Continuing on ....

I was remiss when writing about Whithorn in not telling you about the replica round house built there.  There has been an extraordinary amount of archaeological research in this area, and some years ago the remains of an Iron Age roundhouse was discovered at nearby Black Loch of Myrton.  Carbon dating put the age of this building at 430BC, and because it was preserved in a peat bog it was possible to make an exact replica of the round house, using the same sized trees, the same layout, the same woven floor of hazel rods, all done with traditional methods.  



Leaving Whithorn I first headed, making my own path, to the village of Garlieston, stopping in a little beachside cafe.  It took me a little while to leave there, as I was recognised by a lady who saw me earlier walking from Whithorn.   Much chat ensued, with whys, and how's, before I headed off to Bladnoch, famous for its distillery.


Garlieston

This turned out to be a longer day than I expected, partly because of delays while talking to people, but also because there was an off road path, which was slower.  I was very glad to get to the Bladnoch Inn my destination for the night, a wonderfully warm, cosy, and friendly place to rest.

I had been noticing, while in this area, how large the dairy herds were. Derek, the publican filled me in as to why.  After the foot and mouth outbreak some years ago (I think about 20 years), when the herds of beef cattle were destroyed, the government promised money for massive sheds for the farmers to house dairy herds.  Derek told me that herds are 500 beasts plus, and I think he said they milked as often as 3 - 4 times a day.  He also told me that much of it is done with robotics.   Bladnoch ArmsThe distillery, across the road

I set off early the next morning,  heading a few kilometres to the village of Wigtown.   I found this a delightful place, which is known as Scotland's booktown.  There are 12 bookshops there, and the Cafe I stopped in for breakfast doubled as a bookshop. Again, I was delayed by meeting people and chatting.   I don't attract much attention on my own, but as soon as I am with my pack the questions start flying!The entrance to the Cafe in Wigtown    

                                                           Wigtown 

Somehow this day was easier, and I made it to my destination, Newton Stewart, even before check-in had opened at the hotel.  Though the day was fine, there was a haze over the countryside, and so photos were not easy.  This is quite a long town, and fortunately is blessed with a number of cafes - 1 where I had a late lunch, so large I couldn't eat dinner, and the other in a perfect spot for breakfast the next day as I was leaving town.

Walking past a forest there were hidden things!
My VERY large lasagne lunch
The community garden was decorated with crocheted poppies 
A memorial leaving Newton Stewart. 



Comments

  1. Bruce - fellow hikeaholic11 November 2024 at 02:44

    Hi Janet, good to see you're still going well. Got some catch up reading to do and learn of your adventures. We've just finished hiking the Grampians Peaks Trail, probably our hardest walk ever but absolutely stunning. Our next adventure is a clean piece of paper at the moment, just toying with options.
    Cheers for now, B&I

    ReplyDelete
  2. Janet11 November 2024 at 02:55

    Just keep planning!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bruce - fellow hikeaholic12 November 2024 at 23:04

    Absolutely, it's a daily discussion at the moment. It will evolve.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Janet14 November 2024 at 03:31

    There's always the West Highland Way linked to the Great Glen Way.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cambridge - again!

Image
Well, at the end of the last post I  said that my walking came to halt just before reaching the Red Lion Hotel.  In fact since that time I have only hopped, and only in the last two days!  Why?  Well.... This is long and tedious, with only a couple of photos, so don't feel compelled to read it.  I am trying to make it brief, but I know some people want the detail.  Last Saturday evening, a week ago, as I walked down the path on the side of the road, to the hotel, my feet went from under me.  I had slipped on a frozen puddle, which in a momentary lapse of concentration I failed to see.  My momentum, and the weight of my pack flipped me over like a turtle, but in the process my right arm and leg got stuck, while I continued to move.  The result? A broken wrist, and a broken ankle!  A passing dog walker stopped to offer help by carrying my pack, but I had a better idea when I saw someone get into a car opposite.   I asked him to a...
Read more

From Herrstein to Kirn - 14.5kms, our way!

Image
 Today was a much easier day, except for a long hill which seemed to go up, and up, and up. However, we had a very pleasant time, walking through forests, walking alongside fields of ripening grain, and best of all, walking alongside gurgling streams. I was even reminded of the verse from "The Happy Wanderer" - I love to wander by the stream, the gurgles in the sun ...." A couple of dog walkers, from Munich, having a rest. Having had a restorative nights sleep, a substantial breakfast, and made lunch from the leftovers (at our hosts suggestion), we were able to wander around the beautiful historical town of Herrstein, something we were incapable of doing last night.  It truly is a lovely town, as you can see from the photos.    The bendy beams! Having ambled along to our destination of Kirn, and arriving so early, we couldn't access our accommodation, we had a pick me up of a coke for me and a beer for Edith.  We had a delicious meal of a traditional German past...
Read more

Back on the road, and all is well.

Image
The day, Sunday, began with a walk down the hill and then up to the Cathedral where I, along with many (maybe 150) other pilgrims attended the 7am Mass.  At the conclusion we were given a blessing and we set off, some with packs on, others, like me, returning to their accomodation to have brekky and collect their packs. The bags lined up at Mass  Below these screens there is a very long flight of stairs to the door of the Cathedral, and another equally long one to the street.  The back screen comes up first, then the side screens come up.  All very silent. Pilgrims departing This is the path that most pilgrims were leaving by, hence the shells above my head.  I turned right at the end of this street and headed south. Rain overnight had dramatically lowered the temperature and it was a pleasant, if  late, start to the day.  Because I attended the Mass, had a leisurely breakfast, and had to do all my foot exercises I was a couple of hours late leaving on...
Read more