Galloway: my secret

On Sunday we had a day in Galloway, where I spent most of my teens. It was a magical place to grow up, and contributed hugely to my love of the outdoors. I spent many teenage days walking, climbing trees, damming burns and fishing (mainly legally). In Galloway's forests I went with my father to watch RAC Rally special stages in the middle of the night, and learned to drive the family car on the same roads, though slightly slower. I stood silently in the dark with him by a marsh, listening to Snipe thrumming.

In the long summer holidays, I worked on the local farm, enjoying the company, banter and tall tales of the farmers, and learning to respect those who work on the land. I learned to drive a tractor, and reverse it with a trailer (and watch with awe the contractors who could reverse with two trailers - now that is cool). I started to use a camera while in Galloway, and had my first guitar lessons at school there. Later, much later, I returned and learned the basics of dinghy sailing on Loch Ken. If I was a stick of rock, it'd say in the middle: "Made in Galloway".

So I always enjoy returning to Galloway. Today, we enjoyed Threave Gardens, but decided to forego Threave Castle to catch feeding time at (Bellymack Farm on the Galloway Red Kite Trail. Though a little commercialised now (you watched from a simple shed when we first went ten years ago) it is still thrilling to watch these wonderful high speed acrobats plucking red meat from the table. I also learned to respect bird photographers - these Kites move very, very fast indeed, and my efforts were at best amateurish.

We visited the inspirational gallery in Laurieston of landscape photographer Phil McMenemy and fell for his charms by buying a couple of prints.

Then we drove up the Raiders' Road, one of my very favourite routes in Scotland. Following the course of the River Dee from Loch Ken up to Clatteringshaws Reservoir, it wiggles through the Galloway Forest Park, exposing beautiful views over hills, lochs and lochans and tantalising glimpses of the Dee. This was the first decent run in a newly acquired rather low slung car, so we drove slowly along the forest road, all the better to enjoy it, and coated the car's gleaming red paintwork in a thick layer of forest dust. We stopped here at the Otter Pool and just sat quietly, soaking up the atmos. "Levelling our Zen", as one of the kids says (honest).

We ended with high tea and a tiered cake stand in New Galloway, where I once lived. Zen and the Art of Tiered Cake Stands - I recommend it.

Then we drove home via St John's Town of Dalry. My academic achievements peaked here, where I was Dux of the Junior Secondary School. It was an early peak; the graph had negative values thereafter!

I love Galloway. Don't go; I want it to remain one of Scotland's secret places. My secret place.


Nikon D800 + 24-85 zoom + polarising filter + 2 ND filters + tripod