Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
It's worth combining a visit to the castle with one to
Caerlaverock Wetland Centre
(
www.wwt.org.uk
; adult/child £7.30/3.60, free for WWT members; 10am-5pm)
, a mile
east. It protects 546 hectares of salt marsh and mud flats, the habitat for numerous birds,
including barnacle geese. There are free, daily wildlife safaris with experienced rangers,
and a coffee shop that serves organic food.
From Dumfries, bus 6A runs several times a day (twice on Sunday) to Caerlaverock
Castle. If you're travelling by car, take the B725 south.
RUTHWELL CROSS
Just off the B724, east of Caerlaverock,
Ruthwell Church
(
daylight hours)
holds one
of Europe's most important early Christian monuments. The 6m-high 7th-century Ruth-
well Cross is carved top to bottom in New Testament scenes and is inscribed with a poem
called 'The Dream of the Rood'; written in a Saxon runic alphabet, it's considered one of
the earliest examples of English-language literature.
Bus 79 running between Dumfries and Carlisle stops by the church on request.
NEW ABBEY
The small, picturesque whitewashed village of New Abbey lies 7 miles south of Dumfries
and has several worthwhile things to see and do.
Sights
Sweetheart Abbey
(HS;
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
; adult/child £4/2.40; 9.30am-5.30pm Apr-Sep, to
4.30pm Oct, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat-Wed Nov-Mar)
The shattered, red-sandstone remnants of
this 13th-century Cistercian abbey stand in stark contrast to the manicured lawns sur-
rounding them. The abbey, the last of the major monasteries to be established in Scotland,
was founded by Devorgilla of Galloway in 1273 in honour of her dead husband John Bal-
liol (with whom she had founded Balliol College, Oxford). On his death, she had his heart
embalmed and carried it with her until she died 22 years later. She and the heart were bur-
ied by the altar - hence the name.
RUINS
National Museum of Costume
(
www.nms.ac.uk
;
adult/child £4.50/2; 10am-5pm Apr-Oct)
On the edge of New Abbey,
a historic house holds this museum, which gives an overview of what Scots have worn
MUSEUM
