Some more on Scotland

Just a few more points about my recent scottish travels. Whilst I was there I paid a visit to Reg (the second half of Tobireg) he is alive and well and happy in his new home in Ayr. Although he has now reached middle age in feline terms he does not seem to be affected by the sort of mid life crises that seem to affect his human counterparts and continues to wreak havoc amongst the unsuspecting bird population of Glendale cresent and Peggieshill road.

Whilst in Prestwick I took a train trip to the neighbouring town of Irvine. It was interesting to note that the train journey, which covers about the same distance as Silverton to Exeter costs only £3.30 return and you can get trains every half hour. There is also a very regular and comparitavely cheap bus service. It certainly makes one a little jealous.

Irvine was a small clyde coastal town until the 1960s when it became an overspill town for Glasgow and one of a group of new towns that sprang up in the Scottish central belt at that time. Initially they attracted quite a range of new industries but were badly hit by the economic downturns of the late 70s-early eighties. The old part of Irvine remains reletively untouched but is surrounded by a number of disconnected housing estates often dominated by high rise flats. The town centre has at it centre, yet another huge shopping complex, The Rivergate centre, which dates to the early 1980s. Sadly, of course, the range of shops you find there are exactly the same as everywhere else in these islands. With much of its original heavy engineering gone Irvine is probably best known now for its excellent maritime museum.

And so that about finishes the reports on my scottish travels and not a deep fried mars bar in sight. There were however, quite a number of 'full scottish breakfasts', no beans added in my case, which probably have much the same effect on your cholesterol levels when you have components such as tattie scones and sliced sausage. One continuing complaint I have regarding Scotland though is the continuing difficulty of getting any decent beer. If in Ayr and wanting anything more refreshing then the usual Scottish and Newcasle breweries keg fizz, I can only recommend visitors go to the local Weatherspoons, The West KIrk in the Sandgate or the towns original real ale pub, Geordies Byre in the Main street. Both of these have in the past been known to sell the products of our own local Exe valley Brewery.