Between Kirkcudbright and Dundrennan is the Dundrennan Range, a military facility used for weapons testing and training. The range was acquired in World War 2 and contains an area of rocky coast and farmland, including the estate of Netherlaw House. When the range is not being used for military purposes, it is open to the public for walking and cycling. The beach at Burnfoot is made up of rounded beach rocks sitting on top of outcrops of Carboniferous sediments. Just the place for building some rock piles:

The rocky outcrops also show a lot of examples of circular structures around 2 feet (60 cm) in diameter. We think these may be Liesegang Rings or some sort of cementation feature (thanks for the suggestions, Giancarlo!).

From Burnfoot, we walked up around the site of Netherlaw House, now completely demolished without trace and along the Netherlaw Burn where the river cascades over natural rock outcrops with a backdrop of ferns, mosses and snowdrops.

Here’s a robin’s egg shell that Gabrielle found and posed on a tree trunk:

Gabrielle picked some wild garlic on the way back as an extra ingredient for our evening meal.

A walk around Auchencairn Bay and along the peninsula to Torr Point. After crossing the head of the bay, the first point of interest is Red Haven, a nice, sandy beach. Here’s the view from Red Haven, looking towards Hestan Island and Balcary Point.

The remains of a “tar pot” used by fishermen to preserve their nets.

View across the bay to Almorness point.

Hestan Island from Torr Point.

A bendy tree on the way around Torr Point peninsula.

Back along the path across the head of the bay to Auchencairn.