We got off the bus at Ambleside and boarded a boat for a cruise on Lake Windermere. This is the biggest of 16 significant lakes in the area known as The Lakes District. They are all glacier formed lakes, and Windermere boasts a significant boat population! It acts as a reservoir and when Lake Thelmia ahead of it gets low, they start using the water from Windermere . They must have had significant rainfall in the previous days, as the water level had risen 7 inches higher. Paul's source of information stated that it drops just as quickly.
This was our cruiser.
Views from the top deck.
The boat dropped us of at a village called Grassmere where we had lunch and some free time to look around. There were some lovely shops selling souvenirs such as heather jewellery, linens and woollen things.
This is also Beatrix Potter country, so there are references to her. After being unable to marry her first love, she moved to this area of Cumbria and due to her wealth from her books being so popular, she ended up being able to buy land and rent it out to farmers so their livelihoods would not be too affected. She is a heroine in these parts.
Some more driving...
Brought us to Gretna Green, where people used to run away to get married, because they didn't have to have consent of parents, and also it was easier to get divorced back then if you were married in Scotland. People still come here to marry from all over the world. There are civil offices everywhere with the anvils out the front.
Some more driving brings us through to Edinburgh....
We will be exploring more of this tomorrow.
I Think I have worked out how to make a comment. Great to read. love Mum
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