The plan had us heading to the Rheged Centre for a late breakfast. Breakfast turned out to be a little later than planned in the event. A nice relaxing drive down the M6 ⇓, enjoying the sun and the scenery, saw us arrive at the Penrith junction, where we exited the M6 ⇒ and then somehow… rejoined it again ⇓.
We saw some more scenery ⇓. Eleven miles down the road, we exited ⇐ and rejoined once more and saw some scenery from the opposite vantage point ⇑. Another eleven miles under our belts and then we exited for Rheged again ⇐.
Luckily, breakfast was worth it. We both opted for a breakfast bun rather than the Full Monty. I had Bacon and Mushrooms and Mr Snail had Bacon and Sausage. Both were served in a lovely toasted tasty brioche bun.
Best breakfast in ages
Now stoked up for the day we sought out a local National Trust property at Temple Sowerby. Acorn Bank Garden did not disappoint and Nell had a lovely time wandering in the daffodil woods, which were resplendent in the sun. Signs of Spring were everywhere to be seen, from Nature’s shy buds to pasty white English legs peeping out brazenly from shorts and summer dresses.
Acorn Bank
We visited the watermill and then walked around the wildflower garden before going to try the offerings in the Tea Room.
I had fun spotting the many Elf Houses around the estate.
Elf House – this one had furniture inside and also a note from a child to the elves, who had written a reply upon itThe picnic area in the wood offered table games to playElf House with Elf BoatThe Tree Elves had the washing out at their houseAcorn MillTime for afternoon tea al fresco for this elven household
The Tea Room provisions were paltry and sub-standard. Mr Snail chose the Cappuccino Cake from the small selection on offer and I partook of the “Tea-soaked” Fruit Cake, which was both short on fruit and very dry and crumbly. There was not a single scone to be seen.
Crumbs!
Nell and Mr Snail went for a second woodland walk whilst I toted the camera around the more formal areas, where dogs are not permitted. This early in the season there was little to be seen but I did take some detail shots and photos of interesting colour combinations in early foliage. Once I discovered the pond I spent an age in trying to capture Newts with my camera…
A small garden pond was teeming with Newts of various species.Snakeshead Fritillary, one of my favourite Spring bulbsThe view to the walled garden via the Dovecote
From Acorn Bank it was a short romp down the A66 to the Fox Hall Inn, where we overnighted in the car park.
Ceridwen admiring our evening view
We were made very welcome on arrival, having contacted the Inn ahead of time via their Facebook page. A very friendly and professional barman (possibly bar Manager?) greeted us and provided some much-needed refreshment…
Timmy Taylor’s ! A well-kept pint of Landlord
There is a handily-placed Public Footpath leading off the pub that heads in the direction of Ravensworth. Nell had a walk before we washed and changed for dinner and we headed off to sample some Award-winning Fish and Chips.
G&T
At this point I should like to stop and put in a word for the G&T that I had as an aperitif. The barman’s recommendation, it was a Yorkshire Tea (!) Gin with and Elderflower Tonic, garnished with orange and star anise and it was fabulous. Truly refreshing.
Dinner, I am sorry to say, was rather less fabulous. I won’t labour the point here (but a rather sad TripAdvisor review tells the tale.) We surprised ourselves by not having the Cod and Chips but left rather wishing that we had.
We both had the Tempura King Prawn starterI had Cod baked in a tomato sauceMr Snail had Fish Pie
The Fox Hall Inn sits right on the A66, which is a busy road and has a great deal of HGV traffic. The overnight road noise was every bit as bad as we had feared that it might be and even with earplugs, sleep was difficult to come by.
we parked in the farthest corner, out of the way and as far from the road as we could be
We are grateful to the Fox Hall Inn for having us to stay but we are unlikely to visit again.
A fair distance from the pubbut very close to the road
We are at the CMC’s caravan site at Stonehaven, the Queen Elizabeth Park or something like that. It is a small site, right on the sea front and just on the edge of town. It was a fifteen minute walk for Mr Snail to the Railway station this morning. from Aberdeen station he took a bus to the infirmary and had plenty of time in hand for his midday appointment..
The appointment went well and he does not have to return for 12 months. The consultant says if we are still in France, so long as he still feels well, Mr Snail can swap the appointment for something more convenient if necessary. So, we may be back here this time next year.
It’s pretty convenient. Sadly the open air salt water pool next door does not open until the end of May but the town has some useful shops and there is an award-winning chippy about 100 metres from the gate.
Today we took a stroll along the cliff path to go and view the Eastern end of the Highland Fault. I was wobbly about the cliff path and Mr Snail was wobbly about the fact that the path skirts the golf course, so we ended up cutting our walk short and not getting to the Point.
We are off to Glenmore tomorrow and staying for two nights. Internet reception there is poor to non-existent… so I’ll do a brief catch up on the week to date right now.
Saturday: rose early to a very grizzly day. Readied the van in very wet conditions and set off in time to grab some brunch at Tesco in Dumfries, where we picked up what few provisions we needed for the week. Rain continued until we reached the upper Clyde Valley, around Crawford, where the sun embraced the landscape to great effect.
Saturday night: wild in the car park at New Lanark Mills. We walked Nell along the Clyde for a while and then I cooked the Gousto meal we had lined up for the evening, a dish of Dal with some spiced Aubergine. All hopes of spotting badgers were dashed by what appeared to be a kids’ party and lots of lights and noise and rushing around. Of course, the smell of curry may have warded the badgers off too!
Sunday: (ETA material regarding Wilsontown 23/3/17) beautiful morning initially but cloud built as we drove up to Forth. We rose early and set off without breakfast so as not to be a nuisance in the New Lanark Car Park. We stopped at Wilsontown to walk Nell and to make bacon rolls. It was quite dull by the time that we arrived but we managed to stay dry on both walks, before and after our late breakfast, and I managed to take a few photographs.
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There is not much remaining of the works but the site is rich with interpretation boards and a number of quotations engraved on stones give pause for thought. Often the interpretation boards invite one to use imagination to bring to mind an image of the filthy belching plant sited in the middle of nowhere upon the moors. I need no imagination however… I have been to Consett!
After a brief stop at a Lidl somewhere in the Lothians (I forget) a lovely scenic ride up the East Fife coast to Cellardyke in bright sunshine followed. We stayed at the Silverdyke site for two nights. This was the same site that we stopped at on our way South in September/October last year. (This is the point where I discover that I never got round to writing that part of the trip up so I cannot link to it now – I will do it. I will. Soon…ish)
Sunday Night: dinner at The Cellar.
Monday night: Anstruther Fish Bar.
These I will write up separately.
Anstruther
Tuesday: Further good weather for the ride up here to Stonehaven. We stopped in Montrose for some KFC fodder and an item or two from B&Q.
There has been little camera action, I am afraid, and what use the camera has seen has by and large been dedicated to food. I will try to do better.
Stonehaven
As already noted – we depart from here in the morning to do 100-ish miles to Glenmore. We hope to break our journey somewhere interesting with a walk for the dog. We shall be two nights at Glenmore and then will do one further night wild or Britstopping before getting back to base.
Snow is forecast for tomorrow night. Perhaps the photos from Glenmore will be pretty ones!
We shall be busy once we arrive back in Kippford. We need to pack, to post excess baggage home, and to plan our route and stops back up Scotland to the ferry.
We treated ourselves to what may be our last Gousto box before we return to Orkney, where they do not deliver. The box arrived today, with four meals therein:
Chicken Katsu Curry
Rosemary Lamb Meatballs & Mint Sauce
Harissa Chorizo With White Bean Mash
Two-Lentil Dal & Spiced Aubergine
Tonight we plumped for the Lamb Meatballs, and very good they were too.
Rosemary Lamb Meatballs & Mint Sauce
Date made: 8/3/2017
Used: Two gas rings and the Remoska
I added: nothing
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Odd as it may seem I do believe that this was the first time that I ever made big meatballs for a meal other than cooking small meatballs in sauce for pasta.
The timing of this meal was a bit up in the air as I roasted the potatoes in the Remoska and was uncertain how long that they would take. I did expect them to need more than the 20 – 25 minutes suggested time. I elected to leave cooking the carrots and meatballs until the potatoes showed signs of browning.
Meatballs made. Remainder of Rosemary to chop for the potatoes
Due to Mr Snail’s preoccupation with van servicing tasks, the potatoes were in the end really well browned (50 minutes total cooking time.)
Impromptu “Pestle and Mortar” for the Mint Sauce. Yes. I am a messy cook
The potatoes went onto the Remoska, which I lined with foil.
Prepping the spuds
However when I tested the potatoes to see if they were cooked through, I found that the bottoms had stuck to the foil. I took them out, eased them off, and then chucked them back into the Remoska without the foil.
Ready to roast
I reduced the carrot liquor down to a glaze at the end of cooking
A little sparse-looking on the plate and I should have appreciated a second vegetable
I liked: all of it
I disliked: the usual shortage of accompanying vegetables
Verdict:Quick and easy. Next time I would add a second veg. Not so sure about adding oil to the mint sauce… it seems unnecessary and adds nothing so far as I could tell.
Order again?: Probably, though it would depend what other dishes were tempting me on any given week
We are thinking probably the Katsu Curry tomorrow…
Further Remoska experimentation. Not wholly successful, I’d say, I think that was more my fault than the Remoska’s. The pasta was overcooked and that is just a matter of timing. I think it can be fixed for future attempts.
I seem to have forgotten to take a finished dish photo. This is the point at which the Mozzarella went in
Anyway, this was my first time using the Remoska to cook hob-top type food rather than to bake or grill. Initially things went well and I liked the way that my Chorizo and peppers etc. cooked off in the pan – they were done far more quickly than I expected.
Details, as far as I can remember them, at Rumbletums.
Our final stop, was to be at Broughshane. It may have been our last Aire but was in fact the first Aires de Service to be installed in the UK. Broughshane is very forward-thinking.
The journey took us from Donaghadee via mostly main roads, including the motorway, and across Belfast. The weather stayed mainly uninspiring though not too bad. Some rain in the Belfast area cleared as we exited the city bounds and the sun was shining on the hills in front of us. We stopped at the Motorway services for coffee and were very happy to be served a cup of good Lavazza in extraordinarily pleasant surroundings (for a Motorway Services, that is).
Proper caffeine at last
On arriving at Houston’s Mill, we found the borne in an entirely empty car park. Upon the borne was a notice asking us to register at the General Office in the Mill during office hours, or if out of hours, to go to the pub. Tokens to be obtained at the pub or at Broughshane House. We went to the mill and found it locked so walked the short distance into the village and enquired at the Post Office where we might find Broughshane House and made our way there.
It transpired that the Mill had not been the office base since 2011 and that all registrations happen there, in Broughshane House. We suggested an update to the notice at the Aire was in order.
The overnight parking fee is £5 and this includes fresh water and waste disposal. Electricity tokens give ten hours supply for £2. We registered, paid and bought two tokens and then emerged into Broughshane Main Street and the rain.
with our back to the riverHouston’s Mill
The Aire is sited in the landscaped grounds of Houston’s Mill in a small car park there. It sits alongside the Braid River and a smaller stream feeds the river there via the mill race.
There is a pedestrian exit from the grounds onto the main road by the bridge. Across the road a riverside walk begins. Broughshane is a perfect location for travellers with dogs in tow,
Extremely handy
Being ever-so-slightly soaked, we were happy to get the hookup working and some hot stuff inside us.
When the rain died off we took Nell for a walk along the riverside path, which essentially skirts the village on one side from one end to the other. It was wet. So wet that the ducks were swimming in the puddles on the path rather than in the river. I left my camera behind as more rain seemed imminent. That being so I cannot hold up photographic evidence. Some of the puddles were so deep that we did not ford them but plodded through the mud alongside. It was however so engaging a walk that it did not seem all that bad,
On our return we prepared our meal of Pasta Bake (more of this, later) and were happily chowing down when suddenly we realised that the car park was filling. It quickly overfilled. There were cars and people everywhere. Houston’s Mill is a community resource centre and the local slimming club were weighing in. The mayhem lasted only a short while but we realised that had we turned up at the Aire at about this time, we should have nowhere to park and would have had to go elsewhere, unaware that in half an hour the car park would be empty again. I make this note to aid those who come after!
It was a cold night and we woke to a frost but this quickly thawed as the sun got to work.
Freezing cold!
We were in no hurry to leave on Wednesday morning – Broughshane lies about half an hour’s drive from Larne and our ferry booking was for the 4:30pm ferry. We decided to stay for lunch and to explore this lovely village further.
Garden Village of Ulster
Broughshane (if Lough is pronounced “lock” then you might think Brock-shane, but no, it is “Brew-shane”) is known as the ‘Garden Village of Ulster’ with the motto ‘People, Plants and Pride growing Together’ and is a completely charming village with what is clearly a highly-engaged community. It is neat and tidy, colourful, and full of surprises.
Marvellous Bog Oak sculpture
We took Nell back around the riverside path and found it a little less wet in the warm spring sunshine.
Waymarkers on the path
The community have established a Waterfowl Reserve in the wetlands along the river. It features examples of every species of swan. The site is normally open from 9am to dusk, daily but is closed to visitors at the moment – we assume because of Avian Flu precautions – preventing us from enjoying this feature on this visit.
We did enjoy some surprises in the woods though.
Woodland art: “Birds Nest”
The riverside path follows the meanders of the Braid, which is a game fishing river and the anglers were out in force after yesterday’s heavy rain. The path ends at the far end of the village, allowing a circular route via Main Street.
At the other end
We walked back along the street. To confirm my notion of the strength of community here, I noted that I have never seen a village with so many community buildings.
Plantings everywhere – these had some nice cockerels included
The garden theme runs everywhere and floral plantings abound. Public buildings have plantings – even the Public Conveniences are decorated with Ivy.
Broughshane folk obviously love their LibraryLovingly tended loosThis is The Garden Village, don’t forget
Quirkiness abounds
These “trees” caught my eyeThese colourful old tractor seats make a bold feature. I love them
Back at the van, I prepared for take-off and Mr Snail went forth to find Cod and Chips.
Thank you, Broughshane, for your hospitality. We loved your village and we love the fact that you make we motorhomers welcome.
Look – no “NO” ! (and we really appreciate the snail… is he just for our benefit?)
In many ways, I feel that we possibly left the best until last in this trip. We look forward to returning one day soon.
The drive to Larne was short and straightforward and I think Broughshane makes an excellent pre- or post-ferry stop.
That’s it. That’s your lot. From here it was Argos, Ferry, back to Kippford in fairly short order. Nothing much to say about that.
It was absolutely tipping it down when we left Loughcrew on Sunday morning. Teeming, wet, horrible weather. It did not bode well. We were off reasonably early as the Megalithic Centre opens at 11:00 am and sits on a single track road. To avoid meeting traffic coming to the centre we wanted to be off by 10:00. So, heavy rain or not, Mr Snail got on with the task of emptying waste and filling water.
Luckily the rain cleared up before long and we had sun and cloud and occasional showers, with real cloudbursts visible at times and wet roads giving evidence of their passing.
We were planning to stop at Newgrange on our way to Carlingford but somehow managed to miss the way. We had seen a large brown tourist sign indicating a right turn for Newgrange but there was no turn evident for us to use and the following junction was not signed for Newgrange at all. We found ourselves approaching the motorway with no sign of the place at all. Luckily there was a retail park right by the roundabout and we tucked ourselves in there to regroup and to buy some lunch from Lidl.
A quick look at a map showed that we should have turned right at the crossroads that was not signed for Newgrange. A weather check showed an incoming Atlantic Storm with warning of heavy rain and lightning.
By the time that we had bought and prepared lunch, Storm Ewan was with us. His visit was brief but impressive and I was mightily relieved to be parked in Lidl’s car park and not driving on the motorway.
The rain was already easing when we got under way again and by the time that we reached Carlingford Marina the sun was shining on the Mountains of Mourne.
Carlingford Marina has long provided an informal overnight parking spot but has recently undergone works to provide proper Aire facilities, so imagine our surprise on arrival to find that the “Aire” remains a narrow hard core strip alongsde the access road.
The overnight parking at Carlingford Marina
It is a narrow strip at that. Vans are supposed to back in but anything of any length would need to park diagonally in order to fit. We had pulled on straight whilst we went to find out where the new facilities were… as we were alone for the night it seemed unnecessary to turn about 90 degrees.
The Marina Office, supposedly open 9am – 9pm was closed and locked and we were left wondering what to do, with no sign of the new parking and water and waste facilities. We headed back to the van to consider what to do next. On our way a man approached, asking if we were looking for hm. Were we? I didn’t know; he offered no name or status. Mr L spoke up “We might be. we want to park our motorhome overnight.”
it transpired that this was the man that we needed. It also transpired that: there was no new Aire, just the place we had temporarily parked in; that “You’ll not be needing the showers and toilets as you have your own (but I’ll show you where they are anyway)”; “You are entitled to one bag of rubbish only.”; and that if we wanted to fill water or empty waste we would need to find somebody in the morning to unlock the gate and allow us into the Marina yard.
Not the warmest welcome received on our travels, I must say.
Carlingford Marina charges €10 a night for parking and limited access to water and waste. Electric Hookup is restricted to emergency use for battery charging – again it is necessary to ask for someone to unlock the access. Showers and toilets are available.
The Ladies facility, shared with Marina users, has two toilets and two showers. The block is unheated and is very cold indeed. It is probably the most beautiful facility I have seen – a visual delight in white and as clean as a new pin. Oddly, the shower cubicles are provided with bar stools (quite useless for aiding dressing). It feels a bit like being at an old-fashioned swimming baths as the shower cubicle has one short shower curtain on the shower and another on the outside of the white tiled cubicle. A Mira shower gives control of flow and temperature but takes an age to warm up.
Apparently the Gents do not fare as well, with a lukewarm push-button shower and communal changing facility, They too have a pair of shower cubicles, but one toilet cubicle and two urinals. Mr Snail also had use of a bar stool but not the Hollywood-style glossy-white and mirrors treatment.
The outlook from the Aire parking is across the harbour and Carlingford Lough to Northern Ireland and the Mountains of Mourne. It is a beautiful view possibly marred by all that rigging, depending on your personal viewpoint.
Excellent Indian Cuisine on site
The Marina is a short walk, about 1 Km, from the charming town of Carlingford with its plethora of eating and drinking places. However there is no need to make the walk as there is a Café Bar and an Indian Restaurant on site.
Running off the site is the Carlingford to Omeath Greenway, which Nell thought to be fantastic. We Snails appreciated it too, we always like parking where Nell can get out for a walk with little fuss or difficulty. In fact, we wasted little time after parking in getting our boots on and harnessing up the dog. The weather was still iffy, with rain coming and going and the view across the lough in constant flux.
NI on the far side of the lough, behind the rainOccasional patches of sunlight playing across the hillsResulting in some lovely rainbow effects
The weather picked up a little in the afternoon and we were able to walk into Carlingford and keep dry whilst seeking a Post Office. The walk along the main road is largely along a large lay-by and there is a hard shoulder marked off along the kerbside. It is not ideal however and I would not like to attempt it with young children in tow. Nell was hard enough work. There are good views though.
Carlingford is a charming, highly historic, and visually colourful and appealing town. It won our hearts immediately.
Colourful buildings and many pubs and restaurants. This one looks like it is calling us…
Historical town, with remnants of history everywhere you look
I want to know the story behind this bench
Lots of colour and much to do and see
Characterful little streets have a Continental feel
Residents care for their environment and little details are evident everywhere
I have been trying to find a comparison town in the Uk from my memory but failed. Carlingford has much of the charm of Whitby but none of its occasionally tawdry nature… It does however share its hilliness! Mr Snail says perhaps somewhere in Cornwall but I have never been there so have no example. Anyway – my kind of seaside, with no Amusements but loads of character and colour and a fishing village feel to it, although it also has a kind of Continental vibe in places.
We found a back street route return to the Marina, which felt much safer and provided my camera with further delightful details to snap.
We had found a very promising-looking restaurant smelling fabulously of garlic and debated whether or not to return for our dinner but elected in the end for the Sitar back at the Marina.
First we road-tested the ablutions. Brrrr!
Freshened up considerably, we strolled over to the restaurant. We were not disappointed. How many restaurants can boast a view of the Mourne Mountains? The food was fab too and by far the best Indian meal that we have had since leaving Yorkshire, way back in 2002. Both the premises and the food were light and modern in style . Service was smart and friendly. I had a hard time in choosing between several “new-to-me” dishes but plumped for the Himalayan Chicken and, for once, the pilau Rice.
Now, I never order Pilau Rice and always have plain Basmati because Pilau is so often just not… Pilau. I loathe those dishes of multi coloured rice that have no flavour. This night though, some instinct drove me to order the Pilau and I sensed that it would be alright. It was perfect. A perfect surprise. The Himalayan Chicken was a surprise too – it was green. Extremely green; creamy and sweet. I enjoyed it and would have it again but next time I would order a vegetable side as it was just meat and sauce. Mr Snail had the Nag Puri, which he describes as delicious and like a kind of spicy version of Butter Chicken.
Aire users receive a 10% discount in the restaurant.
We will be very happy to return to Carlingford one day and perhaps to stay for a while. We probably would not use the Marina Aire again. We would certainly revisit the Sitar though!
