Oystermouth Castle

Oystermouth castle is a Norman castle that overlooks Swansea Bay. Although there had been previous fortifications on the site it was built as a stone castle on the 13th century by the Lords of Gower. However, the Lords were living elsewhere by the 14th century and the castle declined in importance and after the Middle Ages gradually fell in to ruin. Under the ownership of the Duke of Beaufort it was restored in something of a romantic style in the 1840s and the then Duke of Beaufort gave it to Swansea Corporation in 1927. It underwent a £1m refurbishment on 2010/11, adding new facilities to benefit visitors. It is an interesting castle with good access and worth a look if you are in the area.                                            

Fyvie Castle

Fyvie Castle is in Aberdeenshire and we visited last month. The site of the castle was the location of an open air court held by Robert the Bruce but the actual structure dates back to the 13th century. Since then it has been owned by five families each of which has added its own tower the last of which was built in 1890. The last owners sold the property to National Trust for Scotland in 1984 and they continue to look after it to this day.                                            

Craigellachie Bridge

Craigellachie Bridge crosses the River Spey near Aberlour in Moray, Scotland. It is a cast iron bridge of 150' span completed in 1814 and designed by Thomas Telford. It remained in constant use until 1963 when it was closed for refurbishment, re-opening the following year with a weight restriction. A new concrete bridge was built nearby in 1970 and Telford's bridge was closed to vehicular traffic two years later. Today it is a grade A listed structure that remains open to pedestrians and cyclists.

Rhynie

Rhynie is a small village in Aberdeenshire that we stopped by last month that had a very nice village green and war memorial.

Pitsligo Castle

Pitsligo is a ruined castle outside of Rosehearty in Aberdeendshire. It dates back to 1424 with additions in the late 16th and following century. It was looted and destroyed by Flemish troops in 1845 and is now just a ruin which is free to visit.                      

Grampian Transport Museum

This museum is near Alford in Scotland and is certainly worth a visit. It has been open for over 40 years and, to quote from their website: "Grampian Transport Museum brings transport’s evolving histories, nostalgic tales and quirkiest innovations to life, in an award-winning collection that spans eras, countries and cultures."

The displays relate primarily to road transport covering carriages, bicycles, motorbikes, cars and trucks but you can also find trams, a traction engine and a steam loco. There are displays relating to TV programmes, such as some of Guy Martin's escapades and a number of vehicles from the classic Top Gear days. When we visited vehicles were also being run on a small track out back offering free rides in vintage vehicles. Add in a reasonable canteen and it made for a good day out.