Galloway Coast

First of all, apologies for having these photos in reverse order. Basically I took the first photo last and the last photo first if that make any sense!

I can't really remember exactly how I discovered Kippford but I think it was because someone recommended going to Sandyhills Bay which is just down the coast and then it all sprung from that. I think I took in Southerness, Rockcliffe, Kippford as well as Sandyhills that day and have been coming back once a year ever since.I think once a year might be a bit of an understatement but my recent trip there was definitely my first this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Everywhere seems to be a lot busier compared to previous years, I've notice that a lot in The Lakes and Yorkshire Dales as well. Maybe it is due to the fact that no-one wants to travel abroad due to the possibility of facing quarantine on return.

My first stop as always was Carsthorne which was very quiet so I got parked up without any bother. The Solway Firth tide was out which resulted in there being thousands of Oystercatchers on the beach and boy were they making a racket. My photo only shows a fraction of the number. Looking inland, I was treated to a spectacular, ever-changing view of the clouds breaking over Criffel which is the highest hill in the area.

I had a walk along the beach and took photos of the old pier and jetty which were both used for the transportation of Scots to Canada and America during the Highland Clearances of the 1850s before moving on to Southerness with its iconic lighthouse. The lighthouse was built by Robert Stephenson and was first lit around 1800 before finally being decommissioned in 1936. The rock formations around the lighthouse make for some great photos.

I didn't bother going into Rockcliffe as it is a busy little place which makes it hard to park but carried on to its neighbour Kippford instead. There was not a single parking place to be had there, either in the car park or along the main road. I had more or less given up any hope of stopping but as a last resort I thought I'd try going in to Rockcliffe and fortunately someone was leaving the car park as I pulled in.

The stroll round the bay and through the woods to Kippford is only a couple of miles and is scenic as well so walking it was no imposition. My photos were all taken of the cockleshell beach area of the village and all look out over the Saur peninsula to The Solway Firth.

This is another of my 'feel good' places where I can just sit for ages and peacefully take in the view. Feeling revitalised, I set off back up the hill and through the woods to Rockcliffe where I sat overlooking the bay for a short while before retreating back to Cumbria.