Castle Douglas

Today dawned fair and we were up and about early in order to catch a bus to Dalbeattie, where we swapped to another bus and headed off to castle Douglas, lured by its appellation of "Food Town".

Nell had a run around Carlingwark Loch before we had a tour of the caravan site and then picked up fish and chips for lunch in the park. Not any old fish, mind you, but good fresh COD! (extra)

There was a surfeit of time before the bus home so we ambled slowly up one side of the main street and back down the other. Nell of course prevented any sitting around in coffee shops.

Food Town delivered on its promise when we found an organic bakery and several fine butchers. There were wet fish shops and a greengrocers too but we failed to find a good cheese shop. My disappointment was compensated by the discovery of an art and craft shop housing more yarn than I have seen in very many long years. There was a fabric shop too.

It was sooooo HOT and I was wilting but we had an hour remaining until the bus. Mr L needed to go to the Sulwath Brewery for some bottled supplies and handed the dog to me when I remembered something. There is a Brewery Tap at Sulwath, perhaps it would be dog friendly? Indeed it is!

So, that was it. We sat in blissfully cool surroundings, supped a pint of Criffel apiece and just chilled out until bus time. (extra)

We came home with a nice seeded loaf, two gorgeous little apple tarts, two wodges of Focaccia for our supper and one of these beauties from the bakery, a couple of Chicken Kievs from the butcher, 6 bottles of ale from Sulwath Brewery and some rather pedestrian cheese found at the Co-op.

The Brewery trick is one that I think that we may play again.

I warmed the Focaccia for supper, added a side salad and we washed it down with one of the Sulwath bottles (a Tri-ball Tribute, in fact.)