Craster is within the Northumbria coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is about 7 miles from the town of Alnwick inland. Craster is famed as being the original home of the smoked fish delicacy known as the Kipper. The fish are smoked in their traditional Craster way in oak barrels, and the original smokehouses are still in use today. …
Cold-Blooded Creatures of Shewalton Wood
Woodland Regeneration The south-west coast of Scotland runs alongside the Firth of Clyde and is known for its sandy beaches, beautiful countryside and dramatic coastal scenery. Amongst this picturesque landscape, there is a small nature reserve called Shewalton Wood. The reserve lies on the coast, just south of the town of Irvine and is owned and managed by the Scottish …
England
Boscastle -A Charming Little Fishing Port
Boscastle is a charming little fishing port and village approximately 14 miles south of Bude and being just 5 miles from Tintagel to the west and a similar distance from Crackington Haven to the North. Boscastle is perhaps best known for the flooding it incurred in 2004 when the heavy rainfall led to flash floods. Cars and even buildings were …
Scotland
Gairloch – Described as one of the Finest Places in Scotland
Gairloch is seventy miles from Inverness on the North West Coast of Scotland. The village is typical of highland villages being strung out mostly white houses. The fishing heritage is clearly evident too. There is evidence of population at least as far as back as the Iron Age. The Vikings used Gairloch as a safe haven too although, pretty much …
Scotland
Pittenweem – Caves, priories, fishing fleets and lovely houses
Pittenweem is 25 miles south of Dundee on the east coast of Scotland. It is a historic fishing port and the village of Pittenweem clusters around a small circular harbour. The village is named after the Celtic words for ‘town of the cave’, referring to the ancient cave of St Fillan on Cove Wynd there. Folklore has it that the …
England
Bamburgh – famous castle, coastlines & walking trails
Bamburgh is one of the villages and small towns that populate the coastline of northern Northumbria and is approximately fifty miles north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne that is only accessible by road when the tide is out is a few miles to the north and a 30 minute road journey away. While, to the south and a …
England
Bacton, a Norfolk village, special for its history and attractive flint buildings
Bacton on the Norfolk coast is 10 miles south of Cromer and approximately 20 miles from Norwich inland. Bacton is the home of Broomholm Priory, famous for possessing the relic “The True Cross” Broomham Priory was once a popular pilgrimage site for Christians. Founded in 1113 the priory was dissolved in 1536 and by the 1800s the site was being …
Porthgain – An Industrial Heritage in such a Pretty Place
Porthgain is a few miles north of St David’s, and 12 miles from Fishguard within the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park’s Conservation Area. The village grew out of the necessity of its industrial heritage. The machine house of the adjacent brickworks is now a trendy wine bar and the pub The Sloop Inn is reputed to have once been a smugglers …
The Shores of Stranraer – Loch Ryan
Rhins of Galloway The most southerly of all Scotland’s sea lochs, Loch Ryan sits on the border between Galloway and South Ayrshire. As it cuts inland from the Atlantic Ocean, it helps to form the peninsula known as the Rhins of Galloway, and also acts as an important natural harbour that has long been important for the shipping and fishing …
Scenic Views on the Solway Coast – RSPB Mersehead
Secrets of the South-West South-west Scotland is sometimes overlooked as a wildlife destination, certainly when compared to more northerly regions. However, a brief look at what the south-west has to offer might have you wondering why this is. Dumfries and Galloway is one of Scotland’s largest council areas and encompasses part of the Southern Uplands, with gorgeous areas of undulating …