British Travel Journal | Summer 2019
Hooray it’s the summer! – and all we want to do is travel - to see as much of the British Isles in this glistening sunshine as we possibly can, and with tourism in the UK rising rapidly from previous years, it seems we are not alone.... Inside this issue we tour the new South West Coast 300 driving route in Scotland, Nathan Outlaw takes our food columnist, Chantal Borciani on a gourmand’s tour of the spectacular Cornish coastline, we visit the wonderful new Machrie Hotel on the Isle of Islay, ‘In search of Scotch Whisky’, we go behind-the-scenes at Wimbledon, learn to ride the waves at surfer’s paradise, Fistral Beach, Newquay, we join a cookery class to improve the culinary skills, find adventure after-dark with our 10 unique experiences - and not to mention all of our regulars too - with the latest Travel News, What's On Cultural Agenda, and featured destinations and travel itineraries we hope will inspire you to book that holiday you have been dreaming of too!
Hooray it’s the summer! – and all we want to do is travel - to see as much of the British Isles in this glistening sunshine as we possibly can, and with tourism in the UK rising rapidly from previous years, it seems we are not alone.... Inside this issue we tour the new South West Coast 300 driving route in Scotland, Nathan Outlaw takes our food columnist, Chantal Borciani on a gourmand’s tour of the spectacular Cornish coastline, we visit the wonderful new Machrie Hotel on the Isle of Islay, ‘In search of Scotch Whisky’, we go behind-the-scenes at Wimbledon, learn to ride the waves at surfer’s paradise, Fistral Beach, Newquay, we join a cookery class to improve the culinary skills, find adventure after-dark with our 10 unique experiences - and not to mention all of our regulars too - with the latest Travel News, What's On Cultural Agenda, and featured destinations and travel itineraries we hope will inspire you to book that holiday you have been dreaming of too!
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Kirkcudbright Harbour and Marina<br />
and where he wrote some of his best poems. There are<br />
many of his most famous quotes to read and inspire,<br />
and a lovely touch is seeing the inscription of his initials<br />
scratched into the window pane of his bedroom.<br />
Enjoying a day of culture, our next visit was to the<br />
fabulous new visitor centre, Moat Brae (peterpanmoatbrae.org),<br />
described by author J.M. Barrie as his<br />
'enchanted land' – and the place where Peter Pan, and<br />
the imagination within his stories, was born.<br />
Moat Brae itself was originally the home of J.M. Barrie’s<br />
school friends Henry and Stewart Babbington – with his<br />
own house just a few hundred metres away – Barrie is<br />
quoted to say “I was more in that house (Moat Brae) more<br />
than any other in Dumfries” and himself acknowledged<br />
Moat Brae as being his inspiration behind Neverland.<br />
Ten years of fundraising and restoration work has<br />
gone into turning this impressive, historically significant<br />
Georgian house, and gardens, into a modern, light, freeflowing,<br />
interactive museum space. You should definitely<br />
make a visit if you are passing by Dumfries – we were<br />
really impressed. It has been achieved beautifully – while<br />
remaining sympathetic to the original features.<br />
Inspiring imagination and creativity is at the heart<br />
of the museum – which aims to inspire and offer new<br />
opportunities to children (and young people) interested<br />
in creative writing and literacy. With the local community<br />
and many passionate people behind the project, I am sure<br />
the museum will be a huge success for Scotland.<br />
We rested our heads for the night at the Cairndale<br />
Hotel and Leisure Club (cairndalehotel.co.uk) where we<br />
enjoyed a delicious four course Table d’Hote dinner in<br />
the Reivers Restaurant. Following a morning visit to the<br />
hotel's own private leisure club, The Barracuda Club,<br />
where they offer a range of beauty treatments including<br />
holistic and aromatherapy therapies, and a hearty full<br />
Scottish breakfast, we were back on the road.<br />
“Our first<br />
stop of the<br />
morning was<br />
at the pretty,<br />
quiet coastal<br />
village of<br />
Rockliffe – a<br />
beautiful<br />
sandy bay,<br />
surrounded<br />
in parts by<br />
large rocks<br />
and rock<br />
pools, lined<br />
with rows<br />
of pretty<br />
white-stone<br />
and pastel<br />
cottages.”<br />
ROCKLIFFE TO PORTPATRICK<br />
In search of some sea-side tranquillity and fresh sea air<br />
we headed south towards the Solway Firth. Our first stop<br />
of the morning was at the pretty, quiet coastal village<br />
of Rockliffe – a beautiful sandy bay, surrounded in parts<br />
by large rocks and rock pools, lined with rows of pretty<br />
white-stone and pastel cottages.<br />
There is a large car park just before you reach the bay<br />
or limited 20-minute parking at the beach itself. For us<br />
that was enough time to soak up the views and enjoy an<br />
ice-cream. On less sunny days when the ice-cream van<br />
stays at home (we were lucky with the weather – and mine<br />
was a 99!) there is also a curios/antiques shop which<br />
serves takeaway coffees that can be enjoyed sitting out<br />
on the green.<br />
If you enjoy walking, there is a superb linear coastal<br />
walk linking Rockcliffe to the east - with Sandyhills, a<br />
picturesque sandy beach - said to be one of the finest<br />
The Harbour Cottage Gallery in Kirkcudbright<br />
50 <strong>British</strong><strong>Travel</strong><strong>Journal</strong>.com
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