Wait a second… FISH POND? I thought the boys were off to Senegal!
Apparently not. They were all set to go, but as they headed down the coast, they were won over to the idea of a quiet day at the seaside. Then…
“Hey, what’s that weird-looking building in among the rocks?”
Once again, the Beasties’ curious natures get the better of them and they have to at least go a little closer! Fortunately, the next thing they stumble upon is this sign, which tells them everything they need to know.
Sold! As we know, the boys can’t resist an aquarium… And how often do you get to visit a famous fish pond?
Especially if it also looks like a castle…
Let’s go inside!
Aha! Nice one, Plunkett… You’ve found the fish pond!
This pool started as a natural inlet from the sea, but it was enlarged by the local laird (landowner) between 1788-1800, with the help of a few French prisoners of war. Look, the date of completion is right here on the rocks!
What did he want a pool for? Well, in the dark days before the fridge-freezer, a “fish larder” like this one meant that the family could keep sea fish handy and fresh all year round!
These days, it’s enjoying a new role as a marine life centre. Paddy can’t wait to make more fishy friends! But wait, what lies at the end of this rather spooky tunnel?
“Smugglers! It has to be smugglers!”
“Not quite, Paddy. It’s a nursery!”
In here, fish are raised from teeny fry to adult size… Then they can move to the main pool.
Back outside, it’s time to get up close and personal with the grownups!
Wow, they’re friendly! They must love the camera… Or could it be that they know when John the guide is coming around with his bucket of fish food?
After the fish have had their lunch, the boys explore a little further afield. Just around the corner, Paddy sees this.
Is it the perfect Beastie-sized house? Not quite.
“Plunkett, look! It’s the old bathing hut!”
“What’s that?”
“It’s where people used to change before going in for a swim!”
Plunkett takes a moment to read the signpost.
“Um, Paddy? It says this was for women only, so maybe we should…”
Too late!
Luckily, the days of segregated sea bathing here are long gone, and Paddy can enjoy a view of the shallow pool without outraging anyone’s delicate sensibilities. He almost looks like he’d like to go for a dip himself!
Look! There’s even a fireplace inside, so getting dried off afterwards wouldn’t be a problem!
Plunkett likes it too, despite his initial reservations.
“Maybe we should stay here for the winter. I reckon they’d like a pair of resident Beasties!”
What’s this? Are the intrepid twosome considering a retirement from the adventuring life? You’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to find out, because there’s a new Beastie waiting in the wings to meet you next Tuesday!
See you then!
It seems the locals are pleasant, too. We all know about how well 
Then, on the horizon… Look, a lighthouse!
“Look, Paddy! It’s open!”
But alas, Paddy will have to stick to admiring the lighthouse from ground level. The Beasties’ small stature has 
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.
How could any adventurous Beastie resist a signpost like this one? So many possibilities!
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 hills are probably the most striking feature in the park, and I’m sure they can be seen for miles around! These 20 metre tall earth mounds represent the spiral galaxies of Andromeda and our own galactic home, the Milky Way. Did you know that while most of the other 100 billion-odd galaxies in the universe are moving away from us, Andromeda is actually heading right in our direction? The two galaxies are expected to meet in 4 billion years’ time, and this is an interpretation of what will happen next – they’ll whirl around together, stripping lines of stars and planets from each other in a sort of crazy spinning dance. I’m pretty glad I won’t be around to see THAT!
“Paddy, are you sure about this? Omphalos stones mark the mythical ‘navel of the world’… Who knows WHAT’S potentially lurking in there?”
…And check this out – a whole galaxy trapped in a rock!
“Plunkett, I think there’s one more place we need to go…”
“ANOTHER hill?”
“Not bad, Paddy. Not bad at all!
