Dumfries and Galloway 1 - Caerlaverock Castle /Castle Aire /watching folks to see if they pay

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Gabby the motorhome is parked up on a free aire near to Caerlaverock Castle . This is a bit of a novelty . As a country we are far behind Europe providing facilities for cheap or free overnight stops for motorhomes. We are still a caravan nation and campsites seem to be the order of the day . Not for us . We dont need the electricity nor do we need the facilities . This site with its hardstanding , drinking water taps, grey waste disposal and a place to get rid of the cassette toilet waste is all we need. It is situated partway between Caerlaverock Castle and Glencaple . A hint of its beginnings there . Caple perhaps a corruption of the welsh word capel - a chapel . Caerlaverock from the welsh word for fort- Caer . The rest a corruption from Llwyarth or even the scottish word for a skylark .We have the road to one side of us and the reed marshes of the River Nith and the Solway Firth to the other side . It is quiet at the moment with just a handful of vans parked up. Each obeying the 4 metre gap . How long that will remain remains to be seen. I headed for the noticeboard . Please put your money for water or waste disposal in the honesty box . Please pay for an overnight stay in the box too. I put a few pounds in the box . The coins clattered loudly as they hit the box . I then realised that I should have filled in the envelope provided with what I was doing on the site, how many nights I was staying and what I had visited. I added a few more coins and a thankyou note for such a lovely facility . A few came in and drove out . A few parked up and paid nothing to stay . That annoyed me very much . We went out for a walk along the shoreline . A couple from Pembrokeshire were outside talking . They were still talking when we got back . A couple sat outside enjoying the late afternoon sun . No midges to contend with which was a blessing .

So how had Gabby ended up here in Dumfries and Galloway ? We had left home at 8.45 after a touch of last minute cleaning of the mouldy fridge and filling up the empty cupboards . It was evident that not travelling had left Gabby and us in a sorry state . The coffee had solidified in the glass jars, the cutlery looked dirty and the gas was on the point of running out. The driver drove for an hour and then we stopped at Charnock Richard service station . We were pleased not to have to get out for all that was available were Costa Coffees and Burgers . Making a coffee in Gabby felt a far pleasanter experience . We had missed our breakfasts in Gabby. We drove north . The road quietened once we were beyond the Lakes . The scenery became more dramatic . We stopped for dinner just on the border between England and Scotland and whilst eating pondered devolution , the new row over Scottish independence and wondered how an inland border would work if Scotland rejoined the EU.



We arrived at our first destination of the trip. Caerlaverock Castle . An Historic Scotland property where we could gain entry free due to our Cadw membership. There was a large car park and very few people about . Perhaps that was because the interior of the castle was closed due to maintenance which was necessary to curb the falling masonery. It was a little sad to realise we would only be able to walk around the perimetre of the castle and not see inside . The castle is built of a red sandstone and looked nothing like any castle we had seen before . Triangular in design it was very unusual . We sat for a while on a bench eating our ice creams . Raspberry for me and Vanilla for the driver . Ice cream made locally . There was a moat around the castle and various cannon and siege weapons . We had the place virtually to ourselves . The castle had been built in the 13th century It was the stronghold of the Maxwell family from the 13th to the 17th century . It was besieged by the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence and underwent many demolitions and reconstructions over two or three centuries . Inside we could see the remains of the later additions to the castle . Quarters built in a domestic classical style . They looked out of place . In 1640 the castle was besieged for the last time and abandoned . The castle was strategic as it controlled trade. We found it fascinating to walk around

The castles history was complex Edward I marched up from England and with his army of English barons , knights from Brittany and Lorraine besieged the castle . If only those stones could talk . Edward II paid money to keep the castle sweet and then it changed hands and favoured Robert the Bruce . Mary Queen of Scots stayed here . Her last night on Scottish soil . So much history .

As a first day of the holiday the weather had held fine . The castle was a brilliant introduction to this part of Scotland . We were travelling the South West Coast 300. An alternative to the much overly travelled NC500 . A quieter more genteel route . Tomorrow we will follow it further but for tonight it is tea in the van, a walk along the shoreline, the dark skies and stars and hopefully a wonderful sunset over the Solway Firth .

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