After exploring the southern shores of the Solway, driving into Scotland our first stop was the Old Blacksmith’s Shop in Gretna Green. Having traditionally been a haven for young people keen to marry, today it has handed itself completely over to romance and retail. The courtship maze, the wall of love padlocks and a sculpture called The Big Dance with two hands clasped together to form an arch all thawed my heart on a wintery morning!Â
We had been blessed with fine weather on the English part of this trip but now rain hammered on the roof of our campervan as we pulled into the nearby Devil’s Porridge Museum. This bizarrely-named museum tells the story of the huge Gretna Green site that produced cordite during World War One. Thousands worked here in hazardous conditions and we heard their stories while the rain pounded noisily on the museum roof. In the local history areas I was fascinated to read about the State Management Scheme for brewing and pubs which began in wartime but continued into the 1970s. This massive experiment aimed to change the drinking culture and reduce drunkenness. State-owned pubs sold weak beer along with food, forbade the buying of rounds and encouraged games such as dominoes and darts.
The wet and windy weather followed us along the northern Solway coast to The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust’s Caerlaverock reserve. One of the many things I like about having a ‘van is that you can see over hedges and walls and I pointed out groups of geese feeding in the fields as Anthony drove. We were just in time for Caerlaverock’s daily swan feeding and from the hide watched the multitude of swans boisterously squabbling over shovelfuls of food.
For the next couple of nights we had an enviable pitch at Queensberry Bay Leisure Park, with an unobstructed view over the Solway Firth and acres of sky. Watching the birds feeding on the mud, fishing boats leaving Annan harbour and the changing light of sunrises and sunsets could all be done from our snug campervan while the rain pattered on our tin roof. When we needed to stretch our legs, the campsite bar had the same spectacular view that was perfect for a lazy morning coffee with yesterday’s papers and evening beers.
When the rain eased we walked along quiet lanes finding small moments of joy when we disturbed hares in a field, picked out lapwing calls and found more cheerful clumps of flowering snowdrops. On Powfoot Beach the remains of wooden piers were draped in shimmering seaweed and an old circular bathing pool that was part of an early 20th century plan to develop this quiet stretch of coast into a holiday resort intrigued us.
Even in winter some good weather is never too far away and we wandered around the ruins and pretty village at Sweetheart Abbey in sunshine the next day. The impressive lighthouse at Southerness was an idyllic beach combing and rockpooling spot and at Sandyhills Bay we kicked along the soft sand with views across the Solway. This Dumfries coast is packed with pretty coves and bays, craggy cliffs and charming villages.
On a sheltered inlet with a picturesque outlook, Kippford is delightful. It was low tide and we could crunch our way along the shell-strewn tidal causeway to Rough Island that sits in a sheltered estuary off the Solway Firth. A narrow path climbed from the causeway through bushes to the grassy high point of the island and rewarded us with spectacular views across the water to clusters of white cottages on tree-covered hillsides.
In the evening we were treated to a stunning sunset from the campsite above Kirkcudbright while cozily drinking tea in our ‘van. Less enjoyable were the strong winds that rocked the ‘van alarmingly in the small hours and disturbed my sleep!
The storm passed over and the sun returned the next day as we explored the handsome town of Kirkcudbright. Sitting on the River Dee that flows into the Solway Firth, Kirkcudbright is a vibrant and lively town with something for everyone. We strolled around the castle and along the harbour with colourful fishing boats and admired the houses painted in pastel shades. We picked out two of the three museums and just one café to visit. Later we hiked to Kirkcudbright Bay, returning to the campsite on inland lanes that wound uphill and descended on woodland paths.
Our campervan trip under the big skies of the Solway Firth had delivered light of every shade from blue skies to gun-metal grey stormy clouds and deep-red sunsets. As we drove home I suggested to Anthony that campervan trips should be available on the NHS because there was no doubt I now felt refreshed, upbeat and ready to ride out the remaining winter days.
The pictures below show Rough Island, the swans at Caerlaverock and a Dumfries beach.
Back on the road again 