Nigel's Photo Blog

Introduction This morning I attended an excellent 'Potfest' at Glasgow 's Briggait Galleries which are part of a Category A listed building of architectural merit.The Briggait building dates from 1873, thus the building and art exhibition are over 150 years apart. Location is Glasgow's Merchant City close to the Clutha Bar. Originally, the Briggait building was Glasgow's fish market but is now used for arts events and cultural activities. The building was designed by architects Clarke & Bell in the French Renaissance style, with painted stone facades and, inside, a galleried market hall of cast iron and glass.    Information on the Pottery Festival   A three day event with 73 exhibitors from all around the U.K. I was very impressed by the range, quality and scale of the exhibition which benefited from a large throng of visitors.Here was an extensive collection of talented ceramic makers creating work that highlights the diversity of clay. Below is a por...

  Introduction Today, I visited Greenock on the River Clyde to see the Armada 86 03, a ship which can be operated without crew. Bow section of vessel.    Information on the Armada 86 03 An offshore support vessel owned by Ocean Infinity of Texas. Sails under the flag of Singapore. Launched 2022. The vessel is reported to have a skeleton crew but, ultimately, it and it's sister ships will likely be controlled onshore. Length is 78 metres. Arrived Greenock form Portugal. Will consume only renewable fuel such as ammonia.  The vessel is moored in the James Watt Marina at Greenock. This could be by accident or design because James Watt (1736-1819) was the promoter of leading edge technology of his time by improving efficiency of the steam engine and thereby founded the Industrial Revolution which transformed peoples lives across the world. Below is a statue of James Watt at Greenock.     More Information For more information on Scotland’s industrial his...

 Introduction  This post focuses on the ancient skill of stonemasonry (in Scotland).  Stonemason, Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland More information on Stonemasonry   There is a  saying that England is constructed with bricks as Scotland is constructed of stone.   As most tourists will know, Scotland is liberally endowed with stone resources which have been utilised to build castles, cathedrals, churches, houses, walls and more. Aberdeen is called the ‘granite city’ because most of the buildings are built from local granite whilst, on the other hand, Glasgow is largely built of softer sandstone. All around the countryside and Highlands can be seen stone walls (field boundaries) made from local stone and which last hundreds of years.    Video clip of stonemason at work       Stonemasonry is a skill still in demand today especially for reconstruction and conservation work. The images and video  shown here were taken...

  Introduction This evening, I am reporting on The Mary, Queen of Scots Casket which is currently on display at the Aberdeen Art Gallery. To visit the gallery I undertook a within-the-day trip from Glasgow as reported in my blog of Nov 23rd. Information on the Mary, Queen of Scots Casket Firstly, here is a brief summary of the life of the famous queen (1542-1587): Mary acceded to the Scottish crown before achieving 12 months of age. She became Queen of France, returned to Scotland to resume the crown age 18 then, joined in two failed marriages. Subsequently, she abdicated, travelled to England for sanctuary but was eventually executed there by Elizabeth I for treason. More information on Mary can be found in this blog post. This portrait of Mary was likely commissioned by the French royal family from their court artist to commemorate the marriage of Mary and the Dauphin, future King Francis II of France. This shows a Mary of fearsome intelligence and sophistication. Viva...

  Last night, about 10.00pm, in central Glasgow , I experienced a first hand encounter with the homeless crisis we are facing Scotland/U,K.  After leaving a city centre restaurant with my wife I came across a line about 30 persons seeking help/accommodation for the night. With overnight temperature around 0 centigrade/ 32 F sleeping on the streets would not be fun.There is another dimension in that the night shelter concerned has a tenuous existence. The shelter has been refused planning permission (and could close) but has been encouraged by the Council to re-submit their proposal with a more comprehensive plan. The shelter is run by Homeless Project Scotland and offers overnight accommodation for about 30 people on mattresses and serves food to about 350 people a day in the city centre.  In context of the homeless crisis here I have previously reported on good work undertaken by the  Glasgow City Mission   More information for the visitor More information on ...

  Introduction This post provides a selection of images consequent on the arctic air flow which resulted in low temperatures and some overnight  snowfall. Information and Images  Distance shot of Ben Lomond 's snow covered peak, 3196 feet.  Snow- topped Campsie Fells (north)  Snow-capped Kilpatrick Hills (NW)  Unusual visitor to bird feeder. Could be a Nuthatch (feeding upside down). Not sure of id of this bird but could be a Wagtail. Frozen over pond in local park Ducks on frozen pond.  More information for the visitor More information on Glasgow , Scottish history, architecture, culture, etc., can be found in the Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4. This publication is also available via Kindle .

Introduction Earlier today my wife and myself visited the (upscale) West End of Glasgow with emphasis on two sites one of which was Gavin's Mill. Information on Gavin's Mill Firstly, Milngavie (pop 13,000) is pronounced 'Mill-guy' which is close to the Gaelic original of muileann gaoithe or Dhai - 'windmill' or 'Dave's Mill', according to choice.Milngavie is well known as a function of it's position as start (or finish) of the 95 mile long hiking trail known as the West Highland Way . Although located- somewhat incongruously- in the corner of *Tesco's car park the mill site probably has a history dating back about 500 years.In days past local mills enjoyed a monopoly on processing local farmers grain.  (*Tesco is Britain's dominant supermarket retailer, roughly equivalent to Walmart in the U.S.)  As the images herein illustrate the mill was powered by water from the local burn (stream).    In the 1960s the original mill buildings were w...

This evening, I am posting information on one of Scotland’s lesser known castles, namely Drumin which is located on Speyside and conveniently situated to add variety to the Speyside Whisky Trail. About 2 miles north of The Glenlivet Distillery. Briefly, Drumin is open all year round and free to enter. It was a small castle possibly dating to the late 14th century and may have been built by Alexander Stewart aka “Wolf of Badenoch”. Drum is notable for its 2m thick walls. It may have been built on the site of a much earlier Iron Age fort or Dun. A pleasant location next to the River Livet..  NB : Check in advance of visit to confirm access as remediation work has featured in recent years.  Video Clip  Briefly, Drumin is open all year round and free to enter. It was a small castle possibly dating to the late 14th century and may have been built by Alexander Stewart aka “Wolf of Badenoch”. Drumin is notable for its 2m thick wal...

Introduction This evening, I am posting information and photographs describing a small group hike around the landscape near the Bridge of Weir (pop 5000). This town lies about 15 miles directly west of Glasgow in the West of Scotland.  Walking the Walk near Bridge of Weir  Information on the around Bridge of Weir Although weather was benign the ground was saturated as a function of wet weather. As will be evident from the images below, the route encompassed a small river, a Hereford Bull, rare breed ‘Jacob’ sheep, watery sunsets, swans, interesting architecture, a fishing pool and a dog walker. The route covered about seven miles.  Swan traversing Knapps Loch, Kilmacolm, Scotland Rare Jacob sheep with four horns Aquatic sunset near Bridge of Weir, Scotland Dog walker Landscape at sunset Pond near Bridge of Weir Watery landscape near Bridge of Weir Bovine crowned landscape  River Gryfe, Mount Zion Church, Quarriers Village...