Arbroath

Firstly, the answer to last night's quiz was, a burger, or sausage shape made of black pudding and haggis, normally deep fried in batter. We saw it advertised on the menu in the chip shop in Girvan, and were suprised that one of the locals didn't know what it was when we asked. Tonight, is our 201st blog. We can't believe that it was over two years ago when we owned Marge 1 that Angela wrote a few whords about our travels for our relatives and friends, and now we even have a follower in Germany.

This morning we couldn't believe it, the sun was out, and we were seeing Scotland in a new light.

We had one final place to visit before leaving the area, and that was Dunblane, where John's parents were married in the Cathedral.

After some difficulty registering for the track and trace, we were allowed into the cathedral.

In the chapter house was a roll of honour for world war II, and listed on it were John's mother and her sister. It felt a little surreal to be so close to the family history.

Visit over we set off eastwards. The overnight stop we were heading for at Arbroath was popular, and we wanted to ensure we arrived in good time for a space, which we did.

Below us is the rocky beach, beyond which we can just see Bell Rock Lighthouse, (also known as Inchcape) 11 miles offshore.

On the rocks below the Shags jostle for pole position amongst the laughing seagulls, whilst the Tern's squabble.

The Scottish van parked in front of us amuses us with its selection of stickers. Not sure if the one that reads, 'Warning, if you drive too close, I'll dump the loo' is a possibility. 'Up yer Kilt', might come in handy at some point.

After a late lunch, we walked to the harbour, where we indulged in a gelato. Ever tried Turkish delight ice cream? No, then you must, it's delicious. The smell of smoked fish hung in the air as we walked into the town. Just as we decided we'd had enough of looking around yet another depressing town centre full of shut down businesses, we noticed some old ruins.

We had stumbled upon Abroath abbey, an imposing red sandstone building. We were now high above the town and could see Marge over the rooftops.

This evening looking out at the puffy, blue and white sky, we notice herons in the harbour, at least six of them, a sign there must have been fish a plenty in the shallow water. They were still there when we took our evening walk.

Tomorrow, we will have been away a week. There is just one more place to visit close by and then we must head a little further north.

Before leaving Arbroath we will buy some smokies for our lunch.

Dunblane

Dunblane

Arbroath

Arbroath

Bridge of Allan

Thankfully the rain had abated this morning, and the cloud lifted enough to reveal a carpeted headland of lush green. All in all, a good start to the day. We were hoping the weather would now settle and we would not return to the impenetrable grey of yesterday.

Firing up Marge, we left behind the calm sea, with barely a wave breaking on the shore and set off inland, as the weather was supposed to be better towards the east.

Our destination was Bridge of Allan, where John's mother was born, and spent her younger years before joining the Womens Auxiliary Airforce during the second world war.

Arriving at the town, we firstly sought out Marge's resting place for the night, and then drove out to find Airthrey Castle, where John's grandfather was a gardener, and where John's mother was born in a flat above the stable block.

Then on to Garden Cottage where they moved to when John's grandfather became head gardener.

Sadly, garden cottage was in a state of dilapidation, and although recognisable, looked nothing like the picture which adorned the wall in his father's lounge.

Across from the cottage was a pretty kirk, (church of Scotland). We could only imagine what a charming place it must have been for his mother to grow up.

Then on to the National Wallace Monument with its spiral staircase of 246 steps. John's mother worked here as a girl at the weekends, and before the monument was locked up for the night, she had to climb the steps in the tower to ensure no one would be shut inside.

It was six o' clock, when we arrived, the monument now closed for internal visits, but along with a few other people we took the path up through the trees to gain a closer look. Along the way was a sculpture trail.

The views from the top of Bridge of Allan and Stirling were fantastic.

Tonight, we would like to leave you with a quiz.

What is a Blaggis? 1) A filled bagpipe bag 2) A burger made of black pudding and haggis 3) A Scottish person with black hair.

Answer in tomorrow's blog.

Girvan

A peaceful night last night, despite the falling acorns, so peaceful in fact, that we didn't rise until 10 am. By then most of the other vans had departed, including one owned by a large woman and her very thin hen-pecked husband, who she constantly had running about outside with a bucket in hand. Poor man, not so much a Bonnie Prince Charlie, more a Bonnie Prince Bucket. We never saw the wife, only her large pants billowing in the wind like a large white windsock.

The weather not so good, we departed ourselves around 12 noon, hoping to drive towards an improving picture.

Our first stop was Monreith, where John spent a few holidays as a child.

Then we moved along the coast to Port William where we stopped for lunch and took a walk. The skies cleared a little as we drove up the coast passing the ferry ports for Northern Island. Upon reaching the town of Girvan, we stocked up on food at Asda, Angela impressed at how the man at the checkout handled her avocados with great care.

Our overnight stop is at Girvan harbour along with around fifteen other vans, overlooking the beach, and with the island of Ailsa Craig directly in front of us. After a video call from home, we braved the drizzle and walked out for a while stopping to view the Stumpie Towe, part of the old town jail.

Then we purchased fish and chips from an Italian run fish and chip shop and returned to Marge where Angela cracked open the Sangria, well we are on us holidays, as they say up north.

Tomorrow we will take stock of the long-term weather forecast for Scotland, and decide if we need to alter our course to find the better weather.