Nigel's Photo Blog

River Ouse York is located on the banks of the River Ouse, roughly equidistant between the Scottish capital of Edinburgh and London with population of about 200,000. It has a rich historical legacy dating back at least 2000 years with particular emphasis on the Roman, Viking and Medieval eras. A very popular tourist destination. Tell me more about a Tour of York  Roman York : Established AD 71 when the Ninth Legion built a fortress which evolved over 300 years to become a permanent military base and civilian town (Eboracum) of the highest rank. For three years from AD 208 the Emperor, Septimus Severus used York as base for ruling the Empire during his military campaigns in Scotland. A century later in AD 306 Constantine the Great was acclaimed as Emperor by the Roman Army in York. After the collapse of the western Roman Empire in the early 5th century it appears that York was deserted for a period of almost 200 years. Visitors today can connect with the Roman era via the

  Scapa Distillery, Orkney, Scotland This evening, I am focusing on Scapa Distillery, Orkney, Scotland. . Scapa has had a long an chequered history since its founding in 1885 by Messrs Macfarlane & Townsend. Since the the distillery has undergone three ownership changes, liquidation, modernisation, refurbishment and mothballing. Scapa is currently owned by Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard). Production capacity is 1.5 million litres per annum most of which finds its way into blends such as Teachers and Ballantine’s. Key aspects of the Scapa distillation process: A semi-lauter mash tun and eight washbacks. At 160 hours, Scapa has the longest fermentation period of any distillery in Scotland. Lomond type wash still. Uses ex-Bourbon casks for maturation. The whisky from Scapa is heavy but not peated. The is a limited volume of single malts on the market, from the distillery and independent bottlers. The key single malt product is the Scapa Skiren which is matured in first fi

  This evening, I am posting information on part of a Four Waterfalls Walk near Ystradfellte in the mountain range known as the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. The nearest major town is Merthyr Tydfil. This particular walk covers one of the most exciting landscapes in Wales comprising spectacular waterfalls, wooded gorges and intriguing caves.This is where the Hepste, Mellte and Nedd Fechan rivers cascade over layers of millstone grit in course of journey from mountains to the sea.Highlights include: A large cave. Riverside walks. Four waterfalls. Woodland walks. This area falls within the Fforest Fawr Geopark where the river valleys are abundant with wildlife, mosses, ferns and lichens all of which thrive in the humid conditions found in the steep gorges surrounding the waterfalls. Hiking trail to waterfall

  Preston England Mormon Temple This evening, I am reprising a one-day section of a Wales and England tour. First, we departed our lodgings at Welshpool, close to the Wales-England border and drove north for about two hours to our first stop at the Preston, England, Mormon Temple at Preston in N.W.England. Preston England Mormon Temple After a short visit to the Mormon Temple we drove east for about 90 minutes to our next destination of York, England. En-route the temperature dropped to around 1 degree C. We saw snow on the hills and encountered heavy hail in York which affected road conditions. These low temperatures were unusual for late April. Bootham Bar, York. Part of Medieval defences. Hail covered road, York, England On arrival at York we drove around the city and viewed the medieval city walls which were built on Roman predecessors. Guests spent about two hours visiting the famous Minster (Cathedral) which sits at the heart of the city.   York Minster, England

  Dee Valley from Castell Dinas Bran Today, I am reprising a visit to two important but divergent sites at Llangollen (pop 4000) in N.E. Wales. First we called at Plas Newydd (New Hall) which was made famous by two aristocratic ladies whose lives straddled the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The two ladies were Lady Eleanor Charlotte Butler (1739-1829) and Sarah Ponsonby (1755-1831) who, between 1798 a and 1814. transformed a nondescript small cottage into an elaborate, Gothic themed home with planned garden. Subsequent owners undertook modifications, additions and alterations culminating in the current building and grounds. Plas Newydd is now a visitor attraction owned and managed by Denbighshire County Council. Plas Newydd, Llangollen, Wales Woodland Garden at Plas Newydd,, Llangollen, Wales. After Plas Newydd we had lunch in the town and then embarked on the 321.4m / 1054ft ascent up to Castell Dinas Bran (Crow Castle) which overlooks Llangollen  and valley of the

Tonight, I am providing a brief report on the Galloway Tourist Route in SW Scotland.  This follows the return of my wife and myself from a very satisfying vacation in the Galloway region. The images and video clip were taken on the way down from Glasgow. On the return trip we had hoped to obtain more images of this very scenic area but were stymied by heavy and persistent rain. In essence the Galloway Tourist Route runs from Gretna on the English border to Ayr on Scotland's Clyde Coast. The route starts on the flat lands of the Solway coast, skirts the shore to Dumfries and then turns inland through low hills to Castle Douglas, Key aspects are rolling hills and numerous large lochs (lakes). Photo opportunities are limited due to the narrow nature of the road and paucity of stopping places.Hopefully, this post will provide readers with a flavour for the landscape. This is just one small aspect of an extensive loch which is popular with boat owners.  Another aspect of a large loch H

Today, Friday is the final day of our sojourn in Galloway, SW Scotland.  As expected, the weather reverted to default of dark clouds and presistent rain. However we had anticipated that. Following local recommendations we planned to visit two separate wildlife reserves, one focusing on wild goats and the other red deer. Unfortunately, no one forwarned the goats of our plans and consequently none were to be seen from our viewpoint. However, we had better luck in the adjacent red deer reserve where there was a small herd to greet us.   Small herd of Red Deer  Red Deer fawn Next we visited nearby Clatteringshaws Loch and inadvertently got caught in a car rally. Fot the benefit of readers outside the U.K. car rallies are suitably 'souped up' saloon car races which take place over forest tracks and the like for which Scotland is particularly well suited.    Clatteringshaws Loch Rally car travelling at speed Next to a natural feature known as Grey Mare's Waterfall which was quit

  Above image shows the former railway viaduct. Today, I was grateful for having taken the trouble to bring my bike with me to the part of Galloway in SW Scotland where we are staying. This gave me the freedom to explore the nearby Cairnsmore of Fleet Nature Reserve. This Reserve is loacted in the Galloway Hills, one of the wildest and remote corners of SW Scotland. The region, dominated by an imposing granite hill, offers a taste of the Scottish wilderness with views over the Cree estuary and vistas stretching towards the English Lake District, Ireland and north to Ayrshire.The heath, heather moorland and blanket bog supports a wide range of wildlife such red and black grouse, hares, wild goats, red deer, the occasional golden eagle and intriguing plant life. My short, 2-3 hour bike trip took me along well constructed forest trails, mainly passing through commercial conifer plantations. Key benefit here was seclusion: I encountered just two cyclists and one motor vehicle. The only neg