Spring Surprises
Spring is a wonderful time at Rusko with lambing starting
in March and the hill lambs being born in April. We also have
some calves born in April too. Discover daffodils along our
roadside verges. Take a cliff top walk to see carpets of rock
plants in their natural setting and sea birds nesting in their
thousands. The whole of the Fleet valley is full of bluebells
in late May and the fields are full of adorable lambs. This
is a lovely time to visit the glorious sub-tropical gardens
in the area with masses of daffodils and other bulbs and early
rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias. The National Trust's
Gardening School at Threave has a particularly good collection
of daffodils, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens' outpost at Logan
is famous for its camellias and magnolias and this is the
best time of year for visiting the many private gardens, open
each week-end under Scotland's Garden Scheme.
Summer Fun
Spend a lazy day on a sheltered sandy beach; the sea is usually
warm enough for swimming from May to the end of September.
This is a great time for picnics, walking, riding, cycling
and fishing in the hills - ablaze with heather in August.
Attend one of the Galas, which are held throughout the summer
months, and the 3 Agricultural Shows that are the highlight
of the farming year. At a time of year when other outdoor
destinations are overcrowded, come and enjoy the peace and
quiet of Gatehouse and explore the hills and coast around;
you will probably find you have them to yourself! This area
has been the setting for many novels and films - let your
imagination go - retrace the chase in John Buchan's "39
Steps" over the Cairnsmore of Fleet which lies just behind
Rusko, or follow the steps of Dorothy L. Sayer's "Five
Red Herrings" much of which is set on the Rusko Estate;
the horror of "The Wicker Man" in Gatehouse and
Kirkcudbright and many characters from Walter Scott's novels.
To quote John Buchan's "The 39 Steps": "I fixed
on Galloway as the best place to go. It was the nearest wild
part of Scotland, so far as I could figure it out, and from
the look of the map was not overly populated" - very
little has changed since then!
Autumn Glory
Bring your walking boots and camera to capture the changing
colours of the countryside. Hide yourself away in a secluded
country cottage retreat. Venture out for a game of golf or
tennis and take in the history and heritage of our great castles
and abbeys. Enjoy one of our intriguing museums, art galleries
and all-weather Visitor Centres. Visit Castle
Douglas Food Town and treat yourself to some great local
food; yummy Galloway beef and lamb, locally made pates and
cheeses and other delicacies from our small specialist food
shops. Nearby Kirkcudbright Artist Town has its own fishing
fleet, bringing in fish fresh from the sea - a feast of scallops,
lobsters and Dover soles as well as an assortment of delicious
unusual fish to try. There are several Smokehouses in the
area and local salmon, prawns, venison and game are plentiful.
Alternatively, you can catch your own mussels, cockles, shrimps
and fish - the Galloway coast has some of the best sea fishing
in Britain. This is often the best time for fishing for sea-trout
and salmon in the regular Autumn spates.
Winter Wonder
Bring binoculars to spot rare birds wintering on the Solway
- we annually play host to the entire population of Spitzbergen
Barnacle Geese. Walk the hills accompanied by a tinkling flock
of Snow Buntings. Relax in a leisure pool and treat yourself
to a massage or beauty treatment. Curl up with a good book
in front of a roaring open fire. Celebrate Christmas and the
New Year (Hogmanay) and sing "Auld Lang Syne" here
in the land of Robert Burns or attend one of the many Burns
Suppers at the end of January. In January and February the
woods in the Fleet Valley are covered in a carpet of snowdrops
and you may even be lucky enough to experience one of our
occasional short snowy spells when Rusko turns into a winter
wonderland. Winter is often the best time for walking as the
air is even clearer than usual and the going is often easier
when there is frost in the ground. |
