Days Out

Sometimes we get so busy on the smallholding that we forget to get out and about to investigate and enjoy our surroundings. We are blessed to live in a picturesque part of the world with so much to see and do, especially when the weather is kind.

Blair Estate

By chance we saw some signs for one of the Scottish Gardens open days near us. So on a very sunny afternoon we set off to investigate the gardens and grounds of Blair Estate.

The house/castle itself dates back to around 1203 (although some areas may be older) and has recently undergone extensive refurbishment.

It is a stunning building from all sides and was looking spectacular on this bright sunny day.

Many of the walls are adorned with climbers, some roses and wisteria; they were indeed beautiful.

The house is set in about 250 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland which we were able to wonder around and investigate.

The house was impressive from every angle and we couldn't help but take lots of pictures.

We were absolutely astounded by the size of the Gunneras around the grounds. There were so many of them and all were huge.

We even tried to take a picture with me in it so we could show just how big they were.

Through the garden there was a little stream with pretty wild plants protruding along the edges. Off to the side there were also larger areas planted up with numerous Azaleas and Rhododendrons.

The Redwoods were glorious, tall, straight and undoubtedly very very old.

    

Again we attempted to get some scale into the pictures.

Returning to the hose we had another little look at the cottage style beds, I feel there is so much to learn by looking at other planting and colour schemes.

We weren't the only people enjoying a day out in the sunshine, hopefully they made plenty of money for the charities.

I had to take a picture of this strange tree, it looked like it had been around for decades, if not centuries.

We were fortunate to be allowed a look around the coach house garden and were privileged to have a long chat with the owners. They were so knowledgeable about plants and flowers that I think we could easily have stayed in their company for a few hours. They inspired us to look for some climbers too.

The smells of these roses gave us the incentive to go out the very next day and search for some beautiful scented blooms for our garden.

One last photo of the house before we headed home. 

Beaches

Recently the days have been extremely hot and we had to get up and out early so we could walk the dogs before the heat became unbearable for them. The beaches were as always stunning and great for the dogs to run around, they loved running in the sea. (Arran in the early morning mist.)

My beautiful girl, Jess 

It was even warm enough for a paddle, well, just for M and the dogs!!

Local History

Having taken the car in for a service we ventured out for a little drive along the coast. We were able to park next to the sea and walk along the coastal path.

Here we came across an amazing old castle built in the 14th century. Sadly, as it was closed, we weren't able to go inside for a look but it did look incredible.

A little further along the coast we came across the old castle harbour with a great view back to the castle.

What a beautiful sunny day. We met a couple of very friendly cyclists who chatted to us about the great cycle network in this area. In fact we were so impressed that we decided it was time to get ourselves a couple of bicycles so we could really enjoy the countryside.

About a week later we returned to the coast and set about test riding our new hybrid bikes.

The cycle network means that the majority of the routes are off road, either on country paths or on cycle paths. This suits me fine as I no longer have the courage to cycle in traffic.

The scenery was stunning and it was the best re-introduction to cycling we could have hoped for. Now we just need to investigate the rest of the country.

One last little selfie just to prove we were both there although I'm not sure it's possible to look good in a cycle helmet! Since this ride we have discovered a few more cycle paths nearby, this time with coffee shops en route. We have found it to be such an enjoyable way to explore the local area and getting some exercise is an added bonus.