Backpacking & Outdoor adventures by ChingNengBin - Namaste! Everest BaseCamp 5,364m

2014 - Backpacking to Stranraer, Scotland day 21

Backpacking to Stranraer, Scotland from 21 May to 26 June 2014 (37days)

Val Allan, Pauline Toh, Catherine Oon, Ching Neng Bin, Betty Ching, Lim Kee Moon at fishing station, Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Day 21 (10.6.2014) visited a farm using robotic milking and dinner at Janet Drysdale’s house

Early morning, we played several rounds of golf on the beautiful lawn well maintained by Alistair. How did we play golf was trying to putt a hole-in-one on a 25ft green – guess what, we never made it. This morning Alistair brought the ladies to meet us at Lady Bay. We then walked to Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm nearby where the cows would queue up to get to the robotic milking machine to be milked. From here Lim Kee Moon and Ching Neng Bin would walked back along the road towards Kirkcolm whilst Alistair would drive the ladies to visit Margaret Modrate at Kirkcolm.

Alistair later came to pick Lim and Ching to visit Margaret Modrate who lives in Kirkcolm and later Margaret Modrate drove the ladies back to Alistair’s house. We would also thanked Margaret Modrate for giving us the potato scone and sand-witches for our tea-time. We had another good lunch at home: pig knuckle and meat loaf.

In the evening at 5.30pm, Janet and James Drysdale invited us for dinner at their beautiful house next door to Alistair. Here again we had fantastic meal with wine, ice-cream and coffee.

Sleeping: Shambley Residence, Millfield Avenue, Stranraer, Scotland.
Temp: min.11 – max.18 °C

Good morning golfer Ching Neng Bin - nice teeing off in the morning air at fishing station, Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Morning view of the mini Hole-In-One golf course at fishing station, Lady Bay, Stranraer.

The sea tide is coming in this morning at fishing station, Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Morning view of the Loch Ryan from the fishing station, Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Morning view of the fishing station, Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Lady Bay at Loch Ryan, Stranraer, Scotland on 10.06.2014

In the fishing station kitchen, Lady Bay, Loch Ryan, Stranraer, Scotland.

A nice place to be at the fishing station, Lady Bay, Loch Ryan, Stranraer, Scotland.

The happy backpackers from Malaysia at the fishing station, Lady Bay, Loch Ryan, Stranraer, Scotland.

Lim Kee Moon ready to trek to Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm nearby.

Ching Neng Bin ready to trek to Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm nearby.

Trekking to Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm nearby.

The Port House of Lady Bay, Loch Ryan, Stranraer, Scotland.

Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm nearby where the cows would queue up to get to the robotic milking machine to be milked.

The feed provided to the cows is of major importance to the overall success of a Lady Bay Cottage dairy farm. It affects not only milk production but also feed/milk efficiency, general cow health, reproduction and metabolic disturbances. In addition, feed influences cow traffic and visit behaviour to the robot at Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm.

As the market leader in robotic milking, Lely knows that correct feeding of cows is essential for successful robotic milking. The Lely Vector Automatic Feeding system ensures 24/7 fresh, flexible feeding according the cow’s needs at Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm.

Research on various forms of cow traffic shows that free cow traffic is characterized by a higher milk production with less labour and a reduced risk of mastitis at Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm.

Lely Robotic milking, Stranraer, Scotland on 10.06.2014

Lim Kee Moon and Ching Neng Bin would walk back along the road towards Kirkcolm whilst Alistair would drive the ladies to visit Margarete at Kirkcolm.

Lim Kee Moon and Ching Neng Bin would walk towards Kirkcolm from Lady Bay, Stranraer.

A beautiful farm house along the road towards Kirkcolm from Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Part of the Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm estate, Kirkcolm.

A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into electrical power. A wind turbine used for charging batteries may be referred to as a wind charger at Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm estate, Kirkcolm.

Lady Bay Cottage, portencalzie farm view - "Take me home country road".

Lim Kee Moon walking with a day-pack enjoying the farm view - "Take me home country road".

Ching Neng Bin saying goodbye to Lady Bay and will come back again.

The breathtaking view of the country side Kirkcolm farm view - "Take me home country road".

At Margaret Modrate's house in Kirkcolm. We would also thanked Margaret Modrate for giving us the potato scone and sand-witches for our tea-time.

Margaret Modrate's little garden in Kirkcolm.

Margaret Modrate's beautiful roses in Kirkcolm.

We had these pig knuckle from Morrison supermarket for lunch.

We wish to thank Margaret Modrate for these potato scone for lunch in Shambley Residence, Stranraer.

We had these meat loaf for lunch in Shambley Residence, Stranraer.

We also wish to thank Margaret Modrate for these sandwiches for lunch.

Back home, Pauline got these beautiful roses from Alistair's garden.

A panoramic view of Millfield Avenue from Janet and James Drysdale.

Janet and James Drysdale invited us for dinner at their beautiful cottage next door to Alistair. Here again we had fantastic meal with wine, ice-cream and coffee.

Dear Janet and James Drysdale, cheers to all of you.

Dear Janet Drysdale, we would like to thank you for the food and wine.

What a delicious food from Janet and James Drysdale.

After dinner it was time for special coffee from Janet and James Drysdale.

Janet and James Drysdale beautiful guest bed-room.

Janet and James Drysdale beautiful lounge.

Janet and James Drysdale beautiful sun-room.

Ching Neng Bin and Catherine Oon at Janet Drysdale beautiful sun-room.

Pauline Toh and Val Allan at Janet Drysdale beautiful sun-room.

Ching Neng Bin and Catherine Oon at Janet Drysdale beautiful sun-room.

Betty Ching and Lim Kee Moon at Janet Drysdale beautiful sun-room.

Lim Kee Moon at Janet Drysdale beautiful house.

The dog at Janet Drysdale beautiful house.

The flower garden at Janet Drysdale beautiful house.

“Dearest Jessie and Jimmy, we would like to thank both of you for the lovely meal at your beautiful house. Your home cooked traditional Scottish dishes were excellent. We had very good meal and the excellent taste of your special brewed coffee. Never knew you could make such good coffee.

We had the pleasure enjoying sitting and taking photographs at your
very special sun-room with good view of Millfield Avenue.

Please take care till we see you in Penang this December 2014.

With Love from friends of Malaysia: Pauline Toh, Betty Ching,
Catherine Oon, Val Allan, Lim Kee Moon and Ching Neng Bin.”

Robotic milking, Stranraer, Scotland on 10.06.2014

Lady Bay at Loch Ryan, Stranraer, Scotland on 10.06.2014

Click below to view daily adventures:
Day 01 (21.05.2014 Wed) – MH16 KUL/AMS 2355hr – 0655hr on 22May
Day 02 (22.05.2014 Thr) – Amsterdam City, Holland
Day 03 (23.05.2014 Fri) – Amsterdam Zaanse Schans Village (21km)
Day 04 (24.05.2014 Sat) – KL.1477R AMS/GLA 1535hr - 1605hr Glasgow Airport
Day 05 (25.05.2014 Sun) – Stranraer, Scotland

Day 06 (26.05.2014 Mon) – Fishing station at Lady Bay (15km) Loch Ryan
Day 07 (27.05.2014 Tue) – Portpatrick and Mull of Galloway Lighthouse (58km)
Day 08 (28.05.2014 Wed) – Lide supermarket (2.8km) and Museum
Day 09 (29.05.2014 Thu) – Exploring Galloway Forest Park (56km)
Day 10 (30.05.2014 Fri) – Kirkland Fishery Farm in Leswalt (4.6km)

Day 11 (31.05.2014 Sat) – Exploring Galloway Forest Park (60km)
Day 12 (01.06.2014 Sun) – Trekking 20.8km Loch Ryan Coastal Path
Day 13 (02.06.2014 Mon) – A free and easy rest day
Day 14 (03.06.2014 Tue) – To Robert Burns Cottage at Alloway (78km)
Day 15 (04.06.2014 Wed) – Fishing station at Lady Bay (15km) Loch Ryan

Day 16 (05.06.2014 Thu) – A trip to the Giant Causeway (153km) by coach
Day 17 (06.06.2014 Fri) – Trekking 4km Ardwell Pond, Ardwell Bay (18km)
Day 18 (07.06.2014 Sat) – Our ladies went shopping in Ayr (72km)
Day 19 (08.06.2014 Sun) – Visiting Isabelle/Robert in Newton Steward (50km)
Day 20 (09.06.2014 Mon) – Overnight stay at Fishing Station, Lady Bay Loch Ryan

Day 21 (10.06.2014 Tue) – Visited a farm using automated milking
Day 22 (11.06.2014 Wed) – Day 1 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 23 (12.06.2014 Thu) – Day 2 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 24 (13.06.2014 Fri) – Day 3 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 25 (14.06.2014 Sat) – Day 4 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland

Day 26 (15.06.2014 Sun) – Day 5 of Scenic West Coast Tour, Scotland
Day 27 (16.06.2014 Mon) – Allan and Pauline 50th wedding anniversary
Day 28 (17.06.2014 Tue) – Mysterious beach walk at Loch Larbrax, Scotland
Day 29 (18.06.2014 Wed) – Lake Loweswater, Lake District, UK (day1)
Day 30 (19.06.2014 Thu) – Outward Bound Ullswater, Lake Ullswater (day2)

Day 31 (20.06.2014 Fri) – Return from Lake District (day3)
Day 32 (21.06.2014 Sat) – Our last visit to the bothy at Lady Bay
Day 33 (22.06.2014 Sun) – A farewell dinner hosted by Margaret Modrate
Day 34 (23.06.2014 Mon) – A farewell tea hosted by Vera Little
Day 35 (24.06.2014 Tue) – To Glasgow for a night stay for next day flight
Day 36 (25.6.2014Wed) Glasgow 6am to Amsterdam 8.40//MH17 12noon to KLIA
Day 37 (26.06.2014 Thu) – MH17 touched down at KLIA at 6.20am.
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Ching Neng Bin 秦能斌

Ching Neng Bin worked at Public Bank for 35 years, starting as clerical staff in 1973 and retiring in 2008. He held various roles, including serving as the branch manager of Seri Manjung. During his tenure, he received several awards, such as the "25 Years Long Service Award" in 1998 and the "30 Years Long Service Award" in 2003. Ching is an avid adventurer who enjoys outdoor activities such as jungle trekking, rock climbing, kayaking, and off-road driving. He was 1 of ten Malaysians selected to join the Marlboro Adventure Team in the USA in 1994, where he participated in activities like white-water rafting and horseback riding. He also co-founded the Penang Adventurers' Club in 1976 to promote outdoor activities. Ching has documented his travels extensively, including a 30-day Trans-Siberian train journey in 2024, covering 9,938 km from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg. Ching Neng Bin's life is a blend of professional dedication, adventurous pursuits, and a love for documenting his experiences, making him a notable figure in both the banking and outdoor adventure communities.

2014 - Backpacking to Stranraer, Scotland day 20

Backpacking to Stranraer, Scotland from 21 May to 26 June 2014 (37days)

Rotarian Alistair McCulloch at his Shambley Residence, Millfield Avenue, Stranraer, Scotland.

Day 20 (9.6.2014) overnight stay at Fishing Station, Lady Bay (15km) Loch Ryan

This afternoon after Alistair returned from his Rotary lunch meeting, he took the three guys to Lady Bay to stay a night at his fishing station. Alistair left us there and would return with the 3 ladies to pick us up the next day.

At the fishing station we went for a walk along the southern coast to a cottage 2km away and came back to do some fishing by the rocks. Unfortunately we have no lady luck and did not get any fish for dinner. We just had bread, jam, cheese and coffee that we brought along for dinner.

As we had long daylight in this summer month, we were taking pictures as late at 10.30pm. We slept at about 11.30pm after taking some whiskey in hot coffee we brought along.

Sleeping: Alistair’s fishing station at Lady Bay, Stranraer, Scotland.
Temp: min.11 – max.19 °C

Pauline Toh with Rotarian Alistair McCulloch at Shambley Residence, Stranraer.

Betty Ching with Rotarian Alistair McCulloch at Shambley Residence, Stranraer.

Ching Neng Bin with Rotarian Alistair McCulloch at Shambley Residence, Stranraer.

Rotarian Kee Moon with Rotarian Alistair McCulloch at Shambley Residence, Stranraer.

The road sign to Lady Bay, Stranraer.

The road map to Lady Bay, Stranraer.

The fishing station at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

The meadow at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Loch Ryan is Scotland’s most southerly sea loch located between the Rhins peninsula, the low lying Stranraer basin and the western Southern Uplands.

Loch Ryan sheltered waters have been used by man since prehistoric times whilst its proximity to Northern Ireland has given it added importance as a gateway between Ireland and mainland Britain.

Colourful yellow lichens and coloured fungus on rock surface at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

While each lichen appears to be a homogenous structure, a single thallus may contain several different species of fungus. Noticed a patch of wild flowers also grown on rock surface at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Alistair harvesting some potatoes in the garden at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Alistair and Val Allan met the farmer and their dogs along the trek at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Beautiful wild flowers also grown at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

The is the place where Alistair used to launch his fishing boat at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Many of the important historic sites and remains around Loch Ryan lie close to the shoreline with sites all the way along the east coast and clusters at Stranraer and in the area around Kirkcolm.

The stony shore at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Oystercatcher is very noisy with loud 'peep-ing' call. On the coast, they specialise in eating shellfish, particularly cockles and mussels, which they either prise or hammer open with their strong, flattened bills.

Yellow lichens on on rock surface at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Red wild flowers on rock surface at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

Red foxglove flowers on rock surface at Lady Bay, Stranraer.

At the Lady Bay fishing station we walked 2km along the southern coast.

The sheltered location means people have used Loch Ryan as a gateway for trade and communication by sea and lived on its shores since the earliest days of human settlement in Scotland.

During World War II the Loch Ryan was an important hub of wartime activity.

Ching Neng Bin at Loch Ryan and behind a ferry passing by.

Ching Neng Bin testing out the air rifle at Lady Bay fishing station, Stranraer, Scotland.

Lim Kee Moon looking at some rabbits in the field for target practice at Lady Bay fishing station.

Ching Neng Bin testing out the air rifle at Lady Bay fishing station, Stranraer, Scotland.

Rabbits in the field for target practice at Lady Bay fishing station, Stranraer, Scotland.

These pictures taken through the window as late at 10.30pm. It got dark at 11pm. We had good rest and time for reflection at Lady Bay fishing station, Stranraer, Scotland.

Very comfortable beds in fishing station at Lady Bay, Stranraer. We slept at about 11.30pm after drinking some whiskey in hot coffee that we brought along.

37day expenses per person was RM6,139.05

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Ching Neng Bin 秦能斌