I had two days out really.

On Friday on the way up to Aberdeen the good lady and I stopped at Dunnottar Castle and also took the chance to visit Stonehaven War Memorial which is walkable from there. (Photos of both will be coming eventually.)

Later in the afternoon she made a good trawl of the Old Aberdeen Book Shop in Spital.

Even better pickings were obtained at the Mercat Bookshop in Castle Street the next morning (I even bought two books) and then we had a look at two antique shops before we retired to a modern style hostelry for lunch with my younger son and his wife.

Imagine our surprise when the establishment was invaded by Sons fans who certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves, which the bar staff took in good part. The flag intimated they were from Helensburgh.

On to the match, with ticket at the ready:-

The Sons contingent had several good flags on the wave:-

The pre-match entertainmenmt was way over the top. There’s absolutely no need for this sub-USian rubbish:-

Even if the Aberdeen fans in the Merkland Stand also had a good array of flags:-

The teams emerge. Two more good Sons flags at the bottom here:-

Sons to the fore. This season’s ‘home’ strip – yellow and black wide stripes, with black shorts, on show (and a rather silly-looking Aberdeen mascot at top right. They had at least two mascots, which is probably two too many):-

Sons line up for the game:-

The good lady is a keen gardener and also likes to visit large gardens.

One near to us is at Backhouse Rossie Estate but we hadn’t visited it till the summer of 2018 on what turned out to be a good day trip.

One of the exhibits there is a DNA path seen below from the side:-

Here you can see the interweaved paving stones representing DNA’s double helix:-

The DNA path from its other end:-

At the path’s central point is a sculpture on whose sides are carved the C,G,T,A initials of the base pairs which help make up DNA’s structure:-

An information board describes the sculpture’s inspiration. The garden’s creators, Andrew and Caroline Georgina Thomson, have names whose initials are also those of the base pairs:-

The garden also contains wooden sculptures illustrating the Goldilocks story:-

Daddy Bear asleep:-

Mummy Bear:-

There a putting green too (below with the estate house in the background):-

Our trip back home from Dumfries and Galloway took us through Ayr. Whitletts is an area to the northeast of the town. Its War Memorial is in the form of a Celtic Cross on a square plinth.
The cross’s pillar is inscribed with the words, “A tribute of honour and gratitude to the men of this parish who gave their lives for home and freedom in the Great War 1914 – 1919.” Below that are names for The Great War. On the base of the plinth it says, “Lest we forget.”

Reverse. (Great War names):-

The other two sides bear the names for World War 2. Why there was a piece of wire entangled round the plinth I do not know.

Kirkoswald is just south of Maybole in Ayrshiire, Scotland. Its War Memorial is a granite Celtic cross on a square plinth.

This side is dedicated to the Great War 1914 – 1919. “Erected by public subscription in memory of those from this district who fell and as a token of gratitude to those who served in the cause of honour and freedom.” Then, “Those who fell.”

Reverse. Inscribed, “1939 – 1945. Lost in Action.”

Unusually this memorial also includes the names of those who served:-

A tapering stone obelisk on a square plinth, this War Memorial stands on an expanse of grass by the side of the Firth of Clyde on the south approach to the town. This east facing side of the obelisk is inscribed Maubeuge, 1918, Cambrai, Flanders 1917, Arras.

North face. Column inscribed Somme, Loos, Ypres, Marne, Mons:-

West (sea facing) aspect. Pedestal inscribed with the names of the naval actions at Zeebrugge, Jutland, Falkland, Coronel, Heligoland:-

South face. Inscribed for campaigns outside Europe: Palestine, Salonica, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, Africa:-

Great War plaque, “The tribute of the poeple of Girvan to those of her sons who gave their lives in defence of their country’s righteous cause in the Great War, 1914 – 1919”

World War 2 plaque, “The tribute of the people of Girvan to those of her sons who gave their lives in defence of their country’s righteous cause in the World-War 1939 – 1945.” Three additional names below:-

From Glenluce we travelled up the Ayrshire coast, heading home.

On entering Girvan I spotted this building. The various verticals and horizontals, the “rule of three” in the windows, the canopy and the stepped roofline all make this building shreik Deco.

Originally called Cheddar Villa after the name given by the army to the farm on the site this lies 5 kilometres northwest of Ypres on the N313 road leading to Bruges. It’s now called Seaforth Cemetery at the request of the Seaforth Highlanders as more than 100 of the 148 burials were from the regiment’s 2nd Battalion.

Wall dedicated to the men of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, 99 of whom are buried in the cemetery plus 23 others who also died in the attack on St Julien on 25/4/1915 and 25/4/1915.

Cemetery interior:-

More headstones:-

Most of the headstones do not mark individual graves. “The 75 non-commissioned officers and men buried in this grave are commemorated by headstones erected against the left hand wall of this cemetery.”

“The18 non-commissioned officers and men buried in this grave are commemorated by headstones erected against the right hand wall of this cemetery.”

Close-up. The Dedication reads, “to the enduring memory of all ranks of the 50th Northumbrian Division who fell in the Great War 1914 – 1918 and in memory of their comrades of the same division who gave their lives in the war of 1939 – 1945 for the liberation of France, Belgium and Holland.” On the lowest plinth, “Pro Patria.”

Side inscription, “The Ayrshire Yeomanry; the Yorkshire Hussars; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Northumbrian Brigade, RFA; Northumbrian Amminition Column; Northumbrian Divisional Engineers, RE; 50th Divisional Train, RASC; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Northumbrian Field Ambulance, RAMC; Northumbrian Division CCS; Northumbrian Vet Section, RAVC; RAOC.”

Other side inscription, “149th Infantry Brigade: 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th Northumberland Fusiliers; 5th Border Regiment.
150th Infantry Brigade; 4th East Yorks; 4th, 5th Yorkshire Regiment Green Howards; 5th Durham Light Infantry.
151st Infantry Brigade: 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th Durham Light Infantry; 5th Loyal North Lancs Regiment.”

Memorial Information Board:-

The view from the 50th Northumbrian Division Memorial is now so peaceful:-

So much so alpacas were ruminating by the memorial:-

Glenluce Abbey, a former Cistercian building, lies a couple of miles or so from the village of Glenluce in Dumfries and Galloway. It is yet another historic site in the region.

Outbuildings:-

Part of Abbey:-

This view shows the rebuilt cloister:-

Which you can also see below:-

Showing Abbot’s “House.” That small buiding to the centre right. It’s tiny inside and he’s supposed to have slept upstairs. The floors have gone and there’s no sign of stairs. He must have needed a ladder.

Arches:-

Night stair:-

Window in arch. Note flower growing from bottom left corner:-

There were plants “climbing” the walls:-

Glenluce is a village in the parish of Old Luce in Dumfries and Galloway.

Its War Memorial is a granite trapezoidal obelisk on a square base.

I like the fact that a children’s playground is right beside the memorial.

Dedications. “Erected to the memory of the men connected with the parish of Old Luce who fell in the Great War 1914 – 1919.” And below: “And in World War 1939 – 1945” with 10 names:-

The Great War names are on the other three sides:-