Eriba Man

  This is night No.16/2021 living in the caravan. It's our forth and final night at the Garlieston C&MC Site in Dumfries and Galloway. Woke up to a wet and drizzly morning. Still a bit of mist around, but it was the sort of drizzle that soaks you! After taking the dogs for a run around on the beach, and getting a shower and some breakfast, headed along the road to Kilsture Forest to walk the longer of the way marked trails, the Red Deer Trail.  One feature of the woods around these parts is the abundance of bluebells. Apparently, there a feature on the Atlantic facing fringes of the UK? I've only ever seen as many in Glencoe and on the Isle of Raasay. It's a great forest for walking, even in the wet. The paths are pretty good, it's big, and it's also very quiet. Certain parts of the wood were completely carpeted in Bluebells. The walk took around 90 mins, and after retuning to the van for some reading and some lunch, I read about a wood just outside Newton Stewa...

  This is night No.15/2021 living in the caravan. We're now here in Garlieston C&MC Site for our third night. Woke up to a really nice morning. A little misty, but the sun was definitely starting to burn it back and the day developed into an absolute cracker with blue skies and sun! Took the dogs round the beach adjacent to the site, and after breakfast we headed to another walk in the Kilsture Forest. It was a fantastic walk, and the dogs loved it. They always enjoy a new forest walk. I wanted to make the most of the fine weather, so we headed into Newton Stewart, then up the New Galloway road to stop and go up the hill to Murray's Monument. Ive been here before, and it's well worth the effort up the steep path to the top. The monument is like a tall spire, erected in 1835 to commemorate a local shepherd boy who went on to become a Professor in Oriental Languages at Edinburgh University. It is a fantastic structure on an incredible viewpoint. Returned to the car, and s...

  This is night No.14/2021 living in the caravan. It's our second night at the Garlieston C&MC Site in Dumfries and Galloway. The weather has been fairly mixed today, but gradually improved through the day and the temperatures picked up making it a pretty pleasant day. Took the dogs along the beach in front of the 'promenade' of Garlieston. It's a fine little village, and it does have a good pub, and a petrol station which also doubles as a shop. Haven't been in yet, but probably will in the next couple of days. There used to be a shop, not a bad little place run by a friendly old bloke, but that has now shut and the shop itself looks like it's now being used as a house. First walk of the day (post breakfast) was a walk around the lovely Kilsture Forest near the village. The bluebells were in full bloom. A great run around for the dogs. Took a scenic route around the area, and noticed a sign for 'Sorbie Tower' so we went to investigate. At the entran...

  This is night No.13/2021 living in the caravan. On a trip to Dumfries and Galloway, pitched at Garlieston C&MC Site in the coastal village of Garlieston. It's a long drive to get here. It took around 4 1/2 hours, the route taking us down through Perth, past Stirling, through Glasgow, then down the M77 and A77 past Ayr, then cross country to Newton Stewart then south to Garlieston. Stopped at what is simply named 'The Forest' just outside Garlieston to give the dogs a good run around. It's a really nice wood, with a couple of way marked trails. The bluebells were out, and it looked fantastic. Arrived at the site around 1430. I remember the receptionist here from previous trips, a nice woman from Northern Ireland who has been here for years now. She had already assigned me a pitch, but then wondered if I'd prefer to stay across the road in the walled garden which is far quieter and quite nice. She gave me pitch 51. The same pitch I'd stayed on with my last E...