The Delights of Bamburgh

I had been on the Bamburgh Parish Website before we had set off on our holiday, and this website had eventually taken me to the St Aidan's Church website, and I discovered that the church was holding its Harvest Festival Service on Sunday 25th September, so before we set off on our holidays we had decided to pay the Church a visit.

The countryside round Bamburgh is very fertile, with huge fields devoted to the growing of crops and root crops, so we were expecting a traditional Harvest Festival, and we were not disappointed. In front of the chancel steps was a superb display of the locally grown produce.

The Harvest display in Bamburgh Church

Bamburgh is a beautiful, much visited Northumbrian Village, well known for three or four places & events.

Going back in history it is remembered as the birthplace of Grace Horsley Darling, the daughter of the keeper of the Longstone Lighthouse (situated on the Farne Islands). When a ship was wrecked on Harker Rock, she rowed out with her father from almost a mile in raging seas to help rescue nine of the shipwrecked passengers.

 The doorway of the cottage where Grace died

The plaque over the door

As a result of Grace's brave rescue, a museum, run by the RNLI has been built in Bamburgh. You can see the actual boat that was used in the rescue, as well as lots of artefacts associated with the rescue.

The RNLI flag flying over the Grace Darling Museum



The Grace Darling Museum

If you visit St Aidan's Parish Church (which is just across the road from the museum), you will see the tombstone of Grace Darling in the graveyard, as well as an effigy and window dedicated to her inside the church.

 Grace Darling's Tombstone

Grace Darling Effigy in St Aidan's Church

Grace Darling Memorial Window

St Aidan's Church also has a claim to fame. It was on the site of this church that St Aidan is reputed to have died. There is a small perpetual light & shrine to him inside the church.

St Aidan's Shrine

There is also a story told that St Aidan actually died whilst resting against a forked wooden beam. This beam has been incorporated into the timbers under the tower. There have been two fires, but the beam has remained unharmed.

The forked beam in the tower

Bamburgh is well known because of its wonderful castle. This castle has featured in numerous films and adverts. The siting of the castle, on a high outcrop right on the edge of the coast makes a spectacular sight.

Whatever the time of day, or whatever the lighting conditions the castle still is a magnificent building!

Driving south from Waren Mill you crest a rise in the road, and as you turn a left hand bend suddenly the castle appears in sight. It is a real "Wow" factor!

The "Wow!" Factor

St Aidan's Church (to the right) is dwarfed by the Castle

Bamburgh Castle - on a rocky outcrop

The wonderful beach at Bamburgh is another reason to visit. There are miles of golden sands.

 Bamburgh Castle from the Beach

Dot & Ruby on Bamburgh Beach - Inner Farne on the horizon



Bamburgh Beach

Arran to Waren Mill

The CalMac Car Ferry Caledonian Isles docked in Brodick

Caledonian Isles departing from Brodick for Ardrossan

We left the Isle of Arran on the 8.20 am Ferry and arrived in Ardrossan at 9.30 am. 

After filling up with petrol at a Morrisons at Kilwinning, we set off across country for Waren Mill, 2 miles north of Bamburgh, in Northumberland. Although the route is only 147.1 miles, because it is across Scotland (and there are very few roads that run east - west) a great deal of time is spent zig zagging back and forth between the north - south roads. Much of the first part of the journey passes through small Scottish villages which have 30 mph speed restrictions in force, which again makes for a longer journey time.

Peebles is roughly half way on the journey, so we usually time it so that we can arrive about dinner time, have a meal, and spend an hour or two wandering the streets and looking in the shops!



The Bridge Inn is situated at one end of the High Street

Next door to the Bridge Inn is this fine church

Peebles High Street

We then travelled on to Waren Mill, calling in at Kelso on the way.

Kelso Town Hall

The Main Square in Kelso

We eventually arrived at Waren Mill at about 6.00 pm, to be greeted with a bottle of wine and card from Anne, the lady who owns the self catering bungalow.

Brodick

Last but not least Brodick.

Brodick - The Douglas Hotel to the centre and the Coop to the right

The Coop to the left and a hotel to the right

Bilsland's to the left and a block of self catering apartments next door

The white building to the right is the small Coop

The seafront at Brodick

The seafront at Brodick

Brodick Bay and Goatfell





Brodick Beach with Goatfell in the background

Rainbow over Brodick Bay

Brodick contains a number of shops and tourist attractions.

Bilslands, the largest independent retailer on the island. They sell all manner of souvenirs, clothing, shoes, children's toys, books, postcards etc., and have a cafeteria which looks out on to Brodick Bay & Goatfell. There is also a miniature Crazy Golf Course outside the shop.

Just a little further northwards you will find Wooleys the bakery and shop, which supplies much of the bread and confectionery for the island. Wooleys has been in business baking on the Isle of Arran since the middle of the nineteenth century.

Present owner Lindsay Keir has been running the bakery since the 1980s. At that time the traditional skills of craft baking were in decline, with much of the bread on the islands shelves being mass-produced and shipped from the mainland.

Through 20 years of hard work, Lindsay and his staff have reversed that trend. Wooleys produces a wide range of bakery products that are widely available throughout the Isle of Arran, using a mix of traditional and modern techniques.

It is from Wooleys that we always buy or sandwiches & pastries for a delicious mid day snack!

About a quarter of a mile north of Brodick is the Brodick Heritage Museum. This is well worth a visit. There all sorts of historical items associated with Arran to be found here.

General View of part of the Arran Heritage Museum

The Laundry Room inside the Arran Heritage Museum

About another quarter of a mile up the road you will find Duchess Court, which house a selection of shops with a touristy flavour.

The entrance to Duchess Court



Arran Aromatics is a local firm which makes and sells lotions, soaps, deodorants and perfumes



We always return from our visits to Arran with a goodly number of Arran Cheeses which are made (and sold) here. There are an assortment of varieties including whisky,crushed herbs, oak smoked, and Cheddar cheese & claret.

View of Duchess Court





View of Duchess Court Shops

Of course it would be very remiss of me to forget Brodick Castle, which is renowned for its gardens as well as the castle itself.



So there you have it - Brodick in a nutshell!