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Castles and Lake District

Updated September 5,2006

Our last port in Scotland was Kirkcudbright. We had to wait for the tide and entered the river at night, following lights up to the marina. Next morning we awoke to mud banks.

low tide in the Dee River

Emma and her new friends catching crabs

Threave Castle on an island in the Dee

home of Archibald the Grim Douglas

Kirkcudbright festival

town parade

In the tourist bureau we noticed a poster for gathering of Border Reivers at Buitle Tower. Not sure what to expect, "a bothering of Balderics?," we had a wonderful day learning about life in the Middle Ages.

Buitle Tower

doffing a suit of armour

sword play

longbowmen

firing a blackpowder musket

blacksmith at his anvil

From Kidcudbright we sailed across Solway Bay to Whitehaven, the nearest port to the Lakes District. We rented a car for a pilgrimage to Coniston Waters, where Arthur Ransome set his Swallows and Amazons series of books in the 1930's.

glimpse of Wildcat Island, aka Peel Island

Next morning we drove over to the Windermere Steamboat Museum.

Emma with the Amazon, based on the Mavis

Captain Flint's houseboat was based on the Esperance

inside the Esperance

launch about to depart for a cruise