Nigel's Photo Blog

 Introduction This afternoon I am posting information on Pennan (pop 50). This is a coastal village sitting on the north coast of mainland Scotland and about 45 miles north of Aberdeen .  Information on Pennan  Firstly, the writer apologises for the poor quality of images in this post. This is because the said images date back about 20 years and were taken in the early years of digital photography.  As some readers may recall Pennan is famous as the setting for the 1983 comedy film, Local Hero. The story centred on an American oil company fixer who was sent to Scotland to buy up an entire village on which to build an oil refinery. However, the man finds himself having a change of heart. Today, the village is subject of media attention owing to a campaign (by the residents) to cancel       P ennan's 'conservation village' status. The status is bestowed on areas of 'special architectural or historical interest, the character or appearance of which is des...

  Late last night my wife and myself had a pleasant surprise when our cat spotted a hedgehog roaming around the garden. We sort of know there are hedgehogs around but sightings tend to be rare, possibly on a quinquennial basis, as the mammal is nocturnal and hibernates during the winter. The sighting is important as over half the country's hedgehogs have disappeared from the countryside since 2000 and they are now absent in a third of towns and cities.  A section of our garden has been abandoned for cultivation purposes and is designated 'wild'. This may help to encourage hedgehogs whose lifespan tends to be around three years.  In addition to the hedgehogs  we have regular sightings of foxes and squirrels.We also have a wide range of birdlife ranging from seagulls, pigeons, crows and magpies down to tiny finches and the like.All of this makes for good viewing from the kitchen window! On this subject of wildlife here are some images of local water birds taken in rece...

 Introduction This post records a one day section of an extended small group Ireland tour.   Prehistoric ‘Rock Art’ at Knowth, Ireland Information on the Tour Itinerary.  This morning, we left our lodgings in Sligo , West of Ireland and drove S.E. to the small town of  Carrick-on-Shannon (pop  4000 ) where we stopped for about 45 minutes to explore. St Mary’s Church, Carrick on Shannon, Ireland Farmers Market at Carrick on Shannon, Ireland Carrick on Shannon Marina. Next, we continued S.E. for about two hours to our principal destination of the prehistoric passage tomb complex  at Bru na Boinne which is situated near the River Boyne, north of Dublin.here there are three great tombs known as Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth . Newgrange is the best known and most popular. Due to pressure of visitor numbers at Newgrange we elected to visit Knowth and joined a guided tour the leader of which explained: The sites many phases from first farming around ...

Introduction This evening, I am posting information on Torrylin, a burial cairn from the Neolithic period (about 5000 years old) within walking distance of Lagg on the southern tip of the Isle of Arran off Scotland’s West Coast.     Burial chambers at Torrrylin Cairn, Isle of Arran, Scotland Key features of the Torrylin Site Comprises four chambers, one of over 25 similar burial cairns on Arran. The cairn overlooks the sea. Categorised as a ‘Clyde Type’ i.e. architecture in common with many others around the  Firth of Clyde in S.W.Scotland. Heavily robbed and damaged over the millennia. The cairn originally had a forecourt area defined by tall stones, leading to an inner rectangular chamber divided into four similar compartments. Excavations in the 19th century revealed the remains of six adults, a child, and an infant burial. Fragments of flint tools and pieces of pottery were also discovered. Torrylin Burial Cairn, Arran, Scotland. More information For m...

  Introduction This evening, I am focusing on the Duke of Sutherland Monument. This edifice sits atop Ben Bhraggie (a mountain) close to the N.E. coast of Scotland, near the village of Golspie. Information on the Duke The Duke of Sutherland’s life spanned the period 1758-1833. Through marriage to Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland, he became the largest private landowner in Europe at the time. The Duke also held the title Marquess of Stafford and was a Member of Parliament 1778-84 and 1787-98. During the Duke’s tenure in the Scottish Highlands many thousands of his tenants, were forcibly evicted and left destitute. Hitherto, these people had eked out a subsistence existence from crofting (small scale farming). Many emigrated and others were absorbed into the factories of the Industrial Revolution...

 Introduction This evening, I am reporting on two prehistoric monuments located near Creetown in Galloway, southern Scotland. They date from between 4000 and 6000 years ago, mainly during the Neolithic period. More information on the tombs These chambered tombs were built to house the remains of many people and were in use over many centuries.Their creation required a major work commitment by the community. This work was seasonal taking place during quiet times in the farming and fishing year. Chambered cairns can be found in parts of Scotland, Ireland and the Atlantic coast of Europe although designs vary. The two cairns (Cairnholy I and II) would have looked quite different when first constructed. All that remains are the basic 'skeleton' of each cairn. This is because the core 'in-fill' of each structure has removed to form field boundaries and for other purposes. In Cairnholy 1 the curving facade of standing stones once formed the backdrop to a forecourt in fro...

Introduction Today, I am reporting on the quaint town of Ely (pop 15,000) which is located in the Fens, 17 miles north of Cambridge . Information on Ely    This town was founded in the 7th century by Etheldreda, a Northumbrian Queen and later became famous as site of the last (unsuccessful) stand by Hereward the Wake against William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, England The name is generally believed to originated from the Old English Elig, which translates as 'Eel Island' or 'district of Eels'. Benefiting from its relatively remote location Ely has retained a good number of medieval and Tudor buildings. Main attraction is the 14th century Cathedral, a gothic design by local monk Alan de Walsingham. The building features an octagonal tower which stands prominently on the local landscape. Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, England Centre of Ely, Cambridgeshire Other places of interest include: Pubs and restaurants on the River O...

    Today's press (Times Newspaper) carries a report that the East Window at Carlisle Cathedral (above) won the Divine Light competition. This competition was set up to find England's favourite stained glass window. Runner ups were windows at Chester , Ely , Gloucester, Newcastle, Sheffield, St. Albans, St.George's Windsor, Wells , Westminster Abbey , Worcester and York Minster . Carlisle Cathedral dates from 1122 and the East Window contains some of the largest surviving medieval stained glass in England. The medieval work is complemented by Victorian panels depicting Christ's Life. The Divine Light campaign was a collaboration with author, Janet Gough, OBE and was based on her latest book of the same name. The campaign attracted over 2.1M participants via social media. Carlisle (pop 110,000) is a city in NW England close to the western end of Hadrian's Wall.          

  Skelbo Castle, Sutherland, Scotland Introduction  This afternoon, I am focusing on Skelbo Castle which is in a ruinous condition. Location is the southern edge of Loch Fleet in Sutherland, north of Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands. Historically, the castle would have commanded control of the important ferry crossing route from/to Littleferry across Loch Fleet. Information on Skelbo Castle   Today, the ruins comprise a keep, curtain wall, courtyard and mansion house. A summary history is as follows: 13th century: Gilbert de Moravia. 15th century: Kynnards. 16th century: William Sutherland of Duffus. 18th century: Eric Sutherland of Duffus. Access to the castle is not assured. The site affords superb views across Loch Fleet which is renowned for its wildlife, mainly birds and seals. Seals at Loch Fleet, Scotland   Embo Beach- 3.5 miles north of Dornoch The above sites are roughly equidistant between Golspie and Dornoch and can be accessed via a shor...