Colvend - A model community

I recently found this wonderful archive on the Internet. There is lots of historic information on the area, this is a link to it:
Internet Archive - Texts

Below is an excerpt from 

Transactions and journal of the proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society

from the 1892 - 93 session, it makes for fascinating reading. Here is a link to it if you want to read more: Transactions and Journals of the Proceedings of the Dumfrieshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society

Below I have included a section on the Parish of Colvend which included Kippford and Rockcliffe. 

Nowadays the name Colvend is generally held to refer to a village and not the Parish. (Although it is still the Parish of Colvend). The village we know as Colvend was originally the village of Loch End as it clustered around the Southern end of White Loch. You can still see the building that used to be the Smithty, a single story, simple barn like building that stands gable on to the road (A710). It is now used as a garage for the appropriately named Forge Cottage.

It gives a wonderful insight into the history of the area and suggests that the Parish of Colvend should be a model for other Parishes and Districts. Happy reading!

Colvend differs from the majority of parishes, which, as a 

rule, are divided, and belong to a few individuals. In many 
cases a single individual owns the whole. In Colvend it is 
different. At the beginning of the time with which my paper is
concerned, the parish was divided into eighteen or nineteen 
properties, owned by as many proprietors or heritors. One of 
these properties, the Barony of Barcloy, was held in trust by the 
Kirk Session of Caerlaverock, for the poor of Caerlaverock, and 
for the higher education of the children of Caerlaverock. This 
gave rise to the witticism, "The poor of Caerlaverock are the 
lairds of Couen." Of the eighteen or nineteen properties into 
which the parish is divided, two of the larger — Fairgirth and 
Auchenskeooli have changed hands, and to the former Meikle- 
cloak has been added, to the latter Glensone and Ryes. Glen- 
stocken, the property of Mr Carrick Moore, near relative of Sir 
John Moore, the hero of Corunna, was purchased by the late 
Mark Sprot Stewart of Southwick, and is now owned by his son. 
Sir Mark J. Stewart, Bart. Kipp was acquired by purchase 
from the Crosbie family, by Mr Chalmers, the present proprietor. 
Auchenhill and Orchardknowes are owned by Lord Young, and 
Clonyard by Mr M'Call. In other respects properties in the 
parish, considered I'elatively to the number of owners, and to 
the size of the properties, continue unchanged. The number of 
landed proprietors is still nearly the .same. 

The estates and properties vary much in size and value. In 
one or two instances the rental touches or did touch, a few years 
ago, £2000. In others it ranges between £200 and £800, and 
in some instances it comes down to £50, £30, and even less. 
To me this gradation in ownership has always seemed pleasing, 
and in many respects desirable, and in this respect I have often 
considei'ed Colvend unique. I know no other parish similarly 
circumstanced as to ownership. Inseparably, indeed, connected 
with the ownership of the land are the tenantry or tenant farmers 
of a parish The tenant farmers of Colvend, like the proj)rietors, 
rent and occupy farms of varying size, and of rents varying 
according to the size and value of their holdings. Some of the 
farms in the parish are wholly agricultural, but many have 
attached to them portions of moorland or hill pasture, and in 
one or two instances the hill and moorland pasture constitutes 
the more valuable portion of the farm. The rents vary from 
£100 to £200 and £300, and in one instance runs up to £600, 
but this inchides two farms, one of which is known as what is 
called a led farm. The others graduate down to £50 or £40. 
These latter are tenanted in many cases by those who in their 
early life were farm servants, or day labourers, who have been  
industrious and saving, and were able to begin farming in a 
small way, and on their own account. From these latter not 
unfrequently spring the men who rent the largest and best 
cultivated farms in the district. This also is a feature character- 
istic of Colvel^d, and which I should gladly see extended to other 
parishes and districts. 

Kippford: it's history as shipbuilding village

It's been a busy Summer here on the Colvend Coast with record temperatures in July. I guess I must apologise for blog post's being thin on the ground but I hope you will forgive us. There is so much to do around here that we haven't had a spare moment to post. What we do have is lots of material written, in the wings so to speak, and we will be posting it at intervals over the coming weeks.

For all those who haven't managed to visit us in person this Summer here is a virtual visit you can make from the keyboard of your computer. A little web tour through the maritime history of this fascinating coast.

Following Kippford Week sailing Regatta (you can go to the Solway Yacht Club website here for results: The Solway Yacht Club website. It's a handy site to bookmark as they have the weather forecast for Kippford and Rockcliffe on the home page) my thoughts turned to the sailing history of this stretch of coast and so I did a bit of research.

A fascinating resource on the history of the area is the Dalbeattie Museum Trust (www.dalbeattiemuseum.co.uk) so it seemed like a good place to start. The Dalbeattie Museum is run entirely by volunteers on charitable donations and is well worth a visit. It is loved by children and adults alike. You can find it at 81, High Street, Dalbeattie and it provides an amazing glimpse into life along the Solway Coast in days gone by.

Their website has a page on Harbours and Quays from Solway Firth to Dalbeattie and it makes for interesting reading. To quote from their web page:

Rockcliffe

This area was first known as "Red Bay", until 1964. Originaly a very quiet place until some houses were built, then it became a holiday resort for people out of Glasgow. There was never a jetty or quay here, as the beach was to rocky to land any vessels.

Rockcliffe courtesy of Dalbeattie Museum website.
 http://www.dalbeattiemuseum.co.uk/stories/harbours-and-quays-from-solway-firth-to-dalbeattie/

Kippford

Kippford was a place that many ships were built in the Cummings yard. He employed 8 shipwrights and 4 apprentices. The apprentices were housed in the cottages along the front at Kippford. On a launch day the children from Barnbarroch School were given the day off. All the ship building in Kippford was done out in the open air. In the early days the ships were built side-on to the river beside Whim Cottage, later they were built on the slipway. A steam box used to steam the planks of wood for fitting to the bows and stern of a vessel, was located next to the road beside the village water pump. Next to this pump could also be found a saw-pit where planks were cut, there was also a tar kettle. The workers in the yards religiously upheld the daily visit to the hotel as soon as the sun got over the yard arm. They each had an allowance of whiskey twice a day There was also a stone jetty which was used to load and unload cargoes for the Quarry at Kippford. This is now used by the Yacht Club at Kippford. 

The vessels were loaded with chippings for Lancashire and as late as World War 2 the Caledonian Granite Company was shipping granite out of this area. Prior to 1887 the Dalbeattie road ended beside the Mariner Hotel. A large rock blocked the road to Kippford. People had to walk along the beach or up over the hill if the tide was in. 1881 was when this rock was blasted to make a through road. Mr Cumming sail loft was used as a dance hall, usually after a ships launch. Mrs Agnes Houston of Brownrigg, Dumfries, was a lady who liked to organise events for the crews of schooners lying at the port. She also organised sculling and rowing races for sailors in 1885 and presented prizes of tobacco, knives and money. This led to the Kippford Regatta we have today in Kippford, held every year. After Mr Cumming death the yard was taken over by Mr Collins from Birkenhead, who ran it for several years till the outbreak of the war in 1914. No ships were built in Mr Collins time but in his time of owning the yard, he was to install a motor engine into local schooner called the North Barrule, during the summer of 1909.

Regatta day at Kippford courtesy of Dalbeattie Museum website. http://www.dalbeattiemuseum.co.uk/stories/harbours-and-quays-from-solway-firth-to-dalbeattie/

The webpage starts it's journey at Caulkerbush (Southwick) and describes each port along the coast along to Palnackie. To read the full text go to: http://www.dalbeattiemuseum.co.uk/stories/harbours-and-quays-from-solway-firth-to-dalbeattie/

Another excellent source of information on the maritime history of the area is to be found on the Dalbeattie Town website (www.dalbeattie.com).  They have a page on the history of Kippford which you can access in full here: http://www.dalbeattie.com/history/kipphist.htm

Their section on ship building at Kippford reads:

There had been boat repair at Kippford for a long time, but in the early 1800s there was construction of small sloops on the shore. By 1860, this was successful enough for Mr. James Cumming to take over some gardens and a section of the beach and to construct a ship, - the Try Again - over some seven years. She was followed by the construction of the Balcary Lass in 1881; the Balcary Lass was lost in 1883 on a voyage from Goole to St. John's, Newfoundland, whilst carrying coals; it is possible that the coal caught fire, as the ship was in good order.

Because of the steep and narrow beach, ships to be repaired were floated sideways onto the beach and then winched onto blocks. This launching system meant that re-launching was also sideways, a difficult procedure that once nearly damaged a newly-repaired schooner. The Cummings then laid down a proper slipway, with a cradle onto which ships could be drawn. Once in place, a capstan winch ashore could draw cradle and ship up the well-greased slipway for repairs, then assist in the careful re-launching.

The slipway was finally disposed of about 1914, as the level of shipping declined. James and his brother John Cumming died, the lease was taken over by Mr. Collins of Birkenhead, but the business dwindled to small boat repair and ended in the 1920s.

There are still many prints of the old ships of the Urr in the 'Anchor Hotel', which was actually the shipbuilders' pub. They received a dram of whiskey twice a day as well as three shillings (36 old pence or 15p.), per day in wages. This was at a time when ordinary labourers received barely half that sum. The publican used to cover the benches in newspaper, as the shipbuilders' clothes were well-tarred from their work.
There is still a small recessed slip, but this is not on the line of the slipway, which was slightly farther to the north. However, the Kippford Slipway Ltd., though largely a boat-chandlers, does keep up some of the old tradition.

My final port of call is the wonderful website Old Kirkcudbright - Glimpses into the history of an ancient Parish and Burgh. You can access it here: www.old-kirkcudbright.net

This site is a marvel and is described as "An Internet Browse Through the History Topography and Genealogy of the Ancient Parish and Burgh of Kirkcudbright" - The material is taken from a selection of contemporary books, magazines, documents, maps, illustrations and ephemera. I love to just dip in and browse, I always find something new to intrigue me about the area. The section on Kippford is a mine of information, and far too long to include here, but I recommend you follow this link: www.old-kirkcudbright.net/pages/scaur1.asp

I love this opening quote "I have visited many villages in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but never have I come across one that could satisfy my longings in every respect, as does the Scaur with its more modern name of Kippford. True it is a place of moods and tenses. When the Estuary of the Urr is in full tide, on whose banks the village stands, and the golden sun is shining on its waters the visitor may think it a perfect paradise." 

The site describes the history and industry of the village as well as the Urr Water Fleet and has some excellent yarns of long distance voyages, shipwrecks and fine old skippers...and there are some evocative old photographs... it's well worth a visit!

Kippford: Sailing vessel crossing the road on the slipway
(Source: www.old-kirkcudbright.net - The Stewartry Museum Collection)

Enjoy your virtual visit to the maritime history of this beautiful coastline...

Making the most of a snowy weekend

This week-end has been a real treat: Being at sea level we don't usually get much snow along the Colvend Coast and so  we got out there and enjoyed it!

Although areas over higher ground had more, in Kippford, Rockcliffe and Sandyhills we had about 6 inches of lying snow with drifts to around a foot high. On Friday we were snowed in after heavy, constant snowfall throughout the day but, not to be deterred (and having an impatient collie reminding us it was time for 'walkies') we got togged up and walked along a snow covered, almost traffic free A710, then out over the sands at low tide. It was bracing to say the least but very exhilarating. We felt a bit like Scott in the Antarctic as on the return we were walking into biting winds and falling snow but hot chocolate and a good movie curled up on the sofa afterwards made a great reward.

Saturday was overcast and felt very cold due to the strong winds but as the roads had cleared a bit we just wrapped up warm and snug and headed out for RSPB Mersehead.

Due, no doubt, to a desperate search for food we had good views of Snipe, Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrushes, Blackbirds and of course the geese. This video clip shows a very excited collie on the beach enjoying the expanse of virgin snow. Yes, it was pretty windy but not nearly so bad as the sound on the video clip suggests!

On Sunday things were very different, the roads were clear and we had a bright sunny day so a walk around Rockcliffe was in order. Here are a few of the photos!

Very artistic!

The glorious yellow and coconut/vanilla scent of the Gorse contrasted beautifully with the crisp snow and blue skies and made a memorable sight.

The snow doing it's best to blanket the Gorse blooms

Rockcliffe beach doing a good impersonation of a Christmas card

The dogs had a great time racing around on the beach but poor Hamish (a Sproodle puppy) had problems with snow balling up in his fur so had to be carried home for an early bath!

Looking across to Rough Island with Rascarrel in the background

One of the great things about walking the dogs in the snow is that instead of having to wash off mussy paws or brush sand out of long coats they come back clean and sweet smelling. Just a brisk rub with a towel and they're done.

Walking in the snow is soooooooooooo exhausting!

However, it's not been good for everyone this weekend. I know that there will be many people across the region, especially those living further West in places like New Galloway and Newton Stewart, gnashing their teeth reading this, as roads have been closed and many homes have been without power. Our sympathy goes out to them as they have has a difficult time (particularly those caring for livestock which is never easy in deep snow). Also birds and wildlife will have suffered. We have reports of a Little Egret casualty along the frozen shores around Kirkcudbright Bay which is a real shame. 

Here along the the Colvend Coast we were lucky to have just enough snow to make it picturesque, so we got out there and made the most of it. It's thawing rapidly now and the roads are clear with traffic moving easily so it's back to normal!

© All images and video subject to copyright - not to be reused, copied or altered without written permission

A great walk for spectacular views: Mark Hill, Rockcliffe

Spring is here so it's time to dust of your walking boots and get out there.

We highly recommend this walk to guests at the start of their stay, especially if they are new to the Colvend Coast, as it gives you a really great view of the local area so you can orientate yourself.

Mark Hill Walk - Forestry Commission Scotland

Kippford and the Urr Estuary From Mark Hill

Time  - allow about 25 min's each way and time to take in the view.

Distance Approx 2 Miles

Shoes - sturdy, comfortable.

Difficulty - Moderate, A short walk on forestry paths but rough terrain and steep, rocky path up and down Mark Hill. Path made up of gravel road, wood chip, rocks, boulders. Muddy in Winter

Why do it - Amazing view

Rockcliffe and Castle Hill Point from Mark Hill

Start: From Rockcliffe car park turn left down the road (footpath) and walk down the hill towards the beach. Follow the road and go about threequarters of the way around the curve of the bay.

  Where a lane joins the road at a 90º angle, turn right (signposted to Barons Craig Hotel) and then left at the T junction towards the Barons Craig Hotel (closed this year for maintenance ). 

Walk along the path flanked by stone walls until you come to a 5 bar gate and clearing in the woods.

Here you have four other path choices, you need to take the third exit. First left takes you to the Mote of Mark, second left (straight on) is the Jubilee Path to Kippford. Take the next path which is a gravelled forestry road (3rd Exit ) to the left of this road there is a Forestry Information Board with the Mark Hill Walk outlined on it. This walk detailed on the board is longer and two miles from this point. Great for the more energetic.

Forest Path opening out at Mark Hill

Walk up the Forestry Road about 4 min's (few hundred yards) and at the blue marker on the left turn left  again on a forestry road. As I write this there is a lot of work being done on these roads  but the work should be completed soon. Please adhere to all route closures and diversions for your own safety.

Blue Forestry Marker and Path to Mark Hill

Walk up this hill for about 10mins and you will see a small path leading in to the forest. Turn left at blue marker in to the Fir trees

A beautiful February Day

The path starts to get a bit rocky and a bit of a pull but you will soon be rewarded by the view.

West to Glen Isle

At the top of the hill follow the plateau to the left (South) and it will start to go downhill. This path is quite rocky so take care. Once at the bottom you join the Jubilee Path and can turn left back to Rockcliffe and the car park or right towards Kippford.

Jubilee Path towards Rockcliffe

 All photographs copyright - © L Birdsall, Millbrae House

Happy Birthday to the Rock-Ford Files

It came as a huge surprise that, as of 11 Feb, we have been writing the Rock-Ford Files - Kippford and Rockcliffe blog for one whole year... so I hope you will join me in singing 'Happy Birthday' to the blog!

This iconic wee cutie is seen regularly at Millbrae House or Riverview Lodge by guests. Red Squirrels seem to love it around the Colvend Coast and we are understandably proud that they choose to live here. (Could be something to do with the well stocked nut ad seed feeders)

It seemed that we should mark the occassion in some way so I thought I would change the type face to a more modern one and report on the success of the blog and key milestones

The blog now has 15 followers (Hello to you all and thank you for following, please encourage your friends and family to follow suit) and is read by lots of others on an ocasional basis world wide... YES! world wide, as this latest breakdown of recent readers shows.

United Kingdom	39
United States	14
China	2
Germany	2
France	1
Russia	1
Sweden	1
Ukraine	1

This came as a (very pleasant) surprise to us as we thought that interest would be mainly from the UK. So a very special 'hello', hi y'all, 你好, привет, bonjour, guten tag, Hallå, Привіт to anyone reading from outside the UK. 

We are all-so celebrating another milestone. We have just hit 4000 page views and averaged over 330 visits a month!

Over the past year we posted 48 posts on a wide range of subjects from walks, recipes and events to concerts, local celebrities and charity fund raising, which included some lovely images of the area, who knows what we will be writing about this year? 

Mersehead Sands with the dune system in the foreground and Castle Point, Rockcliffe in the distance.

Our aim this year is to achieve at least one post per week (as you can imagine things slide a little around out busiest times of year) and we have some interesting and informative ideas in the pipeline including more local walks, recipes and events.

With 2013 being the Year of Natural Scotland and 2014 being Homecoming Scotland we have plenty of scope and are looking forward to welcoming lots of new visitors to the area!

Looking North from the peak of Screel.

If you have any thoughts on the blog, would like to contribute to a post or simply get in touch please do, it would be great to hear from you.

Best wishes
The Editor

NOTE: All images are copyrighted. Not for use or publication without written permission.

Spring Fling Round Up along the Colvend Coast

Memories of Spring Fling 2012

Part 1.

For those of you who were unable to do the rounds at this years Spring Fling we sent out our team of trusty local correspondents who shared their opinions with us. Here is just a taste of the 57 Spring Fling artists who opened their studios.  With the blog having a Rockcliffe and Kippford focus, these are the artists and studios easiest to access from our villages, we would love to have travelled further afield across the region but there's always next year! 


Phillipa Sinclair: Colvend Village Hall
My first visit of this years Spring Fling was to our very own Philipa Sinclair who lives in Rockcliffe. Philipa's signature colour palette was much in evidence as was the European influences on her work. Philipa's paintings, which also include many local scenes and motifs are bold and vibrant and I noticed that she had done some exciting designs on fabrics and cushions which I had not seen before. 

Philippa Sinclair's work displayed at Colvend Village Hall

Philippa, never afraid to experiment, had also achieved some wonderful effects with subtle metallic highlights in some of her work. However, the paintings which really caught my eye, and that of several other visitors, were several exquisitely simple flower studies. Confident and graphic yet conversely subtle and delicate they reminded me of Japanese flower studies and I so wished I could have taken them home with me.
Philippa's website
Philippa is currently exhibiting at Castle Douglas Library Hall until the end of the month.

Phil Mcmenemy: The Gallery, Lauriston
I was introduced to the work of, Twitter addict, Phil at the CatStrand earlier in the year and fell in love with his almost abstract botanic studies so I was keen to see a larger body of his work and hot footed it over to his delightful gallery. The gallery is a converted Galloway barn and with it's simple white walls, slate floor and exposed beams is an ideal gallery space in which to showcase Phil's stunning prints. I was like a kid in a sweet shop, there are so many evocative views and landscapes. Being reared on the Narnia Chronicles, The Little White Horse and Tolkien, Phil's woodland scenes take me straight back to the lands of myth and legend to a time when they were populated by faerie folk. I fell in love with a large black and white print of a close up of the muzzle of gorgeous Galloway cow but it was a bit large to smuggle out under my coat (and I am sure Phil can run faster than me!)

Phil Mcmenemy teamed up with local songwriter and musician Zoe Bestel for Spring Fling on Friday afternoon

The afternoon turned out to be a rare treat as my visit coincided with an unplugged set by local musical phenomenon 14 year old singer/songwriter Zoe Bestel. Zoe, who accompanies her haunting lyrics with a ukulele, sat surrounded by an entranced and very appreciative audience in the corner of Phil's studio and played a selection of her own work and a couple of inspirational cover versions. As I joined the queue to buy her latest single I was touched by her natural confidence and easy way with people. I am sure we will all be seeing and hearing a lot more from her. We are delighted to be told that Zoe's "Just Another Girl" has been short listed to win a Young Song Writers’ Competition. The competition is held annually and is run by an Anti-violence Against Women team here in our local region of Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland You can hear her song and vote here  Just Another Girl

As if the afternoon hadn't been memorable enough I can't fail to mention the awesome afternoon tea and cakes in the Lauriston Village Hall. A choice of three cakes selected from a whole A4 sheet list and either coffee or tea. This must surely be heaven! Thank you ladies.


Phil's website

John Threlfall: Rockcliffe Gallery
No Spring Fling is complete for us without a visit to see John's work. John, deservedly voted Bird Artist of the Year 2007, also lives in Rockcliffe so can often be seen out and about, particularly at the RSPB Mersehead Reserve where he gets lots of inspiration. 

John Threlfall at work at the Rockcliffe Gallery on Sunday morning

Two things struck me at John's show this year: first there was an interesting mix of media with some exiting new work using both oil pastels and acrylic paints. Two paintings in particular used this to great effect, Puffins and Eider Ducks, both of which John has had made into very accessible giclee prints. The second was the stronger use of colour. Influenced by the local landscape John's earlier work adopted a more muted palette but since his visit to a Tiger Sanctuary in India where he painted the local wildlife, his palette includes stronger bolder colours giving his work a new edge. His signature bird studies were much in evidence and sadly for me (but fantastic for John) my favourite painting of two Lapwings sold to his first visitor on the first day of Spring Fling. I did not go away empty handed though. Being unable to chose between the strong graphic image of a Tern in water colour or the detailed subtlety of two Rooks executed in pastel I solved the conundrum by buying them both!


John's website

Christine Smith: Barnbarroch Pottery, Barnbarroch
The creative talents of Christine Smith are showcased at this working pottery which once housed the local school. Christine's unique style and quirky humour produce some fascinating and distinctive pieces which seem to draw on local influences and medieval bestiaries in equal measure. The shop glows as the lights reflect the subtle pigments and glossy glazes of the pieces ranging from simple domestic ware to complex and monumental flights of fancy. On Monday afternoon the pottery car park was jam packed, a tribute to the wide appeal and enduring popularity of Christines work. The pottery is open all year round and has a shop where Christines work can be viewed and purchased.


The Barnbarroch Pottery website

Spring Fling is planned from the 25th to 27th May. Part two of Memories of Spring Fling will be posted soon.

When the cats are away, the mice play....

... and it's certainly true when you have a holiday lodge or holiday cottage. However, I would not call it playing, unless you count donning pinny and rubber gloves and wielding a mop playing? (Dressing up, maybe?) The quieter times of the year, when the cats are away,  have to be seized upon by we, little mice, (well perhaps not so little as I would like to be in some areas?) for those essential maintenance jobs or the big Spring clean. 

We usually do the big Spring Clean just after Xmas as when the weather is not to be relied on as much, the indoor jobs are ideal. So, in addition to the good clean that the lodge gets between each changeover: every rug, pillow, cushion, mattress topper and duvet gets Spring cleaned, the kitchen and bathroom are scrubbed and sanitized to within an inch of it's life and the stove gets a good black leading; Every nook and cranny is scrubbed, dusted or polished; All electrical equipment is checked, new batteries go in the smoke alarms and clocks; and any repairs or refurbishment is carried out. It's a time to update the DVD collection, refresh the book selection, replace things that have got damaged or worn as a result of ongoing use or just ring the changes with a new cushion, throw or picture. (I just can't resist!)

The outside jobs have to wait till the weather is more reliable so I usually grab the opportunity just after Easter. This is why this last week has seen me on my knees (Groan!) sanding the balcony and giving it a fresh new coat of Old English Green (Sorry, they did not do an Old Scottish Green) deck paint. I've also mown the lawns, cleaned and painted the gutters, trimmed back the more enthusiastic shrubs and declared war on the brambles (ouch!).  So yes, I guess I deserve a sit down, a slice of cake and a cup of coffee.

On the less onerous side, I've been out and bought new Geraniums, my favourite bloom, for the planters and stocked up on all the eco friendly cleaning materials and supplies. I love the bright fresh colours of the Geraniums and their earthy scent, they have such a distinctive leaf and really look great in planters. In keeping with the 'Little House on the Prairie' inspiration I use for the lodge we use galvanised pails for planters. I like to think of it as a contemporary take on Homstead charm. The theme is continued in jaunty, checked curtains, rag rugs, cream iron bedsteads, an antique pine linen press, willow baskets and stripped wood floorboards.

These wonderful Violas looked lovely on the deck at Riverview Lodge last year and the galvanised pail planters are in keeping with the 'Little House on the Prarie' homestead feel of the cedar cabin.

In keeping with the sustainability and eco friendliness of a timber lodge we now use all eco-friendly cleaning products and washing up liquid such as Ecover wherever possible. The only thing I can't find is an eco-friendly  washing powder in tablet form so we supply non-bio washing tabs for our guests. If anyone knows of an eco friendly version I would live to hear from them.


My next task is to give the wooden deck a scrub and an antifungal treatment to keep it it top top condition. There is a Cherry tree at the end of the deck which provides dappled shade in summer, cherries for the birds and wildlife in Autumn and has glorious blossom in spring, however it drops its pits and stalks on the deck so I have to go around and scrape out all the grooves before I start scrubbing. This is why this week I look like I am doing an impersonation of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and feel about 20 years older!

How I look forward to a hot bath at the end of the day!

All quiet on the Western front?

... but not on the Solway Coast today as our brave boys are put through their paces. 


There is a huge military exercise going on at the moment so, any of you out there will an interest in all things Army, Royal Navy and RAF, need to get on down to Dumfries & Galloway PDQ. 


I am told there are over 1600 troops (one report says around 2000) involved so it's pretty intense. Apparently  they are involved in a war simulation between the fictional countries of Pastonia and Dragonia and the British troops need to parachute in to regain peace.


"These troops will spend the next week simulating the kind of international emergency they may be required to help resolve. Operations in Afghanistan may be winding up, but our troops still have to be in a constant state of readiness. Dragonia may not be a real war, but this training could be vital in preparing our soldiers for the next world conflict wherever it occurs." (Source: ITV News)
For more info and video clips from ITV News click here

Helicopter off Sandyhills Beach earlier today  (Think it's a Merlin but don't quote me?)

Whilst preparing the lodge for guests, the other day, I looked up and saw a truck and a huge gun (OK, so I'm not an expert) dangling in the sky above. Makes a change from the usual Buzzard or Goose I suppose. Just hope those ropes are well knotted!


There looks to be some kind of command post set up at Port o' Warren, on the cliffs near Port Ling, and Chinook, Merlin and Apache helicopters have been seen swooping around the coast around Kippford, Rockcliffe and Sandyhills. Friends up Loch Ken have seen them as well, all very exciting and very Apocalypse Now. 


It's certainly added to the excitement and set the pulse racing (helicopters have that effect on me) but I will be glad when all returns to it's usual peaceful, tranquil state. (Any of you boys fancy a cup of tea and a chocolate Hob Nob just pop in and say hello!)

It's blooming well Spring!

After a stressful day of thrashing around Tescos and crashing away at my poor computer I felt I deserved a treat so around 17.30 donned my walking boots, scooped up Murphy the Wonder Dog and parked up at Colvend Village Hall car park.


The air was balmy, the sky blue and the sun dipping towards the West. With a wag of an enthusiastic Collie tail we set off along the track to the Eastern end of Dalbeattie Forest that runs alongside White Loch and on to Clonyard Loch. 


Not a Crossbill in sight which was unusual but the Green Woodpeckers were making thier presence known with their distinctive Yaffle (call). There seem to be a good number about this year, I've heard them in Kippford, Sandyhills and Colvend this week. Far more around than usual - a very good sign!


As it was late we kept it short and looped around Smithland Hill and back to the car park.


The whole walk was a joy, due to the display of Spring flowers we spotted along the way... hope you enjoy them too.

Ended with Blossom back at Colvend Village Hall