At the beginning of August is my birthday, and very soon after that, I start to feel like the summer is waning away. You can start to notice the nights drawing in, little by little, and the earth and plant life is starting to look tired. Even so, I hold out hope for a last hurrah in September, which can often be one of the nicest months of the year in Scotland.
This year it just so happened that Ali had some work in Dumfries and Galloway a few days after my birthday, and I was invited along to provide photographic support. We tagged on a couple of nights near the coast, not far from Kirkcudbright, which offered a much welcome respite from what has been (and continues to be) a busy summer.
For some of our stay, we were treated to warm, sunny weather, and we made the most of it finding coastal walks and beaches to explore. A heatwave in Scotland is a lot more manageable than the ones we experienced living in Cambridge, but that doesn't make the record temperatures, droughts and wildfires this year any less concerning.
Our first walk was between Kippford and Rockcliffe. A highlight of this was the summit of the Mote of Mark - reached by a slightly treacherous steep path - which was surrounded by expansive views over the surrounding land- and sea- scapes.
That evening we walked from our accommodation to some nearby beaches. We only saw one other person on the path down there; otherwise, we had the place to ourselves. It was beautiful whilst also having a bit of an eerie feel about it. There's a ruined building next to one of the beaches which was apparently once a Victorian bathing house. It made me think about how things have changed here since then. Cheap flights to warmer climates, and perhaps the lack of a road and car park to this beach, might be the reason there's no longer a bathing house here. Just as we were about to leave I noticed, discarded by the ruined building, a pink vibrator, among the grass and cow pats. A sure sign it was time to go home, before the sun set and whatever happens after sunset ensued. Otherwise, it was a lovely place.
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