Crawick Multiverse - Backblip

Tuesday 22nd

Crawick Multiverse: the site we visited today is the result of a truly unique transformation. It was formerly an open cast coal mine, abandoned for over 30 years and a blot on the landscape of Upper Nithsdale. However the Duke of Buccleuch saw new potential and committed £1million to putting Crawick firmly on the map as a world-class art land. Charles Jencks, a renowned landscape artist, theorist and designer, was commissioned and the Multiverse was created using materials found on the site which included thousands of boulders half-buried below the ground. We took the 'high road' (very energetic) up to the site which represents various cosmic patterns and combines four opposite ecologies; grasslands, mountains, a water gorge and a desert. It took us on a journey past the Milky Way to a supercluster of galaxies, and then on to the multiverse, a corkscrew path constructed from mudstone composed of black and white. The stones are carved with lines symbolising different types of universe, and their different fates. One had a huge wineglass carved on it?! It was pretty steep and quite a scramble up to the highest point, but worth it for the amazing panorama and breathtaking views. The wind was very strong on the top and I had to come down on my bottom so as not to be blown away! We'll sleep well tonight!

Thank you for all your kind comments and stars on my backblips and apologise again for my lack of comments. Currently I'm sitting In the Airts Cafe with a coffee and scrounging a bit of their wifi.