Non Stop Wind Turbines and Bangars

Sunday 3 September 2017

When we went to bed last night there was a band playing in the pub downstairs and both of thought we wouldn’t be able to sleep but both of us were before we had even finished that thought.  Woke up this morning when everyone else started stirring as the trouble with old coaching inns is that they generally have very squeaky floorboards.  Probably just as well though, as a check of the clock showed that it was about quarter to eight.  Made our way down to breakfast and sat overlooking the loch which looked a bit different this morning with much more overcast weather shrouding the peaks in cloud and a stiff breeze turning the water into white caps.  We needed the windscreen wipers on properly through Glen Croe (not to be confused with Glen Coe) but once we were back on the edge of Loch Lomond the peaks did their job and kept the rain to the west so, although it was overcast, there was no rain for the next few hours.

We pulled into Luss thinking to have a little look around but the sight of at least ten tour buses parked in the car park quickly made us rethink that idea and, apart from a quick stop for a photo of a couple of strategically placed Highland Cattle, we drove on towards Glasgow.  Stopped at a BP with a Marks and Spencers attached so refuelled the car with petrol and ourselves with a sandwich, snack, drink deal for later.  The GPS obligingly took us on a motorway loop around the south of Glasgow and we were soon heading south down the motorway towards Carlisle listening to non stop music which the radio host kept calling the latest songs bangars. Also there were literally hundreds of wind turbines on the hills.

Decided Gretna Green would make an interesting lunch stop and a final opportunity to purchase anything with a Scottish flavour to it.  Larry was a bit unsure about paying to enter the old blacksmith shop as it was super touristy but Jenny convinced him that going in and touching the anvil to bring good luck and prosperity to our marriage couldn’t hurt so we went in and it was actually very interesting reading all the various tales of deceit and intrigue from couples eloping to being conned into going to Gretna Green for a quickie marriage.  Was also an interesting room full of carriages and coaches including a large passenger coach which I assume would be similar to the one my great grandfather drove around NSW.

Sat in the picnic area opposite the new “Courtship Maze” (apparently shaped like two interlocking wedding rings) and ate our sandwiches and then back in the car and headed further south.  Finally off the motorways near Penrith and back on the windy roads along the edge of Ullswater.  Arrived at Aira Force and a little annoyed that although the carpark is free for English NT members who can scan their cards which have a QR code the NT lady wouldn’t let us display our Australian NT card instead and insisted we pay the 5 pound car park fee.  5 pounds!  Only slightly mollified when we learnt later that the money goes towards feeding the endangered red squirrels but we didn’t see any and Larry thinks that’s because they’re all too fat to actually get out of their trees with all the nuts the NT can afford to feed them.

In any case it was a lovely walk through a wooded valley that looks like something out of Robin Hood and up to the very pretty waterfall.  Lots of people (and dogs!) enjoying a Sunday afternoon out and doing the same.  There must have been some sort of MG outing day as there was a steady stream of vintage MGs driving along as he headed further south towards Windermere.  About now is when the rain set in but even so we were very brave and took the steep winding road which led from the high pass at Kirkstone Pass Inn directly down into Ambleside.  Very narrow, wall lined road so always a worry what would come flying around the corner at you.  Only one point where we had to squeeze past another car with our wing mirrors almost touching.  

Arrived in Ambleside which was full of people dashing around in macs and umbrellas so decided to keep going and try to find our B&B which is a couple of miles out of town in an area known as Outgate.  Very narrow windy roads to find it – was a little like the road we had to negotiate to get to the Foresters Arms a week or so ago – but eventually recognised the little white house on the hillside “High Grassings” and checked in.  It was very soggy outside and warm and cosy inside so we sat in the guest lounge and David made us a cup of tea and chatted to us for about half an hour until he was called away to deal with other guests.  Apparently the new crew from Top Gear stayed here for a few days earlier in the year when they were filming the latest Jaguar as there is a road near here where they wanted to get a shot of the car heading up the hill with the sun just right and it took a few days to get the perfect shot.  Also apparently just behind the house here is a beautiful walk around two tarns which apparently Beatrix Potter is responsible for setting up.  Maybe that can be our after breakfast constitutional tomorrow morning if the weather is better.

A quick five minute drive down narrow winding lanes got us to Hawkshead which was very picturesque and quite lovely as all the tourists had gone home and the numerous Beatrix Potter shops were shut. 

Hawkshead boasts FOUR inns so we wandered around town and checked out the various menus.  Finally decided on the Queen’s Head which was the oldest and quaintest of the pubs with very low beams and inglenook fireplaces but for some reason all the yummiest things on the menu weren’t actually available so we ended up just having a drink there and then went on to the next pub being the Kings Arms.  This was jam packed and slightly off putting with a drunken youth vomiting into the flower beds outside and they couldn’t offer us a table until 7.30pm so we headed on to the Red Lion.  At this point we were thinking it lucky that there were four inns in town after all.  The Red Lion ended up being able to fulfil all of our requisites being:  1.  A table for tea.  2.  A drink.  3.  A menu with numerous things you could actually order that were actually on the menu and 4.  A Sunday lamb roast special.  Only a shame that we couldn’t be bothered hanging around til 8.30pm as they were also having a musical quiz night which would have been fun.  However, we had narrow windy roads to negotiate and a blog to update so headed back to the B&B instead.