Nigel's Photo Blog

 Alice in Wonderland with the Mad Hatter   Introduction Earlier today my wife and myself undertook a short trip to the heritage site of Greenbank House near Glasgow , Scotland. Key object was to view the daffodils and other Spring flowers for which the garden is famous.  Easter Egg Hunt  Our visit coincided with a well organised egg hunt for children seemingly themed on Alice in Wonderland. As the images below illustrate, we had a successful visit although we may have to return next week to capture the daffodils in their glory. Colourful flower display  Key to the door, a rusty one at that. Pond with sculpture Once upon a time! Daffodils A varied collection of trees More daffoldils An interesting blue background display Queen of Hearts Weeping tree, possibly a willow Colourful tree blossom Treasure hunt backcloth Flamingo Display (They play croquet in the story.) New seed pods Woodland grove with daffoldils Background information on Greenbank House   Greenbank House is now owned by S

Loch Lomond Landscape Introduction This evening, I am posting images taken on a 8.5 mile circular walk in the Loch Lomond National Park, Scotland. Information on Loch Lomond and Environs Loch Lomond is the largest expanse of freshwater in Great Britain. It is the centrepiece of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and is surrounded by mountainous landscapes including the mountain, Ben Lomond . Wildflowers The route commenced Balloch on the southern of the famous Loch then alongside riverside through woodlands and up Whinney Hill, a vantage point.  Marina at Balloch Woodland Trail Waterlogged Trail Water Lilies Landscape with cattle Feeding the ducks at Balloch More Information on Loch Lomond, Scotland For more information on Loch Lomond and other scenic sites in Scotland refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This publication is also available via Kindle

 Introduction This evening, I am reporting on a 55 mile (88km)  round trip cycle ride Glasgow-Balloch ( Loch Lomond )-Glasgow with most of the route following the Forth & Clyde Canal. Fly fishing in River Leven with Ballantines Whisky complex in background.     Information on the trip This trip provided a wide range of interests including: Industrial history: Forth & Clyde Canal (18th century) and a defunct 19th c railway line. Wildlife: Mainly swans and other water birds. Geology: The Kilpatrick Hills comprised of 340 m year old basalt lava. River Leven with its wetlands. Fishermen: Fly fishing on the Leven Historic Dumbarton Castle , itself of ancient volcanic origin. Balloch : A popular town on the southern tip of Loch Lomond. Tobias Smollett Memorial: An 18th century medical doctor and writer. Extensive whisky warehouses in Dumbarton. A selection of images are provided above and below.  Cycle track formed from defunct railway line.  River Leven at Dumbarton, Scot

 Introduction This evening, I am reprising a half day tour of Scotland's Clyde Coast. Dunure Castle Information on the tour First I met guests arriving off the ferry from Northern Ireland at Cairnryan , about 80 miles south of Glasgow . Next, we departed the ferry terminal about 2.30pm and then travelled north along the Clyde Coast with first stop at Dunure. Here we visited the ruined medieval castle then the small fishing harbour where we availed of light refreshment. Tour group at Dunure Castle Dunure Harbour Next, we continued up the coast encountering deteriorating weather as we progressed through towns such as Ballantrae, Girvan, Ayr, Largs and Inverkip . Unfortunately, the poor weather prevented planned sightseeing at Gourock so we moved on through Greenock and Port Glasgow then across the Erskine Bridge and on to our destination of Balloch on the southern tip of Loch Lomond where we checked into our lodgings. River Leven at Balloch Balloch House Hotel T

 Macaw Today, my wife and I paid a visit to a fascinating indoor tropical rainforest experience at Strathclyde Country Park, Motherwell ML1 3RT, about 15 miles S.E. of Glasgow in the west of Scotland. Here we were able to connect with a range of incredible creatures including insects, nocturnal creatures, exotic birds, fish and animals. It is to be hoped that rainforest inhabitants in the wild can be protected from the relentless advance of climate change and habitat destruction.  Malayan Jungle Nymph   Yellow Bellied Terapin  Sun Beetle  Amazon Milk Frog  Marmoset  Argentine Black & White Tegu    Amazon Orange Winged  Parrot    Ringed Teal   Emperor Tamarin Seba's Fruit Bats Kinkajou Black-Tailed Marmoset Green and Black Poison Dart Frog Golden Dart Frog South American Cockroach Geoldi's Monkey Tropical Fish Overall, a rewarding experience.