Dumfriesshire Caerlaverock

Turreted entrance of apparently triangular castle.

Caerlaverock Castle is unique in the UK for its triangular ground-plan. Here it is seen in the warmth of a summer sunset This page continues the tour of Dumfriesshire with photographs from south of the town. The area is known as Caerlaverock. The name, with its Welsh appearance, probably dates from the time when the language, which is now Welsh, was the language of this part of Britain, before the people from here migrated south. Wikipedia suggests that the word might be translated as the 'Fort of the skylark'. Much of the ground of this part of Dumfriesshire was owned by the Maxwell... Tower and part of wall next to moat.

The remarkably intact south-west tower dates from between 1200 and 1300. Wall with many window holes.

The East Range of the internal courtyard was rebuilt in the mid-1600s ...family until it passed to the Dukes of Norfolk a hundred years ago. The unusual triangular castle, which is probably unique in the U.K., forms a centre piece for the area, it sits just below the conspicuous small hill - Ward Law - on which the Romans camped. On the seaward side of Caerlaverock, the WWT has found a home within the larger National Nature Reserve that covers the coastal area. And I too, have a home here, next to the northern corner of the Nature Reserve. Ruined castle with grass in front.

The north-east side of Caerlaverock Castle Looking down onto woods with just visible building, mud flats beyond.

The castle sits in the centre of the photo, between the trees. These two photos... Looking down on patchwork of fields.

...are taken from Ward Law which is half a mile to the north of Caerlaverock Castle. Above fields stretching away to the east Gentle rising hill with fields and crowned with a wood.

Gentle rising hill with fields and crowned with a wood.

Looking up from the merse, (the low, often inundated area, along the coast) at the clump of trees that makes Ward Law so conspicuous from many miles in all directions Picnique bench framed with view to sea across hills.

Picnique bench framed with view to sea across hills.

Looking out from Ward Law across the Solway Firth... Looking across fields to sea and hills beyond.

...to the Lakeland Hills - 25 miles away Path between dyke and fence running towards hill across water.

A Core Path leads from Ward Law to the west, offering views across the
Nith Estuary to Criffel Aparently shallow pond.

Ponds sprinkle the merse down on the... Foreground of rushes and bulrushes with trees on hill in distance.

...coastal flatlands; here bulrushes flourish Flat ground with distant line of trees and very distant hills.

The merse (salt marsh) extends along the Solway coast covering an area of roughly 10 x 4 miles. At the right-hand end of the trees is the Hollands Bird Hide - about one mile away at the centre of the photo.
Out on these flatlands the sense of vast space, whatever the weather, is always impressive Display map of the reserve area.

The official map of the National Nature Reserve Gently undulating farm land.

Inland from the merse and Ward Law the
ground rolls gently Visitors welcome sign next to a closed sign.

The main activity, apart from farming, revolves around the Canine Rescue Centre - it may be open Herd of a dozen or so belted Galloway cattle.

The land is mostly given over to pasture - Belties having a significant presence... Brown and white cow and calf.

...but other breads are available. However, it is the birds that make the area famous... Pond with line of geese retreating across grass next to it.

...They find particular sanctuary along at the WWT ground, but are seen, like these retreating Canada Geese, throughout Caerlaverock Flock of geese above fields with cattle.

Flock of geese above fields with cattle.

This flock of several hundred birds rose in a field near me and in trying to get my camera working I failed to register their species - they appear to be Brent Geese, with gulls and crows as hangers on Easier to identify are these three, all seen along the small back road behind Ward Law Butterfly on road.