On Thursday we spent an enjoyable morning at The Station House Cookery School in Kirkudbright. There are many courses available (book in advance), from basic cookery to several international cuisines. We chose to do the half day ‘Knife skills’ course and learnt which knife to use for which job and how and when to sharpen them. At the end of the morning we sat down to enjoy the lunch we had each prepared.
On Friday we took some friends to the National Trust Threave gardens, just outside Castle Douglas. The gardens were a delight, with the brightly coloured rhododendrons and many mature trees and shrubs. We also visited the house (check opening times); a Scottish baronial mansion built in the late 1800’s for the Gordon family, still housing lots of original furniture and possessions. We were intrigued to see a black and white photo of a Flying fifteen dinghy and crew sailing in Kippford, proudly displayed on a bureau.
After lunch in the gardens cafe we went to the Threave nature reserve to view the nesting Ospreys. We were lucky to be able to view the Ospreys through the telescope of one of the NT volunteers and she was able to tell us all about the birds and their habits. We also saw kites, swans and many other birds. A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting visit and no charge for the nature reserve so it is accessible to all.
On Sunday we sat on the balcony in the sunshine and enjoyed watching the Solway yacht club ‘River race series’. It was a beautiful day and Kippford was buzzing with visitors.
