Category: Scotland

Round Britain: Seward & Kirkcudbright

On By Carol HenshawIn Art & Architecture, Scotland1 Comment

Early evening on the day before we left Seaward I got my telephoto lens out and took a photo of Little Ross Island and its lighthouse.

Heavy rain woke us during the night but there was a lull to allow us to pack up and leave. Our first stop was Kirkcudbright which we had last visited in 2017. Apparently in 1931 Dorothy L Sayers referred to it in her book Three Red Herrings as ‘Colourful heritage, cobbled streets and eighteenth century boulevards make the artists town on the banks of the River Dee a great weekend break’. We parked near St Cuthbert’s Church which was built in 1838.

A much earlier church said to have been established in the 7th century was situated to the east of the town and other buildings used until the population grew and St Cuthbert’s was built. I had a wander down to the harbour on the banks of the River Dee

and then we found a coffee before visiting the Galleries in the old town hall. The exhibition I particularly wanted to see was Eardley Explored: the Art of Joan Eardley with photography by Audrey Walker. Audrey Walker was a friend of Joan Eardley. The ground floor contains works by artists who worked in and around Kirkcudbright including John Faed, EA Hornel, Jessie M King, Charles Oppenheimer, Robert Sivell and Phyllis Bone. The collection included paintings, drawings, illustrations, book covers and ceramics. Here are a few of the paintings.

MacLellan’s Castle also sits in the town and was built in the late 16th century.

Greyfriars Episcopal Church featured in the 1973 horror movie The Wicker Man. Leaving Kirkcudbright on the A711, we passed through Mutehill and then passed a large MOD range. The next stop was Dundrennan Abbey which is under the care of Historic Scotland but like many of their buildings is not completely accessible inside due to delays in assessing and dealing with problems during the pandemic.

Continuing we passed through Auchencairn and Polnackie before crossing a bridge to Dalbeattie. It has a large modern ‘learning campus’ which contains a nursery, primary and secondary schools. The Solway Coastal route passed through Barnbarroh, Colvend, Sandyhills, Mersehead Sands and Kirkbean. We stopped for lunch at a viewpoint near Drumburn but there was not much of a view.

Torrential rain began again and was forecast to continue for the next 48 hours. There was already a lot of water on the roads and flooding was obviously a risk. We had planned to continue our journey round the Solway coast but decided to return home a little early.                            

Round Britain: Garlieston to Seaward

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, Books, bookshops and libraries, ScotlandLeave a comment

After leaving Garlieston we drove southward on a B road down to the Isle of Whithorn.

The ruins of St Ninians Chapel sits  on the slope above the harbour. St Ninian was a missionary to the Picts in southern Scotland. The first chapel built here was in the 1100s to provide for the local people and to serve the pilgrims who were on their way to Whithorn Priory. The current remains were rebuilt around 1300 and were repaired in 1898 by the Marquess of Bute.

On the headland beyond the chapel is the cairn: a white tower which has been used as a navigation aid for several hundred years and in World War 2 was a tracking station for anti-aircraft gunnery practice.

There is also memorial to the Solway Harvester and its crew which sunk in 2000.

Back down near the chapel is a memorial for dogs that people can add stones to if they wish.

St Ninian’s Cave is down on the shoreline further along the coast. The 1973 film Wicker Man was filmed near there. We continued on past Whithorn and on to Wigtown, crossing the River Bladnoch where the distillery sits, before entering the main street. We had last visited it in 2017. Wigtown was designated as Scotland’s Book Town in 1998 and now has several bookshops including the largest in Scotland.

They are celebrating their 25th Anniversary with a Book Festival from 22 September to 1 October 2023. Some shops were not open today, including the Byre Books

but we did appreciate one local person’s efforts to fill as many wellingtons as possible with flowers.

After coffee in one of the local cafes we drove north past Newton Stewart and the head of Wigtown Bay where the River Cree enters the bay then down the east shore. The old military road diverts round Creetown and just after that is a parking space on the shore where we had our lunch. Wigtown Bay also has a Nature Reserve. Towards the end of the parking area was a large granite stone. It stated that Creetown granite had been quarried nearby and used to build Liverpool Docks and also the clock tower in Creetown.

After lunch we continued past the ruined Carsluith Castle, up Loch Fleet, past Skyreburn Bay, Gatehouse of Fleet and just before Kirkcudbright, turned down the east side of the River Dee which enters the bay and down to Seaward where we settled into the campsite. There are views over the bay

and in the distance is Little Ross Island with a lighthouse. Below the road is a beach which I had a wander on and found some sea glass.

Round Britain: Portpatrick to Garlieston

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, Flowers. plants & trees, ScotlandLeave a comment

I watched the sun go down behind Dunskey Castle at the end of our day there.

We left Castlebay the next day on a bright but cool morning. From Portpatrick we drove over to the west side of Luce Bay and then south past Sandhead, New England Bay and Drummore (which has Scotland’s most southern store) before we reached the Mull of Galloway, the southern most point of Scotland. It has been owned by the Mull of Galloway Community Trust since 2013, has had an RSPB Reserve since 1975 and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Ordnance Survey map indicated that Luce Bay was an MOD Bombing Range. The lighthouse was built by Robert Stevenson in 1830.

There are views to nearby cliffs

and over the sea.

There was a photographic exhibition in the lighthouse grounds

and a signpost indicating the distance to various towns and cities.

Cattle were grazing in the nearby fields.

After wandering around for a while, we headed back up the peninsula to the Logan Botanic Garden. The almost sub-tropical climate here, assisted by the Gulf Stream has led it to focus on plants from countries in the southern hemisphere, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Southern Africa. On arrival some of the first plants we saw were palm trees

and we then entered the walled garden.

After coffee some we passed the Gunnera Bog,

a pond,

 a large Eucalyptus

and a coloured tree called Acacia baileyana.

The conservatory has a great collection of succulents and others.

Afterwards it was time to head north again past Ardwell and Sandhead and then rounding the head of Luce Bay. We saw a sign saying there was an MOD Soft Target Station. On the A747 down the east side of the bay we passed a couple of quarries and a wind farm before the road returned to the coast. Our lunch stop was on a beach with many pebbles.

Continuing past Port William, the road then turns inland. We passed a building which said it was the Galloway Astronomy Centre before reaching Whithorn and then our campsite at Garlieston Bay.

Garlieston was a planned village constructed in the 18th century by Lord Garlies who later became the 6th Earl of Galloway. Not long after we arrived it started to rain and was due to continue for the rest of the evening so no more exploration until the next day.

Round Britain: Culzean to Portpatrick

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, Scotland, walksLeave a comment

On our last night at Culzean I watched the sun go down.

The following day was dry and sunny. We set off southbound on the A719 which passes Maidens and Turnberry where in addition to all the golf courses and associated buildings, there are abandoned airport runways. We then rejoined the A77 and drove on down a very familiar road which we take whenever we are travelling to visit James’s parents in Northern Ireland. Just past Girvan there are views over to the Ailsa Craig.

Since the mid-19th century, the microgranite from the island has been used to make stones for the sport of curling. Apparently the only other source is from a quarry in Wales. Further on we passed Lendalfoot which sits where the River Lendal reaches the sea. Past Ballantrae the road crosses the River Stinchar and heads inland. After Smyrton and through Glen App it then descends to the coast again and we entered Dumfries and Galloway. Cairnryan was a World War 2 military port handling supplies of food and ammunition from the USA but is now the main port for ferries crossing to Belfast. In Stranraer we picked up supplies and topped up the caffeine levels. On the shore of Loch Ryan is Stranraer west beach where we parked for a while and had our lunch.

Afterwards we continued the short distance to our next stop at Castle Bay next  to Port Patrick. Our campsite overlooks Dunskey Castle, a 12th Building which has been ruined since 1700 and is currently in private hands.

It was used as a location for the 1951 film of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Kidnapped and others. It is accessible by a coastal path and one from the campsite but there is no access to the interior. I had a wander around the outside.

Late afternoon we walked along the coastal path from the campsite to Portpatrick.

It enters the town near the beach

and we continued our walk around the harbour. Scotland’s first charitable Community Benefit Society ‘Portpatrick Harbour CBS’ was formed in 2015 to secure it in community ownership. There is a life boat station first built in 1877 after a large number of ship wrecks had happened.

The Southern Upland Way starts here. After our wander around town, we had a meal in one of the local hostelries. The owner said that business had still not returned to what it was before the pandemic.

Round Britain: Glendaruel to Luss

On By Carol HenshawIn Flowers. plants & trees, Scotland1 Comment

Waking to a very cloudy morning we left the campsite and headed south on the A886 through Glendaruel. Kilmodan Church was named after Saint Modan, an early saint associated with the area.

A collection of medieval carved stones are housed in a small building in the churchyard.

Further on, we turned onto the B836 which runs around the head of Loch Scriven before passing the Tarsan Dam. It then continues down Glen Lean to Clachaig and then joins the road down to Dunoon. A ferry runs from here to Gourock.

There is an old building on the pier

and hazy views over the water.

Returning north along the coast we came to Holy Loch and Lazaretto Point, a war memorial.

Heading north, the A815 enters the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. We then stopped at Benmore Botanic Garden which is one of the gardens run by the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh. Close to the entrance are giant redwoods.

A little further on is an avenue of them which is currently closed while work is going to revitalise the soil.

We saw a red squirrel but it disappeared before I could get my telephoto lens out. The squirrel observatory and the Fernery do not open until 11am despite the garden opening at 10am. We walked around some of the garden.

At this time of year there are few flowers

but we did see some fungi

and lots of lichen.

The estate was gifted to the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh in 1928 and became its first regional garden having previously been owned by a Greenock sugar magnate and then an Edinburgh brewer. The Golden Gates were the entrance to Benmore House which is now an Outward Bound Centre. They were exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1878 and were restored in recent years.

There is a pond

and many other areas that we did not have time to explore on this occasion. After grabbing a coffee at the café, we continued north along the east side of Loch Eck which had several warning signs along the road telling drivers to look out for swans on the road. We only saw several pheasants. At Strachur we returned to Loch Fyne and carried on the A83 and A82 to our next campsite at Luss which sits on the west side of Loch Lomond. Today the summit of Ben Lomond was hidden by clouds.

Luss is a conservation village. Occupation of the village dates back to medieval times, but much of what you see today was created in the 18th and 19th centuries to house workers from the nearby slate quarries. St Kessog, an Irish missionary, arrived around 1,500 years ago. At this time Luss was called Clachan Dhu (the dark village). He was martyred and his body embalmed with sweet herbs. Legends claim that sweet herbs grew over his grave. Lus is Gaelic for herb so that is suggested as how the village got its name. The current church was built in 1875 but the graveyard is much older, the earliest stones dating from the 7th or 8th century. We could not look around much on the day we arrived as there were several events going on so we settled into the van for a quiet afternoon.

Round Britain: Machrihanish to Glendaruel

On By Carol HenshawIn roads, ScotlandLeave a comment

Our last evening in Machrihanish arrived with a thunderstorm after two warm and sunny days. We got our waterproofs out and walked to a local hostelry for our evening meal. I was glad to have seen the sunset the previous evening. On a dry, warm morning we first drove down to the southern part of the Mull of Kintyre on the B842. It runs through farmland and forests to Southend and Dunaverty Bay. There was a seal resting on a rock. There were several oystercatchers on the beach and one heron on a rock further out who flew off before I could get a photograph.

We returned to Campbeltown to pick up some supplies and continued on the B842 on the northern side of Campbeltown Loch. The road passes through Peninver and Ardnacross Bay before reaching Saddell Bay which is said to be where Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre video was filmed. Across the other side of the water towards Portvadie is where Polphail Village was flattened in 2016 when it was only 40 years old. The village was built to accommodate 500 workers for a nearby oil platform construction yard but it was never occupied and remained a ghost town from the day it was completed to the day it was bulldozed. It is said to have provided a home to a colony of bats and a blank canvas for street artists. We made a short diversion down a side road to Carradale Bay where we hoped to find a coffee. The harbour was quiet

and the tea room was closed. We had to continue past Grogport and Claonaig before arriving in Tarbert to top up the caffeine levels.

We were then back on the A83 which like many roads in this part of Scotland is lined with rhododendrons, crocosmia and bamboo: all non-native garden escapes from the estates that brought these plants into the country in the late 18th and 19th centuries.  The road continues through Lochgilphead and Inverary, passing the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar which we ate in many years ago during a holiday with some friends. After Cairndow we took the A815 and then the A886 heading south on the Cowal Peninsula to Glendaruel. The River Ruel runs down to the Kyles of Bute. The campsite we stayed at for one night is on the site of Glendaruel House. In the Second World war it was requisitioned and used as a hospital. Afterwards it was sold, used as a hotel and then destroyed by a fire in 1970. The population of the village is now less than 200 and it has lost a lot of its services including a post office, tea room, hotel and general store. The campsite is quiet and surrounded by woodland which provides some welcome shade in the hot weather.

Round Britain: Lochgilphead to Machrihanish

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, ScotlandLeave a comment

En route to Lochgilphead where we were re-starting our tour of the British coast we passed Glasgow and stopped briefly so that I could take a photograph of the Clydeside Distillery which has been there since 1897.

I am compiling a photobook for James of the whisky distilleries in the British Isles. There were views over the Clyde on a very sunny morning

and street art on the nearby railway bridge.

Continuing, we stopped for lunch at the Rest and be Thankful. These words were inscribed on a stone by the workers who built the military road in the 1740s. There is a good view down the glen.

After settling into the campsite, it was time to walk to a local restaurant for a meal. There are views down Loch Gilp from the shore.

The following morning we set off down the west side of Loch Gilp. The road parallels the southern end of the Crinan Canal and passes through Ardrishaig. A little further on we took the B8204 which runs over a hill, past a small lochan and down to Loch Caolisport. There are several small villages along the road. At Achahoish was a firewood seller and at Ormisary there was a fish farm. There are views over to Jura and Islay. At Kilberry there are some engraved stones which may have come from a medieval church and burial ground nearby.

While a drain was being dug under a bowling green, human bones were found. The stones are dated between the 14th and 15th centuries. There is also the remains of a castle nearby but it is on private land with no access. At Tarbet we entered the Mull of Kintyre which I had not visited since childhood. In 1597 Kintyre had been marked out as a rebellious part of the Gaelic west which needed control. Ten years later Clan Donald lands were taken over by Archibald Campbell, Earl of Argyll. Hence the town he created became Campbeltown. The plantation by the lowland lairds happened in 1650, most came from Ayrshire and Renfrewshire and took place before the plantation of Ulster. We had a coffee in Tarbert and then walked up the hill from the harbour to the ruined castle.

There was a hill fort here which became a Royal Castle in 1292. It was extended by Robert the Bruce in 1325 and repaired further by James IV in 1494. IN 1705 it was tenanted by the Campbells but fell into disrepair by 1760 when most of the useful stones were used to build the harbour. There are views all around from the castle.

We then continued down the A83 along the side of West Loch Tarbert, passing Kennacraig where the ferry to Islay departs from and further on, the Arran Ferry port. Lunch was had in a small car park just south of Ronachan Bay. Apparently seals and otters can be seen here but none on my visit. There are views over to Gigha and Jura.

At Tayinloan a ferry runs to Gigha. After Campbeltown airport we drove through the town and then took the B road to Machrihanish. The town was formerly known as ‘The Pans’ up to the 18th century when salt was formed from the evaporation of seawater and it is still on this old milepost.

Kintyre’s only mine closed in 1967 and was nearby. Our campsite was next to the golf course but there were views over to the sea so in the evening I watched the sun go down.

The following morning was time for a beach walk. Machrihanish Bay is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and has the largest sand dune system in mainland Argyll.  It was very quiet that morning.

A lazy day followed before we got ready for the next leg in our journey.

A Morning in Kew Gardens

On By Carol HenshawIn Art & Architecture, Flowers. plants & trees, ScotlandLeave a comment

While spending a few days with a friend in London we had a rare dry day this summer and decided to explore Kew Gardens which is close to their flat. The last couple of times we have been here was for musical events in the evening. Our last daytime visit was in 2016. Entering via the Elizabeth Gate as soon as it opened, one of the first trees we came to was an Indian Horse Chestnut which had some seeds beginning to appear.  

Further on was a tall Weeping Silver Lime: James standing beside it gives an idea of how tall it was.  

Just past this were some agapanthus which were almost finished flowering. This one had a bee finding some nectar.

We then came upon Kew Palace. It was the royal retreat of George III and Queen Charlotte: royal occupation lasted from 1728 until 1818, with another short spell in 1844. The house opens an hour later than the main garden.

Walking on towards the woodland I noticed a sign near the entrance to a badger sett which that said there were twenty setts in the gardens. We passed some Canada Geese on the grass.

Later on, one sitting on the path was not at all bothered by us being close by.

There were several very large old trees including this Atlas Cedar

and Sweet Chestnut.  

On our way to the Bamboo Garden and the lake we passed a large section of rhododendrons. A notice next to this Rhododendron ponticum (the common rhododendron) said that it has been found by some scientists to be toxic to honey bees and a wild mining bee species. This plant is an invasive species and is probably contributing to the declining bee populations.

White mulberry is native to central China but is cultivated worldwide for the silk industry. The Romans first introduced them into the UK. It is a fast-growing short-lived tree which is grown to feed to silkworms in silk production.

Minka House is a 100 year old farmhouse that once stood in the city of Okazaki in Japan. The Yonezu family used it as their home after their original house had been bombed during the Second World War. It was donated to Kew and reconstructed here as a centerpiece of the 2001 Japan Festival in the UK.

The Bamboo Garden is close by. 

In my last garden the only bamboo that was not invasive and stayed where it had been planted was a Phyllostachys nigra variant.  The Lake had a swan family and a pair of coots with their two chicks and a gull snoozing on a rock on the lakeside.

On the banks were some colourful salvias.

Just across the lake bridge is a sculpture:  

The Wander Project has involved five inspiring leaders to contribute to new trails through the gardens: wanderers, adventurers, dreamers, protectors and time travellers. Heading on we passed an avenue of trees

and then walked down the Broad Avenue which is lined with plants.  

The Pagoda Tree was planted in 1760 and once stood 15m tall. Now only the lowermost branch survives with supports.

On a slight hillock is The Hive. It is an installation created to emphasise the importance of pollinators and is illuminated by almost 1,000 flickering LED lights in synch with orchestral music pulsating in time to vibrations produced by bees humming which were recorded in Kew beehives.

It is surrounded by a meadow.  

After that we saw a sculpture on the lawn: ‘A maxima ad minima – from the greatest to the least’ by Eduardo Paolozzi.

The Princess of Wales Conservatory has sections for succulents and cacti

with a wonderful one in flower.  

There are then moist sections for tropical rainforest plants

including large water lilies

and an arid plant section.  

The Palm House is situated near a pond    

Passing the Temple of Bellona which was built in 1760    

we reached the Shirley Sherwood Gallery to see an exhibition.  

Kew Gardens was once the site of the first mosque built on British soil in the 1760s. It was designed by William Chambers and was not intended for worship. He often built structures inspired by his travels. The exhibition  ‘Plants of the Qur’ān’ is the culmination of a research project between Kew scientist Dr Shahina Ghazanfar and botanical artist Sue Wickison. There are many detailed watercolour paintings and then it ends in a very colourful room.  

By the time we came out the gardens were getting very busy so we decided it was time to leave

Round Britain: Ardfern to Lochgilphead

On By Carol HenshawIn ScotlandLeave a comment

On a sunny start to our last day of this trip we drove back up to the head of Loch Craignish to rejoin the A816. It turned inland and through some forests before we reached Carnasserie Castle.

The castle is a ruined 16th century tower house which was the home of the first Protestant Bishop of the Isles, Master John Carswell. He translated John Knox’s ‘Book of Our Common Order’ into Gaelic. This was the first book to be printed in Gaelic.

The castle is now under the care of Historic Scotland. We climbed up the stairs to see the view up Kilmartin Glen.

The Kilmartin Burn runs parallel to the road.

We then continued through Kilmartin and shortly afterwards, turned onto the B8025. Kilmartin has many ancient cairns and cup-marked rocks which you can find on walks around the village. We stopped at five standing stones in one of the fields near the road.

Further on we passed the Móine Mhór Nature Reserve before reaching the swing bridge at the beginning of the Crinan Canal at Bellanoch. It is only 9 miles long and runs from Crinan to Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne. Crinan is a small village located in Knapdale, which is part of Argyll and Bute. Before the Crinan Canal was built (it finally opened in 1809 after the first surveying began in 1777) Crinan was named Port Righ which meant the king’s port. We drove down to the harbour

and then round to the other side where we found a café next to the basin and locks.  

Near Dunardy Locks we stopped for lunch. In addition to the locks was one ruined building. The information board said that it was Linnet Shed which had been the boathouse for a passenger boat called The Linnet which had been built in 1866. It left the shed in 1929 and was destroyed in a gale three years later.

Just past Cairnbaan we crossed a bridge and got back onto the A816. Soon after we were in Lochgilphead where we will spend our last night on this leg of our journey. It sits at the head of Loch Gilp which is an offshoot of Loch Fyne.

Lochgilphead was first laid out as a planned town in the late 18th century, soon after the completion of the road from Inveraray to Campbeltown. It’s importance grew after the Crinan Canal was completed. It is the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute. Our mileage total for this section was 310 miles bringing the total of Round Britain so far to 3,909.

Round Britain: Tralee to Ardfern

On By Carol HenshawIn Flowers. plants & trees, roads, ScotlandLeave a comment

We left Tralee to the sound of the birds singing in the wood behind the campsite. At Benderloch there are views over Ardmuckish Bay with Lismore in the distance.

There was a derelict boatshed on the beach.

We continued southwards on the A838 past Oban Airport and across the Connel Bridge which spans Loch Etive at its narrowest point.

A bridge was built in 1903 to carry the Ballachulish branch of the Callander to Oban Railway In 1909 a train service began between Connel Ferry and Benderloch on which road vehicles could be transported over the bridge. A single car was carried on a wagon hauled by a charabanc which had been adapted to run on rails. In 1914, a roadway was added to the bridge, alongside the railway line. Road traffic and trains were not allowed on the bridge at the same time and road users had to pay a toll. After the branch line closed in 1966, the bridge was converted for the exclusive use of road vehicles and pedestrians, and the toll was removed. It is still very narrow so has traffic lights. I first crossed this straight in 1961 when I was six weeks old with my parents in their motorbike and sidecar. We continued on the A85 before taking a diversion to Dunstaffnage.

The castle sits on a hill above the bay.

It was probably built before 1240 and was besieged by Robert the Bruce around 1308. In the 1460s ownership passed to the Campbells, earls of Argyll. In 1746 Flora MacDonald was held here after being arrested before being moved to the Tower of London.

There are views from the top.

In the nearby woods is a ruined chapel which was built by the MacDougall family in the 1200s.

Nearby there is an Ocean Explorer Centre and a Marine Science Centre. We returned to the A85 and continued through Oban without stopping because we had been there numerous times. On the A816 after passing Kilmore the road runs along side Loch Feochan and inland up Glen Gallain. It passes Loch Oude Dam and then descends steeply past some other small lochs before reaching Loch Melfort.

We visited Arduaine Gardens, now run by the National Trust for Scotland since 1992. The garden was begun by James Arthur Campbell in 1898 and look after by the family until Arduaine House was sold in 1965 and became an inn and then the Loch Melfort Hotel.

There are lots of rhododendrons

plus many other perennials.

Works are going on with trees after storm damage.

After looking around the garden we had coffee at the hotel and then travelled a little further past Craobh Harbour which had boats to hire before turning into the minor road that runs along the Craignish peninsula. Almost at the tip is a viewpoint with a car park. There is an old jetty

with a ruined building at the top.

It even had some street art inside.

We then settled into the motorhome park at Ardfern.  Ardfern is the largest settlement on the peninsula with a population of 400 plus summer visitors. The inn is thought to have been established in the 1600s or earlier to serve drovers who had ferried their cattle across to Craignish Point from Jura and Islay en route to the markets in Crieff and Falkirk.We hope it will be open for our evening meal tonight.

This morning we awoke to a low tide in Loch Craignish.

The seaweed was very yellow.

There is a church here but services are now held in the community hall and in a nearby parish.

We had coffee at Lucy’s café which also has art and crafts for sale. Nearby is the local book swap in the old phone box.

At the east end of Ardfern is the Yacht Club.

It was looking like a fairly wet day so we treated to the van for the afternoon.