Gingerbread House is a two-bedroom,thatched, Grade II listed cottage on a countryestate near Ilminster, Somerset. Guests haveaccess to a shared open-air swimming pooland 500 acres of farmland, park and woods.Contact Helpful Holidays on 01647 433593,e-mail help@helpfulholidays.com or visitwww.helpfulholidays.com

MERRICKS PUBLISHING LTDWessex Buildings, SomertonBusiness Park, Somerton,Somerset TA11 6SB, UKTELEPHONE 01458 274447FAX 01458 274059ISDN 01458 271818WEBSITE www.holidaycottages.cc E-MAIL info@merrickspublishing.com

PUBLISHER John Kerswill EDITOR David KernekASSOCIATE EDITOR Eve KerswillDESIGNERSLisa Hext and Naomi ChapmanPRODUCTION EDITOR Katherine RakeADMINISTRATOR & ACCOUNTSMANAGER Brigitte GardinerFINANCE DIRECTOR Richard GardinerWEBSITE & IT MANAGER Tom Kerswill

PUBLISHED BYMerricks Publishing LtdDISTRIBUTIONMMC. ISSN 1479-1102PRINTED BYGarnett Dickinson Print

© Merricks Publishing Ltd 2008. We cannot accept responsibility for any mistakesor misprints. No part of this publication may bereproduced in any form without our writtenpermission.

Please note…We take great care in producing this magazine to avoiderrors. All advertisements are printed in good faith andare to the best of our knowledge accurate. However, weare unable to inspect properties to confirm the accuracyof descriptions and claims. The wording and contents ofall advertisements are the responsibility of advertisersand no warranty is given by the publishers of HolidayCottages Magazine as to their accuracy.

The publishers can accept no responsibility orliability for any errors or omissions in advertisements. Inaddition, details of prices, facilities and equipment maybe liable to change and should be confirmed with theadvertiser at the time of booking.

Readers intending to buy property advertised forsale are advised to take appropriate independent legaladvice before entering into any commitment.

On the cover...

3

Unique is a much over-usedand devalued word thesedays, but Holiday Cottagesmerits that description. It’s the

only magazine devoted exclusively topromoting holidays – specifically, self-catering holidays – in Britain and Ireland. It’spacked with ideas and suggestions forwinter, spring, summer and autumn breaks,and there are pages of holiday properties –cottages of all shapes and sizes, luxuryapartments and even the odd castle or two –that can be booked direct with the owners.Arranging a holiday this way saves youmoney that can be spent on the treats thatmake a get-away even more enjoyable… orjust saved!

We’ve kicked off this brand new year with apackage of features about places that areideal for holidays at any time of the year,from the chilly depths of winter through towhat we all hope – against hope! – will be asizzling summer and a mellow autumn.

Angela Dewar says you can have almost allof the seasons in just a few hours inGlencoe, where she rented a holidaycottage for a walking weekend. AlisonThomas has been to Myddfai inCarmarthenshire, to look at the holiday home

– and farm – that Prince Charles has boughtand is restoring. Villagers there hope thattheir new royal connection might revive thelocal economy. Katherine Rake enjoyed aweekend break in East Devon, where shediscovered that her holiday cottage was oncea leper hospital.

There’s a bonus in this issue for readers withan interest in Irish holidays… we’ve gotlocation reports from both sides of theborder. John Kerswill has been to Donegal inthe Republic, while Ron Toft writes about thedelights of County Down in NorthernIreland. Donegal actually extends furthernorth than Ulster, but let’s not get boggeddown in geographical niceties.

Disputes, holidays and children are wordsthat easily find themselves in the samesentence, so Karen Jones of Coast &Country Holidays has tips on how to takesome (but perhaps not all) of the stress outof self-catering breaks with very youngpeople.

Advertising SalesSENIOR SALES EXECUTIVECarey-anne PerkinsSALES EXECUTIVESJohn Stevensand Kirsten West TEL 01458 271817EMAILadvertising@merrickspublishing.com

Editor

Like your own copy?If you’ve come across this copy of Holiday Cottages in awaiting room, you might like to know that you can obtain yourown copy in newsagents and supermarkets throughout the UK.

If you’d like to know who your nearest stockists are, you canfind out online by entering your postcode at:http://availability.mmcltd.co.uk

Alternatively, we’ll be happy to send you a copy post free, atthe normal retail price of £2.95 (UK only).Just phone Brigitte or Annie on 01458 274447.

Holiday Cottages is published seven times a year.

Next issue on sale 21 March

4 Holiday Cottages magazine February/March 2008

CONTENTS

GETTING AWAY! REGULARSSpoilt for choiceJames Morris explains the veryspecial appeal of self-catering holidays 10My Devon weekendKatherine Rake packs in countrywalks and seaside promenadeson her short break 12Prince of leavesAlison Thomas unravels the mythsof the royal hamlet of Myddfai 16Ireland… north and south

DonegalYou may not have heard of Inishowen, but it’s well worth a visit, reckons John Kerswill 22St Patrick’s county!A friendly welcome awaits Ron Tofton his holiday in County Down 28

Family favouritesKaren Jones has advice on takingthe stress out of holidays with children 32Peaks of pain… and pleasureA break in Glencoe givesAngela Dewar the chance to try out her climbing boots 34

Welcome 3

Holiday Update 6

Letters 21

WheelsGet to grips with thecountry in something old,something new 38

Bob Jenkinssamples the delightsof eating out in the UK 42

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South Westincluding Channel Islands

South

East

Heart of England

Yorkshire

North Westincluding Isle of Man

North East

Wales

Scotland

Northern Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Wheelchair access Children welcome

No pets

No smoking

Pets allowed

★ ★ Star ratings shown in advertisements arethose awarded by local, regional ornational tourist boards and notified toHoliday Cottages by advertisers.

Just pick your area, then turn to the page shownfor a great selection of holiday accommodation

Symbols & stars

COTTAGE FINDER

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Seventy-nine UK communities are to have improvedcycle and pedestrian lanes thanks to the NationalLottery.

In the biggest ever lottery handout to result from apublic vote, the cycling charity Sustrans – which hasspent 12 years creating the 12,000 mile NationalCycle Network – is to receive £50m so that it canstep up a gear with the next stage of its Connect2programme.

Sustrans will use the money to build 54 newwalking and cycling bridges and renew and restore58 more, enabling people to cross busy roads,rivers and railways.

It will also create new foot and cycle paths, andeven reinstate a ferry (at Blyth, in Northumberland),giving people easier and healthier access to

schools, workplaces, shops, parks and countryside.More than 286,000 people voted in the Big

Lottery Fund final. Almost half (42 per cent) backedSustrans, giving it a huge lead over three othershortlisted projects – Sherwood forest; a majorextension to the Eden Project in Cornwall, and theBlack Country Urban Park.

Sustrans’ John Grimshaw said: “We areimmensely grateful to everyone who got behindConnect2 to make their votes count. But the hardwork starts now and there will be a huge amount tobe done to make sure we fulfil all our obligations tothe Big Lottery Fund.”

During 2006 over 338 million trips were made onthe cycle network, which is maintained by a team of2,400 volunteer rangers.

A new reef for south coast surfers is ‘fantasticnews’, say city bosses.

The artificial reef – only the fourth to be built inthe world, and the first in Europe – will beconstructed at Boscombe, near Bournemouth.

Bournemouth Borough Council is on course tostart work in spring 2008, following the grant of aspecial environment licence by the Marine andFisheries Agency.

Sand-filled bags will be submerged east ofBoscombe pier to create waves up to 3 metreshigh. The reef will double the number of goodsurfing days to more than 150 a year.

The £1.4 million project should be finished inOctober 2008, in time to catch the autumn swell.

The Agency's chief executive, Nigel Gooding,said: “A number of complex issues to ensure theprotection of the marine environment had to beconsidered. The MFA had to take into account thepotential impact of the reef on local fishermen andany possible danger to navigation. All the issueshave been resolved.”

Specialist construction material for the reef willbe ordered, including ecologically sound geo-textile bags from Australia and the webbing basefrom New Zealand.

Roger Brown, Head of Leisure Services atBournemouth Borough Council, said: “This is thefantastic news that everyone has been waiting for.The area of Bournemouth and Poole already hasan excellent reputation as a leading watersportsdestination, but the reef will put Boscombe firmlyon the surfing map."

A new nature reserve has opened atVange Marsh, near Basildon, afterEnglish Partnerships gave the 4.5-hectare site to the Land RestorationTrust and provided an endowment of£500,000 to provide for its futuremanagement.

The site will extend an existing RSPBreserve. According to Euan Hall, chiefexecutive of the Land Restoration Trust,the new nature reserve is “the key thatopens access to a much wider openspace network comprising VangeMarshes, West Canvey Marsh and WatTyler Country Park.”

The Vange Marsh reserve alreadyattracts a range of wildlife, includingrarities like water vole, great crestednewt and bearded tit.

Dave Hedges, the RSPB’s sitemanager for Vange Marsh, says“management will ensure that wildlifethrives and new access improvementswill help people make better use of theirlocal environment.”

The site will be part of the SouthEssex Greengrid, a long-term project toencourage the development of anetwork of open spaces and green linksthroughout the Thames Gateway inSouth Essex.

More power to the pedal

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Nine out of ten tourists visiting some ofScotland’s top beauty spots say the presence ofwind farms makes no difference to theenjoyment of their holiday, and twice as manypeople would return to an area because of thepresence of a wind farm as would stay away,according to a poll carried out by MORIScotland.

A face-to-face survey of more than 300 visitorsto Argyll, commissioned jointly by the BritishWind Energy Association and the ScottishRenewables Forum, found that 91 per cent saidthe presence of wind farms in the area made nodifference to whether they would return. About 1in 5 had actually seen one of the wind farms inArgyll and when asked what effect this had hadon their impression of Argyll, 55 per cent said‘generally or completely positive’. Another 32 per

cent were ‘ambivalent’ and only 8 per cent felt‘negative’.

Detailed interviews were carried out over twoSeptember weekends near some of Argyll’s topbeauty spots. Unsurprisingly, the area’s scenerywas rated by far the main attraction. Questionedabout the appeal or otherwise of wind farmvisitor and information centres, eight out of tenpeople said they would be interested in visitingone during their stay.

The building of wind farms can have a positiveeffect on the environment. At Cruach Mhor inArgyll, where Scottish Power operates 35 windturbines, 386 hectares of conifers have beenfelled and the land returned to blanket bog andgrassland. This is being managed to helpwildlife including the area’s rare hen harriers.

The power company has engaged consultant

ornithologist Mike Madders, of NaturalResearch, to investigate the impact of the newhabitat areas. He believes there has been littleor no displacement of hen harriers from the windfarm area. A pair nested at the site duringconstruction and, in summer 2005, a pairfledged four young successfully from a sitewithin 300 metres of the nearest turbine.

“This is an interesting research opportunity,”said Mike. “We are learning a lot at Cruach Mhorthat will be of great use in the debate aboutharriers and wind farms.”

The government says it’s going to givean extra £9.6m towards England’s ninenational parks over the next three years.The annual grant to the national parkauthorities will rise from the current£44.4m to £48.9m by 2011.

The biggest spender is the PeakDistrict (above) and the park will see itsannual funding increase from £7.92m in2007 to £8.7m in 2011. At the other endof the scale, the NorthumberlandNational Park Authority will see itsfunding rise from £3.15m to £3.48m.

“These increases in funding willenable our national parks to continueprotecting and improving thelandscape, our heritage and wildlife,”said rural affairs minister JonathanShaw. “National parks are not justbeautiful and historic parts of thecountryside, but places where peoplewant to live and work.”

Park boostGoing the Wolds way

Windmills are wonderful…

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Tourism leaders in Lincolnshire are planning toattract more walkers to the county, which they sayhas some fantastic routes.

Enticements to fans of walking, cycling andoutdoor pursuits include special packs with hintsand tips, a new 54 page outdoors guide, and anew dedicated website section.

The most popular area of the county withwalkers is the Lincolnshire Wolds, which has ahost of waymarked routes and countryside paths.Designated an area of Outstanding Natural Beautyin 1973, the Wolds is a landscape of prettyvillages, sweeping open grassland and rollingchalk hills.

The area has some of the most unspoilt walkingterrain in the UK, offering walks ranging from

leisurely strolls and hillside ambles to more serioustreks. More adventurous walkers can tackle part ofthe 130 mile Viking Way, stretching from theHumber Bridge through Lincolnshire and intoneighbouring Rutland.

There is also the ‘Wolds Walking Festival’, whichtakes place each year over the last two weeks inMay. With more than 50 organised routes laid onfor all ages and abilities, this is an increasinglypopular event for anyone with an interest inwalking or the outdoors.

Available from Lincolnshire Tourism in spring2008, the outdoors guide and walking packs willbe supported by updated sections on website

www.visitlincolnshire.com

The number of holiday visitors from mainland Britain to Ulster surged by26 per cent last year, according to preliminary 2007 figures.

There has also been double digit growth in holidaymakers frommainland Europe and North America. This continues the boom of the lastsix years which has seen Northern Ireland earn more than £1.8bn from 11million visitors from Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and overseas.

Ulster finds favour

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Scotland now has its first visitorattraction dedicated to the country’snational biscuit. Dean’s ShortbreadVisitor Centre, at Huntly inAberdeenshire, is in the heart ofcastle country and on the edge ofthe malt whisky trail.

Dean’s has grown to become theleading Scottish retail brand ofshortbread, employing more than

It’s time to brush off the wintercobwebs and get out and about,reckons the National Trust. It’soffering a series of spring timeevents at its properties designed toreinvigorate body and soul, fromsnowdrop walks and woodlandwanders to Behind the Scenestours.

Here’s a sample of what’s onoffer (the event charges shown arein addition to normal admissionrates to properties):Snowdrop Season15 Jan - 24 Feb (Tues to Sun),10.30am - 4.30pmAnglesey Abbey, CambridgeshireWhen most gardens look grey anddull the Winter Garden at AngleseyAbbey is in full bloom, containingsome 150 species of plantschosen for their attractiveness inwinter. Drifts of white snowdropsand yellow aconites add colour tofrosty landscapes.More information: 01223 810080Dinner and a MovieSat 9 Feb, Sat 23 Feb, 6.30pmCastle Ward, Co DownCome and enjoy a classic movie ina stunning location – Now, Voyageris a romance featuring Bette Davisand Paul Henreid. Bookingessential 028 44 881204. Cost –

Adult £30 including a three coursemeal and a glass of wine. Pudding ClubMon 3 March, 1 - 3pm Sizergh Castle, Nr Kendal, CumbriaA day of pure indulgence – enjoy 6delicious seasonal, traditionalrecipes and once you’ve let yourfood go down, vote for yourfavourite! There’s even theopportunity to treat your friendsand family with all the recipesavailable to take home. Cost - £15.More information: 015395 60951Behind the Scenes with theHead Gardener Sat 8 Mar, 2pmSissinghurst Castle Garden, KentHave you ever wondered how thegardeners prepare for the visitingseason? With this exclusive nurseryand garden tour you can gobehind the scenes with the HeadGardener to see the preparations.Booking essential. £15 or £32including lunch.More information: 01580 710700

Taking the biscuit

Spring Awakenings

140 people. The firm started morethan 30 years ago when HelenDean baked shortbread in the familykitchen to raise funds for the HuntlyPipe Band, in which her husbandBill was drum major for many years.

Visitors can learn about thehistory of shortbread and watchstaff at work in the purpose-builtbakery to see how Dean’s ‘melt in

the mouth’ shortbread is made. Alicensed café/bistro offers a menuof hot and cold food and there is ashop selling the full shortbreadrange, including new varieties suchas apple crumble, lemon andoatflake, praline pecan, butterscotchand Belgian choc chunk, as well asa variety of other gifts, souvenirsand mementoes.

“Ask anyone to come up withwords describing Scotland and you'll

NTPL

Sam

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hear whisky, tartan and shortbread,”says managing director Bill Dean.“There are already visitor centresdedicated to whisky and tartan butwe are the first to put shortbread onthe map like this. Who knows –maybe shortbread could soon be upthere along with the whisky andcastle trails.”

Tel 01466 792086www.deans.co.uk

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When and how did thecompany start?Farm and Cottage Holidays wasstarted in 1979 with just a handfulof properties, but we soon sawthat there was a growing demandfor self-catering accommodation inthe West Country.

Traditionally, a lot of theavailable accommodation wasB&B or half-board, so self-cateringgave holidaymakers anotheroption. At the start, the propertieswere mainly small cottages or farmwings, but they were followed bya lot more barn conversions.

What’s the most popular typeof property withholidaymakers?This is almost an impossiblequestion to answer, as we havesuch a variety of properties andeach one is unique. We havepicture-perfect thatched cottages,riverside cottages, traditional farmcob cottages – Devon houses builtwith earth, straw and water – andalso stylish modern apartmentsthat all book equally well thesedays. Generally, customers arenow looking for a higher standardof spotless accommodation, but agood location can also be animportant factor.

What are most of your guestslooking for when they book aself-catering holiday?Most guests are looking for agood standard of self-cateringaccommodation, which also hasthe extra living space that B&Brooms or caravan holidays don’tnecessarily provide. But ultimatelythey want value for money.

We aim to provide that. Eachproperty is priced on its merits –location, character and any otherfeatures such as it being detachedor having a large enclosed garden.We hope to cater for a wide rangeof holidaymakers, so we haveproperties ranging from themodest to five-star deluxe.

What are the advantages of aself-catering cottage holidayover a hotel stay?Home-from-home facilities andfreedom of choice are the mainadvantages of a self-cateringholiday. Customers can go onholiday but still have all of thefacilities they would normallyhave access to at home.

It also gives holidaymakers thechoice of whether they eat out orstay in and cook, and manycustomers also feel they havemore privacy on their holiday.

Spoilt for

How important to yourbusiness is VisitBritain’s stargrading system?The system sets the standard forholiday accommodation, and inturn it gives holidaymakers acertain amount of reassurance andconfidence when choosing theirholiday. Only a small percentageof our property owners haveindividually signed up to theVisitBritain grading system, but asa company we are now a QualityAccredited Agency, as we havehad our policies, practices andprocedures successfully assessedby VisitBritain. This has enabledus to be viewed with the sameconfidence and values associatedwith VisitBritain.

We individually inspect each ofour properties at least once a year.

What factors do you look atwhen deciding whether to takeon a property?The main factors are location, theoverall aspect of the property, itssize, facilities and standard offurnishings. Location is the primefactor, although it is notnecessarily just the coastalproperties that book well, as somepeople prefer the quiet rural lifeinland.

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Freedom, extra space and value-for-money giveself-catering its special appeal, says James Morris,managing director of Farm & Cottage Holidays, oneof the West Country’s leading lettings agencies

‘Holidaymakers are being spoilt for choice, with owners now offeringpools, hot tubs, use of bikes, wetsuits and broadband connections’

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choice

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AboveDurdle Door,Dorset

Left from topDinnaboardCottage, PortIsaac, Cornwall; Greenacres,Portreath, WestCornwall;Lee Chapel,Ilfracombe,North Devon; Spring Retreat,Exmouth, EastDevon

The standard of furnishings hasbecome much more importantthan it used to be. Guests like thathome-from-home feel, or even amore luxurious standard.

What advice do you have forowners thinking about goinginto the holiday lettingsbusiness?First and foremost, it would be tochoose a property that they wouldlike to take a holiday in, and tofurnish it to the standard theywould expect to get if they werestaying there.

They should research themarket place thoroughly and lookto buy a property that willpotentially let well all year round.They would need to be realisticabout what they want to achieveand to consider the type ofholidaymaker that the propertywould suit. We offer acomprehensive advisory serviceevery step of the way to all ourproperty owners.

In a very competitive market,which marketing methodsshould owners consider? The first thing would be tounderstand the market that theywant to attract – families, couples,retired or large parties – and thenresearch the types of mediaavailable and the national press ormagazine advertising that would

potentially suit. They also maywant to consider internet sites thatoffer accommodation listings orpromote the immediate area.

But this area can be a minefield.One of the major benefits of usinga cottage letting agency is that itwould market their client’sproperty extensively for them,taking the hassle away from theowner.

How will the self-cateringbusiness develop in the future? The self-catering sector is nowvery well established as a popularchoice for millions ofholidaymakers. The freedom itgives and also the additionalliving space you get are whatreally appeals, and I’m confident itwill continue to evolve andimprove.

Holidaymakers are being spoiltfor choice, with owners nowoffering pools, hot tubs, use ofbikes, wetsuits, broadbandconnections. All of these addedextras make the ease ofholidaying in self-cateringproperties even more appealing

We have always tried to be apro-active company and we arealways looking to improve theservice to both our propertyowners and holidaymakers. Newtechnology plays a bit part in thisand we try to embrace thiswherever suitably applicable.

How crucial is the self-cateringsector to the South West’seconomy?Self-catering is now a large part ofthe South West’s economy and isvery crucial to the success of theregion. It has directly and indirectlyincreased employment, and is alsoresponsible for the increased spendand revenue that has been broughtto the region by the manyholidaymakers who visit all yearround.

What should the tourism bodiesbe doing to encourage morepeople to take holidays inBritain instead of overseas?There are many tourism bodies thatdo a good job promoting theirparticular region, but there is still farmore marketing needed if areas likethe West Country are to competewith the overseas market.

The UK and its many regionaldestinations need to self-promotethemselves far more extensivelythan they currently do, to raise theawareness and profile of the holidayoptions available in the UK.

* Farm & Cottage Holidays has morethan 800 holiday homes – cottages,riverside apartments, farmhouses andlog cabins – in Devon, Cornwall,Somerset and Dorset. Tel 01237 459888or visit www.holidaycottages.co.uk

HC

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A thatched cottage with a history, countrywalks, market shopping and fish andchips by the sea… they all made aperfect weekend for Katherine Rake

&Devon &

delights

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Exploring HonitonOnce we’d settled in, it was time to explore. First wetook a stroll round Honiton; renowned as a coachingstop on the Exeter to London route and once famousfor its fine lace making and pottery, it’s now betterknown as a centre for the antiques trade andantiquarian books.

You’ll find the ubiquitous antiques emporiumslining either side of the long hilly High Street,intermingled with a wide range of independentretailers, including bakers, butchers, delicatessens,hardware stores, craft, gift and clothing shops. It’s agreat place for browsing. We liked the FountainAntiques Centre near the bottom of the hill, whichhad an eclectic mix of bric-a-brac and collectibles.

A general market runs either side of the wide HighStreet twice a week – on Tuesdays and Saturdays –with all the usual wares you’d expect to find, fromclothing and hardware to fruit and veg and othergroceries. We were fortunate enough to catch theweekend one, and we also discovered a Christmasbazaar at a community centre, where we stocked upon homemade cakes for tea time.

We stopped for a break at the Boston Tea Shop atthe top of the hill; I can highly recommend its cake,teas and coffees. And if you’re desperate to use wi-fibroadband, you’ll find free access here, even on aSunday.

If you want to see examples of Honiton lace andfind out more about the history of the industry, visitAllhallows Museum just off the High Street. This hasa lace collection dating back more than 400 years aswell as a display of the town’s famous pottery whichdates back to the 17th century.

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OppositeSidmouth

RightSt Margaret’sChapel

& weekend away in East Devon – a chance to relaxin a traditional, thatched ‘chocolate box’ cottage,take a walk in the beautiful countryside and enjoy

the invigorating seaside air. Plus a chance for someshopping, afternoon tea, fish and chips and all theother activities you simply have to pack into aholiday break. My partner Simon and I managed allthese and more on our winter weekend in thispicturesque corner of the West Country.

But first, the cottage. A mile west of the centre ofthe ancient market town of Honiton, it was indeedtraditional, thatched and chocolate box… and itcame with quite a story.

“Do you realise this was once a leper hospital?”asked the owner, Mrs Illsley, when she welcomed usfor our stay. It was news to me. She proceeded to tellus the fascinating history of the home where wewere spending our break.

With foundations dating from the early 13thcentury – and reputedly built for the care of lepers byone of the knights who assassinated Thomas Becketin 1170 – it was rebuilt in 1530 as an almshouse forthe poor of the town.

Mrs Illsley’s adjoining cottage was once the leperwarden’s quarters, while the claim to fame of thesmall chapel next door – St Margaret’s – was thatmany centuries ago the barren women of the townwere said to come here to pray for help, in thecompany of the priest, for a day and a night.Miraculously, they would often leave the chapelpregnant – their prayers having apparently beenanswered. This tale is now captured in Honiton’sofficial seal. We later discovered that the garden wasa former burial ground, its most notable incumbentsbeing 17 victims of Judge Jeffreys’ Bloody Assizesback in the 17th century.

Despite this spooky history, March Cottage wasanything but ghostly. Tiny, beamed, and with lots ofquirky features that it had gained over the centuries –such as gothic windows, wooden latched doors andwonderfully sloping bedroom floors – it feltwelcoming and we soon made ourselves at home.

A &

&‘The view that afternoon was stunning, withthe winter sun setting the cliffs ablaze whilethe sea gently shimmered’

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CoastingNext on our agenda was a trip to the coast. You’respoilt for choice in this part of Devon – take yourpick from Lyme Regis, Seaton, Beer, Branscombe andExmouth, among many others, all lined up along thestunning UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic coast.

We decided to head for Sidmouth, an easy 10-miledrive that winds down through the valley carved outof the hills by the River Sid, passing throughpicturesque villages such Sidbury and Sidford.

Relatively unspoilt, Sidmouth is not your traditionalkiss-me-quick sort of seaside town, though you’llfind plenty of ice cream and fish and chips as well abroad pebbled beach and clean waters in which youcan safely paddle or swim.

The winter sun started to break through theovercast grey skies as we entered this handsomeRegency resort, putting in a full appearance as wereached the long promenade lined with elegant 18thcentury houses.

As we bathed our faces in the warm sunlight,looking out across the clear, calm sea to catch sightof passing ships, we realised someone else wasbathing, too – in the sea. A keen swimmer wasbraving the late November temperatures for what Ican only assume was his daily dip.

If you tire of the sea views and the beach, the towncentre immediately behind the promenade hasplenty to offer, with many interesting independentshops, tea rooms, cafes, restaurants and pubs. Abonus in the out-of-season months of November toApril is that many of the on-street parking restrictionsare lifted, so you can park by the roadside for free.

Country walksThe fine weather continued the next day, so weheaded off to the Donkey Sanctuary, which sits uphigh on the hills above Sidmouth. It’s a great placefor a low-cost day out for all the family as entry andparking are free, and you have a virtually free run ofthe sanctuary area.

It’s run by a charity that rescues donkeys fromaround the world, and you can wander the fields –there are several marked walks – meeting thesefriendly creatures and finding out more about thework that’s done here. There’s also a barn andstables close to the visitor centre where you can visitthe elderly donkeys – some as old as 40-plus – aswell as a shop and a small café/restaurant. Dogs arewelcome, and the charity also runs children’sworkshops.

‘The view that afternoon was stunning, with the winter sun settingthe cliffs ablaze while the sea gently shimmered’

AboveThe DonkeySanctuary

BelowBudleigh Salterton

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Where we stayedWe stayed at March Cottage, a four-star thatchedcottage a mile west of Honiton town centre, sleepingup to four in two bedrooms. Parts of the propertydate from the 13th century, and it has beenrefurbished by the owner, Mrs Illsley, who bought it asa holiday home for herself 14 years ago. She hassince acquired the adjoining cottage, where she nowlives, and the neighbouring chapel, which she hasconserved and now plans to convert into a one-bedroom holiday let.

Although the cottage has many original features,including low beamed ceilings and a windingstaircase, it also has all modern conveniences,including a newly fitted kitchen and full centralheating. It’s very cosy and easy to live in, and itsfascinating history only adds to its charm.

A week’s stay at the cottage, costs from £258 to£580. It can be booked through Farm & CottageHolidays, tel 01237 479146,www.holidaycottages.co.uk

Want to know more?❋ For more information about East Devon, including activities, events and

places to visit, go to www.eastdevonaonb.org.uk

❋ The official Jurassic Coast site explains how it was formed and has ahost of resources, including a What’s On guide for events – educationaland social – in the area: www.jurassiccoast.com

❋ The Donkey Sanctuary is open all year round from 9am until dusk, withfree admission and parking. Tel 01395 578222,www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk

❋ Honiton’s famous lace and pottery are on display at the AllhallowsMuseum in the town, which is open the Monday before Easter to 31October. It also holds lace-making demonstrations during June, July andAugust. Entry costs £2 for adults, £1.50 for senior citizens, and childrencan visit free of charge. Tel 01404 44966, www.honitonmuseum.co.uk

Tourism is vital to the West Country’s economy, say Farm & Cottage Holidays – Page 10

&We spent a couple of hours here, taking advantageof the good weather and doing one of the long walksaround the outlying paddocks, before heading offdown to the coast again.

After a quick stop-off in Sidmouth for fish andchips (it had to be done), we headed west toBudleigh Salterton. This small town lacks Sidmouth’sgrand promenade and long seafront stretch ofRegency homes. Instead, the centre is huddled awayto one side of the front, and you can walk along thesimple pavement edging the shelved pebble beach,enclosed at either end by the towering burnt orangecliffs of the Jurassic coastline.

The view that afternoon was stunning, with thewinter sun setting the cliffs ablaze while the seagently shimmered. Many people were out enjoying aSunday stroll, and we joined them as dusk began tofall, before driving back to Honiton and a cosy nightin at our holiday cottage. HC

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he Carmarthenshire hamlet of Myddfai slumbersamid lush green fields, flower-studdedhedgerows and wooded valleys below the

rugged wilderness of the Black Mountain. Like mostof the county, it is steeped in folklore, but there isone tradition that is rooted firmly in historical fact.The Physicians of Myddfai, sons of the mythical Ladyof the Lake, really did exist.

The eldest was Rhiwallon, physician to the Welshprince Rhys Gryg in the early 13th century. Over thenext 500 years his descendants became renownedthroughout Europe for their herbal remedies andmedicinal skills. A gravestone in the porch of StMichael’s parish church commemorates the last ofthe line, who died in 1739.

Twenty miles away near Llanarthne, an exhibitionat the National Botanic Garden of Wales sets theirachievements in the context of traditional, plant-based healthcare around the world.

Could it be this that has drawn Prince Charles,whose interest in natural therapies goes back a longway, to this pastoral haven? Or was he just lookingfor a secluded spot, far from the madding crowd?Perhaps he felt it was time he established a footholdin Wales, since he is, after all, its prince. Whatever thereason, Charles has bought a house – Home Farm onLlwynywormwood estate, a mile from the village –and is currently doing it up with a view, among otherthings, to providing holiday accommodation.

T

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The Prince of Wales hasbought a holiday homein a corner of rural

Carmarthenshire where herbalmedicine was first pioneered in the13th century. Alison Thomasgoes there to survey HRH’spurchase and sort the facts fromthe romantic myth surrounding theinfluential Physicians of Myddfai

Prince ofPotions

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There are some in the area who scowl in dismay tosee yet another country property become a holidayhome. Most, however, are cautiously optimistic: hehopes to use local crafts people on his eco-friendlyrefurbishment; his commitment to organic farming iswell known; and his concern for the welfare of ruralcommunities is genuine.

“He founded The Pub is the Hub initiative,” saysMyddfai resident Valerie Wood-Gaiger, one of around150 people who plied him with tea and scones whenhe dropped in on his new neighbours. “One of thecomments he made was that it was a pity our pubhas closed down. Perhaps hisarrival will help to revitalisethe area. Who knows, wemight even get the pub back.”

There is no doubt that theroyal presence has put thetiny community on the map.And, unlike many secondhomes – or, in this case,should I say fourth? – this onecould well be occupied formuch of the year. When HRHand his duchess are not there,part of the property willprovide a venue for the Welshbranches of his charities. When they’re not around, itwill be available to paying guests – the likes of youand me.

But you don’t need a royal invitation to discoverthe charms of this little-known corner of deepest,green Wales. I took a walk that brought me withinsight of the farm, set beside the estate’s ruinedmansion in an undulating landscape of pastures andwoodland with the Black Mountain beyond. It was adelightful trail that meandered through forest andfarmland and along a sapling-clad hillside withsweeping views across the Towy valley. Anywhereelse, I would have expected to share it with othervisitors. Instead, the only sound to be heard was theplaintive call of a curlew; the only people I met weretwo local women walking their dogs.

The surrounding area is equally seductive. Thereare ruined castles and quiet market towns, historic ➤

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OppositeCarreg CennenCastle

Above leftHome Farm

RightFlower-studdedhedgerows

parks and gardens and wildlife galore. CrychanForest hides an extensive network of trails forwalkers, cyclists and horse riders; the foothills of theCambrian Mountains climb out of the Towy valleyjust begging to be explored. And right on thedoorstep, the Brecon Beacons National Park sets offon its roller coaster ride towards the English border.The nearest community of any size is Llandovery, anancient drovers’ town with a fine mix of Georgianand Victorian architecture and a cobbled marketsquare. The remains of a Norman castle crown agrassy mound by the car park and standing beside

them is a stunning 16ftstainless steel statue. This is atribute to Llywelyn apGruffydd Fychan, who paidthe ultimate price in 1401 forhelping Owain Glyndwrevade capture by Henry IV.He was publiclydisembowelled anddismembered and his saltedremains were sent to otherWelsh towns as a warning.

Llywelyn is not the onlylocal hero. The highlyinformative Heritage Centre

profiles an eclectic range of characters from theinfamous highwayman, Twm Sion Cati – Wales’sanswer to Robin Hood – to the celebrated hymn-writer, William Williams Pantycelyn, and droverDavid Jones, whose creation of the Black Ox Bank in1799 brought modern banking to Carmarthenshire. Italso houses the restored printing works of the TonnPress, one of the country’s leading publishers in themid-19th century. And, of course, it features the storyof the Physicians of Myddfai – fact and legend, thelatter recounted in dramatic form by the heroineherself.

It all began by the glacial lake of Llyn y Fan Fach inthe Black Mountain. It was here that a farmer tendinghis cattle fell in love with a beautiful fairy maidenwho emerged from the water. And it was here that helost her again when he broke his pledge not to strikeher three times without cause. But before she

‘Charles has bought ahouse – Home Farm on

Llwynywormwood estate,a mile from the village –and is currently doing itup with a view, among

other things, to renting itout to holidaymakers’

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disappeared forever, she presented her sonRhiwallon and his brothers with a bag of medicinalplants and taught them how to use them. And sowas born a dynasty of doctors whose wisdom wasrecorded in mediaeval texts, influencing medicalpractice for years to come.

If this tale inspires you to visit the spot foryourself, an invigorating hike along the razor-sharpescarpment of Bannau Sir Gaer providesbreathtaking views of the lake lying hundreds offeet below. A word of warning, however: it’s notfor the fainthearted – you will need a stout pair ofwalking boots and a head for heights. To myregret, I failed on both counts. I wonder if theprince is up to the challenge?

Our world in a Welsh gardenIt’s difficult to know where to start, there is somuch to see and do. Occupying the 568-acreMiddleton Hall estate, part of The NationalBotanic Garden of Wales is dedicated to restoringoriginal features of the Regency parkland,including a beautiful necklace of lakes andstreams. But much of it is new, modern andexciting – quite unlike any garden you’ve everseen.

Its centrepiece is the Great Glasshouse,designed by Foster and Partners in the shape of agiant raindrop, which houses endangered plantsfrom the world’s Mediterranean climate regions.Other attractions include a bog garden, a beegarden and the historic Double Walled Garden,where three quadrants tell the story of theevolution of flowering plants and the fourthcontains a kitchen garden. New for 2007 was theTropical Glasshouse, which houses a uniquecollection of majestic palms, beautiful orchids,giant leaves and exotic flowers.

Education, geology, culture, the arts – all play akey role. First and foremost, however, it isdevoted to conservation, both of native plantsand species from around the world.

Scientific research is another focus and a visitto the Plants for Health exhibition reveals that thePhysicians of Myddfai are still making their mark.For not only did they exploit the healingproperties of the ingredients they gathered in the

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AboveWoodland walk,Llwynywormwood

‘Crychan Forest hides anextensive network of trails forwalkers, cyclists and horseriders; the foothills of theCambrian Mountains climb outof the Towy valley just beggingto be explored’

Llwynywormwood estate belonged to thewealthy Williams family, later Griffies-Williams,baronets. The ruined mansion dates from theturn of the 19th century and was an importantpart of the local social scene. It was surroundedby grandiose parkland of which a few remnantsremain. The estate was broken up in the early20th century, and today most of the parklandbelongs to the Forestry Commission.

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hedgerows and on the hills, their recipes and proceduresfound their way into the Red Book of Hergest, a treasury ofmediaeval Welsh literature compiled in the 14th century. Asone panel explains: “The manuscripts may provide modernscientists with vital clues as to which plants are worthinvestigating for the discovery of new pharmaceuticalproducts.”

Adjoining this display is a Victorian chemist’s shop, whereauthentic wooden fittings are lined with bottles and jars,mortars and scales, leather-bound books and handwrittenprescriptions. I had to smile at one document, written by aCardiff pharmacist, instructing his colleagues to labeldangerous drugs in red with the word POISON in bold print.

“Every reasonable precaution is to be taken,” heconcluded, “but a chemist should avoid the impliedresponsibility of supplying idiots with common sense, orpreventing fools drinking poisons in the dark. It is an openquestion whether the world would not be benefited bytheir elimination.”

These exhibits are complemented by an Apothecaries’Garden, which incorporates medicinal plants from aroundthe world, including those used by the Myddfai doctors.There is mallow for coughs, yarrow to speed up bloodclotting, foxglove for use as a poultice for skin tumours.Eight centuries after the Lady of the Lake rose from thewaters of Llyn y Fan Fach, her legacy lives on.

And not far away . . .Carreg Cennen Castle This impressive fortresscommands terrific views from its precipitous perch abovethe River Cennen. Its origins are lost in the mists of time,but what you see today is a relic of King Edward I’sconquest of Wales. Rare breed animals roam the farmyardbelow, and there is a lovely coffee shop. Dinefwr Castle Overlooking the Towy on the edge ofLlandeilo, this was the headquarters of the Lord Rhys, rulerof the kingdom of Deheubarth and father of Rhys Grygwho engaged Rhiwallon. It’s now a National Trust propertythat includes an elegant 17th century house nearby set inan 18th century landscaped park embellished by CapabilityBrown and roamed by more than 100 fallow dear.

LeftSheep on a farmnear Defolallt

BelowThe unfortunateLlywelyn apGruffydd

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Want to know more?

* National Botanic Garden of Wales,www.gardenofwales.org.uk

* www.breconbeacons.org

* Llandovery Heritage Centre,tel 01550 720693

AboveUpper Towy Valley

LeftThe greatglasshouse at theNational BotanicGarden

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YourLettersYourLetters

Cruel cuts

Green signalsI’m very pleased to see, from thepages of Holiday Cottages, that anincreasing number of propertyowners are promoting their ‘green’credentials.

I suppose, to be sceptical, thatsome may be doing it onlybecause it’s fashionable, but themore publicity this topic gets, themore holidaymakers will become aware ofthe issue and take the environment intoaccount when making their cottage bookings.

People in the self-catering industry canmake a big contribution to energyconservation and climate change campaigns.

Harry Spencer, Brighton

★★★

Share your views with us and, like Harry Spencer in this issue, you could win a bottle of Nyetimber 1995 Classic Cuvée English sparkling wine. Produced inSussex, this wine has often out-performed well-known champagnes in blind tastings. Write to Letters, Holiday Cottages Magazine, Wessex Buildings,Somerton Business Park, Somerton, Somerset TA11 6SB or e-mail letters@holidaycottages.cc

I thought Angela Dewar’s article about the Knoydart peninsula in Scotland (New Year issue) wasfascinating.

We usually have self-catering holidays in the West Country and Norfolk, and as lovely asthese parts of the country are, we’ve been scouring the maps for somewhere seriously remote.

Thanks to Holiday Cottages and Angela, I think we may have found just the place!

Sheila Seamark, London

We want to be alone

I loved Bob Jenkins’ article about Abbotsbury(Nov/Dec issue). We rented a holiday cottagenear there for our honeymoon 25 years ago,and we’ve been back every few years sincethen. It’s my favourite corner of England.

Dorothy Mills, Birmingham

Holiday memories

California dreamin’My sister and her husband in London send mearticles from Holiday Cottages, and we oftenuse them when planning our vacations in theUK. Thanks to the ailing dollar and the strongpound, it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to getacross the pond this year, but we’ll be keepingthe features we receive and hoping that we’ll beable to resume our travels around your greatcountry as soon as the economic situation hereimproves. In the meantime, we can but dream!

Helen Wilson, San Diego, California

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Beautiful BritainYour New Year issue summed up the tremendousvariety of landscapes we have in this relativelysmall island of ours: the mountains of Wales, thewilderness of the Knoydart peninsula in Scotland,the bleak beauty of the moors in West Yorkshireand the lush valleys of Devon – and all of it easilyreachable from our big cities.

Holiday Cottages does a great job inreminding us what’s out there, and not that farfrom our doorsteps!

Judy Fraser, Chelmsford

Prize Letter

Government ministers say they understand theimportance of the tourism industry in Britain, butthey have a very funny way of showing it: aftermany years of static funding, VisitBritain is tohave its annual grant cut from £49.6 million to£40.6 million over the next three years. Meeting all of the legitimate and pressing

demands for government spending cannot beeasy (although that is why ministers and topcivil servants are paid so handsomely), but asthe country’s manufacturing sector continues todecline, the importance of industries such astourism can only grow. It’s an industry that generates employment –

often in deprived rural areas – produces taxrevenues for the government and in a fiercelycompetitive international marketplacepromotes Britain as a leading holidaydestination rich in culture and landscapes.None of this, though, appears to matter to agovernment that is committed to wastingtaxpayers’ pounds on the London Olympics –an event that I suspect will have no lastingvalue.

Jack Robson, Peterborough

In your New Year issue, the so-called cultureminister James Purnell is reported as saying:“We’ll be making sure that overseas visitors arereminded just how much there is to do inBritain.” Is this the minister who wasresponsible for cutting dramatically the fundswith which VisitBritain is able to remindoverseas visitors etc etc?

Eddie Boyd, Newcastle

Travel talkI think our national parks are secondto none. I get to the New Forest a lot –we all need time and space to besurrounded by nothing but nature,and ourselves.Brian Blessed, actor

The experience of the North YorkMoors is not dissimilar to being out atsea, like the feeling of the greatRussian or Finnish forests. What themoors give you is the sublime sense ofthe oceanic, the endless, the potencyof the natural world.Antony Gormley, artist

An Irishman's heart is nothing but hisimagination.George Bernard Shaw

Stirling, like a huge brooch, claspsHighlands and Lowlands together.William Cowper

Anybody can be good in the country. Alexander Smith

Wales, though small, cannot be tidilyparcelled. Just as you think you havethe picture right, somebody gives thekaleidoscope a nudge and moves thebits.Trevor Fishlock, writer

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You’ve probably neverheard of it, but there’s abeautiful part of Irelandthat’s now far easier toreach than ever before,says an impressedJohn Kerswill

Malin

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t’s bounded on three sides by seaand lough, with mountains in themiddle and beautiful beaches on

the coast. The welcome is warm,it's easy and inexpensive to reachand there are some wonderfulplaces to stay. Even its name –Inishowen – has a wild, romanticring. And only a tiny fraction ofthe millions of tourists who flockto Ireland ever discover it.

Until very recently I’d havelooked as blank as anyone else ifyou’d said ‘Inishowen’ to me. It’snot that the locals are trying tokeep it quiet. They believe,rightly, that for natural beauty it’sright up there with Kerry,Connemara or Cork and that theplace deserves to be throngedwith tourists. But the commonlocal lament that “nobody’s everheard of Inishowen” is prettymuch true, at least as far as

England is concerned (and eventhe rest of the Republic, I’m told).

So here are the facts. Inishowenis in County Donegal, in thenorth-west of Ireland. To thenorth it faces the wild Atlantic andto the east, Ulster’s CountyLondonderry, on the other side ofLough Foyle. Though politicallypart of the south, this diamond-shaped peninsula extends furthernorth than any part of NorthernIreland. The bit that projectsfurthest – Malin Head – earns thearea its one claim to fame, upthere with Viking, Dogger, Fisherand North Utsira in the pantheonof shipping forecast areas.

It’s actually well worth the long,twisting drive to reach Malin Headand gaze out across the seatowards the next stop, Iceland. Ithas that desolate romanticism thatseems to attach to lonely, end-of-

I

➤

the-world places that used to beimportant. It was the last (or first)piece of land that ships saw onthe long transatlantic slog: in twowars convoys rounded the head,whether in quiet celebration asthey began the last leg of their tripto Britain or trepidation as theywondered what awaited them outin the ocean. Vital wirelessmessages were sent across theAtlantic from here. Elsewhere inInishowen, across the centuriesSpanish galleons foundered,French fleets failed and GermanU-boats were scuttled.

History is never far away inInishowen, from the Vikings tothe Troubles. And since thepartition of Ireland this has beenborder country. For a long timethe distilling and smuggling ofpoitín (the legendary Irishmoonshine, outlawed in 1760 and

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OppositeLough Swilly

Above rightRiverside walk atBuncrana

& More...

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only recently legalised again inIreland) was the most lucrativelocal industry. The city of Derry(the original, shorter name seemsto be winning out overLondonderry) and the infamousBogside are only two or threemiles across the border. For mostof the last 40 years the nearbyconflict – and the area’sremoteness – have kept visitorsaway. But the opposite is now thecase. Not only is Derry a magnetin its own right, as a beautiful,historic city with great shoppingand nightlife, but thanks mainly toRyanair it has become thegateway to Inishowen.

Ryanair now flies daily to Derryfrom five UK airports – LondonStansted, Glasgow Prestwick,Liverpool, East Midlands and,from last November, Bristol. Inaddition, BA has services fromGlasgow and Dublin. It would behard to overstate the importanceof this to the region. From being ahard-to-reach place that no-onewanted to go to anyway, it is nowalmost ridiculously cheap andeasy to get to. Since it startedflying to Derry in 1999, Ryanairhas carried over 1.4 millionpassengers. Many of them areincoming tourists whose spendinghas given a real boost to the localeconomy and – perhaps evenmore importantly – contributed alot to the feeling of normality,progress and optimism on bothsides of the border.

I took a Ryanair flight into Derryin November, picked up a hire carand half an hour later arrived inthe seaside resort of Buncrana,where Kathleen and JoeMcLoughlin have converted anold farm store into two beautifulholiday cottages. It’s an easy

The view southdown LoughSwilly from FortDunree

Bankhead CottagesJoe and Kathleen McLaughlin’s twocottages are on their farm atGransha, overlooking the resorttown of Buncrana. They have beencreated from an old farm store.

“It was becoming derelict and wehad to either repair it or flatten it,”says Joe. “We decided to restore it,using local materials and keeping itas authentic as possible. That’show we got into the holiday cottagebusiness!”

To cater for differentrequirements, one of the cottageshas two bedrooms and the otherthree – though both are oftenbooked together to cater for jointfamily holidays or reunions.

“We’ve had people from all overthe world,” says Kathleen. Ireland isvery popular with mainlandEuropeans, and Italians in particularseem to have taken a shine toInishowen. But there are also lots ofvisitors who have roots in the area.“When I was at school there were40 in my class,” explains Joe. “Allbut three of us emigrated. Andthat’s been going on forgenerations. When they come backto visit, my old school friends saythere’s no-one left they know.”

Each cottage has its own oil firedcentral heating and wood- andpeat-burning stove, so they arecosy for winter use. And for whenthe weather’s warmer, there’s achildren’s play area and a barbecuein the back garden.

Buncrana is a very pleasant town,recovering well from the loss of3,000 jobs when the Fruit of theLoom factory closed a couple ofyears ago. It has its own beach, awonderful seafront walk and plentyof shops, pubs and restaurants.

Tel 00353 74 93 61215 or 00353 86 0577906

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journey, helped by the new Foylebridge which by-passes Derry.The first surprise was that theborder has become invisible: onlythe change of speed limit signsand subtly different road markingsystems tell you you’ve changedcountry.

The second surprise was to hearthat Brits are, on the whole,warmly regarded in Inishowen.The area suffered as badly as anyin the famine, and the worst of theTroubles were on the doorstep, soif you have any feel for history,you do arrive in an area like thisfeeling a bit apologetic, and awarethat your English accent standsout like a sore thumb. I suspectsome potential UK visitors mighthave stayed away because of thisconcern. But no – don’t stay away!The people are if anything evenmore welcoming than elsewherein Ireland. Maybe that’s becausethere are strong historic links withthe UK in general and Scotland inparticular – local people are muchmore likely to have visitedGlasgow than Dublin, I was told,and certainly know it better. Andthe fact is that the country hasmoved on. Ireland is now thesixth richest non-oil country in theworld. Astonishingly, for acountry whose main export usedto be people, one in seven of thepopulation is now an immigrant.It has its hands too full copingwith the consequences ofprosperity to spend too muchtime dwelling on past injustices.

So you can concentrate onenjoying what Inishowen has tooffer. Even in wet, windyNovember there was plenty to doand see: in summer it must beheaven.

The Inishowen 100If you want to see the sights bycar, it’s well worth following this100-mile route around the coast ofInishowen. It's been put togetherto link the best of the coastlinewith the main points of interest onthe way round. Using many minoras well as main roads, it’s wellsignposted and easy to follow.You can trust to the signs, orfollow the directions on the backof a large map available from thetourist offices at Buncrana andCarndonagh.

If you start from Derry, youcross into Donegal at Muff andstrike up the west side of LoughFoyle. We stopped for lunch atMoville, where the Waterfrontrestaurant lives up to its namewith magnificent views across thelough to the hills of Derry. Thefood’s great, too – the couple atthe next table admired myseafood tagliatelle but baulked atthe size and ordered one betweentwo! Moville enjoyed a briefheyday as a stopping point fortransatlantic liners – on their wayfrom America to Glasgow orLiverpool they would put inbriefly to drop off and pick upIreland-bound passengers.Nowadays it’s just a small,peaceful village.

A couple of miles further up thecoast is Greencastle, right at theneck of Lough Foyle whereMagilligan Point on the other sideis less than a mile away. A carferry service started up in 2002and has been a great success,linking Inishowen with thepopular north coast of Ulster (theGiant’s Causeway isn’t far).There’s still a fishing fleet in theport, though when we visited ➤

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most of the action was comingfrom three or four seals frolickingin the harbour.

The old coastguard station atGreencastle is now a maritimemuseum and planetarium. It’sworth a visit, with an original 19thcentury rocket cart (the crew firedrockets to get a line to strandedships, allowing sailors to berescued by breeches buoy),examples of local boats, details ofthe area’s abundant shipwrecksand more recent relics including apair of US Air Force-issue boxershorts. These were retrieved froma B-17 bomber which crashed intoLough Foyle in 1942 – the largelyintact remains of the plane werediscovered on the bottom in 2001.All the crew were rescued by a 17year old girl out sailing: a coupleof years ago the museumresearched the survivors andfound the now 90 year old pilot,who came across to Ireland tomeet his rescuer. “Of course, thereason we crashed is we were alldrunk,” he said, pointing atanother of the rescued artefacts –an empty whiskey bottle. Themuseum believe he was joking...

It was too late when weemerged from the museum tocarry on to highly-rated KinnagoeBay and Culduff. We never did getto see that part of the coast,because next day we set out fromBuncrana in the oppositedirection. First stop was themilitary museum at Fort Dunree,on the east side of Lough Swilly. Ithas a fascinating story to tell,starting with the first fortificationsduring the Napoleonic Wars. Thedefences were progressivelystrengthened until in 1897 two 6-inch guns were installed and acamp was built for the permanentgarrison. The British Grand Fleet –40 ships in all – sheltered underthe protection of the guns in 1914,but the fort’s guns were neverfired in anger. Despite Irishindependence, Fort Dunreeremained British until it wasfinally handed over in 1938. Farfrom being a hated colonial relic,the British garrison of nearly 300men was very popular in the

1930s, bringing welcome work forlocal firms – and plenty ofmarriages. In fact, during thehandover, the British soldierlowering the Union Jack and theIrishman raising the tricolour werebrothers-in-law! Even if themuseum isn't your thing, it's thestarting point for threeinvigorating walks around DunreeHead, with plenty of wildlife andgreat views along Lough Swilly.And a coffee shop to warm youup afterwards.

From Dunree, the route climbsthrough the Gap of Mamore,yielding spectacular views downto the coast and the huge, sandyLeenan beach – which wouldhave been great for a walk if wehadn't just had one. Instead, weheaded on to one of Inishowen’sbiggest success stories – theFamine Village at Doagh Island.This recreates the life andhardships of a local village duringthe Great Famine of the 1840s,when the potato crop failed, rentscouldn’t be paid and thousands offamilies were evicted and becamedestitute. Appalling numbers died,

and many who survived only didso by leaving their homeland foran uncertain future in America. Itsounds a bit grim for a touristattraction, but in fact the story istold even-handedly and withhumour.

The Famine Village is openfrom Easter to the end ofSeptember, but for six weeks inthe run-up to Christmas it istransformed into Donegal’sanswer to Lapland. Children fromall over Ireland – and furtherafield – flock to Santa’s Island tosee the man himself come downthe chimney. He gives them eacha present and certificate andeveryone can then walk around tosee his reindeer, the elves at workand get photos taken with Santain his workshop. We had a sneakpreview, and it’s all enchantingand really well done. ThisChristmas all 30,000 tickets weresold before the doors opened andhotels were booked up as far asDerry.

The Famine Village is a triumphof enthusiasm and effort overofficial indifference. No-one in

AboveMilitary Museumat Fort Dunree

From the Gap ofMamore the roadsnakes down tothe sea

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authority thought the venturestood a chance when it wasstarted by local man Pat Dohertyand his sister Majella. Now it’sfamous throughout Ireland andPat has been voted Donegalpersonality of the year. We didn’tmeet Pat, but if he’s anything likehis sister he must be a humandynamo – Majella is one of thosepeople whose sheer positiveenergy, good humour andenthusiasm is inspiring.

From Doagh Island to MalinHead doesn’t look far on the map,but it’s quite a long and windingroad. The Inishowen 100 routepasses through the pretty town ofMalin, as sheltered and temperateas the Head is stormy andexposed, then follows theincreasingly wild coastline. As youdrive on, more and more of themarvellous view west is revealed,then you turn off and drive up tothe head itself. There isn’t muchthere to distract from the views toFanad Head in one direction,Glengad Head in the other andscattered rocky islets straightahead. There’s just a small parking

space, a Victorian tower – laterused as a signals station andrendered in concrete – and two orthree abandoned watch huts, butthe natural beauty makes the tripworthwhile.

If you stick to the coastal route,you won’t get to see much of theinterior of Inishowen. That wouldbe a shame, because the lake-scattered uplands have real, ifwild, appeal. I particularly likedthe small by-road from Buncranato Carndonagh via Illies, passingextensive peat workings (driedpeat is still used extensively as afuel – it smells wonderful but isnever going to produce a roaringfire). And Carndonagh, the biggestinland town, is well worth a stop.Like Buncrana, it has lots oftraditional shops with hardly achain store in site, and of courseplenty of pubs, where you canenjoy Inishowen’s famoustradition of music and craic.

Three days was never going tobe enough for anything more thana brief sampling of whatInishowen has to offer. But thosethree days were enough to make

me think, as I write this, how niceit would be to be back inBuncrana. There aren’t manyplaces that have that effect on me– and I’ve seen a few.

Find out more...

Based in Carndonagh, theInishowen Tourism Society has areally good website, withcomprehensive information onplaces to go and things to do inInishowen.

If you’re in Carndonagh, it’swell worth calling into their officesin The Diamond (the centralsquare). Development ManagerTony McLaughlin is full ofinformation and good stories –just don’t get him started on thefishing industry!

Tel 00353 74 9374933www.visitinishowen.com

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St Patrick’scounty!

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n Victorian times, it was knownas the Queen of Irish WateringPlaces and the Brighton of theNorth. Today, the small seasideresort of Newcastle in CountyDown is still a joy to behold –especially in autumn when thereare fewer visitors about, there is abracing nip in the air and trees aretransformed by nature intocolourful works of art.

Founded in 1588 by clanchieftain Felix Magennis, whobuilt his ‘New Castle’ at the mouthof Shimna River, Newcastle beganlife as a fishing village andremained a small community forcenturies. As relatively recently as1834, there were only 160 housesin the town, and of these, just 50were roofed with slate. Therewere also 16 pubs! Local peopleate oatmeal and potatoes andburned turf.

The town changed dramaticallywith the arrival of the railways in1869. Suddenly, the coast waswithin easy reach of people livingin Belfast, and cheap trips to theseaside became increasinglypopular. The town is blessed witha hauntingly beautiful naturalsetting. It has the Irish Sea lappingit on one side and the Mountainsof Mourne forming a stunningbackdrop on another.

It was songwriter, painter andpoet Percy French (1854-1920),who penned the famous song, TheMountains of Mourne. He wrote:

“So I’ll wait for the wild rose that’s waiting for me, where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea.”

French and his song areremembered in the form of anengraved steel sculpture onNewcastle’s new-look waterfront.

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AboveDry stone walls inthe mountains ofMourne

RightEngraved steelsculpturecommemoratingPercy French

Ron Toft finds a pretty seasidetown, beautiful landscapes and afriendly welcome in the county thatgave the Irish their patron saint

Man has left his mark on thelandscape, from prehistoric stonemonuments and castles tofarmsteads and drystone wallsmade not with slabs of rock as in,say, the Lake District andYorkshire, but with graniteboulders.

It is well worth driving southalong the coast, through Kilkeeland Restrevor to Warrenpointwhere, during ‘The Troubles’, theBritish Army suffered its greatestloss of life at the hands of theProvisional IRA.

Six soldiers were killed when abomb hidden in a hay lorry wasdetonated by remote control as aBritish convoy passed by. Afurther 12 soldiers were killedwhen a second bomb wasdetonated at the gatehouse wherepersonnel who had survived thefirst blast had taken refuge andestablished a command centre.

The attacks took place on 27August 1979, the same day onwhich the IRA also murdered LordLouis Mountbatten – the Queen’scousin – while sailing near hisholiday home in County Sligo,south of the border.

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In Ireland, however, the county’smain and lasting claim to fame isits association with St Patrick. Bornand raised in a Britain ruled by theRomans, he was captured at theage of 16 in a raid by an Irish kingand sold into slavery. He wasforced to work as a mountainherdsman in County Antrim for sixyears before escaping and makinghis way back to Britain.

The turning point in his life was adream in which a voice beggedhim to return to Ireland –dominated then by warring Celtsruled by five pagan kings – as aChristian missionary. After studyingat a monastery near Paris and beingordained as a priest, he went backin 432AD as Bishop Patricius. Just afew decades later, if the accountsare to be believed, St Patrick andhis disciples had largely convertedIreland to Christianity.

The one place in County Downthat anyone with an interest in hislife must visit is the superb SaintPatrick Centre in Downpatrick – a£6 million multi-media complexcreated “to provide aninternational focus for the study ofthe patron saint and his legacyaround the globe.”

A charity, the centre has theworld’s only permanent St Patrickexhibition and is developing amajor research library. Its cross-community education programmebrings together thousands ofchildren every year “to learnabout Patrick’s message ofreconciliation for all faiths.”

Just up the hill is DownCathedral, under which the mortal

‘The town is blessedwith a hauntinglybeautiful naturalsetting. It has theIrish Sea lapping iton one side and theMountains ofMourne forming astunning backdropon another’

remains of St Patrick, along withthose of St Brigid and St Columba,are said to be have been buried inthe 12th century by John deCourcy, thus fulfilling theprophecy that the three saintswould be buried in the same place.It’s believed that the site has been aplace of Christian prayer andworship since the fifth century AD.

Eventful hardly begins todescribe the chequered history ofDown Cathedral. It was pillagedby the Vikings, burnt by the Scotsand destroyed again by theEnglish, after which it lay in ruinsfor 200 years. Today, it is a quiet,leafy, restful place.

Just outside Downpatrick, in thevillage of Saul, is St Patrick’sMemorial Church, which stands onthe site of the small church StPatrick built when he returned toIreland. A board at the entrance tothe modern church, the foundationstone of which was laid in 1933,describes it as the “most ancientecclesiastical site in this land andthe cradle of Irish Christianity.”

St Patrick’s funeral procession isbelieved to have started from thisspot. Legend has it that two whiteoxen pulled his coffin to his lastresting place in Downpatrick.

One of the county’s key tourismattributes is that there is a lot tosee and do in such a relativelysmall area. After the Mountains ofMourne, the other strikinglandscape feature is StrangfordLough. It’s so big it looks like aninland sea. In fact, it is officiallydescribed as a shallow sea loch.Stretching from Newtownards in

AboveSaint PatrickCentre,Downpatrick

BelowThe delightfulcoastal resortof Newcastleand St Patrick’sMemorialChurch

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Want to know more?* Northern Ireland Tourist Board –www.discovernorthernireland.com* Tourism Ireland –www.discoverireland.com.* www.saintpatrickscountry.com* www.saintpatrickcentre.com

AboveDown Cathedraland the reputedburial site of StPatrick

RightA giant statue ofSt Patrick nearthe village ofRaholp

BelowHilltop view ofStrangfordLough

the north to Strangford in thesouth, it is a haven for wildlife,both above and below the water.Birds are the most easily seencreatures; it attracts manymigratory species and in winter isa haven for pale-bellied Brentgeese. The wealth of wildlife inStrangford Lough is unrivalled inEurope, with more than 2,000marine, animal and plant specieshaving been recorded.

The best way to see StrangfordLough is to drive along the A25,which hugs the eastern shore.There is a car ferry linkingStrangford to the pretty village ofPortaferry, where one of theattractions is the award-winningExploris aquarium, complete witha seal sanctuary that provides atemporary home for sick andorphaned pups. After they’verecovered or are capable offending for themselves, they arereleased back into the wild.

When driving along the A25,stop for an hour or two – orlonger if you have the time – tomarvel at the botanical andarchitectural delights of MountStewart House, a neo-classicalNational Trust property betweenGreyabbey and Newtonwards.

Mount Stewart’s famous gardenswere planted in the 1920s byEdith, Lady Londonderry, andhave been nominated as a WorldHeritage site. The outdoor ‘rooms’and parterres have many rareplants that flourish in the mildclimate of the Ards Peninsula.

Attractions within the houseinclude a huge George Stubbs

painting and 22 of the chairs usedat the Congress of Vienna, heldfrom September 1814 to June 1815to redraw Europe’s political mapsafter the defeat of Napoleon I.

Tucked away in north-east ofthe county is the coastal town ofDonaghadee, which for twocenturies served as the Irish end ofthe short crossing from Scotland, amere 20 miles across the water.

The harbour’s 1836 lighthouse(its 45,000 candle power beamwas visible for more than 18miles) became the first lighthousein Ireland to be powered byelectricity. The town also claims tohave the oldest bar in Ireland –Grace Neill’s – visited by, amongmany others, the composer FranzLiszt and the poet John Keats.

Often overlooked, perhapsbecause of its proximity to Belfastand lingering memories of ‘TheTroubles’, County Down is adelightful part of Northern Irelandwhere the scenery is of picture-postcard quality, the pace of life ispleasantly slow and the peopleare as warm and as friendly as youcould hope to find anywhere. HC

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Timing it rightFamily-friendly properties – especially those nearbeaches – are in great demand not only in the schoolholidays but also in June, early July, September andOctober when people with pre-school age childrencan make the most of lower out-of-season prices.

Travelling in the car with children – particularly inbusy holiday periods – can be stressful for parents,some of whom arrive at their holiday home tired, withfractious children and facing the unpacking!

Think carefully about picking your travelling days.Avoid the main school holidays when travelling withchildren who are pre-school age. If that isunavoidable, set off either very early or later in the dayto ensure you don’t get caught up in traffic blackspots.But don’t assume that you will be able to get earlyaccess to your holiday property just because you havechosen to travel earlier. While we always try,whenever possible, to get properties ready before theusual 3pm arrival time, completing changeovers is amammoth task, especially during the busy summerseason. We are also dependent on guests leaving theproperties on time and in good order! It’s certainlyworth calling ahead, though, to find out what theaccess situation is. If you expect to arrive several hoursearly, packing a picnic to tide you over, or planning awalk on the beach or an exploration of the village, willavoid any end-of-journey disappointment.

Carrying the kitParking close to the property is one of the first thingsrequested by parents travelling with young children.And it’s not hard to see why. With all of the equipmentthat must be carried with kids, and most certainly withmore than one, parking some way from the property isunlikely to make for a relaxing start to a family break.

But is it always necessary to bring a lorry-load ofgear with you? Cots, highchairs and stair-gates, can behired locally, while many property owners providethem, so check before you book; it might save yousqueezing very large items into the boot of the car. Theowners of one luxury development, Hillfield Cottages& Country House, have invested in a large number ofcots and highchairs for very young guests, and havereported a number of bookings from families withtwins as a result. There will also be a new children’splay area at Hillfield this year. The Retreat inDartmouth has been renovated with young families in

favourites

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Karen Jones of Coast &Country Cottages takes a lookat what’s on offer in South

Devon – always a popular destination forfamily holidays – and offers advice onwhat to look for when booking a child-friendly self-catering break

Family

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OppositeHolly & Alex atBlackpool Sands

AboveBlackpool Sands

BelowThe games roomat the OldVicarage,Malborough

mind, so visitors don’t have to bring everything but thekitchen sink with them! Integral stair gates areprovided and large items including pushchairs, bedguards, high chairs and travel cots are all available byrequest, leaving plenty of room in the car for acomfortable drive down. A potty, plastic cutlery andcrockery and a vegetable steamer (perfect for creatingbaby purees using local organic fruit and vegetables)are also available.

Easy access?Many visitors do not think about access to the propertythey have chosen, but this can be quite an issue if youhave to carry a double pushchair up and down a flightof steps every time you go out. Before booking aproperty, ask questions – how far is the beach? Arethere ‘child-friendly’ pubs and restaurants nearby? Howsteep are the internal stairs and outside steps?

Bedding downIt is important to think about sleeping arrangements,particularly when more than one baby is in the party.Cosy cottages might well have small bedrooms, andmoving bedroom furniture to accommodate morethan one cot might not be that easy. Check roomlayouts and bed configurations before booking.Choosing a property that is slightly bigger than youthink is needed is one solution preferred by manyfamilies, particularly out of season when specialoffers and cheaper prices for families staying in largerproperties are often available.

Delivered in DevonPlanning food requirements and ordering ahead is agood way to cut down the luggage you have to bringwith you. In South Devon, organic vegetable andmeat boxes delivered to your holiday home byRiverford and the Well Hung Meat Company makeself-catering for families less of a chore. Wine can bedelivered from Red & White of Kingsbridge, whilelocal catering companies and take-away deliverycompanies enable you to relax on holiday withoutworrying about preparing all of the food. Tescodeliveries can also be pre-ordered, so you couldeven avoid packing the nappies and baby wipes –those for the journey excepted! And once here, thereare great farm shops and regular farmers’ markets tohelp you make the most of all the award-winninglocal produce that is available.

Safe spacesEnclosed gardens are often high on the list forparents of young children. If outside space isimportant to you, discuss your requirements beforebooking as many properties offer gardens, some withplay areas or outdoor toys – but with miles ofbeautiful beaches close to hand and the gloriousDevon countryside all around, there is plenty ofspace for tiring out young legs.

With safe coves for sandcastles and swimming, pluscrabbing, rock pooling and surfing, this is the perfectdestination for a family seaside holiday all year round.

Ten minutes from Dartmouth, the stunning beachat Blackpool Sands, was recently voted ‘the bestbeach for family fun’ by Condé Nast Traveller. Withan organic beach café offering kid’s lunch boxes anda beautiful sweep of golden shingle, plus kayakingand windsurfing for older kids, it is one of manybeautiful and popular beaches in the South Hams.Nearby attractions include the award-winningPennywell Farm Activity Centre, Paignton Zoo andthe National Marine Aquarium, fascinating NationalTrust properties and gardens, steam train trips perfectfor ‘Thomas the Tank’ fans and adventure parks suchas Woodlands, which has one of the largest indoorplay centres in the UK. With a separate area for theunder 5s, it offers safe, year-round familyentertainment – whatever the weather. HC

Family checklist❊ Plan your arrival date and time to avoid stressful journeys

❊ Ask about parking and easy access to your holiday home

❊ Can the property-owner supply the kit you need for kids?

❊ Will your cottage bedrooms be big enough for cots – and doesit have an safe enclosed garden?

❊ Plan your food needs – and order ahead

Coast & Country Cottages has more than 350 self-catering holiday properties throughout South Devon, including Dartmouth, Salcombeand Kingsbridge. For a brochure, call 01548 843773, e-mail info@coastandcountry.co.uk or visit www.coastandcountry.co.uk

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Peak Painand Pleasure

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Angela Dewar takes a cottage breakin Glencoe, climbs a mountain andreflects on one of the bloodiest daysin Anglo-Scottish history

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he temperamental nature of the weather is one ofthe big attractions in the Highlands. Like a dourScotsman who likes to grumble at the ever-rising

price of a pint of beer then roar with delight at thelatest football scores, you’re never quite sure whatyou’re going to get. Dark and heavy rain clouds can liftin a matter of minutes to let bold shafts of sunlightilluminate the glorious scenery. Then you’re bathed inMediterranean-like sunshine – until the drizzle startsagain. That’s why, despite the optimistic hint of a bluesky, my bag is bulky with waterproofs and a fleece.Whether it’s winter or the middle of summer, expectthe unexpected.

I’m a recent convert to hill and mountain walking.Who in their right mind, I used to wonder, would wantto spend their precious weekends and holidays gettingup early to scale vertiginous hills with oatcake-munchers boasting thighs of steel? I changed my tuneafter trudging to the top of Ben Nevis, which I did afteronly three hours’ sleep, a hideous white winehangover and a fast-food breakfast. The views, nevermind the feeling of exhilaration, were worth everystep. Though with hindsight, a good night’s sleep and abowl of porridge for breakfast would have been betterpreparation.

A little bit older, but definitely wiser, these days Ilook forward to switching off my mobile and headingfor the hills. Along with a friend and her fun-lovingJack Russell dog, we’ve rented a cottage in Glencoe fora few days to stretch our legs in the hills, soak up thepeace and quiet and spend our evenings in the glen’shostelries. Artery-clogging breakfasts are optional.

My confidence takes a nosedive when we get to thefoot of Buachaille Etive Mor, one of Scotland’s mostfamous peaks. I crane my neck to catch a glimpse ofthe summit. It’s high – 3,352ft – and very, very steep.Not to be outdone by the dog, who I’m told, haswalked the Buachaille many a time, I put one foot infront of the other and head off.

A wild valley dominated by soaring volcanic peaksand landscapes that send a shiver down your spine,there’s nowhere quite like Glencoe. The dark,brooding atmosphere – even on the sunniest ofsummer days – surely has something to do with thenotorious massacre of MacDonald clan members in

‘A wild valley dominated bysoaring volcanic peaks andlandscapes that send a shiverdown your spine, there’snowhere quite like Glencoe’

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Lost Valley Walk

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February, 1692. But even without its blood-curdlinghistory, the peaks shrouded in mist and hillsides ofcascading rock and scree have a compelling influenceon anyone who sees them. Drive into the glen from theeerie emptiness of Rannoch Moor for the best heart-stopping views.

To keep my mind off the fact that my thighs are not –and never will be – made of steel and are starting toscream in agony, we talk about Glencoe’s past. Themassacre was a set-up. The government, anxious aboutRoman Catholic Highlanders loyal to the deposed Stuartking, James VII, offered a pardon to clans who signedan oath of allegiance to the Protestant William III by 1January, 1692. MacIain of Glencoe, chief of theMacDonalds, arrived in Fort William on December 31 tosign, only to be told he had to go to Inveraray.Travelling on foot, he didn’t put quill to parchment until6 January, but was told his signature could be accepted.Nevertheless, a plot was hatched by governmentofficials to make an example of him.

Campbell of Glenlyon, loyal to the government inLondon, was ordered to billet his soldiers in the homesof the MacDonalds for 12 days. After being fed andwatered and receiving traditional Highland hospitality,the soldiers turned on their hosts, shooting and killing38 and forcing 300 to flee for their lives in a blizzard.Many of them froze to death. The government inLondon, pre-occupied by threats from France, soonforgot about the cold-blooded massacre, but it’srecorded in the history of Scotland as one of the

country’s darkest chapters – and one that fuelledJacobite propaganda for decades.

By the time we make the last scramble to the topridge, with the dog running ahead, barkingencouragement, the sun is splitting the sky. Otherwalkers, who set off before us, are already makingtheir way back down. But we find a corner to shelterfrom the wind, enjoy the sun and eat a well-deservedcalorie-busting packed lunch.

The views are awesome; there are undulatingmountain ranges in every direction. When two jets onexercise from RAF Lossiemouth hurtle past, we’realmost at eye-level with the pilots. Nothing beats thewell-deserved feeling of smugness on the way backdown a mountain. A red deer stops for a moment togauge if we’re a threat, then slowly moves on. We haveother things on our minds; the hard work is done andthe prospect of a deliciously refreshing drink waiting ina nearby pub dangles like a carrot on a stick.

The nearest watering hole to the Buachaille is theKings House Hotel and it fits the bill perfectly. One ofScotland’s oldest licensed inns, it dates from the 17thcentury and sits on the old military road betweenStirling and Fort William. We sit on the wall outside inthe afternoon sunshine watching hikers on the otherside of the river. They’ve just finished another day onthe West Highland Way and are pitching their tents toset up camp. Rather them than us, we think,remembering the comfortable holiday cottagewe’ve rented.

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Above & toprightLost Valley Walk

The next day we think about another walk, butmaybe something a little bit easier after yesterday’sclimb. First stop is the visitor centre and a chat withone of the helpful mountain guides. It appears the WeeBuachaille is a bit of a misnomer; there’s nothing weeabout it. Next to Buachaille Etive Mor, or the BigShepherd in Gaelic, is Buachaille Etive Beag, the SmallShepherd, but we’re told it’s almost as high as itsneighbour and just as tough a walk.

We opt instead for the mysterious sounding LostValley. A rugged waterfall walk into the hidden hollowwhere the MacDonalds hid their stolen cattle, it’srugged enough but just a couple of hours long. Howcattle were persuaded up the slopes is anyone’s guess,but it’s a busy trail today with walkers passing on thestony path cut into the hillside. Birch woodland opensup to rocky terrain with the gurgling of waterfallsnearby. Then it’s a test of sure-footedness to see whocan cross the ice-cold water at the rocky shallow,stepping from boulder to boulder without getting wet.The Lost Valley opens up like a secret, magicalkingdom. Stony hilltops circle around a perfectly flatvalley floor and fluffy white clouds drift across the bluesky. Another day, another beautiful setting.

Glencoe village sits on the south shore of Loch Levenat the western end of the glen and that’s where wespend our last afternoon, enjoying the views across thewater and visiting the folk museum with its heather-thatch roof. Along with the military memorabilia andancient tools and farming equipment, it offers a peekinto Highland life in years gone by. It all looks very cosy,but give me a cottage with central heating any day.

Other Glencoe walksThe easiest walks are around Glencoe village, from

the small man-made loch. There are three to choosefrom, each just 40 minutes long, signposted from thecar park beyond the youth hostel.

It’s a half-day hike over the Devil’s Staircase,following the military road that now forms part of theWest Highland Way. Start at Kinlochlevan, then followthe 1,804ft pass into Glencoe for views of Loch Eildeand Buachaille Etive Mor.

If you’re not concerned about bagging Munros (the284 Scottish peaks higher than 3,000 feet), follow thelow-level Buachaile Etive Beag circuit around theglacial valleys of Lairig Eilde and Lairig Gartain,climbing 1,968 feet on nine miles of rough track. Thepath starts near the waterfall at the Study car park, risesto the top of the pass, follows a burn – stream – to theeastern side of Stob Dubh peak and on to the pass ofthe Lairig Gartain. From the top of the pass, drop downand walk parallel to the old military road for views ofthe Three Sisters.

* www.visitscotland.com* www.nts.org.uk

HC

AboveBuachaille EtiveMor

RightLost Valley Walk

‘The views areawesome; there areundulating mountainranges in everydirection. When twojets on exercise fromRAF Lossiemouthhurtle past we’realmost at eye-levelwith the pilots’

Book a holiday in Scotland - Page 166

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he SEAT Altea started life, not very long ago, as anunusually tall and spacious family hatchback, with a hint ofMPV about it. Then came the Altea XL, which was stretched

at the back to give extra luggage space – so a dab of estatethere. And now comes the Altea Freetrack 4, which gains four-wheel drive, raised suspension and some butch ‘external visualenhancements’, as SEAT calls them, to produce what might bea crossover SUV, or maybe a soft-roader.

A spacious hatchback with the ability to keep going whenthe going gets rough sounds just the thing for anyone wholikes living in (or visiting) remote parts of the country wheresnow, mud and flood are common. But SEAT is in dangerouswaters here. Trying to toughen a car’s image by adding plasticpanels brings to mind the unfortunate Rover Streetwise. Andeven when the result has real off-road ability – like the nowdefunct Renault Scénic RX4 – lack of a convincing image canmean zero demand for used examples, leading to disastrousdepreciation.

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&So I approached the Freetrack 4 in a slightly sceptical frame

of mind. Surely if you want a 4x4 for use in the country, youmight as well buy a ‘proper’ one – after all, for a bit less thanthe £21,395 that the 2.0TDI Freetrack costs, you could get adiesel Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4.

As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised. For a start, thoughthe styling additions don’t look particularly subtle inphotographs, they are much less noticeable on the street. That’sprobably because they integrate well with the original design,rather than being obvious afterthoughts. They even have auseful function in protecting against body damage, as much inthe supermarket car park as when bashing through the briars.

Apart from the car’s enhanced capabilities, there are somechanges in emphasis that many will welcome. For instance,the increased suspension travel and softer springs have madethe ride more absorbent and comfortable than the standardAltea’s sportingly-inclined set-up. Road noise seems to bediminished, too: the combined effect is to make the Freetrack

ChalkCheeseFamily hatchback,

sports car, luxurysaloon, off-roader –one glance used to tellyou what sort of caryou were looking at.Not any more. Theboundaries areblurring, thecategories coalescing.John Kerswill takes asceptical look at onesuch cross-overvehicle and anotherthat remains firmly inits original box. Theresults may surpriseyou...

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a lot more comfortable on bumpy or roughly-surfaced country roads.

The biggest surprise, though, came when I took toa rough, muddy and in places badly rutted foresttrack in Scotland. SEAT says that although theFreetrack is designed for off-road terrain, it is not afully-fledged 4x4. I took that to mean that a gooddeal of caution and common sense would be neededon rough tracks, doing only 5 or 10mph on thebumpier bits. “Oh, no,you can do a lot more thanthat. Do what you like and see how you get on,” saidthe man from SEAT. So, donning my metaphoricalrally driver’s hat, I set off and did just that.

The grip on loose, slimy gravel was mightyimpressive. So was the stability, both in corners andbraking, thanks to a full suite of electronic stabilityaids. And though there was a fair bit of banging andcrashing from underneath as contact was made withrocks and ruts, no damage was done. I don’t thinkany sane owner would treat a new car like that, sothe Freetrack should be well able to cope withanything most owners will throw at it.

The key to the car’s off-road grip is its Haldex four-wheel drive system. In normal use, only the frontwheels of the Freetrack are driven, as in the normalAltea, so that performance and economy areunaffected (apart from the effects of some extraweight and wind resistance). But if the front wheelsstart to lose grip and spin, the Haldex systemtransfers up to half the available power to the rearwheels. There’s nothing clunky about the way this

operates – you can’t feel the transfer of drive to therear – but it makes the car feel remarkably stable andassured in low-grip conditions.

The extra grip will be very useful for anyone intreacherous conditions, but also for those who tow acaravan or other heavy trailer. With a lot of weight ontow, even wet tarmac can make hill starts difficult ina front wheel drive car, with the front wheelsspinning and the outfit going nowhere. That’s why alot of caravanners who have no need of off-roadability use big 4x4s, accepting that there will be aprice to pay in heavy fuel consumption when theyaren’t towing. For most of them a car like theFreetrack would make more sense (though it has tobe said that many caravanners appear pretty weddedto their 4x4s, feeling that the weight and solidity iswhat’s needed to avoid the tail wagging the dog).

Even in everyday conditions the Freetrack is verypleasant to drive. It’s already higher-built than mosthatchbacks, so with 40mm of extra ride height youfeel slightly elevated above normal cars, with acorrespondingly better view of the road ahead.Performance is very brisk with both engines, noiselevels are low and handling is assured, with none ofthe roly-polyness that afflicts most 4x4s.

The highish price of the Freetrack is partly justifiedby a high level of standard equipment. There’s achoice of two powerful turbocharged engines – a 2.0TSI petrol unit producing 200PS, or 2.0 TDI dieselproducing 170PS – both linked to a 6-speed manualtransmission. There’s all the usual upmarket

‘The Altea hasearned 5 starsin the NCAPcrash tests’

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I’m not sure which of these is the chalk and whichthe cheese, but it would be hard to find another four-wheel drive vehicle as far removed from theFreetrack in image, design and technology as a LandRover Defender.

This is the latest evolution of the original LandRover, launched almost 60 years ago as Britain’sanswer to the Jeep. The shape remains recognisablythe same, but there have been so many changes andimprovements over the years that this is a bit like theaxe that’s had four new blades and five new handles.

There’s been a big package of improvements thisyear, starting with a new diesel engine. Built bycurrent (but not for much longer) parent Ford, theengine is a 2.4 litre unit equipped with common railfuel injection. This high-tech system gives morepower and lower noise and emissions. Coupled withthat is a new 6-speed manual gearbox, giving both alower bottom gear for better pull-away on steep hillsor when towing, and a 20 per cent higher top gearfor quieter, more economical cruising. The interiorhas been comprehensively updated, with the biggestchanges being a new one-piece dashboard and amuch more modern heating and air-conditioningsystem.

What really places the Defender apart from other4x4s is its benevolent image. Even when you’re in abrand-new, top-of-the-range model that clearly cost alot of money, other road users smile indulgentlywhen you meet them on a country lane. And even intough city areas it commands respect (perhapsbecause its bumpers could clearly tear the doors off acar without sustaining a scratch). As a result, it’s thevehicle of choice for stars seeking country cred (thinkRick Stein, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Madonna...).

equipment – big alloys, climate control, 8-speakersound system, automatic wipers, parking sensors andso on – but also a rear seat entertainment systemwith 7-inch screen (you plug in a DVD, MP3 playeror game machine). And, more practically, theelectrics for a towbar are ready-installed.

The car is very roomy, with plenty of space forthree in the back, and an unusually square, deep bootspace. The Altea has earned 5 stars in the NCAP crashtests and has a full set of electronic stability aids. Soit’s a very practical, comfortable, enjoyable, safe andsensible car with surprising rough-terrain ability. Itdeserves to sell well on its merits, but I doubt it will:in this bit of the market, image is everything.

Here’s onethey made

earlier

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So if it’s both up to date on the inside and uniquelyloveable on the outside, surely the Defender mustnow be a great choice for anyone who wants a realcountry car? Well, not entirely....

I had the interesting experience of driving aDefender 110 Station Wagon up, down and aroundthe fields and woods of Gatcombe Park. At one pointthe estate’s owner, who takes a lively interest inevents on her land, paused in her own Land Rover toallow our motley band of scruffy journalists to passunder the royal gaze. We’d actually been briefed onthe protocol if scrutiny turned into conversation. If Irecall correctly, the thing was to say “Good morning,Your Highness,” the first time, and then “Yes, Ma’am”(pronounced Mam, apparently) after that. You liveand learn...

If getting around your 500 acres of hilly estate iswhat you need a Defender for, or indeed bashingaround a quarry, forest or farm, then you’ll probablybe delighted by it. Especially if you have a Bentley orsomething for venturing out to the supermarket.Because despite all the improvements, the Defenderremains in many ways a pretty rough and readyvehicle.

The first thing you notice is that it’s a big step upinto the driver’s seat. Fair enough, because it’s gotmassive ground clearance. Then you start the engineand find that it’s still far from quiet – and as speedbuilds up, rattle turns to roar. Before that, you needto put it in gear and you find that the clutch isextraordinarily heavy. I’m not sure why this shouldbe, when a bigger, heavier, more powerful Discoveryhas a pleasantly smooth, light clutch. As you set offdown the lane, you have to adjust to vague, low-geared steering which means you’re constantlyadjusting the wheel like Bogart in a Buick. Then youcome to a tight corner and – whoops – you have tostop, back up and have another go because theturning circle is unbelievably wide.

The Defender is, at heart, still a working vehiclefrom the 1950s. As long as you accept that, and thelimitations and drawbacks it implies, I’m sure youcan get to love it. But it doesn’t really make muchsense unless you genuinely need its extraordinaryoff-road abilities. If you don’t, its maker will be veryhappy to sell you a Freelander, Discovery or RangeRover. And having driven all of those on the sameday, I can tell you they’re all very nice indeed... HC

SEAT Altea Freetrack 4 Land Rover Defender 110 SW2.0TSI 2.0 TDI

Power (PS) 200@5,100rpm 170@4,200rpm 122@3,500rpm

Max speed (mph) 133 127 82

MPG (Govt comb) 30.1 41.5 25.7

Insurance group 13 11 12

Fuel Petrol Diesel Diesel

Transmission 6-spd manual 6-spd manual 6-spd manual

C02 (g/km) 223 179 291

Price £20,495 £21,395 £23,595

0-60mph (secs) 7.5 8.7 15.8

42

s I was strolling along the seafront atAberystwyth last autumn, an old Kinkssong, Village Green Preservation Society,

started running through my mind. It’s awistful Ray Davies number highlightingtraditional things in Britain that he’d like tosave for future generations: from villagegreens and draught beer to strawberry jamand Mrs Mop.

Maybe what set my mind meandering inthis direction were the timeless pleasures ofthe seaside. Aberystwyth has several blastsfrom the past: breezy walks along the prom,a Victorian cliff railway, a hilltop CameraObscura giving wonderful panoramas and aseafront bandstand where I stumbled on adelightful jazz combo.

Oh yes, and there were seasidepostcards, fish and chips, coin-in-the-slottelescopes and seafront shelters wherepeople sat in a calm, Buddha-like statestaring at the grey horizon, trying to figureout where the sea ended and the sky began.

If there were a song called SeasidePreservation Society, all of these thingswould be on my list. But I stumbled onsomething else in Aberystwyth that’s wellworth saving, too – a no-nonsense, goodvalue restaurant serving British food. It usedto be called home cooking – roast beef,shepherd’s pie… that sort of thing.

After a hard day’s travelling around Wales,I was looking for a hearty dinner. The King’sHall restaurant, across the road from thebandstand, was ideal. The roast turkey andvegetables were excellent, the portions

Agenerous and the price reasonable. Itreminded me of my mum’s Sunday lunch inthe 1960s with Two-way Family Favouritesand Jean Metcalfe on the radio. This placeeven played Radio 2.

Basking in the warm glow, it dawned onme that it had been years since I’d eaten in aplace like this. It was like a large lounge-conservatory with window seats lookingacross to the waves. My seat’s upholsterywas a tad worn, perhaps highlighting howso many different bottoms sat here duringthe day, from breakfast to cocoa time. Theplace lay in the unpretentious middleground between a posh restaurant and agreasy spoon café.

Whether in town, country or seaside, it’s acategory of eaterie we hardly ever hearabout these days. They used to be all over,but not any more, sadly. There are so manynew kids on the block, from a global array offast-food outlets to continental restaurantsand gastro-pubs.

In Bath, where I live, gastro-pubs havemounted the biggest invasion since theRomans. In surrounding villages – inSomerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire –timeless country pubs are being turned intochic eateries with prices to match and adislike for hikers in big boots. In Devon andCornwall, smart fish restaurants are inplentiful supply, along with TV chefs.

Don’t get me wrong; today’s great choiceof cuisine makes life far more exciting fordiners than in the 1960s. And it’s great,when on holiday, to splash out on a specialgastronomic dinner whether in a classy pubor stylish restaurant. But if you’re on afortnight’s break, not every meal away fromthe holiday cottage can be a specialoccasion. Sometimes an honest, goodvalue British lunch fits the bill rather than anartistically designed gastro-pub concoctionfor £17.95.

So I hope roast dinners and steak andkidney pie in unpretentious restaurants willendure. In a world where many menusappear to be written by people on creativewriting courses, with drizzles here, coulisthere and something you’ve never heard ofon a bed of rocket, let there be rejoicing thatgravy still exists. Indeed, if there were aGravy Party at the next general election, I’dvote for it.

But for toad-in-the-hole and applecrumble to survive, the young must beeducated. A survey has shown thattraditional British dishes are in danger ofdying out because teenagers don’t eat themand are hooked on pizzas and burgers. Afifth of 16 to 19-year-olds have never eventried a Cornish pasty, which is a nationaldisgrace. I’m off to form a Shepherd’s PiePreservation Society. HC

Bob Jenkins likes gastro-pubs,but sometimes craves no-nonsenseBritish dishes when he eats out

to the roast!

My toast