Family Week at Sandyhills

Fiona had booked a Log Cabin at Barrend for the week so we shared this with them for a wonderful week with mostly excellent weather and great fun with our grandchildren Hannah & Leo.

Hannah and I went for a walk the first few mornings and this was a real pleasure for me as we had some great conversations and she is such good company. This photograph was taken by the only other person on the beach on Sunday morning Philip Jones who is now the Chairman of the NHS in Dumfries & Galloway. Him and his wife were walking their dogs on Sandyhills beach. We used to play squash against each other over 25 years ago when he played for Dumfries and I played for Langholm.

Gaye and I took Leo and Hannah to the shell beach at Kippford. Unfortunately there was a cool breeze and Leo had not taken his jumper but Gaye saved the day by giving him her body warmer. 

This is Sandyhills beach and Hannah & Leo decided to dig a canal from the beach to the sea which unfortunately was about 2 miles away. This is as far as they got but great fun was had by all.

Fiona and Hannah went Pony Trecking. I don't think we need to order a horse for next year's Common Riding just yet.

Hannah just loved her horse.

On Tuesday we went to the Chocolate Factory at Twynholm and this was a superb place. It has been open for about 5  years and they have spent a lot of money into making it a great place for kids and adults to visit. The attraction is that adults are allowed in free. Hannah and Leo made their own chocolate figures and also special bars of chocolate and decorated marshmallows. There are indoor and outdoor play areas and these are well kept and great attractions for the kids. 

The Barrend Log Cabins.

This small Bay is called Douglas Hall and is about a mile from our Log Cabin and so it became a regular morning walk for Hannah and me or me on my own. 

On Thursday Gaye and I took a trip round some of the small Galloway Towns and visited New Galloway and then into Kirkcudbright. We had lunch at the CatScan Theatre in New Galloway which is a smaller version of the Buccleuch Centre but operated with many more paid staff than the Buccleuch Centre. Their programme of shows and events are very different from ours and i fail to see how they can support such a large staff. This photograph is of the fleet of 8 Scallop Fishing Boats at Kirkcudbright Harbour.

From Kirkcudbright we came back via Palnackie and the smallest sea port on the Galloway Coast. This is almost like a harbour in the middle of a field and with 2 boats in it is full. During the miners strike in the 70s there were boats of coal brought into Palnackie and the striking miners pickets wanted to stop this but they never found out where the coal was coming in to so no pickets ever arrived. 

The river Urr just next to Palnackie Harbour

On Friday we headed for the day to the NTS Gardens at Threave near Castle Douglas. This was a great place to visit and there was plenty for the kids to see and do. We walked almost 4 miles round the grounds of the beautiful gardens. Leo and Fiona loved this collection of Galloway Cattle.

The family excluding Mario who took the photo.

I just love this photograph of Hannah and Gaye.