A Long Awaited Visit to Kippford and Rockcliffe

A long time ago I promised I would take our friends Mark & Leila Hallam to my favourite walk in Dumfries & Galloway along the shore from Kippford to Rockcliffe so today I managed to keep my promise. We left Langholm at 9.00am on a beautiful autumn morning and with high tide set for noon at Kippford we couldn't have picked a better day. Only disappointment was not being able to walk the causway to Rough Island, but that can be an excuse for another visit in the future. 

This is about 10.30am and 90 minutes before high tide

This old Scots Pine is near the car park just as you enter Kippford

This old boat is very photogenic on a high tide.

Some lovely Lillies in one of the local gardens.

The Urr estuary from the high road above the houses

The path from Rockcliffe to Kippford

Rockcliffe beach and the tide coming in, but it was not a very high tide today

A slipway near Rockcliffe

Mark and myself photographed in front of the Tree of the Year in the UK voted by a national newspaper in December 2021. I am disappointed that there is no sign up giving the story of how it was the winner of this award in 2021. 

The Tree of the Year in 2021 and 7th in Europe at the same time.

Mark, Leila, and their lovely dog Henry in front of the famous shell beach in Kippford

Henry has never seen a beach quite like this

Almost high tide

A garden Thistle. We finished our visit after a 4 mile walk with a lovely lunch in the Anchor Hotel

 

Two Walks and Two Dogs

I have had two excellent walks this week accompanied by friends and their dogs. The first on Wednesday with David and Tom and David's dog Ruger. Here he is befriended by a large lamb that followed us along the old Waverley railway line near Newcastleton.

This is Mangerton Tower next to the old railway line and was the Seat of the Chiefs of the Armstrong Clan. The last known Armstrong Chief was Archibald who was executed in 1610.

Ruger being followed by his admirer 

David and Tom with Ruger at the bridge in Newcastleton at the start of our 4.7 mile walk on a beautiful spring morning. 

A new born Foal in a field at the start of our walk.

 

My second walk was today with Mike Tinker and Mark Hallam with his beautiful Golden Retriever Henry. Mark is new to Langholm and is keen to learn as much as possible about the area so where better to start than Westerhall Estate and especially at Bluebell time. 

This is Henry the Golden Retriever.

We had hoped to see the Azaleas that Westerhall is famous for but they are late this year but the Bluebells are also late and are now at their very best.

I make a point of visiting Westerhall several times a year. February for the Snowdrops, March for Daffodils, April or May for Bluebells and Azaleas.

They are probably as nice this year as I have ever seen them.

This makes a change from the blue of the Bluebells

Mike and Mark enjoying the spectacle of Bluebells. We had an excellent 5 mile walk and the rain managed to stay away for most of it but near the end it came and looks like it will stay for the rest of the day.