A bit wet during the night followed by a grey day with a few spots of rain here and there – not enough to put us off! Today we are bound for the West side of Fleet Bay (we did the East side yesterday) and albeit under completely different light, it did not disappoint. We found an empty (good sign!) car park down at Mossyard (just a few houses, a farm and a relaxed holiday park) and were almost immediately in our first little sandy cove aptly named Mossyard Bay!

The tide is in its way out but for now we had to do a bit of a scramble over the rocky outcrop separating this beach from the next one Newton Bay though the photo was taken on the way back after the tide had gone out!

Along a bit further and looked over by some holiday lodges and caravans is the pretty sandy Dalavan Bay.

Next along is Chapel Bay, small but perfectly formed, but wait what is that perched up on a rock?

How lovely a little Chapel, built in 1768 by Sir David Maxwell as a place for prayer and quiet contemplation, though in Victorian times it became known as the ‘Bathing House’ for the ladies to get changed in!

The current owners of the Cardoness Estate have done an amazing job of restoring it to a beautiful little Chapel and indeed services are held during August – how magical!

At the end of the line are the vast sands revealed as the tide recedes of Skyreburn Bay, though muddy in places as you get nearer the Water of Fleet (river).

Time for us to head back and chase the outgoing tide which has now gone beyond Mossyard Bay and opened up the way for us to enjoy White Bay a fabulous wide stretch of sand opening up from the mouth of Fleet Bay

to the seaward side at Ringdoo Point – just lush!

On the way back we bobbed down to take a look at Carsluith Castle and to take a quick look at Kirkdale Sands in Wigtown Bay, but they looked to be more muddy and marshy and fairly inaccessible so we will pass!

What a day – 6 miles of beach walking for me and 4 hours of running around like a thing possessed for Poppydog as she was off lead all the way (can you believe that no one else was about?) – we shall both sleep well tonight!

Two thoughts of the day:

Imagine how these beaches would have looked in the sun!

I am going to have to find some new adjectives to describe the beauty of these beaches! Stunning, beautiful, wow, fabulous have all been over used me thinks!

Wet again during the night with a grey start to the day but the afternoon was beautiful, warm and sunny. Today we are leaving The Machars and heading beyond Gatehouse of Fleet to catch up with a few beaches that we have yet to visit. First stop was Sandgreen and White Bay.

Not really a village but a holiday park with a sheltered crescent shaped beach, part course sand and lots of shells. However there was nowhere to park the car or any sign of a footpath carrying on around the headland, so after a quick play we moved on to Knockbrex where we found a car park above the Isle Mouth Bay.

A lovely part sand part stone and rock beach with more and more sand exposed with the falling tide until you could walk out to Ardwall Isle – how beautiful!

We followed the access road through a rather lovely site of holiday beach cottages and lodges (Carrick Holidays – looks fabulous and peaceful) to Carrick Bay.

What can I say? Just wonderful!

A little further on is a smaller bay but we found the wet sand to be a little on the muddy side so continued out onto the headland from where we could just see Sandgreen.

The shore beyond this point was mostly rocky crags and would be great to explore with a kayak when the tide is in but for now we are back off to enjoy a play in the sunshine on Isle Mouth Bay.

From here we just nipped a bit further east to catch our last Bay (a couple of miles west from Brighouse Bay that we visited from Annan) – Kirkandrews Bay.

Just a few houses, this pretty little church and a rather rocky inlet.

Two thoughts of the day:

This little spot is another one to add to the list of ideal holiday locations- even in the height of season I can’t imagine it would be anything other than a little bit of tranquility.

So far the Scottish Coastal Path is not very evident or reliable unlike in England and Wales – still it is only early days.

Another wet night but a dry albeit mostly grey day so we are off again! Our first port of call was Auchenmalg the far end of the mostly stony bay from Craignarget as according to Mr OS it is sandy – well Mr OS it is not!

We were planning to walk along the coastal path from here, but instead we drove on to the next cove at Stairhaven.

Not much sand here either, still we had a little play before setting off along the lane running adjacent to the shoreline (no evidence of the coastal path). Soon we got our first glimpse of Luce Bay, a huge sandy Bay around the river Luce.

Part of the beach is closed off for Military use (the other side of the river) and after several miles we still hadn’t found a way down to the shore!

Having walked as far as I wanted to we about turned – we shall visit the beach again from further along the coast. Now just a couple of miles back down the road to give Poppydog a well earned run around on Craignarget Beach.

Two thoughts of the day:

How great to know of a back up beach when your day doesn’t quite go to plan!

There are an awful lot of cows here on the Machars – the pasture must be good.

A wet and fairly wild night and day, though we clearly swerved Storm Hannah, either that or I slept right through it! Around lunchtime the rain eased a bit so we decided to head out. For a change we drove inland to take a look at Torhouse Stone Circle.

I think it is quite nice that we don’t really know what they are about – I always imagine them to be happy meeting places, sort of all sitting around for a chat!

Unfortunately it is now raining quite heavily again and there is no obvious walk around so we pop to Wigtown for some supplies and then head back to the site.

Another gap in the weather so we take the opportunity for a walk around the surrounding lanes and that is us done for the day – rain on!

Two thoughts of the day:

Ok so I think we have had enough rain to keep the farmers and gardeners amongst us happy for a while.

Such a relief when another storm passes through and we come out the other side.

Pretty wet and wild night and day! Still we managed to grab a couple of dryish hours this afternoon and wander down to the beach for a bit of exercise.

Absolutely no one about so Poppydog was free to empty the beach of seabirds and yelp to her hearts content without upsetting anyone (I hope!). Some fairly dramatic rain clouds, passing over head fortunately bound for somewhere else!

Temporarily back into long trousers today oh yes and woolly hat – where has spring gone?

Two thoughts of the day:

Ooooh it is not very nice out there at the moment.

Fish and chip van has run out of fish – ‘quelle horreur’!