Hello there Beastie people! After last week’s visit with a new Beastie, we’re back on the road with Paddy and Plunkett… And it’s certainly nice and sunny wherever they are today!
It seems the locals are pleasant, too. We all know about how well Beasties and cats get on, and the boys can really get on board with any place that puts up a sign like this.
Then, on the horizon… Look, a lighthouse!
The boys have never been in a lighthouse before. And now we know where they are – they’re back in Scotland, at the Mull of Galloway! This is Scotland’s most southerly point, and between the lighthouse and the nearby nature reserve, there’s plenty of cool stuff to see. Better still…
“Look, Paddy! It’s open!”
“YESSSSSS! I can’t wait to see the view from up there…”
But alas, Paddy will have to stick to admiring the lighthouse from ground level. The Beasties’ small stature has once again been their undoing, and there’s a minimum height requirement. And they won’t even be able to stow away in a handy human pocket or backpack, either.
” ‘Little ones may not be carried’. Sounds like the humans might be on to us, Paddy… Paddy?”
He’s already gone! Never one to dwell, Paddy has switched his attentions to something new. Namely, how to get down to this foghorn. It’s been out of service since 1987, but it was restored to full working order last year… And is occasionally sounded for lucky visitors.
Paddy is planning to take it a step further. He’s pretty sure everyone wants to hear his rendition of “Ode to Joy” blasted out over the sea at 120 decibels.
Fortunately, Plunkett has the perfect distraction to get Paddy away from the foghorn, and preserve the peace of this otherwise tranquil nature reserve…
How could any adventurous Beastie resist a signpost like this one? So many possibilities!
“Which way to Dublin, Paddy?”
“It doesn’t say… How about we head to Senegal instead?”
Do you reckon the boys will hitch a lift with a friendly gannet and send their next holiday photos from Dakar? You’ll have to join us next week to find out!
Looks nice and peaceful, doesn’t it? But just as Plunkett is unwrapping his sandwiches in preparation for a nice quiet lunch in the countryside…
Looks like the boys might have stumbled upon the home of Velocity 2 – the fastest zipline in the world!
Plunkett is happy to pose with the sign, even though he is secretly dreaming of getting back to his picnic. But Paddy is hungry for adventure… And his curiosity leads him deeper into the building.
Later, Paddy rejoins Plunkett at the bottom of the quarry. Plunkett has had a lovely afternoon of munching cheese and pickle sandwiches and watching the humans hurtling down the zipline. And he’s very interested to get a Paddy’s-eye view!
Well, that’s all the proof I need. Well done, Paddy! Although I really don’t know how your next adventure will ever compete with this one…
That’s right, it wouldn’t be a Paddy and Plunkett day out if they weren’t wreaking havoc on a train somewhere… And this time it’s the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway that’s getting the Beastie treatment. Luckily for them, the railway has a monster of its own to keep these two under control – the legendary Welsh Red Dragon!
Nope, definitely not.
Fortunately, Plunkett has got some sense into his woolly head – juuuuuust in time, by the looks of things!
I tried to ID Paddy and Plunkett’s train, but I didn’t get too far… Are there any locals out there who can help?
“This Gelert must have been a pretty important person!” says Paddy.
Hanging out with all those owlets certainly put a smile back on Paddy’s woolly face.
“Plunkett! PLUNKETT! Can you see the keys for these anywhere? I think I’d like to take one of them for a spin!”
But Paddy and Plunkett were in a bit of a pickle when we left them 
Fortunately, I was getting all alarmed over nothing… Turns out that this rather large octopus is a big fan of the boys, and couldn’t wait to snatch them up for a hug and a photo!
Anything else lurking in the shadows? The 
He’s wandered into the Seahorse Nursery, another of the Sea Zoo’s ongoing conservation projects.
Pollution of the world’s oceans with plastic is already having a serious impact on marine life… And unless we fix this plastic problem, all of the fantastic creatures Paddy and Plunkett met here could vanish from the seas forever! They don’t want to see this any more than I do, so they asked me to wrap up this post by sharing a few little things we can all do to bin the plastic… For good.
The Menai Strait is the narrow stretch of water that separates the island of Anglesey from the Welsh mainland. It looks calm enough here, doesn’t it? But strong and ever-changing tidal currents make it highly unpredictable and tricky to cross. In the past, this served the locals well – Anglesey was one of the last refuges of the Druids, at a time when they were being displaced all over Britain by the arrival of the Romans.
The Lobster Hatchery is one of several conservation projects based here in Anglesey Sea Zoo. Overfishing in the 1980s meant that local wild lobster populations took a huge hit, so the Hatchery is here to help them get back on their spiny little feet. The main focus of their work is a captive breeding programme, but research and education are also important aspects of what they do.
Well, moon jellies, if you’re going to be particular about it… But they do have an otherworldly look to them, don’t they? He could have watched them for hours – which is unusual for Paddy!
And although Paddy was momentarily distracted by the starfish that was taking a stroll across the front of the tank…
… It wasn’t long before he found a new way to pass the time – playing hide and seek with the fish!
But what’s that stirring in the hidden depths of the aquarium? Uh-oh!
By all accounts, Paddy was ready to storm off in a huff… Until Plunkett corrected himself. Parys Mountain is a mine – in fact, during its heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the largest copper mine in Europe.
“Look, Plunkett! Blue and orange rocks!”
“Hmmmm, what have we here? An old stone windmill, perhaps for pumping water out of the mineshafts? Fascinating! And look at that stonework!”
“Wow! That’s pretty incredible!”
It really is! And all the more so when you remember that this massive hole in the ground…
This beautiful beach with its tempting turquoise waters greeted the boys as they set out from 
“Plunkett! LOOK!”
… He will be able to admire its 21 soaring arches in relative peace.
The port at Mallaig is the gateway to the Western Isles, and although Paddy would happily have traded in his rail ticket for the chance to be captain of a pirate ship, Plunkett gently reminded him that this post is supposed to be about trains. Speaking of which… We’ve another one to catch! Don’t be late!
Plunkett reckoned that it was close enough – this still-active steam train is 
A few trains later, the boys were back in Glasgow… And because travelling Beasties know how to have a good time, they invited themselves into an empty penthouse suite in a nearby hotel for a little R&R.
“Can’t talk! Eating!”
“Not bad at all! Hey Plunkett, where are we off to next?”
Well, I can now reveal that this place with the lovely view is Fort William, in the Scottish Highlands!
It may be shrouded in mist, but it’s pretty difficult to hide completely. It’s Scotland’s highest mountain, after all!
“This is the sally port, Paddy! They used it to bring in supplies by boat back in the day. Look at that stonework…”
Perfect for little short Beastie legs! And luckily for the boys, just as their paws began to get tired, they happened upon a friendly local who offered them a lift home.
We’ll rejoin the boys in a couple of weeks. Next week… A new Beastie friend for you all to meet. And this one has SO MANY ACCESSORIES!
Hmmm… There is a lot of water around. It’s coming down from the sky too, by the looks of things. Hopefully it won’t rain for their entire trip!
… And were soon speeding along the road to their next port of call – Glasgow!
They might have hung out in the square a little longer than planned… Quick, get to the train station!
The boys got a few funny looks as they navigated the turnstile – honestly, you’d think people had never seen a Beastie before. But luckily they got to their seats just in time.
Well, I say seats – they find they get a much better view when they stand on the table.
The lads do enjoy a nice trip on the train.
Um, Cullywherenow?
And it doesn’t stop with leprechauns, either. Look out, Plunkett… Here be dragons!
Oh, and unicorns and fairies too!
But you might be surprised to learn that these wondrous creatures are not the reason Paddy and Plunkett took the train to Cullybackey. Well, not the only reason.
Ta-daaaaaah! Bluebells galore!
This incredible display is in 
So, where’s he got to?
And on the other side… It’s a Beastie-sized cabin!
You’d better get the kettle on, Paddy… I think Plunkett will need a big cup of tea when he eventually tracks you down!