Nigel's Photo Blog

  Introduction This post is consequent on my recent visit to Greenoc k in the West of Scotland. Information on the Equine Statue. This is a story of loss and bereavement in context of working relationship between man and his working horse during the 19th century. Greenock was an important port. Before mechanisation, powerful work horses laboured in the shipyards and pulled laden carts to and from the harbour and quaysides to factories and mills on the hillside.Reliable horses were loved and revered by their masters as they represented the cartiers primary income. In the novel 'Dancing at the Rascal Fair' author Ivan Doig describes how on Oct 23rd 1889 Ginger was conveying a consignment of sugar on the quay at Albert Harbour when one of the cartwheels caught a mooring stanchion causing the cart and animal to fall into the water.This resulted in the drowning of the horse.The owner was inconsolable in his grief for his beloved horse and the sudden loss of his livelihood. Greenock...

  Buachaille Etive Mor  Today, I undertook a 60 mile round trip to Greenock (pop 43k) which is located about 25 miles NW of Glasgow on the southern bank of the River Clyde .   Key purpose of the trip was to view an exhibition of local landscape paintings the theme of which is life, light and colour thereby offsetting the drab prevailing weather conditions of late February.  During the round trip I encountered additional sightings of interest,viz: Old timber ponds which emerge at low tide near Port Glasgow . Interesting piece of equine public art in central Greenock. Newly arrived ferry for the Western Isles, the MV Isle of Islay moored at Greenock. Very unusual sighting of a helicopter (presumably police) hovering over central Glasgow.  Paintings shown herein are from a total of 23 on display. Exhibition is titled 'Colourist Light' by Joan McKeeman     Stormy Sky, Lunderston Buachaille Etive Mor     Daff Glen   Rannoch Moo...

    I noticed the above sign in a fast food outlet during a recent visit to Edinburgh.  (£4.00 = $5.40) This harks back to the bad old days when such a product was common in Scotland. Calorie count of the product is between 600-900. Variation depends on presence of additional ingredients, such as ice-cream.   Good for manufacturers of fat jabs! 

  Introduction I last reported on these carvings on Nov 11th 2023 subsequent to which excavations have continued on the important Roman site at Carlisle Cricket Ground. An update was provided per my blog of June 26th 2025 . Carlisle Cricket Ground.  Information on the Carlisle Heads   The image above (top) was taken at a current exhibition at Carlisle's Tullie Museum. Carlisle is a major city in the NW of England close to the Roman-era Hadrian's Wall . The sculptured sandstone heads were discovered at the Cricket Ground site in 2023. They are carved in a style that combines local Celtic and Roman influences and likely represent Roman theatre masks. One of the heads has traces of a carving of a god and an animal on the back which suggests it was made from recycled stone work, possibly an altar. The heads have been carved in a way which suggest they would have been placed high up. In Roman belief heads like these would protect people from the evil eye and bad spirits....

This afternoon, I am posting a small portfolio of images taken yesterday in course of my rail trip from Glasgow in SW Scotland to Carlisle in NW England. All of the images were taken from a very fast moving train. I believe the landscape covered is either the Cheviot Hills or Southern Uplands in southern Scotland.  Strangely, this is the best accumulation of snow I have encountered this winter. To date snowfall in Glasgow has been negligible although heavy falls have been recorded in the north and Highlands.           More information The publication Visitors’ Guide to Scotland provides a wide range of information for the visitor. The ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. This book is also available via Kindle .    

 Introduction  This evening, I am posting information on St. Fillan’s Priory in the Highlands of Scotland.  Information on St. Fillan's Priory . The Priory remains can be accessed via a public hiking trail near Kirkton Farm, about half way between Tyndrum , Perthshire and Crianlarich. This site is on the route of the West Highland Way hiking trail.  Crianlarich Hills   The former medieval priory extends now to scant ruins but at its peak in the 14th century was a high status, Augustinian establishment.It was endowed by Scotland’s King Robert the Bruce in gratitude for his being granted sanctuary at the predecessor site following his defeat at the Battle of Methven in 1306. The Bruce suffered another defeat nearby in 1306, at the hands of Alistair MacDougall , in what has been named the Battle of Dalrigh, although he (the Bruce) lived to fight another day. St.Fillan was active some six centuries before Robert The Bruce. He was ...