Gallivanting in Galloway

Gallivanting in Galloway

Miki & I have been up here in Kirkcudbright all week visiting friends and walking and cycling before yesterday’s wedding. Miki’s recently-acquired pink bike was fine for town, but became laborious on long country roads. We switched her to a brand new Claud Butler Urban 100 from Ken & Margaret King, in whose shop we also saw Kathryn King and her new daughter Ruby. The Gordon House Hotel and the Smugglers Inn at Auchencairn both have new owners and good cooks. Much other change in the town. The ironmonger and the grocer Will^m Ross have both closed and Cranberries’ window announces a closing-down sale. Good to see David & Mary Marsden looking so well.

We’ve been scampering about: cycling down to Ross and Brighouse Bays, then across to the Carrick and almost up to Cream O’Galloway before being waylaid by a picnic emergency and then home. Over the back roads to Castle Douglas, lunch at Designs Café and a nap and a stroll in Threave Gardens before returning on the Tongland road to a swim and sauna at the town pool my mother did so much to found.

The next day over to Gatehouse of Fleet for a struggle up over the moor road almost to Creetown before returning on the old military road with its 5-mile descent into Gatehouse through the exquisite valley of the lower Fleet.

Our Thursday plans for a picnic and a swim in the tarns on the Rigg of the Jarkness were foiled by persistent soaking rain north of the A75; we returned to Kirkcudbright and spent a lazy afternoon enjoying Peggy Smith’s garden at Greengate Close, and getting a tour of Colin’s Magic Shed.

And a different kind of busy Friday with Miki photographing the wedding of Iain Maxwell & Christine Wong at Monigaff church and afterwards in the Urr Valley Hotel at Castle Douglas, where I was able to give my small talk plenty of exercise. Birmingham tonight for dinner with my mother.