Scotland 2013: 15 May 2013 - Dunure, Ayrshire

Another bright and sunny day, but a strong wind and cold.

We set off on a wander around the Ayrshire coast which is on the estuary of the River Clyde. The scenery is very green and rolling and the main business is agriculture.

We came upon some pheasants rooting about in a field. They were quite far away and very colourful, but not interested in us. The pictures were shot through the car window, so they're not very sharp.

On the left you can see the Clyde, with the island of Arran in the background, and on the right you can see that it has a dusting of snow on the mountain tops.

Here we are looking down river towards the sea and on the right you can see the island of Ailsa Craig, also known as "Paddie's Milestone" as it was a prominent marker for the boats going to and from Ireland. It's also the source of granite for curling stones, although today only the running ring would be made from Ailsa Craig granite else there would be no island left. It's a wildlife preserve nowadays.

Further along the coast is the village of Dunure which is the home of Dunure Castle. The castle was built in the 1300's, but it has been in ruins since the 1700's and has mostly been dismantled to provide stone, slates, windows etc. for other buildings in the area, but is still the subject of many artists works, and the remains are now preserved.

The castle had a wonderful view out over the estuary and both Arran and Ailsa Craig are visible from it. The pictures below show the extent of the ruination, but also the view landward to the village and seawards to Arran.