Having gone through Ayr on the train a couple of times, nothing beckoned me until I realized the next town, Alloway, was where Robert Burns was born. How can I visit Scotland repeatedly and not pay homage to one of the world’s greatest bards? Since I’m on the southerly trail from the Highlands to England, Ayr was the next stop.
After the train journey from Perth coupled with the miles logged whilst there, I felt my afflictions acting up. (Silly expression as they were not ‘acting’ more like flailing) Fibromyalgia, arthritis, a newly tweaked back and the worst of all old A.G.E. as my mum used to say so I felt like a walk to check to the neighborhood was the right medicine. From my hotel the St Andrews, only a couple hundred steps from the rail station I took a left to Prestwick. This photo was something one would never see Stateside.
The area seems sadly depressed as do the people. Very few smiled with the typical Scottish “Hi ya”. In fact the pub where I stopped for a pint was the first time ever in the UK where no one returned my greeting or said a word to me. But still, I enjoyed the walk until I left Sainsbury’s with a bag of supplies and the lower back informed me it was not one of my best of ideas. With only a mile or so back to the Hotel, I soldiered on so to speak. Good thing the heaviest item was a Jug o’ Grouse! The next day I was feeling a bit better so I took a right and walked to Ayr. 6.8 miles RT
“Give a man a fish” and he’ll batter it and have it with chips!
I couldn’t find a way to get down to the River Ayr.
An ok High St, only a couple beggars, and the people seemed a little more alive. There is a lot of block housing in the area, council housing I would guess. This is one of the better ones.
I think the area is lacking industry, or specifically jobs. Or maybe it’s an educational issue. There are many formally great parts of Britain whose heyday is long in the rearview mirror with grand old buildings falling into disrepair and people seemingly without hope. Some of that is the result of foreign owners who had purchased hoping for a quick killing but other is from disuse and lack of opportunity. But I can find that all over New England too and probably all across America. Some in the States, like the City of New Bedford, MA have, through a lot of hard work by government, individuals and businesses turned the corner and are working their way back up but it is not easy and to revitalize a locality it needs a community effort.
This store gives one hope because you have to see life’s humor.
Hurricane Ophelia is clobbering Ireland today & I’m hoping for a not too bad day here on the west coast. It’s only £4.10/$5.43 RT for the all day trip from my hotel to the Burns monument and walking is out of the question.
They have done a nice job honoring one of Scotland’s best loved people. There is his cottage, as stark as when he was born.
Where the livestock lived under the same roof.
Then there is a Monument and gardens
With a couple of his more famous mates inside
The Brig o’ Doon has been protected only for the historical significance as it goes nowhere.
There were no witches I could see so I didn’t have to flee. Unlike poor Tam too scared to pee
Apologies to my mate Mike G
Then there is the Auld Kirk, said to be a haunted place. The grounds are a burial lot bordered by a wall the poet’s father built.
As I’ve said in other posts, I try and wash my hands in as many rivers I can safely access, I missed river Ayr, but did check off the River Doon.
The Burns Museum is a fine tribute
This mural made me laugh out loud!
“Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie.” Well, if he saw this one Rabbie might have chosen different words
Wee,
And then the sky turned all Halloween with a big orange sun-pumpkin
Nothing mystical, unfortunately, Ophelia sucked dust from the Sahara and Portugal’s wildfires to fall on Britain. Took a minute for me to grok the concept. Scotland was being layered with Sahara sands. What a world!
Posting these tales of wander and wonder makes my travels both more interesting and easier to remember yet also requires me to think out my story as the day unfolds. It’s work, but work I enjoy albeit unpaid. This post with fairly good WiFi took 4 hours to upload, then select the photos and write the commentary. Anyone know a publisher? Or VisitScotland? Or VisitBritain? Anyone? LOL!
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