294. Cruggleton Bay

I’ve been here before, and it’s the beach I’ve most been looking forward to today. About 15 years ago, my wife, daughter and I were holidaying nearby and we spent a wonderful day visiting the beautiful gardens of Galloway House, which sits alongside this wide sheltered bay, otherwise known as Rigg Bay. On that occasion, we walked along the coast to the ruins of Cruggleton Castle and I can still remember the smell of the wild garlic. Today, as the memories come flooding back, I park back at the same small car park at Galloway House and am content to spend time walking through the gardens and traversing this impressive bay, from the large concrete structure still remaining from when the beach was used for D-Day landings preparation, to the water’s edge hundreds of metres away. A family is picnicking at one of the wooden tables and I overhear a well-spoken English girl say “I really want to go in the sea, it looks so beautiful. Hector, will you come with me?” They set off for the long walk to the water.