Glorious Galloway especially Rockcliffe and Kippford

Each year we like to do at least one walk on the Solway shore at Kippford so we headed off today and what a glorious morning it was. we parked up at Colvend where we had a walking holiday in 2017. We had walked a route from our holiday house then so we did it in reverse today heading first of all into Rockcliffe. Unfortunately the tide was out but the views were still stunning.  

This is the Island of Heston at the mouth of the Urr Estuary. I have never been able to walk out to it as it has to be done at extremely low tides from the other side of the estuary.  

We stopped for the compulsory group photograph in Rockcliffe village. Tom still has his walking stick but we bought an ice cream each at the van in the background and he left it there propped up against a litter bin. It was a mile to two later he remembered he had left it so we waited until we had finished the walk and headed back down to Rockcliffe to see if it was still there. Indeed it was as it had been given to the Ice Crean seller and he looked after it for Tom.  

This is Rough Island and it is easily accessible at low tide.We did not have time to visit it today but we have been over many times in the past. 

The walk between Rockcliffe and Kippford is one of the nicest walks in Scotland so we had a seat on the outskirts of Kippford village to admire the views. This beach is made up totally of sea shells. 

Millions of Sea Shells. I have never seen a beach like this anywhere else in Scotland

The River Urr at low tide in Kippford  

The last section of the walk from Kippford was through the Dalbeattie Forest. We planned to go back to Kippford for a bar meal after the walk but it was just a few minutes after 2.00pm and both the pubs in the village refused to serve us as the kitchens closed at 2.00pm. We headed back to Colvend and had a lovely afternoon tea in the small cafe there. 

A Boat Trip and a Dalbeattie Forrest Walk via Kippford & Rockcliffe

The morning started with John, Peter, Ken and myself going out on the Loch in the houses rowing boat. Talk about 4 men in a boat but it was great fun and hard work. Peter and John used the oars and Ken and I had the paddles. All the wild life soon disappeared due to the noise we were making. 

The two paddlers

John and Peter rowing like mad but unable to keep us in a straight line

Our first walk of the holiday was through Dalbeattie Forest and then down the coast through Kippford and Dalbeattie a distance of about 7 miles although 4 of us cheated and got the bus from Rockcliffe back to Colvend to save Martin from the long up hill.

I always love seeing these little people on the coast path at Kippford 

Niall & Elspeth on the shell beach at Kippford 

Martin & Tom

The walking party

Checking out our Holiday Cottage in Colvend

There was only 2 of us left to go walking today as David & Tom are in Barbados, Niall is still in Australia, and Peter is in Switzerland so John and I decided to go and check out our holiday rental in Colvend. The Last of the Summer Wine Walkers are spending a week there at the end of June (13 of us) so we headed out to see if it was as good as the brochure and website says. This is the back of it and it looks onto White Loch at Colvend just behind the public hall. The building on the extreme left is a boathouse converted into 2 bedrooms and there are 5 on suite bedrooms in the main building. 

This is Barean Loch about half a mile from the Loch the cottage is on. . 

Our walk took us through Dalbeattie Forrest for 3.5 miles and then we headed down the road into Kippford. We were fortunate it was high tide and very, very quiet. We arrived at the Anchor Hotel at 12 noon just in time for a bar lunch and we were served and back on our walk again by 12.40pm. The route through the forrest is well signposted and has lots to see.  

John in a very quiet and deserted Kippford. It wont stay this way for long and will soon be attracting visitors once the weather warms up.  

This is the quietest I have ever seen Kippford but probably the first time I have been there in January. Many of the cottages are closed up for the winter which shows now how many of them are holiday cottages.  

A lovely beech hedge and of course the view is spoiled by telephone wires. 

After leaving `Kippford we took the higher footpath to Rockcliffe and it passes what used to be Barrons Craig Hotel. This closed a few years ago, but there were people working in the grounds so I don't know if it has been bought as a private house or if it will re open as a hotel. 

Back at Colvend after a 7 mile walk we looked over a high fence to get a slightly better view of our holiday cottage. We look forward to what I am sure will be a great holiday.