Birdoswald and Hoddom Estate Walks

Some images from our latest walks: at Birdoswald in Northumbria on Tuesday, and today on the Hoddom Estate, Dumfries & Galloway.

 Birdoswald Roman Fort

 Hadrian's Wall

Walk by River Annan

 Golf Course on the Hoddom Estate

Distant views of Hoddom Castle from the Golf Couse

Annan to Newbie Circular Walk August 2012

Rob and I went on a five mile walk today. The walk can be found in the Walking in and around Annan pdf booklet. It is called Barnkirk Point on Page 10, Option B.

It is a flat walk, over rough ground in places. The field part of the walk was extremely wet and muddy, but it is possible to stick to a track instead. Walking shoes or boots recommended.

Leaving the bridge at Annan to start on the walk next to the River Annan...(Click on the photos to see a larger version.)

Boats near Port Annan...shrimping still takes place out at sea. The Port was once a busy emigration point for travellers to the New World in the 18th and 19th centuries. And Robbie Burns was an excise man here.

A field covered in wild flowers at Newbie.

There are two large businesses based in Newbie: Cochran Boilers and Rhodia ChiRex (a pharmaceutical plant), seen below.

Approaching the Solway Firth at Waterfoot, and the site of the old lighthouse. (The wooden lighthouse dated to the 1800s, but burnt down in the 1960s).

Wild flowers and other plants on the beach...

We saw lots of bees, butterflies and other insects. Also lots of sea birds on the shore.

On the track back towards Annan.

This was a very pleasant and quiet walk, just a few dog walkers and cyclists. The best part is seeing all the flora/fauna along the way, and the beautiful views of the sea.

We ended up at the Cafe Royal in Annan for a lunch of egg, chips and beans. It is a good, traditional chip shop. Not a lot of choice for vegetarians, but they also do macaroni and chips, or jacket potatoes with cheese & pickle, egg mayo, or cheese savoury.

Brydekirk to Annan River Walk

Rob and I decided to go for a slightly longer walk today - a six mile circular walk from Brydekirk to Annan along the banks of the River Annan, and back. The directions for the walk can be found on page 14, option C of the Annan Walking Booklet.

 We saw many different bird species, including herons (one shown below), dippers, mallards, goosander (I think!), and the usual smaller birds.

This is the Jubilee Suspension Bridge, one of four bridges along this stretch of the river.

 

There were carpets of wildflowers in the woods and fields along the way. Lots of wood anemones, bluebells, forget-me-nots (below) and more.

 A view of the weir.

 

 

 Approaching Annan.

We stopped in Annan for a coffee and a sit down before starting on the return journey to Brydekirk, on the opposite river bank, passing through the Park in Annan.

 

Hedgerow Series #3

This is Indian Balsam or Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) photographed next to the River Annan at Hoddam, Dumfriesshire, Scotland.

Introduced to the UK in 1839, it is now a troublesome, invasive species, most commonly found along waterways and on waste ground. The photograph below shows an example of the problem along this river. The RHS suggest ways to erradicate it here.