Encounter with Scotia’s Warriors

The pistol wasn’t loaded but I still felt a bit nervy taking the above image. These guys from Scotland’s Warriors are simply working to keep Scotland’s history alive. Their attire reflects that of the soldiers of the 1745 Jacobite rebellion; many wearing the blue bonnets, an ancient symbol of patriotism for their country.

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Lighthouses at Port Glasgow

Found ourselves sitting in Burger King with rain hammering on the roof and streaming down the windows. Thankful for the refuge and some warm coffee.

Once the brutal downpour had expended its energy, we found the waterfront here at Port Glasgow quite deserted. After the storm this was indeed a peaceful place.

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In the Pinkston

I’ve been lucky to have joined my camera club’s outing to the Pinkston Watersports Park in Glasgow on a evening when avid kayakers were practicing their supreme skills in guiding their crafts through tumbling white water. It was a great opportunity to get close to sports men and women with the camera, certainly better than travelling to the great competitions that take place on more remote venues on rivers in the Scottish highlands.

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A Moth’s a Moth for a’ That

Lead Image – Burnet Moth : Nikon D7500; Sigma 105mm Macro Lens; f16; 1/320sec; ISO640.

I don’t really like moths. I always remember them seeming to fly straight towards me whenever they get in the house; I didn’t like that. Moths would eat holes in my grandparents’ clothing and wardrobes smelled of naphthalene to eradicate the problem. Nasty!

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Into the Woods

Lead photo : At River Ayr Gorge, Failford:
Nikon D7500, Sigma 17-50mm F2.8; f8 1/60 sec; ISO100

Walking through the woods can be scary, and it’s more relaxing when there’s good light with sun shining through the branches. Still when I took the above image I’d already walked quite a distance and I felt quite on my own. For some reason I felt some unease and didn’t go much further.

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Faerie Grotto

In the summer our little group took our spirit catchers to the Land of the Painted Castle. We arrived some time after curfew, and left our transportation in the designated area on the low field. Chattering and joking, we shuffled along the main carriageway towards the castle village. Silence fell about us as we cautiously entered the main courtyard. The place was empty and so quiet.

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Big Rock

It may not be the biggest rock in the world but it’s the only volcanic island you pass on the sea voyage from Belfast to Glasgow. When all those Irish immigrants came to Scotland before, during and after the Great Famine, Ailsa Craig was always the marker of the halfway point.

Whenever we had a family day-out at the coast, we came over the hill beyond Maybole village and our young eyes were awed by the sight. “Look! there’s Ailsa Craig!” was the cry, but my Dad said “It’s ‘Paddy’s Milestone’ – the nickname for the rock dating back to the times of those early Irish travellers.

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