Glasgow Gallivanting: May 2023

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Drumlanrig Castle

May was an unusual month in having no less than three public holidays! We made good use of them.

Public Holiday 1

On the first one, May Day Monday, we visited Drumlanrig Castle where we explored the house and grounds. This is the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke of Buccleuch, though I don’t think he was in – he has many homes, being one of the largest landowners in Europe. There is no photography inside the house itself, but there is plenty to see in the gardens and grounds.

Drumlanrig Castle
Drumlanrig Castle gardens
Drumlanrig Castle garden entrance
John at Drumlanrig Castle
Andy Goldsworthy arch at Drumlanrig

Some of the trees were special, including one planted by Neil Armstrong and the largest sycamore in England.

Oak planted by Neil Armstrong
Oak planted by Neil Armstrong
Drumlanrig sycamore
Drumlanrig sycamore

Finally, in Reception we found this 1990 replica of the first pedal bicycle, which was made nearby by Kirkpatrick Macmillan, created to celebrate 150 years since its invention. It does not look comfortable!

Kirkpatrick Macmillan bicycle
Kirkpatrick Macmillan bicycle
Kirkpatrick Macmillan bicycle

Public Holiday 2

The second holiday weekend was unique this year, to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. As neither of us has the remotest interest in royalty we decided to use the time to go away. Very little happened in Scotland anyway, but typically we landed in one of the more patriotic houses!

The Wheelhouse, Crarae Furnace

It was a very nice cottage despite that, on the shores of Loch Fyne about half way between Inveraray and Lochgilphead.

Loch Fyne at 18:30
Loch Fyne at 21:30

We did a variety of walks over the weekend, this one being my favourite – although we have visited Inveraray and its castle many times, we have never before climbed Dun na Cuaiche, the small hill behind it. The decorative folly on top was built in 1748 by Roger Morris and William Adam who also designed the castle. The views back down to the castle and village and over Loch Shira were stupendous.

Inveraray Castle
Inveraray Castle
Dun na Cuaiche
Dun na Cuaiche
Old limekiln
Old limekiln
Part way up Dun na Cuaiche
Top of Dun na Cuaiche
View of Inveraray and Loch Shira
Top of Dun na Cuaiche
Top of Dun na Cuaiche
Top of Dun na Cuaiche
Top of Dun na Cuaiche

Public Holiday 3

The third holiday Monday saw us travelling home after almost a week in London, a combination of work (for John), sightseeing, and meeting up with family and friends. One of those friends is also a friend to many of you. I took the train to Winchester where Becky picked me up and drove me to Sir Harold Hillier Gardens near Romsey. As you can see below, she also laid on some splendid weather for me. We had a very enjoyable day together.

Entrance
Pond
Pond
Sculpture
Jermyn’s House
Statue of Sir Harold
Rhodedendron Woodlands
Wisteria and pink blossom
Wisteria
Woodland pig

Aye Write!

Glasgow’s book festival, Aye Write!, took place in May but as we were away for most of it we only managed two events, both very good. Val McDermid interviewed Emma Smith, author of Portable magic: a history of books and their readers while Peter Ross read from his book Steeple chasing: around Britain by church. I have started Portable Magic and am enjoying it very much. Having read Ross’s previous title about graveyards, Tomb with a view (he does like a pun), I fully expect to enjoy his new tome too.

Val McDermid and Emma Smith
Peter Ross

The month in women’s history

I’ve been away (and socialising) too much to have done many tours – just one walk – and have written nothing new. However, this podcast, recorded in March, was released at the beginning of May. Part of a series by the Glasgow City Heritage Trust, If Glasgow’s Walls Could Talk, in this episode Gaby, a staff member at Glasgow Women’s Library, and I talk about our women’s history walks and how they relate to the city’s built environment. If you decide to listen to a bit of it, take note that for some reason it doesn’t actually start until about three minutes in (45:36 on the timer). No idea why!

Best of the rest

Always something new to notice on my walks around town! A charity event took me to Kinning Park on the Southside where I admired the community garden with its mural of a girl smelling sunflowers, the beautiful building housing La Fiorentina restaurant, and more art outside Air Thrill, an indoor adventure park.

Garden Girl by Rogue-oner
Above La Fiorentina
Air Thrill

On one of my (many) canal walks I spotted some actual holiday makers passing under the Stockingfield Bridge. They seemed very jolly and friendly when we called down a greeting.

Canal boat at Stockingfield Bridge
Canal boat at Stockingfield Bridge

The Botanic Gardens held its annual Orchid Fair and I also enjoyed a visit to the carnivorous plants house. I kept my fingers well out of the way.

Glasgow Botanic Gardens Orchid Fair
Glasgow Botanic Gardens carnivorous plants

I think this ghost sign behind Sauchiehall Street has appeared before, but not so close up. It’s almost a ghost of a ghost. I don’t remember the Remembrance mural beside it though.

Woolworth’s ghost sign
Lest we forget

More newish murals at SWG3, the result of a recent street art festival.

SWG3 mural
SWG3 mural
SWG3 mural
SWG3 mural

The post box at Broomhill Cross has acquired a very summery topper!

Post box with ice cream cone
Ice cream post box topper

And the penguins? What have they been up to? Quite a lot it seems, with water-sports featuring strongly, also camping – and it looks as though someone might have had a birthday.

This is our home
By the pool
Surfing Kelvinbridge
Diving
Camping
Happy birthday!

That’s it for May! Happy June to you all.

England, Scotland, UK , , , , ,

72 Comments »

  1. Gosh what a busy month you had! Lots of local travel which is always good. I love the castles of course but I think the hike up the hill looks the most intriguing. Speaking of intriguing what’s the story behind the cute little rock penguins? Bernie

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    • The penguins are a mystery. I don’t know who is behind them, but they have a Twitter account which claimed that they had to move from Antarctica because it was getting too warm and decided to move to Glasgow because they heard it was cool! So a commentary on global warming maybe? I check them out regularly for new scenarios.

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  2. Such a lovely range of outings. There are always new discoveries waiting for us, and indeed new aspects about old favourites.

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  5. I live a short drive from Hillier Gardens and haven’t made it yet, I think I’m missing out. The penguins still make me smile, what busy little lives they seem to have getting up to all sorts!

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  6. Bank holidays are like buses. We get 5 in April and May and then no more until the end of August (although I think you get one early August north of the border). Great that you’ve been able to take advantage of them, but a pity you couldn’t completely avoid the Westminster circus.

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  7. Drumlanrig and Inveraray Castles both look interesting, and great places to spend the bank holiday weekends. That bicycle looks anything but comfortable. And thanks for the update on the penguins, they’re certainly an adventurous lot!

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  8. Well you certainly have been gallivanting alot Anabel. How wonderful that you found an oak tree planted by Neil Armstrong! I remember going to Inverary Castle 🏰 many years ago on one of my yearly childhood holidays. X

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  11. Ah grand walks and the art is terrific. Love the little remembrance figure.
    If you’ve time you’re next in town… give us a wave! We might even manage a walk and some art…

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  12. Great, Quality Content for The Ultimate Tour Guide, A lot of thanks for sharing, kindly keep with continue !!

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  13. Hi Anabel – what a lovely time you’ve had – yet been able to let us join you on your various journeys out. Portable Magic sounds interesting … and great you were able to meet Becky – happy June ahead – cheers Hilary

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  14. A gorgeous May for you Anabel and busy too. We were in London for a day first week in May.
    I also just read an article about a woman who crochets post box toppers I wonder if she did your featured one!

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    • Thanks Alison. We had a good time in London, I did 27,000 steps the first day just wandering around! I have seen pictures of these toppers all over the U.K. so there must be a lot of people doing it. First time I’ve seen one in Glasgow though.

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  15. You have such spectacular places to visit there!
    Okay, I did not see any pedals on that bicycle – you must enlighten me.
    Lovely sculptures in the garden, particularly the dragonfly. Cheery to see the penguins again!

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  18. Wow, the images of the canal walk at Stockingfield Bridge are impressive, Anabel. Some of our best cottage stays were in the Northern Hemisphere. Like the outdoor art, I get quite animated weirdly when I see good ones to photograph.

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  22. You certainly made the most of those Bank Holidays! Your trip to Loch Fyne looks particularly lovely, and it’s good to hear you were able to spend time with Becky. I often think of her.

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  23. I always enjoy your posts whether you are wandering further afield or perambulating your neighborhood and catching up on penguin community developments. I appreciate the way you hone in on interesting details, the types of things I enjoy looking out for when travelling.

    Thank you for the book recommendations, incidentally. I think I am going to add “Tomb with a View” to my Summer reading list. As a cemetery enthusiast, that seems like a must read.

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  24. Well,what a busy month! What’s the significance of the Andy Goldsworthy arch at Drumlanrig? And what a stunning view from Dun na Cuaiche!

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    • Andy Goldsworthy is a well known landscape artist in that area and there are other arches on hillsides nearby. I thought they were just his generic style, but you prompted me to look it up:

      “Commissioned by the Duke of Buccleuch in 2009. The arch is built from sandstone extracted from the estate’s own quarry and represents a salmon leaping up stream to its spawning ground.”

      So now we both know!

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  25. I was enjoying this….

    And then I was shocked and horrified that you had not only come to Winchester, but gone to the Hiller Gardens, which are less than three miles from me (as the crow flies) and where I am a member, so I could have met you at a moment’s notice!

    I’m not sure I can forgive you. Or are you put off by my royalist tendencies? It’s only brought on by the appalling nature of all presidential campaigns.

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  26. An excellent use of three bank holidays days. I loved all the photo, and I particularly loved the penguins. The postbox was very interesting..

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  27. I also visited Inveraray castle as I was walking the coast around there in the middle of the month. I wonder if I might have walked past the place you were staying and possibly at the same time?

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    • You probably passed the house as it is off the main road down the loch. We were there 5th-8th so possibly a bit earlier than you? I shall have to look out for you if we go anywhere coastal now I know you are that far down the country. Say hello if you see me – given the relative number of personal photos we post, you have more chance of recognising me than the other way round!

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  28. Another busy month for you Anabel, and how lovely that you got to spend some time with Becky. The Harold Hillier gardens look lovely, the first shot of the pond is beautiful and I love the rhododendrons and the pig. The street art looks great – do you know who the artists are? – and the penguins always make me smile 🙂

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    • I don’t know the artists, unfortunately. I had hoped to go to the street art festival where you can watch the murals being painted, but it coincided with our trip to Loch Fyne. I suspect the penguin story will run and run – there’s always some new activity!

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  30. My goodness, you’ve been gallivanting indeed. And seeing Becky – excellent. I’ll catch up with the podcast later. I hope next month is equally enjoyable – but maybe less busy?

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  31. What a very satisfying May, and how lovely to see Becky, Anabel! It’s years since we were at Inveraray and we never made that climb. Looks fabulous! Here’s to a happy June 😊 ❣️

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