UK Road Trip Week 3 - Wild Northumbria Over the Border Wall to Romance
- Ash Collins
- Sep 4, 2022
- 5 min read
After 24 hours on the Tyne, it was time to set out sights further north over the Emperor Hadrians wall to a city that many consider to be Scotland’s jewel in the crown, Edinburgh. However before we experienced our second UK country we had some business on the long, low coastline of the Northumberland moorland.
Our first stop on the northbound journey was the quaint little fishing village of Alnmouth. On the approach the village, pastel-coloured houses strung along the River Aln welcome you into Alnmouth. Despite the threatening appearance of the weather on the horizon, we paid 3 quid to park amongst the dunes. The walk along the beachfront was certainly refreshing as the prevailing wind blowing off the North Sea warranted our fossicking through our suitcases to locate a jacket for the stroll to the village. The the vast expanses of golden sand that provide the trail toward this picture postcard perfect village, complete with its colourful cottages, was accentuated by an archetypical links golf course played by only 3 committed souls this blustery morning.
With the heating on, I fired up the ignition for a short drive to the next town on the agenda, Alnwick. This attractive market town is a compact warren of cobbled streets, old stone buildings and narrow alleys tucked between its main attraction, Alnwick Castle.
From the car park we headed across Greenwell road to the 15th century Bondgate Tower, one of the 4 original gateway entrances into the second largest inhabited castle in the country. Since the early 14th century, Alnwick has been the family home and seat of the Dukes of Northumberland and for Harry Potter fans, the castle exterior would be recognised in scenes from the first two instalments of the film franchise. The tour of the castle allows you access into the grand state rooms, a magnificent library, the fabulous renaissance drawing room and an art collection to rival many of mainland Europe’s stately homes. For those with a green thumb, the Rose 🌹 and Poison gardens also provide a picturesque pathway toward the exit and car park.
The final leg of the drive Norf along the coast took us through another sea village aptly named Seahouses. Known as the Gateway to the Farne Islands, Seahouses is a colourful fishing village on the coast of Northumberland between Bamburgh and Alnwick. This once thriving fishing village nowadays is enjoyed by thousands of visitors who come to visit the Farnes, go charter diving and angling or just to simply enjoy a pleasant stroll along the piers of this picturesque harbour.
Full of anticipation we set course for one of our favourite cities in the world, Edinburgh. Negotiating the road diversions, we found our way onto the A1 making haste toward the Scottish capital.
Where the medieval mingles with the modern, the cultural and geographic capital is filled with history and grand architecture. With its brooding castle, dramatic crags and rich history, Edinburgh is considered by many to the Scotland’s most romantic city. It is hardly surprising that this city has played host to and inspiration for generations of writers and poets from Robert Louis Stevenson to J.K. Rowling.
As tempting as it was to stay in the heart of this wonderful location, we opted for a suburb on the outskirts of the capital to call home for the next 5 nights, Leith. Leith is a buzzing port district, home to hip creatives, and in recent times the former ocean-going royal residence, the Royal Yacht Britannia. The Leith waterfront is littered with seafood bistros, two Michelin rated restaurants, traditional pubs and bars that dot the Shore area.
From its humble beginnings some seven decades ago, the Edinburgh Tattoo has become one of the city’s most celebrated events. We were lucky enough to attend the 2003 Tattoo and were no less excited about presenting ourselves at the 73rd instalment of the Royal Edinburgh Military extravaganza ‘Voices’. From pipers, fiddlers, dancers, drummers and riflemen the hustle and bustle of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is delivered with exquisite timing and perfection by the 100’s of performers strutting their stuff within the walls of this mighty fortress set atop its imposing rock base.
Having explored the ins n’ outs of Edinburgh, it was time to add more mileage to the odometer And pay homage to golf’s most sacred of locations…St. Andrews. Crossing the Forth via the Queensferry Bridge, we cruised along the A915 into the University city. Parking was the next challenge as tourists from all points of the compass had flocked to the seaside town to Edinburgh’s North East for an opportunity to visit the Old Course, the ruins of St. Andrews Castle and the 15th century University of St. Andrews.
Our first stop would be the University with its rich heritage that has evolved across the last 7 centuries. Founded in the early 15th century, St Andrews is Scotland’s first university and the third oldest in the English speaking world. With in excess of 10,000 students St. Andrews is the most international of Scotland's universities and one of the most international in the UK with more than 130 countries represented. The University was catapulted onto the international stage when a young Duke of Cambridge was enrolled in 2001 and within a year or two met and later married his now wife Kate Middleton.
With our scholastic inhibitions pushed aside, it was time to get down on blended knee at golf’s alter…the Old Course. Some two weeks earlier Australia’s own champion of the Mullet, Cam Smith conquered the oldest and most iconic golf course in the world. The Swilcan Bridge, The Road Hole and Hell Bunker are recognised across the globe, yet the greatest feature of the Old Course is that despite its grand status it remains a public golf course, open to all.
Our penultimate day would see us on the road once again as we traveled to Falkirk to ride the Falkirk Wheel, a visit to Stirling Castle and our final stop would provide an opportunity to see the Kelpies.
The Falkirk Wheel is the World's only rotating boat lift raising boats to link the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The magnificent structure stands 115ft tall and requires only the power of eight domestic kettles to sail boats through the air and transfer them between the two canals. Each gondola contains 300 tonnes of water, meaning that the wheel moves 600 tonnes on each lift. But because the gondolas are always in balance (because boats displace their own weight of water) Allowing up to eight boats to be carried at any one time.
As Stirling Castle was such a disappointment, I will not spend any time on the visit. Suffice to say we started the 3, put her into gear and sped down the hill leaving this overpriced (lack of) attraction firmly in the rear vision mirror.
As we sped away from Stirling along the M9, our focus was fixed upon our next destination, Helix Park, the Home of The Kelpies - the largest equine sculptures in the world. Standing at 100ft tall and weighing more than 300 tonnes each, the magical Kelpies are a man-made wonder and a feat of Scottish engineering. The Kelpies’ name reflects the mythological transforming beasts that possess the strength and endurance of 100 horses representing the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges and coalships that shaped the geographical layout of Falkirk.
Well that is week 3 warts n’ all…stay tuned for our week 4 update as we venture further north towards John O’Groats. Cheers 🍻
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