A fabulous day and a fabulous walk – life is good. We parked up at St Ninian’s Cave car park which is about a mile up a wooded valley from the stony beach of Port Castle Bay, the location of St Ninian’s Cave.

An empty beach was too much to resist so a little while was spent chasing stones before we took the coastal path eastwards towards Burrows Head.

After a bit of a clamber up onto the cliff top, the first 100m or so was a fight through gorse and hawthorn, we nearly gave up but it was so beautiful up here with great views back down onto the beach – you can see St Ninian’s Cave at the far end of the beach.

All along were breathtaking vistas down to little inaccessible coves with bluebells and our first siting this year of sea pinks adorning the cliff edges.

Poppydog loves to roll around in the springy grass (she has to stay on the lead up here but is happy running around on her 8m lead).

Burrows Head (the most southerly point of the Machar Peninsula), was a bit disappointing with a rather soulless holiday park on what I guess is the ruins of some past military (probably WWII as buildings brick and ugly) presence. Also the stone cairn was behind fencing and not accessible from the coastal path.

A welcome dunk and drink for Poppydog in a stream as we set off on our way back,

Once back down on the beach, Poppydog got her freedom as we wandered along the beach for a closer look at St Ninian’s Cave. The Cave was the secret retreat of St Ninian (Scotland’s earliest saint) around 400AD and has been the site of religious pilgrimages since. Quite a magical place with many wooden crosses and memory stones left by earlier visitors.

Just look at that view!

A final play in the sunshine on the beach before sending our way back up to the car – a lovely 8 mile walk.

Two thoughts of the day:

Such a bonus to a beautiful walk when we find little treasures like this Cave.

The coastal path needs a good strim! Just thought I’d mention it, if anyone out there could oblige?