Caerlaverock Castle

In the Lake District this morning we awoke to low cloud and persistent rain. By the time we'd driven near to Carlisle the weather broke, and a blue sky splintered the grey clouds. Shortly after, we crossed the border into Scotland 'Welcome to Scotland Marge' or 'Failte gu Alba'.

Fittingly, just as we passed the turning to Gretna Green, The Proclaimers song I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) came on the radio and Marge bowled along the beautifully maintained pothole free road happily to the tune.

But no, life was not exciting enough for Marge. Turn left down this single-track road and throw into the mix a low bridge. Here we go again, we'd thought we'd left all this behind in Europe. Last night Marge, we said nothing too adventurous, let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

By lunchtime we had arrived at our overnight stop, a pretty parking area amongst the trees near Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries and Galloway.

Through the trees we catch glimpses of the Solway Firth. The sun was out, and as we enjoyed our lunch, we were glad we'd adopted a new approach to our travels. Drive less and see more.

Caerlaverock Castle is an impressive three-sided medieval castle, constructed of red stone with a distinctive moat. The walk to it through the castle woods was tranquil with the birdsong being the only disturbance. We sat for a while on a grass bank overlooking the castle, and chatted to a member of staff. She said her favourite castle was the one at Corfe in Dorset, coincidentally Angela loves it as well.

Our return walk afforded fantastic views across the Solway Firth. Cumulus clouds puffed above the steam train of mountains.

This evening we expect a few more vans to arrive, as this is one of the few stops that has water and waste facilities in the area. Marge is nestled under an oak tree, and we know during the night we will be showered with falling acorns, but we don't mind, however, we can't speak for Marge.