown on the same route, the drive is absolutely stunning and again the roads will not dissapoint, Passing her test in Sept 16 Ffyona really enjoyed the narrow, winding, hilly roads that you drive to Campletown. The journey homeThe weather was not in our favour on the Sunday and plans to explore Dunadd Fort again were put on hold until our next trip, we decided to travel back via Oban and took the scenic route taking in the Isle of Seils, In the little town of Ellenabeich we stopped to have a look around the little town museum which is full of local history from island life to the slate mining from the area. We then headed for a roll and cuppa in the quaintest little pub/restaurant called The Oyster Bar which became extremely busy as coaches arrived in town. The short bridge that crosses to the Island is beautiful and covered in fairy foxglove and you can almost forgive yourself for feeling like you are on a rollercoaster as you lose sight of the road as you reach the peak of the bridge and the fear that you will be met with another car is very real. We drove until we reached Kilchurn Castle on the edge of Loch Awe, This is another site cared for by Historic Scotland and seems to be open all year round. There was many tourists visiting the site and seems to be a popular location to visit, The Castle is definately a special site to see. Thank you for reading this mammoth post, Kilmartin Glen and the surrouding areas have so much to offer and so much history in such a tight area it is difficult to not be excited about these sites. I hope that you enjoyed this post and we will see you again soon with another adventure
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Cairn Holy - where to start with this site? On previous trips we have visited these Chambered Cairns. Cairn 1 with it's impresseive concave façade of tall pillar stones is a spectacale to see. The thought and time that went in to create the sight thousands of years ago is breath taking. The resources that must have been used to create this asymmetrical design with it's links to land and sky. The sight is something very special indeed. You can visit the Cairns for free, though there is a little donation box for the general preservation of these unique Cairns. Historic Scotland look after this special site.
As you leave Cairn 1 from the top gate it is just a quick walk up the path to Cairn 2, Cairn 2 may not be as grand in apperance but it is still something very special to behold, the sheer scale of the stone laid on top of the Cairn is impressive. Local legends indicate this to be the sight of the burial of a mythical Scottish King Gauldus. (I did not manage to get a photo of Cairn 2 without the kids in) On our previous visits we had the place to ourselves and we enjoyed the scenic views and the wonderful atmosphere that is captured here. However when we arrived at Cairn 1 there was a man taking photos of the Cairn and seemed to measuring different angles of shadows which was fascinating, having a very socialble 6 year old comes in handy as within no time at all conversation had been started with him. His name is Joseph and he is often to be found at Cairn 1 researching and learning all that the stones have to offer. Joseph engaged in conversation and told us how he came to be as he put it stuck at Cairn Holy. After several interesting stories we left Cairn Holy thinking we would not return until our next visit, However as we were leaving the next morning and driving past the kids asked to return for a quick visit before returning home. Jospeh was there again in the morning and with further enthusiastic conversation between us all about the Cairns and our thoughts to the meaning of them we enjoyed our second visit to Cairn Holy. Cairn Holy is well worth taking the time to go up and visit these unique chamberd Cairns and if you are lucky you may even encounter friendly and enthusiastic Joseph On Thursday the 10th May 2018 we headed to Gatehouse of Fleet to spend a few days with the youngest two, we took them out of school for an extra day and a half to explore and learn about some of the histrical locations Dumfries and Galloway has to offer. We usually do not take children out of school but felt that the children would gain from the experience. The Cosy Retreat which is aptly named is a fantistic located property in Gatehoue of Fleet, This was found airbnb.com and was a lovely place to stay and enjoy or as a base for exploration. Immaculate and comfortable with lots of lovely little extras it is a must stay. To make the most of the Thursday and not feel like we had nothing but travel we headed to Orchardton Tower, this is a free site with a donation box, This unique and unusual roundhouse is the only one of its style in Scotland, This fortified residence of a nobleman. Orchardton Towers is located approx 6 miles South East from Castle Douglas on the A77, there is a small area for a few cars to park. We were the only ones to visit at this time. We enjoyed looking around the tower, We were lucky that the weather gods favoured our evening. This is worth a quick stop if you are in the area. We are sure we will return in the future to this historical site. Friday morning we were all up relatively early and were not too late getting ourselves out the door. We headed firstly to Sorbie Tower, Located about a mile east from the town of Sorbie. This is a lovely little site to visit, The tower has scaffolding supporting it and there seems to be some conservation work being carried out. You can look around the tower but are not permitted to go inside, this should not stop you visiting as the tower is an impressive building and the surrounding plants and wildlife are not to be mssed. After leaving Sorbie tower we headed to Whithorn to visit Whithorn Priory and replica Roundhouse. We enjoyed a visit to the cafe before starting our exploration in the ehibition which has lots of interesting information from the site and priory. The exhibtion is laid out well and is suited to all ages. There is a short video presentation which is interesting, if it does not start when you enter the room a member of staff is more than happy to help you. The replica roundhouse is situated just around the corner from the exhibition also the historic scotland exhibition is in the same location, the exhibition holds a wide range of stone crosses removed and placed there to keep them from further disintigration. The Roundhouse tours are at set times and a guide will take you into the site of the arcehlogical dig before taking you into the roundhouse, the sites has many interesting features and the history in the small meadow is truly fasciniating. You are then welcome to wander around the grounds of the priory after your tour finishes. This is a great place to visit, highly recommended We then travelled and stopped by Barsalloch Hill Fort, the step stairs to the top of the hill is well worth the view alone, then onto St Finians Chaple, we then drove until we reached Casrsluith Castle which has a wonderful smoke house and cafe on site. Buying a range of smoked products was a must. These are free sites to visit and worth a look around. We headed back to our cosy retreat for the remainder of the day excited about what the next day would bring. To start our day we headed to Dundrennan Abbey, This site is maintained by Historic Scotland, We arrived just as it opened the shutters were still being taken off the ticket booth. The man who was working the site that day was named Glyn, He welcomed us to the site asked the children a few questions and was enthusiastic about the history and promised the children to a story about Mary Queen of Scots at the end of our visit. We were the only ones visiting at that point and at the end of wandering around, we returned to hear what story Glyn was going to tell us, The way Glyn spoke to children was enagaging and pitched right at their ages. We felt that Glyn went above and beyond to make our visit special. Credit goes to Glyn and Historic Scotland. Admission Member/Explorer Pass holder: FREE Adult: £5.00 Child aged 5–15: £3.00 Child under 5: FREE Concession: £4.00 Open 1 April to 30 September: Daily, 9.30am to 5.30pm Last entry 5pm Closed 1 October to 31 March If you are in the area stop in and enjoy this very unique and special site. We left Dundrennan Abbey with a feeling that if we did nothing more on this holiday it would have been worth while. We headed to Caerlaverock Castle again maintained by Historic Scotland. This is a beautiful castle, we firstly headed to the 8 min video narrated by Tony Robinson it is highly informative in a very entertaining way, with dress up for both adult and kids, drawing shields is a nice way to keep the whole family entertained. Then we strolled down to the castle, the castle is home to many birds and has a truly unique feel, with a beautiful moat all around everyone will enjoy learning about the origins of the castles history. The gift hope and cafe are nice and we enjoyed a nice cup of tea and scone. We all enjoyed our visit to Caerlaverock Castle. Admission Member/Explorer Pass holder: FREE Adult: £6.00 Child aged 5–15: £3.60 Child under 5: FREE Concession: £4.80 Open 1 April to 30 September: Daily, 9.30am to 5.30pm Last entry 5pm 1 October to 31 March: Daily, 10am to 4pm Last entry 3.30pm Café opening hours The café is situated within the visitor centre. April to September: Daily, 10am to 4.30pm October: Daily, 10am to 3.30pm November to March: Closed Tues and Thurs, 10am to 3.30pm Closed25 and 26 December 1 and 2 January We hit the road again, we headed to New Abbey to visit Sweetheart Abbey and New Abbey Corn Mill. Both these sites are maintained by Historic Scotland. Sweetheart Abbey is currently undergoing some major bulding conservation, which means there is significant areas covered with scaffolding, however it is good to see what the memberships and sdmissions resources are spent on. The New Abbey Corn Mill was up and running and we got to see the waterwheel turn and the mill making flour, this is a great site working or not, full of fun information on the estates Mill and how it worked in history. This was a great way to spend the afternoon everyone really enjoyed the Corn Mill.
We then decided to finishe our day before heading back to the Cosy Retreat, We stopped at Cairn Holy a free site maintained by Historic Scotland. Going to do a seperate blog for Cairn Holy as it was a very unique and wonderful experience. On Friday 27th April 2018 we arrived at our accomodation just outside Whitby and above Robin Hood Bay, The lovely Old Dairy airbnb we booked was a tranquil and beautifully located place to enjoy the quieter parts of our weekend. Our host made us feel very welcome and the infrared sauna was a complete bonus. a home away from home and immaculate we loved our accomodation and made use of the unique space. We ate dinner before getting changed and made up for an evening at Whitby Pavillion, where our entertainment for the evening was due to start. It was not long until the first act were taking to the stage, a comic musical duo called Rayguns look Real Enough, these boys are fully of energy and fun, great interaction with the audience and a clever use of well known songs played in a creative manner, if you get a chance to get along and see theses guys you will not be disappointed. Between acts we were treated to some decent tunes and people seemed to enjoy having a little dance. The second act was Dr Haze and the Circus of Horrors, the Freak show was split into two acts the first of these were deemed to be the PG rated part of the show, mixture of acts from arieal, acrobatics, sword swalling and much more, audiences are taken to a slightly darker side of enetertainment. Having seen Circus of Horrors in the 90's there was a high expectation from the show, the show lacks a little substance now and due to the nature of using a stage instead of the previous circus ring limits the show in ways, however not to dwell on the past the show is still very entertaining. The third act who played in between The Circus of Horrors was Desmond OConnor, this flamboyant and unique individual armed with a ukalele, his twisted and unique whit is delivered in the most articulatley stunning way, he leads the audience to participate and you cannot help but be taken along for the ride with this act. If you get a chance to see Desmond performe we urge to go along he is fantastic and you will be left humming inappropriate songs for a while after. After the show had finished there was an aftershow party for audience which saw many dramatically dressed individuals strut their stuff on the dance floor. We headed home and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Saturday brought sunshine and smiles, so after a delicously cooked breakfast we headed back into Whitby to enjoy the atmosphere of the Goth Weekend. Now before you take the route of the darker goths lets assure you that Whitby becomes a rainbow filled place with influences from milatary to steampunk, pretty much dress as you want, people go all out for this weekend. We headed to the Pavillion where the Bizarre Bizarre Market was taking place, the market hosts many stall with alternative clothing being a key feature, along with gins and alcahol, brownies to die for and much more, the hustle and bustle of the market is a great place to wander. walking in and around town you will not go more than a few paces before feasting your eyes on someone rocking their own style. The atmosphere is great and people are happy to stop and be photograhped(however please make sure you are asking people for these photos). In the evening there was live bands playing at the Pavillion and a free evening of DJing at the Abbey Wharf under the name of the Magenta Moon, the place was packed and at some points you could have mistaken this for a unique wedding, age range, dress style was very wide and varied but everyone was having a good time, we danced and enjoyed the music before heading home for a wee glass of wine and chill before heading to bed. On Sunday we were up early and after the most awesome brownies purchased the day before we headed back to Bizarre Bizarre Market before heading home, The market was quieter and we were able to have a look around the stalls more clearly and was nice to see the market at both of these times. What a great weekend we had. THE WHITBY GOTH FESTIVAL
What is it? Bi-annual celebration of everything and anything alternative, with live music, markets, charity football event, the weekend is jam packed, April and October are the months that the festival is held in Whitby How did it come about? Well the story goes that approximately 40 pen friends decided to meet in Whitby in a pub this sparked off the growth of the festival and now into its 24th year and growing in popularity. Why Whitby? Whitby is a beautiful town over shadowed by the haunting Abbey which inspired one of the settings for Brams Stocker's Dracula...so why not Whitby??? How much will it cost me? We purchased Friday event tickets for £30 each which for four acts and dancing afterwards was not a huge expense. weekend tickets for the main events are available. even if you decide just to go to Whitby and enjoy the atmosphere you will sure to have a good time. We look forward to returning to Whitby for another festival in the future |
Alistair and Ffyona's TravelsOur adventure blog, little bit of history, our recommendations and a few photos... Archives
January 2019
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