Wednesday 15th May
Glorious sun early on.
Breakfast outside, then off to Auchencairns. We chatted to a local resident we met while walking around, and he made the comment “You’re younger and fitter than me!” as we overtookhim on the hill. Then we met him again on his way back home with his newspaper - I said it was a while since anyone called us ‘young’!
He replied, “Everyone’s young compared to me”
We chatted a while and he told us that he and his wife settled in the village after he had a long career in the navy. He told us the village had tried to buy the pub when it closed, but didn’t manage to. He recommended the village community shop, then he was away, as his wife would be wondering where he’d got to.
The shop is excellent, and remarkably well stocked. We had a good coffee there, and bought pizza, bread and various items.
The drive out to Balcary was along the usual narrow road, and we parked easily opposite the hotel, an attractive white building with blue paintwork, which we could see as we walked along the shore for a short distance before taking the path to the point, then along the cliffs to Roscarrel.
There are spectacular cliffs and rocks here, and once again a profusion of flowers - thrift, birds foot trefoil, gorse and others.
We passed a group of bird watchers who’d seen a puffin, guillemots and fulmars. We saw a stonechat sitting on top of a post.
The views across the Solway Firth were still hazy today.
At Roscarrel Bay we turned up towards Loch Mackie, where we saw geese and heard a cuckoo. The path led back to Balcary, and we decided to have a coffee in the hotel - very good coffee, and a magnificent view over the bay from the window.
All silver in the pale light, with mountains receding behind.
Just under 4 miles and about 360 feet of ups and downs.
Back to Auchencairns, to buy milk and teabags, then to the cottage for pizza and a drink, and watching swallows and martins again.
And when we were drinking tea - a red squirrel!! First in the wild on these shores
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