Holyhead Breakwater Country Park

On our round South Stack, Holyhead Mountain and North Stack we passed through Holyhead Breakwater Country Park. The quarry supplied the rocks for Holyhead Breakwater, as the name suggests, the longest breakwater in Europe. The brick works now houses a series of photographs in amongst the ruins. The ice-cream was rather welcome too - can't believe it was so hot as I sit writing this at home in torrential downpours!

The past ....

The present ....

Holyhead mountain round walk

A superb walk; South Stack - North Stack - Holyhead Mountain - Holyhead Breakwater Country Park - South Stack. Walking from the campsite we joined the coastal footpath at Porth y Gwyddel and walked through colourful heathlad to South Stack; a striking lighthouse. After that we continued along the coastal path towards North Stack, but diverted up the obvious path up to the summit of Holyhead Mountain. Given it it only 220m high it afforded good views and was a pleasant scramble in places. Then along to North Stack and to Holyhead Country Park, a former quarry and brick works (next blog), before returning to South Stack via the southern flanks of Holyhead Mountain. A hot day and a long walk, given the heat, but a great walk too!

Looking along the coast to South Stack and Holyhead Mountain.

South Stack and the view from Holyhead Mountain.

Holyhead Mountain summit and the view back to North Stack.

The coast, the flaks of Holyhead Mountain on the way back and a colourful field! 

Silver-studded blue; speckled wood and rose chafer. 

South Stack, Anglesey

A repeat of part of the morning's walk and a bit more - exploring the southern end of the South Stack Reserve....after having pitched the tents.

Superb heathland colours.

Coastal views with top - Holyhead mountain.

Wild carrot; hooded crow; knapweed and cliff top heathland.

Lichens...

Gatekeeper; wallbrown; painted lady and a small skipper.

Chough....

Silver-studded blue.

Silver-studded blues at South Stack, Anglesey

An amazing number of silver-studded blues at South Stack reserve on Anglesey....

Anglesey ... the beginning!

Well we've had a cracking five nights camping on Anglesey, in a field with a standpipe and no internet.....hence there are a few blogs to come and rather a lot of editing of photos! We set off at 6am last Sunday and arrived before 10. So first of all a walk out along the southern end of the South Stack reserve on Holy Island; a stone's throw from the campsite. Spectacular scenery and lovely to see the first of many silver-studded blue butterflies. The walk though was curtailed by a little bit of rain, mainly because the waterproofs were packed away in the boot of the car in the midst of all the camping stuff. As a taster it ticked all the boxes in 30 minutes!

Fantastic coastal heathland with bell heather, ling and cross-leaved heath in flower - and the gorse added a flash of contrasting yellow - but the dog wasn't as keen on walking when there was gorse! 

Silver-studded blue.

Chough.

Superb folding.

Southerness, Dumfries, fossils

Southerness is a geological SSSI, and well worth a visit for its fantastic exposures, and fossils in life position. 

Syringothyris Limestone: a varied marine fauna of brachiopods, bivalves, polyzoa and crinoid ossicles.

Algal stromatolite beds: at Southerness there are two distinctive algal stromatolite bands, above the prior limestone. These domed algal masses formed in an intertidal to shallow subtidal environment.

A variety of rock types: bryozoa, trace fossils, breccia, plant remains and wave ripples. 

Southerness point - a day trip

A beautiful day, and being as we had to be in Dumfries anyway, we travelled down to Southerness point to look for fossils - it's a geological SSSI. This blog is the views though, as the fossils were so good that will follow!

Criffel from the Scotch side and looking back across to the Lakes and home.

Southerness lighthouse.

Thirl Stane natural arch. 

Painted lady - one of many; starling; brachiopods, crinoids and bryozoan; lax-flowered sea lavender and Rocky.