Late June 2019 – Arbroath and Dundee

23rd June – Sunday – To Arbroath

We had to leave Port Edgar due to the impending flotilla, so another early start.  We dropped the lines at 5.30am on a cold and misty morning.  We were so glad that our trip up the Firth of Forth was blessed with sunshine, as the trip out was not so clear.

The sun appeared in the afternoon as did the swell.  Thank goodness for seasick pills.  10 hours later we arrived in Arbroath.  There is only 1 and a bit knots of tide around this area of the North Sea, so we made good time, despite the many lobster pots especially along the recommended bearing of 299 degrees into the port. Grrr.

Arbroath harbour entrance is well serviced by the best leading lights we have seen.  They are easily visible from outside and need to be lined up for the correct entry positioning.

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Leading Lights at Arbroath

Fleur in the neat little harbour.

The harbourmaster shouted from the quayside and pointed us to a hammer-head mooring.  Prime for us to be rafted against soon after, a nice Belgian Couple.  A Dutch boat then arrived on the next pontoon.  We have noticed many European sailors so far this year.

24th June – Monday

Horrid rainy day.  Mick went for diesel between the showers and returned with these.

Arbroath Smokies.  Smoked haddock with a delightfully delicate flavour.  Mick’s mum Toni would have loved them.

Later we had a walk around and found the Signal Tower museum, which is free but it was too near closing time.

We also found Arbroath Abbey, now managed by Historic Scotland.

25th June – Tuesday – To Dundee by train

As my Edinburgh expeditions were cut short I was determined to visit the new V&A museum in Dundee.  The trains are every 15 minutes and cost £11 return for two with our Two Together rail cards.

Swish signage outside

The V&A museum opened in Sept 2018 to display the history of design in Scotland.  The exterior is impressive.

The vast interior takes your breath.  The ground floor is mainly cafe and shop space.  The First floor holds the exhibition spaces.  The Scottish Design Galleries were a treat for me as I am a Charles Rennie Macintosh fan.  The highlight was the restored Oak Room from Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street Tearooms.  I never thought I would get to see a completed version.  The guide told me it is 92% original.  It provides an oasis of calm within the busy building.

The V&A Dundee has been heavily criticised, for its lack of exhibition space.  But the building itself is worth seeing.  We did not go into the special exhibition on Video Gaming, which takes up the other half of the first floor space.  It was what we expected.  We were stopped on the way out by a lady carrying out a survey.  She was open to suggestions and it appeared people would like to see more exhibits in the other open spaces to fully utilise the building.  Shop, restaurant and cafe, the obvious money spinners, did dominate the open spaces.   But overall we really enjoyed it.

We briefly visited the Museum of Contemporary Art, emperors new clothes spring to mind.  Our shortest museum visit ever.  After lunch we went to the McManus Art Gallery and Museum.

A beautifully restored museum in the Gothic style.  Several large halls of Dundee related items, educating us on the history of the town.  Video gaming is big business here.

We later walked passed the D.C. Thomson building famous for the Beano, Bunty and many others.

We returned to the boat museumed out.  A very enjoyable if tiring day in a proud, elegant old city.

Sailors Port Info

Arbroath marina is located in the centre of town.  Excellent leading lights aid safe passage into the harbour.  £25 per night.  £10 deposit for electronic fob for gates.  No wifi.  Facilities located in the building at the opposite side of the marina were adequate.  Individual bathrooms with WC and shower.  Lidl, Morrisons near the marina, ASDA a 20 min walk.  Small shopping centre.  10 minute walk to train station.  Many, many Arbroath Smokie outlets. Yum.

Next stop Peterhead.

Late June 2019–Port Edgar, South Queensferry and Edinburgh

4th June – Tues – To Port Edgar, Queensferry, Nr Edinburgh

We are making our way to Queensferry to be near Edinburgh to catch the train home for our brother-in-law Julian’s 70th birthday party.  Ordinarily sailors tend to pass the Forth of Firth and head straight to Arbroath from Eyemouth.  We are glad we took the detour. 

The alarm was set for 03.40am as our French neighbour, whom we were rafted onto, insisted he needed to start his 160 mile journey at 4.00am.  So we thought we might as well set off then too and arrive at Port Edgar, Queensferry in good time.  It was a very cold morning but even at that time we had decent visibility.  As the day became brighter we passed North Berwick, Torness Power Station and Dunbar, before we arrived at Bass Rock.

  

The incredible sight of the thousands of Gannets swooping, diving and darting around the rock is a sight that will stay with us for many years.  We took around 2 hours to fully pass it, enjoying the different aspects as we sailed by.  The next large rock in contrast was almost deserted.  Location, location, location…. for the well-healed Gannet.

The Firth of Forth was a beautiful end to the day.  We did not see any other sailing boats and really enjoyed the sail, culminating in the 3 bridges.  The Forth Rail Bridge (above), The Forth Road Bridge and the New Forth Crossing.

Seals sunning themselves on a buoy in the Firth of Forth.

We saw several seals, a dolphin and more puffins as the day became brighter, and we arrived in Port Edgar at 13:15 after 9 and a half hours and 50.4nm. 

Queensferry

Port Edgar is nestled between the rail and road bridges and is a 10 minute walk into town.  Over the next couple of days we had a good look around Queensferry.  As its name suggests it was the location of the Queens Ferry. 

The old street layout, houses built above street level and 17th century buildings all lend themselves to the ambience of the ancient town.

 

We walked along the sea front to the south of the Forth bridge.  There are lots of cafes, restaurants and shops catering to the large number of tourists.  We saw cruise ships and several coach loads, marvelling at the bridges.

There is a small free museum in the council offices, which has some unusual items, including this guy.

The Burry Man.  Literally a suit covered in Burrs which is worn by some poor soul once a year for the Burryman’s Parade, a summer festival.  Ouch!

7th June – Friday - Home from Edinburgh

We caught the bus in Queensferry (every half hour, £2.70 per person single).  On the bus we met a lady who takes cruise tours around the city.  We said we had a few hours to kill and she recommended the National Museum of Scotland.  After breakfast on the Royal Mile, the clouds started to gather so we made our way to the museum. 

Passing ‘The Elephant House’, ‘Birthplace of Harry Potter’ as it says in the window.  We only noticed it due to the amount of tourists taking photos.

Wow, we were not disappointed.  The national Museum of Scotland is a treat and free to enter.  It is based around this beautifully restored atrium, and has large display rooms leading from it on every level.  The museum displays the history and inventiveness of Scotland and its people.  For example:-

Boulton and Watts original Steam engine, still working!

Actual ‘Dolly the Sheep’ looking remarkably well, all things considered!  It was amazing seeing several foreign tourists all recognise her and say ‘Dolly’ in varying accents.  She is quite the star.

We spent 3 hours in here and missed the cloud burst, before heading to the station.

Home for two weeks

The main event was Julian's 70th Birthday and it was a very jolly and successful affair.  9 piece Reggae and Ska band ‘Pepper Jam’, Yummy Nanwiches from ‘Go Get Stuffed’ courtesy of Adrian and Ella, Bouncy Castle, Candy Floss, Face Painting etc by Joe and Angela and lots of fun from the assembled friends and family.

Rare brother and Two Sisters photo.  Jackie, Mick and Annette.

The Birthday Boy giving his emotional and heartfelt speech.  Good time had by all.

We also managed to fit in One Choir and Uke concert, 2 Uke sessions, 1 W.I. Trip, 1 Craft n Chat night, a trip to Longridge, a lovely day out to Hawes with Liz, and a trip to the Lakes.  Phew.

21st June – Friday – Back to Queensferry

We returned on the train and arrived back in time to hike up the hill to Tesco’s, as we had no supplies.

22nd June – Saturday

Our friends Iain and Irene travelled from the West Coast by train for a visit.  We have not seen them properly since we finished work so time for a good catch-up.  After a walk from the station to see the Bridges and the town, we went for lunch in the Orocco Pier Hotel, which has great views of the bridges.

Prime window seat with a view.

After lunch we strolled to the boat for a brew.  The Marina at Port Edgar has a couple of good shops and a Scott’s restaurant, so plenty to see.  It was really great to see them both and we hope to catch up with them on the West Coast, whenever we get there.

Sailors Port Info: Port Edgar Marina

The tide can run at 5 knots in the Firth of Forth, so care must be taken on the entry into the Port.  There is a well documented Tyre Wall floating near the entrance which must be passed on the West hand side.

The cost is £32 per night, but as we were leaving the boat we paid a monthly rate, which worked out cheaper.  We were told that the marina was quite full and they were expecting a group of 31 boats to arrive at the end of June, so my plans for visiting Holyrood and more of Edinburgh were scuppered for now.

There is a Scotmid Coop in town, and a Tesco up the hill (The Loan) approx 25 mins walk.  Wifi Poor.  Facilities were very disappointing, located in Portacabins, a good walk from the boat.  Good hairdryer, but poor drainage, and the lights kept going off!!!

A relatively new Scotts Restaurant has been opened (like Largs and Troon), which should bring in more visitors.  There is a high end clothing and chandlery shop, antiques emporium and many water sport activities to be had on site.

Early June - Northshields, Newcastle and Eyemouth, Scotland

29th May 2019 - Wednesday - Hartlepool to Northshields, Newcastle

We are making a return trip to Royal Quays Marina, at Northshields near Newcastle.  We set off at 09.30 to make the 24.5 miles in just under 6 hours.  We were hopeful for a sunny day, but the clouds arrived, with a chill wind and showers.  We saw no other pleasure boats except large traffic all day.

The large breakwaters at the end of the Tyne are a welcome site, as is the Tynemouth Priory on the hill.

The high and low lights (towers) need to be lined up as you follow the channel buoys up the river.

We pass the North Shields Fish Market, along the Fish Quay where the best Fish and Chips are to be purchased.  You can't get fresher.

We reach Royal Quays by 15.00.  There is a large lock, with high floating pontoons.  So stepping ashore is a doddle.  The harbour-master met us in the lock and directed us to a berth.

In search of fish and chips, after a cold journey, we started to walk to the Fish Quay.  I remembered a figure head outside a pub, Mick doubted my sanity for a while, but then we found her.  Outside the Prince of Wales aka The Wooden Doll. There has been a wooden figure here for 200 years, the original was from a brig called the 'Alexander and Margaret' she became famous as a good luck charm for sailors who cut pieces from her for luck.  She obviously did not last long and has had several reincarnations, the latest was carved in 1992.

We ate in the 'Waterfront' café.  It has had a facelift since our last visit.  Think this may become the Fish and Chip Lovers UK blog.
30th May - Thursday
Two loads of washing in the morning.
In the afternoon we walked to Tynemouth.  The home of the priory and a pretty main street and lots of bespoke shops and cafes.  In particular two venues, one in an old church, with lots of small shops inside, the other a colourful display in a beautiful old house.

Tynemouth Priory

Tynemouth High Street, leading to the beaches.
Coffee and cake revived us in Rene's Café for the return journey in the drizzle.  15,000 steps.
31st May - Friday

We took the passenger ferry to South Shields, across the river, as neither of us had been.  £2.90 day return.

Just opposite the ferry we came across a market and I was very pleased to find the NE branch of my favourite fabric shop Immanuel's of Burnley.  We had a good chat with the stall-holders who were going to the bosses wedding the following day.
Sadly the day was quite overcast and showery.  We made our way along Market Street and nipped into the museum out of the rain.  It comprises a lively jumble of historic items from the area along with live Pythons and Tarantula's!
We walked to length of Ocean Street to the seaside beyond, where there is a large funfair and parks at the seaside.  There is also a Roman Fort which will have to wait for better weather.

We then sheltered in the new and impressive Museum of the Written word, which is a library, gallery and educational space.  There was an excellent display about coding through the ages.
Final stop was a large ASDA near the ferry port.  A good full day despite the weather.
Sailors Port Info.
Royal Quays has a lock to enter.  The pontoons are floating and very high, so set a couple of high fenders.

'The Loft' restaurant and facilities complex above has been built since our last visit.  Very swish, but still no sockets.  £3 wash and £2 dry but one set took two sessions of drying Grrr.  £30 per night, electric on meters.  Really nice marina staff with very poor local knowledge regarding washing times, supermarkets and white diesel. 

There is an ASDA in North Shields 15 min walk.  A large ASDA in South Shields across the ferry.  Wifi Poor.

1st June - Saturday - North Shields to Eyemouth, Scotland
The weather has really been affecting our moves recently and we moved to Eyemouth as the forecast for the following few days was poor.
We entered the lock at 4.45 with a local fishing boat.

The beautiful sunrise lit Tynemouth Priory to perfection.
Over the next 12 hours we past the Farne Islands, Lindisfarne and Holy Island.  It would have been nice to stop here but I think the weather in July would be more conducive.  The strong Eddies around the Farne Islands made for an interesting hour for helming.  We saw our first Puffins bobbing in the sea, along with numerous seals.  The day remained mostly bright with some cloud and chill wind.  We arrived at 16.15 after 65 miles.

Beware of the Hurkars, rocks at the entrance to Eyemouth.

A narrow entrance leads into the port, lined with vessels of all types.
The harbour-master directed us to the visitor pontoons where we were required to raft 3 deep.  We were moved the following day to be rafted two deep.  The local fishing and dive boats are busy and it felt better to be further into the side.  Mick was taken for a ride in the harbour-master's van as soon as we arrived to explain current difficulties regarding the broken footbridge and how to get around.  But he had to walk back!

As you can see it is a busy port.  Gungreen House on the left is a notable smugglers haunt and is open to the public.  The small castle on the right can be rented for accommodation.

2nd and 3rd June - Sunday and Monday
We had a good walk around and found a great General Store, which was endless and sold everything.  There are amusements and cafes sprinkled around.  We walked up onto the headland to the location of the Roman Fort, with spectacular views to the North.

View North from the Headland

It was entertaining to watch the resident seals beg for fish from the returning fishing boats.
We finished our last day with Fish and Chips at Giacopazzi.  In Scotland many Fish and Chip shops are also Ice Cream Parlours, a match made in heaven.

Sailors Port Info
Sadly the port is hampered at present, as the footbridge to the marina office and facilities is currently being replaced and will not be operational until at least the end of June.
The public loo's, which are the nearest at present, on the harbourside charge 30p. I think there should be an amnesty while the bridge is broken.  It is currently a 2 mile return walk to the showers and office.  The facilities are old fashioned and cost £1 (2 x 50p) per shower.
Dive boats are very busy in the harbor and do not appear to follow any speed restrictions, which causes wash for moored boats.  On Sunday at least 8 return trips were witnessed.  The dive and stay business is booming.
There are only 3 boat lengths reserved for visitor pontoons.  So expect to raft.
The Gungreen House and Local Museum are open to visitors.
There is a Coop shop in town near the sea front.  Wifi poor.

Next stop Edinburgh and the beautiful Firth of Forth.