Langholm Walking Festival

Friday's evening walk at Gaskells.

Saturday walk at the Macdiarmid Memorial

Jim Renwick, Andrew Walton, and Ian Barnes. Jim & Ian both played rugby for Scotland and Jim also played for the British Lions. Andrew is an Ex Langholm Cornet and the photograph was taken at the Castle Craig's which plays an important part in Langholm Common Riding.

Jim and Ian among the Bluebells

Margaret and Bob

Sandra

Bob McLure's Sunday Walk

Tom Stothart leads the 12 Bridges Walk on Sunday as we head for the Auld Stane Brig

Two OLD Friends John and Ken both Pharmacists.

A Brief Encounter at Carnforth Station

The end of the walk was at Carnforth Station which was of course the Railway Station featured in the 1945 film "Brief Encounter".

Tom by this time was tired of lugging his cases around.

Just like in the film Tom managed to get soot in his eye and Peter sprang to the rescue. I must admit I prefer the original scene with Celia and Trevor.

Outside the Station Museum about "Brief Encounter".

Canal Wildlife

In keeping with another local blog I have pleasure in showing some of the wildlife encountered during our canal walk. These 6 sygnets are just a few days old.

While these 9 sygnets are maybe a couple of weeks old. No Cats or Herons there to eat them or maybe they just dont fancy tackling their Mum or Dad.

Coudn't resist taking a photo of this mum and her foal.

A solitary duckling without it's mum so dont know if she was about somewhere or just lost.

My Birthday Walk on Lancaster Canal

We could not have had a better day for my Birthday Walk to the Lancaster Canal. We caught the 10.07 train from Carlisle to Lancaster which was the train Martin caught in Edinburgh so the 6 of us arrived in Lancaster just after 11.00am to begin the 10 mile walk to Carnforth. David missed the walk as he had meetings in Glasgow all day but we sent him an appropriate photograph of us having lunch in a lovely pub garden beside the canal. Dont know if he appreciated that.

The first major feature on the Canal was the aquaduct over the River Lune on the outskirts of Lancaster.

A grand bunch of lads with Peter now joining us on a fairly regular basis and Niall guesting with us after wintering in Australia and for the next five weeks living in Langholm.

During the course of the walk we saw only a few boats moving along the canal so it is not a very busy waterway.

The marina at Carnforth where we had a very enjoyable drink in a pub garden next to the canal basin.

Such Good Friends



John & Tom took Gaye and I out for lunch at Smiths Hotel Gretna today to celebrate my 65th Birthday. We had a lovely lunch in excellent company and do appreciate that we have such good friends.

Tom and I need to do a bit more walking to reduce our slight paunch

Batgirl on the Veranda

Summer has arrived in Salt Lake City and outdoor girl Eleanor just loves to play on the veranda or in the garden. My lovely American grandaughter is an action girl and just full of life. Looking forward to seeing her and her brother Thomas at the end of August just in time for Ellie's third birthday.

A Day on Papa Westray

Our second day in Orkney was spent on the Island of Papa Westray and of course to get there we had to fly on the world's shortest scheduled flight from Westray to Papa Westray. It took 2 mins 48 seconds to fly out there but the return journey was 1 min 18 secs. The weather forecast was good for most of the day with rain moving in at 4.00pm and it was spot on as it started to rain just as we finished our 11 mile walk round the island. The above photo is the Knap of Howart a 5000 year old farmhouse.

The islands always seem to have loads of old abandoned cars bot on Papa we found this very old Steam Roller which must have been almost 100 years old.

John thought Copshaw Golf Course was the worst he has played on but this golf Course at Papa makes Copshaw look like St. Andrews.

Manyof the houses have these old stone roofs from the local stone. Notice the Heart on the gutterning and at the other end is a Club. The Diamond and Spades were on the other side.

A Garden Fence made out of Pallets

A Day on Sanday

Our 8 seater aircraft to the Island of Sanday.We were a total of 13 minutes in the air including a short stopover on the island of Stronsay. Sanday is one of the larger islands with a population of about 500. The attraction there is a good school that takes its pupils up to the age of 16. 

The beautiful white sandy beach. We were lucky to see loads of wildlife including many birds and about 20 seals that followed us along the shore out of curiosity for a short time.

Sanday Airport Terminal. Check in time was 10 minutes prior to the flight and the funny bit about it was that they weighed the rucksacks but not the passengers as if a few kilos in a rucksack would make a load of difference. We were never asked for identity and we were not screened for security. Flying as it used to be.

The 5000 year old Quoyness Chambered Cairn.

Orkney Journey

The journey north from Edinburgh today was the most spectacular one I think I have ever made. There was little or no traffic and the weather was glorious with superb visability and loads of colour. The best part was over the Black Isle and up the coast to Wick. Although John O' Groats is a bit seedy on a day like today it even looked ok.

Castle of Mey just a few miles from John O Groats was spectacular and the walled garden excellent.

Dunnet Head which is the most northerly place on the Mainland looked superb with loads of birds about. We had only just got onto the road there when we witnessed a spectacular display by a male Hen Harrier.
The ferry over to the Orkney Mainland took an hour and with the sea like a millpond we had some glorious views from the upper deck of the Catamaran Ferry. One we arrived on Orkney we had a lovelty 30 minute drive over the Churchill Barriers to our B & B overlooking the runway of Orkney Airport. No sooner had we arrived when we saw an owl flying into the garden just as it was dusk. The owner of the B & B tells us there are 11 pairs of short eared owls in the immediate vicinity.