Dumfries and beyond

Leaving Castle Douglas I followed what is called the Old Military Road.  It headed straight to Dumfries but was a longer stage that I knew I would struggle to complete.  I had decided that I would either head out to the main road to catch a bus, or try hitching for the last few kilometres.  The road was at times somewhat difficult, with hedges coming to edge of the road and eliminating any verge for me to get out of the way of traffic.  I was standing near one such place trying to decide whether it was time to put my thumb out, when a red car stopped and the driver asked if I was OK.  I explained how Dumfries was too far for me in one day, and I would really appreciate a ride, even just a mile would help.  The driver, Fran, insisted on taking me all the way to my hotel, and what a great decision to go with her was, as she turned out to be the most wonderful guide, giving a running commentary the whole way into town.

I had booked three nights in Dumfries as I had to be somewhere with good wifi on the second night, Saturday, because it was the AGM for the Australian Friends of the Camino, which I needed to "attend" - via zoom.

Saturday dawned quite a pleasant day, fine, still hazy, but dry.  I have discovered that there are degrees of wetness with the haze, but this day was a dry one.  I set off following the River Nith downstream, even finding a cafe for a lunch break - that doesn't happen often.
The River Nith at Dumfries 
River Nith estuary

Looking across the estuary to Criffel, a prominent hill in the area 569 metres high.

One of the joys of walking in Northern Europe, and in Scotland, during the autumn and winter months is hearing the wild geese flying overhead - almost always in formation,  sometimes with one or two stragglers trying to catch up.  I can't work out if they are giving directions to each other, or squabbling, but the distinctive sound they are constantly making always gets my attention.   I had thought that I had seen the last of the geese, but not so.  Indeed, at one point I saw many geese resting on the river bank.  

The River Nith flows into the Solway Firth, and the geese that migrate here are the Barnacle Geese, primarily from Svalbard in Norway but some from Greenland too.  After meeting a man out walking I learnt that many farm paddocks are refuges for the geese to feed, with the farmers getting a subsidy for allowing them to feed undisturbed.
I think the white blobs on the stubble are whooper swans from Iceland, the white blobs on the green grass are sheep!

After dawdling past the geese, and chatting to various people, I then headed through a forest and past the 13th century Caerlaverock Castle.  This castle was eventually abandoned after being besieged by the Protestant covenanted army in 1640.  The forest leading to the castle was magic, as were the glimpses of the Solway Firth. 
Heading into Castle Wood 
The delightful Castle Wood

Caerlaverock Castle

Its a small world.  Leaving the castle grounds I met a man who fired questions at me, eventually asking where I was from.  When I said Adelaide, he roared with laughter - he was going to Adelaide in 2 days time to visit his elderly siblings!  I left him, and headed off two kilometres down the road to Bankend for the bus back to Dumfries, only to meet the same man a few stops later.

More about Dumfries later, as it is time for me to sleep!

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