Tuesday, 20 September 2011

The Dick Institute, Kilmarnock and other outings

The lack of posts on the Glebe this last week has been due to the blog author resting up and feeling miserable.The problem started last Thursday evening when out for a walk I stepped on a fallen branch which twisted under me.I felt an initial pain,but it seemed to go off quickly.How wrong I was.Upon waking in the morning I was in agony.
The upshot is I was destined to spend the weekend on the settee with a painful ankle and an even more painful knee which meant no walk with the Wigtownshire Ramblers.
Sunday I managed a little walk.Monday a bit more and now it's Tuesday I can report I'm on the mend.
The ankle no longer hurts and the knee is less painful (It still hurts a little climbing the stairs,but nothing like it did)
Now I've got the sympathy vote I'll upload some pictures from recent outings.

A couple of weeks ago I was due to climb a hill with my fellow rambler from Cumnock.
Due to the inclement weather we decided instead to head for Kilmarnock and the Dick Institute.

Passing through Mauchline on the way I took a photo of the tower below.
Robert Burns worked and lived in Mauchline for a number of years and was where he met and married Jean Armour.
This is the National Burns Memorial Tower
I must pay a visit sometime.

On then to Kilmarnock and  the Dick Institute
We were disappointed to find that much of it was closed as the galleries were undergoing renovations.
The upstairs museum was open though and I took a number of pictures which are featured below.











I aplogise for the lack of details in the above photographs but it's well worth a vist.


This is the result of stitching four pictures together.

Opposite the institute is the this war memorial.
This from wikipedia
The Kilmarnock War Memorial is a war memorial located in Kilmarnock and built in 1927 to remember everyone who fought in the First World War. The building is accessible to the public, although it is locked. The key is available from the Dick Institute situated nearby. The walks are covered with those names of the people who fell in the First World War. Later additions were made adding the names of those Kilmarnock residents who gave their lives in World War II.
Inside there is a figure cast in bronze, ‘The Victor’, whose head is bowed in silent contemplation of the cost of war


Monday visit to Glentrool

What is it with spiders and wing mirrors.

There's a new feature up at Bruce's Stone
This one's readable with a click.



I took a couple of panoramas of Loch Trool this being the best.

This panorama is also on full screen on Panogio  HERE
A visit to Caldons saw work beginning on the restoration of the big house and contractors laying stone along the Water of Trool path.They're obviously expecting more tourists next year.


It's now Tuesday and I'll try my leg out on the coast.The following pictures are from below Carsluith Castle.
There's more shells than you can shake a stick at here.

I guess this is an Oystercatcher

Seclusion

How clear is the water in this pool

Looks like a Shag and a couple of seagulls

Remnants of boat mooring posts

A sandy beach.The birds don't get disturbed a lot.

I turned this piece of old masonry back the way I found it.That's a big family of snails.

View over to Wigtown

Looks like a typical Red Admiral

I didn't walk too far today.I fancy walking from here to Auchenlarie sometime though.It looks very interesting.

A run up past Bagbie to take a picture of the standing stone was enough walking for me today.
The ankle has stood up well but my knee's still troublesome.I might rest tomorrow.

7 comments:

  1. Ouch! I wish your ankle & knee a speedy and full recovery.

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  2. Looks Like King Kong Is Climbing the Burns Tower in the first photo Jim.Cycled past it many times and never noticed that before.
    bob.

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  3. Thanks Maria,I'm well on the mend.

    It was beauty that killed the beast eh Bob.
    Maybe Rabbie's over indulgence was his problem as well.

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  4. Och, my home town, Killie. I can't believe you went to The Dick. We were there often!

    Looks just the same as 30 years ago.

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  5. Jim, thanks for your recent visit!
    I enjoyed your tour of the Dick Institute & other outings. I hope youe ankle & knee heal soon!

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  6. Hi Gillian,I'm usually bypassing Killie on the M77,so far my two visits have found the town to be very historic and interesting.
    Like all other big towns throughout Scotland though it's peripheries have become swamped with large tasteless retail parks.
    While travelling the world in 2003 I'd be photographing what I thought would be a unique street until I spotted the 'Blockbuster Video' shop.(Google image search will show you what I mean).So long as there are places like The Dick then humanity has a chance.

    Thanks Michael,i'm on a gradual mend,hopefully getting out and about a bit more soon.

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  7. P.S to last comment.

    I just found this on Wikipedia.

    Acquisition by Dish Network
    On March 28, 2011, South Korean telecommunications company, SK Telecom, made a surprise bid to buy Blockbuster.[40] Dish Network had also expressed interest in bidding; as did Carl Icahn, despite calling Blockbuster "the worst investment I ever made."[41] Dish eventually won the auction on April 6, 2011, agreeing to buy Blockbuster for US$320 million.[42] On April 19, 2011, it was announced that Dish would only keep 500 Blockbuster stores open. In its heyday Blockbuster had more than 4,000 stores nationwide.
    In April 2011, Dish Network, the Dallas-based video rental chain’s new owner, told the U.S. Bankruptcy Court that it needs more time to negotiate with landlords. Also, it is trying to keep more than 600 Blockbuster stores open.[43] The deal was finalized on April 26, 2011.

    Maybe my next world trip won't be ruined by these bland store fronts after all

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Thanks for all your comments. I may not get to reply to them all, but you may be sure they'll be appreciated.