Galloway's remarkable fish larder

Fans of fish can see in Galloway one of the most remarkable conservation facilities in the world– the Logan Fish Pond.

This is a personal fish larder created by the owner of a nearby estate to make sure that there would always be fresh fish for his table. The pond still flourishes today under the careful management of Ruth Daynes who has been devoted to the unique place for many years. However, the focus is firmly on conservation these days. The pond , in fact the only one in the world, was created by Andrew McDouall, who was fanatical about his fresh fish. He excavated a natural pool in the rock and improved the flow of water with each tide from the sea. The work started in 1788 and it was finished in 1800. The pool is about 22 feet across, eight feet deep and contains 48,000 gallons of seawater.

Visitors today can see a fascinating variety of wild sea fish living happily in the pond. They swim up to the side when they see anyone standing there, in the hope of receiving food. If the fish are not in danger of getting too fat, then pellets are available to feed them. The flat fish are particularly inquisitive and lie looking up with both curious eyes at the visitor. The cod are just as nosey. Today the pond can contain dab, flounder, plaice, turbot, grey mullet, cod, coley, pollack, cuckoo wrasse, sea scorpions, tub and red gurnard and conger eel. Information boards give details of the residents of the pond and in the slash in the rock through which the seawater enters there are little open tanks where a close up look can be had of the marine life.

The pond is reached by going down a flight of steps that were carved into the rock. Nearby there is an old sea swimming pool and changing house. Ruth first visited the fish pond as a girl and loved it so much that she immediately asked her father if they could buy it. He said no but Ruth is a determined lady and many years later she managed to buy the fascinating pond herself.

Logan Fish Pond can be found 14 miles south of Stranraer, off the B7065, one mile from the Logan Botanic Gardens, which are also well worth a visit. The pond is open every day from May 1 to September 30, from 10am to 5pm, with last admission at 4.30pm. During October it is closed on Mondays. From November 1 to February it is closed to the public. From February to May it is open six days a week but closed on Monday. Entrance charge, £3.50 adults, OAPs £2.50, children 3-16 £1.25. Family £7.50 (2 adults and 2 children with extra children at £1.25 each. Telephone 01776 860 300. www.loganfishpond.org; www.loganfishpond.co.uk; www.myspace.com/loganfishpond; email: loganfishpond@hotmail.com. Also on Facebook.

Bright future for Dark park

The Galloway Forest Park is now home to Britain's only Dark Park where the heavens can be seen by the naked eye in all their night glory.

Achieving the Dark Park designation has been an arduous process, with strict requirements laid down by the International Dark-skies Association (I|DA). In the modern world few people ever really see the stars as light pollution from street lights, floodlights and all sorts of other electric light that glows during the night make it impossible to see the sky properly at night. Most people in the UK today have never seen a proper night sky. Things are different in the 100-square mile Galloway Forest Park. The park is far enough away from major centres of population for light pollution to be almost non-existent and on a clear night the galaxies and stars stretch across the heavens.

Now Galloway Forest Park is an official International Dark Sky Park, after lots of work, surveys and assessments to comply with the IDA requirements. Dark Skies are measured on what is known as “The Bortle dark sky scale.” In inner cities, the magnitude rating can be as low as +4 at best. Up in Galloway, however the new Dark Sky Park skies are rated as +7.1 to +7.5, on a scale that has a score of eight as its maximum. With darkness that black you don't need fancy telescopes to see the wonders of the universe, just your eyes and perhaps a pair of binoculars will do.

People accustomed to visitor attractions where you have to pay to get in, where there are swish visitor centres, cafes, shops and facilities designed to maximise revenue are, apparently a bit confused by the concept of the Dark Sky Park. The park is the darkness and the skies above. There is no central visitor centre. You go into the park at night and look upward. That's it. You don't have to pay anyone.

One woman recently called Scotland's central tourism telephone number to ask about the Galloway Dark Sky Park and was told: “It's shut.” When the dark sky is shut the universe will be officially at an end.

Obviously, in the middle of summer, when this is being written, the nights are short, with the birds starting their dawn chorus at about 4.30am and the light not fading until pub chucking out time. So, the best periods to visit the park are probably during the autumn, winter and early spring.

The Galloway Dark Sky Park has been enthusiastically promoted by the Forestry Commission which administers the whole of the Galloway Forest Park and the project has received input and support from many other people and organisations. The telephone number for the Galloway Forest District is 01671 402 420, email galloway@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.

One guest house that particularly welcomes anyone interested in the night sky is Hillcrest House, at Wigtown (which is Scotland's national book town). Deb and Andrew Firth have just won another Gold Award for their cooking and use of local ingredients and a special Good for the Soul award as the most restful place in Scotland to stay. A special “stargazers box” can be borrowed with everything needed to head into the Dark Park and special packs of food and drink can be ordered to take with you keep up the strength. Hillcrest House, Maidland Place, Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, DG8 9EU. Telephone 01988 402 018. www.hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk, email: info@hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk.

©www.scotlandssecretsouth.blogspot.com

Cup and ball markings still baffle

There are many mysteries in Galloway. One of them is the cup and ball markings that are found on stones throughout the region.

All the experts agree that these are very ancient, dating back thousands of years. They consist of circular patterns and, as the name suggests, are often shaped like cups and balls. No-one knows how old they are or what they represent, though it seems reasonable to speculate that they relate to some forgotten system of beliefs.

One writer recorded at least 99 different explanations of the cup and ball markings. You can invent your own and it is as likely to be true as any other. The stone in the photograph can be seen in the museum at Kirkudbright.

Also, see later post "More mysterious cups and rings."

©www.scotlandssecretsouth.blogspot.com

Carsluith Castle

Anyone driving along the A75 on the way to or from Stranraer will see Carsluith Castle as they pass along the eastern side of Wigtown Bay, between Gatehouse of Fleet and Newton Stewart.

This is a good example of the fortified tower houses that are common throughout Galloway. Not castles in the usual sense, such as the great fortifications surrounded by walls, moats, ditches and other defensive words, these were the homes of prominent local families. These tower houses were very popular in times when raiders had to be kept at bay and where the family could retreat when its own depredations on the neighbours brought retaliatory attacks. Fighting with each other was the prime occupation of the gangster families that lived in the area. Building tower houses was particularly popular during the reign of Scotland's King James VI (1567-1625).

Carsluith Castle was built for the Brown family in the 1560s and is laid out to a standard pattern. The storage cellars are on the ground floor, the great hall with its large fireplace was on the first floor, and the family rooms were on the upper floors. Lookouts were posted on the roof to keep an eye on the surrounding countryside and waters. Life was communal in those days, with the large family, visitors and servants all finding places to sleep wherever they could and only the family head would have enjoyed a private room.

At Carsluith it is likely that the kitchen that prepared meals for big dinners woujld have been in the collection of buildings around the tower. Smaller family meals would have been cooked over the open fire in the great hall. An unusual feature of Carsluith is that it had a second-floor balcony that allowed arriving visitors to be viewed from above. The corbel stones which supported this can still be seen.

The Brown family is said to have emigrated to India in 1748 and it would be interesting to know what became of them. Did they share in the fabulous wealth of the East India Company or did they vanish from history? It appears that the castle was not lived in after their departure.

Today Carsluith Castle is open during the day and the tower is well cared for. The Marrbury Smoke house is also located there, producing delicious gourmet delights from local ingredients. Call 01671 820 476 to find out opening times.

c.www.scotlandssecretsouth.blogspot.com. Phillip Bruce.

Wigtown makes little of its VC winner

Wigtown was the home to the winner of a Victoria Cross, Louis McGuffie, but visitors will have to look hard to find any mention of the fact.

All that can be found is a plaque and a notice half way up the staircase in the County Buildings. In the centre of town. If you don't know it is there then you are out of luck as no mention seems to be made of the First World War hero anywhere else.

Next to the brass plaque is an information panel with the following text.

“Louis McGuffie lived at 1 Main Strreet, Wigtown and along with his three rothers, joined the army early in the war. In 1915 he went to Gallipoli and later was sent to France. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in the battle of Wytschaete in September 1918.

“An officer in the 5th Battalion, the Kings Own Scottish Borderers, described McGuffie's action.

“It was on the 28th of September, during the Wytschaete attack. The chief strong point in the Boche (German) line was Piccadilly Farm, a fortified house held by a number of machine guns. Time and time again McGuffie rushed machine guns by himself, and knocked out or captured their crews. Then, later, it was found that a party of twenty fellows from another battalion had been cut off and surrounded by twice as many Germans. McGuffie took a couple of men with him, made a surprise rush on them, and surrounded and captured all the Boche.

“McGuffie survived the battle but was killed a week later by a stray shell. He was 26 years old.”

The panel has a picture of the VC, which it says is in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers Museum at Berwick on Tweed. According to one local resident, the VC was presented to Louis McGuffie's mother at a ceremony at the County Building and afterwards it was passed around the crowd of friends outside for everyone to inspect.

The Commonwealth War Graves website site gives the following information about the VC winner's grave:

McGuffie, Louis, Private, Service No:17392. Date of death 04/10/1918. Age 23.
Kings Own Scottish Borderers. Nationality UK.
Grave/Memorial Ref: I.D.12
Zantvoorde British Cemetery
Zandvoorde Churchard, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. West Flanders.

The cemetery is a bit inland from Ostend, south of Bruges on the A17.

It would be good to hear from anyone who can add to this story, email: www.raxomnium@gmail.com

c.www.scotlandsecretsouth.blogspot.com. Phillip Bruce.