Scotland is our destination on this adventure and it is to the small town of Lochmaben where we end up.

A thistle. Lochmaben in Scotland

Our journey takes us up the new M6 extension through the area previously known as the Cumberland gap and onto the A74(m).

We waited until the middle of the afternoon to venture out so the temperatures were a little cooler and we could enjoy our adventures.

At Lockerbie we turned left and onto the A709 to Lochmaben and entered the town with the Annandale Sailing Club to our left on the edge of Castle Loch.

Charlie stands on the path at Lochmaben Castle in Scotland

Turning left again onto the B7020 took us around the top of Castle Loch and towards our initial destination of Lochmaben Castle, grid NY 088 811.

Our approach to the castle was down a very dusty farm track full of potholes and with grass growing down the centre at times.  Dad wondered if he had taken an incorrect turning however, after passing through a farm gate and negotiating a sharp left bend the road widened with the castle infront of us.

Buster finds some grass ...

Three or four parking spaces were available here in front of a sign ‘Bird Hide’ and a narrow path.

A larger car park is available further down the track past the castle, but no signs indicated this as this stage.

Charlie was first out of the car and started to explore all of the new smells.  Either side of the track grew grasses and lush green vegetation.

Charlie sits at the waters edge contemplating

Fresh long grass is fantastic and I love to eat it. I am not sure why, as mum gives us some great varieties of food, but like a fine wine for you humans, long blades of natural grass is seen as a luxury, as we don’t have much of it in our garden.

Lochmaben Castle lies in ruins today, however you can manage to get amongst the outer walls of this former Royal residence. It was granted royal castle status in 1455.

The first stronghold on this site was built around 1300 and was built by Edward I

With a commanding view, now mostly obscured by trees and other vegetation, of Castle Loch, it is quite easy to see why this site was chosen as a position of influence and status.

A cool dip in Castle Loch. Lochmaben

From the main car park we follow one of the paths down the gentle bank and onto a sandy inlet.  Charlie can smell the water and eagerly pulls at his lead as he picks his way between tree stumps and assorted shrubbery.

He waits our arrival before we both run into the cool water for a drink and a paddle.

The gaps are just too wide...

Ahead of us are the boats of the sailing club, to our left is the town and over to our right some swans bask in the early evening sunshine as they cruise majestically over the water.

The path seems to come to an end here, so we return to where we parked the car and to the path that leads to the bird hide.

Narrow and not well trodden would be the best way to describe this path as it snaked it’s way towards the Loch.  Tall grasses and reeds punctured the air above our path obstructing any view we may have had of our surroundings.

Charlie looks out over Castle Loch. Lochmaben

After a few hundred metres the grass path gave way to a boardwalk similar to the one we experienced at Finglandrigg Moss a few months ago. However, unlike that one this had the boards just spaced that little bit further apart and lacked the mesh covering that saved our legs from falling between the planks. We had to be very careful as our legs could have become trapped our broken if we missed a step.

Taking a gamble at a split in the boardwalk, we chose the path to the left and were rewarded with the sight of the bird hide standing high on stilts ahead.

Buster stands guard.

Charlie quickly worked out how he could take advantage of the hide and standing on one of the wooden benches surveyed the area whilst I took the easier option by looking through the doorway.

With our tummies now rumbling and the light starting to fade we returned to the car and drove to a car park closer to the town centre.

Robert the Bruce in front of the Town Hall

Parking this time just behind the town’s war memorial, we walked in to town past the church and down a very wide straight road towards the town hall.

Standing proud overlooking our approach is a monument to Robert the Bruce.  Some confusion exists as to the towns claim to be the home of this Scottish legend, however what seems to be clear is that the Bruce family were Lords of Annandale so were very powerful in the area.

One story on the internet indicates that Robert was born in Lochmaben Castle and following defeat in battle, sought shelter in a cave and came upon a spider…. the rest of the story is they say the stuff of legend and folklore.

Fish and chips in the park.

A carved wooden seat. Lochmaben in Scotland

All good adventures should have a picnic and after purchasing sausage and chips from a shop just behind the town hall, we returned to a grassed park area sloping down to the Loch not far from where the car was parked, to eat them.

Why is it that outdoor food just tastes fantastic.  A cool drink, from the bottle of fresh water mum was carrying, washed everything down and we thought our adventures were over for the day as we headed in the direction of the car.

Wood Carving. Lochmaben in Scotland

The entrance to the car park featured a large swan carved into an old log.

Whilst were were looking at it a local resident mentioned that more carvings were on display along a nearby path.

Great, a new adventure and we hurried off towards the vehicular access ramp to the car park.

A fallen tree turned into a work of art.

Leading away from the car park, in the direction of the Castle and with the Loch to our left we followed what appeared to be a recently installed trail level through woodlands.

One of the first carvings we came upon was this heron.   No details seem to have been provided about this trail or who has done the artworks unless we missed the information boards.

Even a fallen tree has seen the creative chainsaw action, as it is turned into a carved tree.

Castle Loch, Lochmaben

This path seemed ideal for a wheelchair or buggy and with the canopy of the trees forming a shade, reasonably cool.

Every few hundred meters a jetty sticks out from the path towards the cool water of the Castle Loch.

The Loch it seems is one of Britain’s top fisheries holding three Scottish records for the fish caught.

Charlie enjoys his walk around Castle Loch, Lochmaben

Dad did not venture any further along this jetty.  He thought that the left hand side of it did not look too stable however, he did think it made for a good photograph.

Oh Charlie …

As if on cue and always towards the end of a walk the cry of ‘Oh Charlie’ went up from mum and dad.

To the right is a picture of the fine looking fellow just moments before he went trampling through some tall grass that edged the path.

Charlie gets covered in grass pollen

Like smoke billowing from a steam train pollen cascaded from the assorted grasses and into the air surrounding the panting Charlie.

He got covered with tiny grains of dust and seeds.  It went everywhere and as mum had hold of my lead it was up to dad to clean him off.

This seemed a good idea until dad started to sneeze, and sneeze and sneeze …..

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.