As a family that likes to spend time outdoors walking and hiking in the midst of nature, we frequently find ourselves atop different natural formations during many of our outings. Here are some pictures taken during a vacation in Scotland. This first shot is atop a small hillock in Pentland Hills, just outside of Edinburgh.
This cow was observing us from atop another of the hills in the park.
A climb up yet another of the hills
found us atop a peak with a cairn.
The following picture is of us atop Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
Some of us feel the urge to explore any and all random hilltops that appear within our field of view. So it was that, while we were at Hushinish in the Outer Hebrides, and in the midst of gale force winds and pouring rain, the kids clambered atop a hillock that we sighted in the distance in order to see what lay beyond. (Can you see them in the picture below?) The effort awarded them an unobstructed view of the Atlantic Ocean through the storm.
And this was the view of the North Sea from atop a cliff near the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse at the northern tip of the Outer Hebrides.
We climbed a hill behind the town of Ullapool on the western coast of mainland Scotland. It was a long way to the top.
We got a view of Loch Achall (which had been hidden from view so far) from atop the hill.
This is a picture of Loch Broom and the town of Ullapool from the hilltop.
The picture below includes The Minch, the strait that separates the mainland from the Outer Herbrides.
Finally, here is a picture of us atop a cliff at Durness, along the northern coast of mainland Scotland.
There is almost always a thrill when one looks out over the distance from atop natural formations.
Tag: Edinburgh
Weekly Photo Challenge: Narrow
This week’s response to the challenge is a tale of three travels.
We saw a “Close” for the first time during our most recent trip to Edinburgh in Scotland . Basically, these are narrow passageways between buildings, or small streets that are dead-ended. A lot of the closes in Edinburgh are found on the Royal Mile. Here are pictures of a couple of closes.
Last year, my sister, older daughter, and I, hiked the Little Haystack-Lincoln-Lafayette section of the Appalachian Trail in the Franconia Ridge section the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The trail running along the mountain ridge looks narrow enough to be scary, but they are OK to traverse on a day with good weather. This hike was one for the ages, at least as far as I was concerned, and something that I realistically hope to able to revisit at least a couple of more times while the body is still able.
Finally, these pictures are from a hike in Ditinn during our trip to Guinea in 2012 to meet up with our daughter (who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in that country at that time). I think every picture in the sequence below talks to the theme of this week’s challenge, perhaps in different ways.
A Different Look at Edinburgh
I have decided to present a few pictures of Edinburgh that do not include the standard tourist spots that may be more easily recognizable. Perhaps there are others that have visited the city who have seen these sights. I feel that experiences such as these are an essential part of enjoying the best of what the city has to offer.
I saw a “Close” for the first time in Edinburgh. Basically these are alleyways between buildings that can lead to other places, or streets that are closed at the end. The Royal mile is full of closes, many of which take you down steps between buildings to a location on a street below it.
Edinburgh has many gardens, including some private ones that you need a key to enter. We were able to to visit the Queen Street private garden shown below. The second picture is from the botanical gardens.
The history of the city and its overall architecture gives it a unique charm. The first picture is a view on Cockburn Street leading up to the Royal Mile. The second one is taken in Greyfriars Kirkyard (Greyfriars graveyard).
Here is a picture of the ruins of St. Anthony’s chapel in Holyrood Park.
Here is a scene on the Water of Leith, the river that flows through Edinburgh.
Finally, this is a picture of the tower of the Balmoral Hotel at sunset.
I wonder if these pictures are enough to get someone to feel that Edinburgh is a place worth visiting. If not, a collection of pictures of the more mainstream tourist destinations may be warranted!
The Sun Rises Early in Scotland These Days
We just returned from a long vacation in Scotland. There were too many highlights for me to try to cover in a single posting. It all started with our experiences in the vibrant city of Edinburgh. This was followed by our travels around the country, including the Highlands, the Isle of Skye, and the Outer Hebrides.
Scotland is a beautiful land with a unique landscape including:
Rugged coastlines – with their massive weather-worn cliffs and their lonely lighthouses; beaches of white sand and clear blue waters; and meadows of soft wet grass above the cliffs that your feet sink into, with streams of water running through the meadows, with content sheep, and sometimes cows, grazing in them;
Impressive rock-faced mountains towering over the landscape, sometimes with their tops in the cloud, their lower levels littered with patches of yellow gorse at this time of year, and including trails that would challenge the fittest person;
The numerous streams and rivers flowing through the valleys amidst the hills and mountains;
The landscape inter-spaced with its many lochs and firths lending a unique charm;
The numerous castles and ruins that surprise you at many a turn in the roadway;
and so on and so forth….
I should not leave out:
Walks and challenging hikes taken in our beautiful surroundings;
The thrill of the challenging drives through the narrow winding roads of the highlands, with single lane roads, timing yourself to pass cars going the other way in the occasional passing areas;
The experience of being at the Gordon Castle Highland Games.
Perhaps I should also not fail to mention:
The welcoming and easygoing people that populate this unique country;
Evenings at Bed and Breakfast establishments with their gracious hosts;
The family dinners at the pubs after long tiring days, accompanied by a pint of beer and/or a dram or two of scotch whisky;
Falling into a state of deep slumber at night that nobody could disturb, knowing that there was more to be experienced the next day;
Waking up early in the morning to start your explorations once again, only because the sun rises early in Scotland these days.
It all comes back to me in an jumbled and perhaps incoherent flow of thought. Words will fail in any attempt to present a more organized picture of what we experienced unless I take a long time going about it. So, for now, I will just show a sample of some of my pictures, with the hope that I will continue to feel the glow of the experience and am able to talk more about Scotland in future blogs. Life will now return back to its regular pace, but the memories will not go away.
This picture of Edinburgh Castle taken from Holyrood Park. 
This picture was taken near Glencoe in the highlands.
The following are from Cairngorms National Park.
This is the Eilean Donan, reputed to be the castle most photographed. The weather did not cooperate for the picture.
This one is from our walk at the Butt of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.
This is from Hushinish in the Other Hebrides.
We climbed Meall Mor outside Ullapool.
Early morning in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. (I awoke at 4am that morning because I could not sleep!)
People awaiting the sunset on Calton hill in Edinburgh.
From the Gordon Castle Highland Games.
These are a small sample of pictures taken. I hope to share more of them in future blogs.
Splattered Brains 