Friday, November 20, 2015

A slippery approach to the graceful town of Kirkcudbright and the Selkirk Arms.

We were now well into the estuary of the River Dee and about one hour before high water. The flood tide had not only cancelled the flow of the river but reversed it. We passed this navigational can at 9km/hr upstream without paddling!

The Kirkcudbright yacht marina has some long pontoons which run parallel with the channel of the River Dee. If you want to progress upstream take the outside as the access pontoon blocks the inner passage. In case you have just joined the story in this blog, I should clarify that this is the Galloway River Dee. There are four River Dees in Britain: this one, one in Aberdeenshire, one in Cumbria and one in Wales. The Kirkcudbright Dee rises in the Galloway Hills in the catchment area of Cairsnmore of Carsphairn and Cairnsmore of Dee. There is an old Galloway saying:

There is Cairnsmore of Carsphairn and Cairnsmore of Dee,
but Cairnsmore of Fleet is highest of all three.

Having set off from the estuary of the River Fleet and now entered the estuary of the River Dee, our kayaks had been wetted by the run off from the watersheds of three fine Galloway mountains.

We arrived at Kirkcudbright harbour to find the fishing fleet getting ready to leave at high water. The slipway can be seen just to the right of the yacht. I have...

...used it successfully on previous occasions, such as this one with Tony in July 2013. However, when Ian, Mike and I arrived, it was covered with desperately slippy mud. Ian and I both tried to climb up it but it simply was not possible as it had a coefficient of friction, which was substantially less than a well known buttered substance.

You need to be careful leaving cars and kayaks in Kirkcudbright. A big spring tide comes over the top of the quay!

We retreated a little downstream to near the access pontoon for the marina. We changed out of our dry suits into attire suitable for dinner. Then I tied the boats to a tree with my tow line because...see above!

Kirkcudbright (Kir-coo-bri) is a delightful former county town with wide streets and gaily painted walls. It is named after St Cuthbert who was a seventh century monk of the Celtic church who was based in Northumberland. The town has been a Royal Burgh since 1453 and as such it became the county town for Kirkcudbrightshire one of the old Scottish counties. In 1960 its court house was the scene of the trial of the lighthouse man who murdered the keeper of Little Ross lighthouse which we had explored  that morning.

In the early 20th century Kirkcudbright attracted many authors and artists. Those who stayed here include Dorothy L Sayers, E A Hornel, Jessie M King, E A Taylor, S J Peploe and Charles Oppenheimer.

Kirkcudbright Castle occupies a central position at the corner of Castle Street and is more commonly known as Maclellan's Castle as it was built in 1582 by Sir Thomas Maclellan, the Provost of Kirkcudbright.  It was built as a fortified town house rather than as a serious castle, which could have withstood a siege. It has been a ruin since 1752.

We walked through the streets until we came to some cobbles in the road outside the Selkirk Arms Hotel. These inconspicuous signs mark the site of the 15th century "Meickle Yett" which was the gate through the town's defensive wall. This was built to keep English pirates and trouble makers out of the town. As the town grew the Yett was moved in 1780 to the nearby church yard where it still stands today.

Anyway enough preamble we had come to Kirkcudbright to visit the Selkirk Arms Hotel. We were in good company, the poet Robert Burns stayed here in 1749 when he was working as a customs officer in the area. It was here (and not in the town of Selkirk) that he wrote the Selkirk Grace:

Some hae meat and canna eat, 
   And some wad eat that want it; 
But we hae meat, and we can eat, 
   Sae let the Lord be thankit.

It was also known as the Galloway Grace.

Anyway I dragged Ian and Mike inside where it was quickly apparent to them that we had entered a hostelry of some considerable worth. Although draught Guinness was available, we decided to break with tradition and enjoyed draught Peroni instead.

When it comes to food the Selkirk Arms hotel prides itself on using local producers and suppliers. Mike and I shared Alan Watson's Galloway Smokehouse board while Ian had a local goat's cheese salad. But this was just for starters we each followed up with hot Galloway beef with roasted tomato and rocket served in a sour dough roll which was simply scrumptious. Note the blackboard which gives the provenance of the steak as Todd Hill Muir farm, in nearby Lockerbie which had been butchered at Carsons in even nearer Dalbeattie. There are no Airmiles for the food served here.  If it had been in season, I would have ordered....

...local lobster, which I have enjoyed here on many previous occasions.

I asked the waitress to let the chef know that three hungry sea kayakers had arrived. Within seconds, part owner, chef and fellow sea kayaker, Chris Walker, appeared in his whites for a chat for a chat. We shared tales of camping on Little Ross and of rough conditions in the Little Ross tiderace before Chris had to dash off to cook the next order. A very posh sounding lady guest could be heard asking the waitress why the chef had spoken to "them" and not to her. We had noticed she had moved from the table next to us earlier in our meal...I can't imagine why!

At 500m from the sea (at high tide) the Selkirk Arms is at the upper distance of what is normally considered as acceptable to be considered as a sea kayaking pub. However, the welcome, the exceptional food, ambience and service mean that this is this is a sea kayaking par excellence. On a score out of 10 Ian and I are unanimous in awarding it 13/10!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Gunfire, a lost Queen and a wreck in Kirkcudbright Bay.

As we made our way back to the beach at the north of Little Ross Island we could hear the sounds of guns of various calibres coming across the water. They were being fired at Dundrennan Firing Range (or Kirkcudbright Training Centre as it is now called). I had called the Range Officer on 07786 126151 (manned 24 hrs) prior to our departure so I knew the range would be closed and it would not be possible to continue east round the coast. The Range Safety boat, the Gallovidian III, was already moored off the north point of the island. From previous experience I knew that her skipper Gary McKie would up anchor and motor close inshore as soon as he saw us. So Ian called him up on Channel 16 to let him know our intended route, which was well away from the range.

After a cheery wave from the Gallovidian III we set off against a stiff wind up the west side of Kirkcudbright Bay.

Little Ross slipped astern as the flood spring tide assisted us against the wind.

Once clear of the range, we crossed the bay to the wooded shores of St Mary's Isle. An Augustinian priory was established here in the 12th century. Mary Queen of Scots stayed at the priory in 1563 while enroute to Dumfries from Kenmuir Castle near New Galloway. Legend has it that her party was benighted as they approached Kirkcudbright. Her escort was disinclined to risk her safety in the town's inns so they made their way here. In 1568 Mary came this way again after her defeat at the Battle of Langside near Glasgow. She spent her last night in Scotland at nearby Dundrennan Abbey before fleeing to England by boat from Port Mary and capture by Elizabeth I of England.

The lee of St Mary's Isle was a great place to catch our breath.

Further up Kirkcudbright Bay near Gibbhill Point we came across the wreck of this old wooden trawler. It had seen better days.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Little Ross lighthouse, a lens and an alpine garden.


As we left Little Ross Island cottages and climbed towards the lighthouse we saw we were in line with the leading mark for vessels leaving Kirkcudbright Bay. Surprisingly this was not illuminated until 2005. The increasing number of scallop dredgers leaving Kirkcudbright at night was the reason. The white tower just visible on the mainland is a range control tower for the Dundrennan Firing Range.

Little Ross lighthouse was first lit on 1/1/1843. The light flashes white every five seconds. It was the first lighthouse in the world to have a catadioptric design, which meant that the beam was focussed with both lenses and mirrors. At the time the famous physicist Lord Kelvin ranked it (along with the lighthouses at Rhinns of Islay and Buchan Ness) as one of the top three lighthouses in the World.

In 2004 the original lens was helicoptered to Kirkcudbright Museum but it was so heavy that it was only this year that it has been displayed properly.

The arch over the doorway proclaims that Little Ross lighthouse was built...

...in 1842 by Robert Stevenson and Robert Hume.

This nice bronze identifier is more recent!

The lighthouse shares a courtyard with the keepers' cottages. There were normally three keepers but...

...at the time of the murder in 1960 there were just two temporary keepers because the light was about to be automated.

The present owners have fitted this door bell but no one was at home.

We rested for a short time in the lee of the buildings. The early morning sun was warm out of the chill wind. At our feet...

...the cobbled courtyard was a veritable garden of miniature alpine plants and lichens.

The owners of the cottages have a lovely kitchen.

From the lighthouse we had a clear view SW across Wigtown Bay to Burrow Head some 22km away and the village of Isle of Whithorn to its right.

We were going north however and in The Sound we could already see the start of the flood tide. It was time to go...

Monday, November 16, 2015

A rusty cock, mysterious symbols, dead heads, a high and dry ship and a shaded sundial on Little Ross Island.

On our way up to the lighthouse we passed Little Ross cottages. At one time the lighthouse keepers' families lived on the island and helped support themselves by farming.

The weather cock had rusted solid as there was a strong north wind blowing.


The row of cottages was built on a steep slope so although the walls were vertical, their tops sloped downhill.

The first cottage was used as a smithy.


The sandstone blocks to the side of the fireplace had symbols carved into them.

I have no idea what they mean.

We proceeded down the sloping "street" to the bottom house where the gate was...

...secured by this beautiful brass latch inscribed NL which I think might be short for Northern Lighthouses.

Once through the gate we entered the former vegetable garden which the island's current owners now keep as a mixed garden. These thistles were just past flowering but...

...their seed heads were very decorative,

The lighthouse towers above the walls which shelter the allotment.

The owners have built a summerhouse on a boat shaped deck. Ian enjoyed a moment on the bow but this boat wasn't going to hit any icebergs.

It truly is a beautiful spot and the ship summer house has...

...a lovely view. On leaving we were careful to secure the door against any coming storms.

This old sundial was more decorative than functional as it was still in deep shade. Maybe its owner was a late riser?

Sunday, November 15, 2015

A shadow at dawn on Little Ross Island.

 We rose before dawn on Little Ross Island. We had camped on the path between the...

 ...crumbling slipway on the west and the...

 ...crumbled east quay, which lies beyond the far tent. The stone store was built for the supplies landed for the lighthouse.

 We wasted no time in getting the kayaks loaded and...

 ...preparing breakfast which we ate as the...

 ...sun broke the horizon. We knew we would have a long hard day and would be lucky to arrive at our next camp by sunset but first we wanted to...

...explore Little Ross Island in daylight. As we set off ,the shadow of the lighthouse was cast upon the sunlit slopes of the Ree of Ross on the far side of The Sound. Maybe this his where Mr Brown of Knockbrex got the idea for his pillars?