Springtime in Scotland

If you are visiting Scotland from abroad then late Spring is a good time to consider. The weather is on the cold side, but we usually get some beautiful sunny days. 

A Day Out from Glasgow– Yesterday was such a day, so we put off the tasks needing done in our garden to take a one hour drive from our home in Glasgow to the Ayrshire Coast on the Firth of Clyde. 

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The long sandy beach at Ayr was quiet, with a few hardy souls being tempted to go into the sea to ‘paddle’ their feet, and there were a number of folks walking their dogs. We were heading to the south end of Ayr as we had in mind a visit to Greenan Castle, which as you will notice from the photographs sits precariously on the edge of a cliff! It’s a lovely walk from the car park along the beach to the castle, or if it is high tide there is a rough footpath amid the sand dunes. The castle has an intriguing history going back to the mid 16th century, with stories of betrayal and murder. The wind was fresh, the sand was firm for walking and I felt really invigorated when I returned to the car.

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We next headed a few miles south along the coast to the village of Dunure. It’s a picturesque drive with lambs in the fields and views across the sea to the Isle of Arran. Dunure is a quaint village with a harbour, and we sat there to have our picnic lunch. Sitting at the harbour in the quietness with the sun shimmering on the water, and watching a local creel fisherman preparing his boat was a joy after some bleak winter days. And then of course there is Dunure Castle, the ancient seat of the Kennedy family, which dates back to the 14th century, although an earlier castle prior to the 13th century is said to have stood on the same site. 

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Lastly we headed for the village of Maidens, along past ‘the electric brae’ and the famous ‘Culzean Castle’ estate run by the National Trust for Scotland. No time today to investigate its beautiful castle and grounds, but we did have time for a walk out the pier at Maidens. This sits just next to Turnberry golf course and hotel, now owned by a certain US President -Mr Donald Trump! Then there was a drive home in time to water the garden pot plants, after a few days without rain and lots of sunshine! 

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This then is a glimpse of what a day out from Glasgow can look like. We are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to places of beauty to visit. Maybe it’s time to pay Scotland a visit?

I wish all my readers a very Happy Easter! If you missed my last blog, you can see my Easter video here: https://youtu.be/u5H5-rl4-sA