Ardnamurchan, Mull and Iona
The trip started off promisingly, with a pleasant lunch at the teashop at Comrie Croft with views out over the Perthshire hills. The fantastic drive west was broken by a stop in Glencoe and a break for coffee and scones (with lashings of homemade jam) at Crafts and Things in Ballachulish before we headed around to catch the Corran ferry across to Ardgour. The waters of Loch Linnhe were a dark blue-grey whilst the mountains marched away into a distant hazy line. The light was fabulous and photos were taken as we waited for the ferry to cross back to our side.
Earlier in the year I’d crossed to Ardgour and driven a short way north to start my Cona Glen backpacking trip.This time we turned south and followed the winding coast road as the evening sunlight sparkled off the loch. The weather darkened as we crossed the high ground and then dropped down to Strontian at the end of Loch Sunart. Then it was along the twisty-turny road through ancient oakwoods along to Resipol and our accommodation for the weekend, Rockpool House.
We spent the evening watching the dramatic weather sweep down the loch as well as looking out for Rita, the local otter. Then it was downstairs for an amazing meal of scallop chowder, venison stew and sticky toffee pudding accompanied by wine.
The Saturday started promisingly with low cloud clearing off the hills beyond Loch Sunart. After a delicious breakfast we made our way across the hills to Lochaline and took the ferry across to Fishnish on the Island of Mull. The light was spectacular as crepuscular rays broke through the clouds to light up the Sound and the hills of Mull. We glided across the water and then made our way across Mull the road snaking its way across the interior between big, cloud-wreathed clouds and with views down lonely glens and across lochs.
Eventually we wound our way down the Ross of Mull, the sun breaking out from behind the clouds, and it was under blue skies that we arrived at Fhionnport to catch the Iona ferry.
There was a pleasant bustle around the place but it wasn't too busy. First the ferry to Staffa departed and then the Iona ferry returned from the island to take us the short journey across the strait to the island itself.
We followed the narrow coast road through the village and then crossed west to the Machair and then down to the pale sands of the Bay at the Back of the Ocean. From here the next significant landfall westward is Canada. We spent time exploring the beach and rockpools and gazing out across the crystal clear waters.
We returned to the east of the island by a different route, dropping back down into the village near the ruins of the nunnery before making our way along to the Abbey, first of all taking time to visit the grave of John Smith, the former Labour party leader.
The rebuilt abbey is managed by Historic Scotland stands on the same site as the original monastery founded by St Columba in 563. We wandered around the abbey itself and the impressive little museum which houses great carved crosses and samples of illustrated manuscripts. It is believed that the Book of Kells was largely produced on Iona before being taken across to Ireland for safekeeping from Viking raids.
The weather had closed in and rain fell as we made our way back to the ferry (after tea in a very grumpy little tea room near the abbey) for the crossing back to Mull. The drive back across Mull was accompanied by breaks in the cloud, Highland Cows and cascading light which stayed with us as we crossed back to Lochaline.
Back at Rockpool House the weather truly closed in and as wind and rain swept down from the west we enjoyed another excellent dinner.
The next day was the long drive back to Aberdeen. Rather than returning via Corran we drove around the peninusla, crossing through Moidart and then to Glenuig and Lochaline.
This eventually brought us to Glenfinnan where the rain cleared away and we enjoyed views of Loch Shiel and a wander around the museum before heading out to climb up the Glenfinnan memorial itself.
The drive back was pleasant in increasing sunshine. Lunch in Fort William was hot and sunny and then we drove back across via Loch Laggan and Aviemore to arrive back in Aberdeen after a great time on the west coast.
See more of my photos here and my Dad's photos here.
Crathes Gardens
Crathes castle and gardens is a favourite haunt of ours. Just a short drive west of Aberdeen it offers a walled gardens, extensive grounds and woodlands to wander through which can easily take up a full day.
We got there early enough to almost have the gardens to ourselves. In mid-June the gardens are at their luxuriant best with colour everywhere and flowers spilling across paths.
We wandered the lanes and byways, visited the greenhouses and enjoyed the delightful feeling of the day warming up, the rain drops evaporating from leaves and stems and the world coming alive with bees and butterflies.
As the gardens got busier we wandered through the castle grounds back to the car for a picnic lunch looking out over fields of rippling wheat.
We finished off the day with a walk through one of the woodland trails, following it along the course of several burns and then back along the fields to the castle. On a strong breeze clouds raced through a blue skies over green fields. It was the zenith of springtime in Aberdeenshire.
Southbound - Easter by Rail
A happy closeness of events meant that our usual journey back down to North Yorkshire was extended to encompass attending one of my friend's wedding near Norwich. We decided to do the whole trip by train.
The morning of Easter Sunday saw us taking a trip down to Saltburn where I flew my kite on the beach, we ate chips, and then we strolled back through the gardens before driving home for an afternoon of Easter egg hunting.
To join the two weekends together we booked a few nights in London, journeying down by train and staying in a Kensington hotel, just down the road from the Natural History Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. I used the first sunny afternoon to make my first visit to the V&A since I saw an exhibition of Leonardo's sketches. I returned to the hotel by way of Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall. The hotel turned out to have a fabulous view to the west where a constant stream of lights showed the approach to Heathrow.
The next day we took the tube into central London, heading to the Courtauld Gallery to see the small but equisite Picasso exhibition. Then it was across the Thames to the Tate Modern for the impressive Lichtenstein retrospective. We returned to the hotel via St Paul's and a tube ride back across the capital.
With Leslie working I had a day to explore London myself. I chose to visit the Royal Academy, the Science Museum (really enjoying the Turing exhbition including my first sight of an Enigma machine) and then another trip around the V&A.
On the final morning in London we went to the British Museum to see the Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum exbition. A truly astonishing collection of artefacts slightly ruined by the crowd and the tiny placards.
Then we caught the train through to Norwich for the wedding which was lovely. On the Sunday we had a free day to recover and overcame our hangovers with a stroll by the river and a pub lunch.
In the evening I went out with Tommy to try and hear the elusive boom of the Bittern in one of the local broads. We didn't have any luck with the Bittern but did enjoy some of the local wildlife, as well as the local brew on the way home.
The next morning we went round the cathedral before catching our train back north. With changes at Peterbrough and York we eventually got back to Aberdeen after a 9 hour journey.
10 Favourite Albums of 2012
With perhaps the exception of The Shins 2012 seemed to lack any real major album releases. Nonetheless it was a year that produced an excellent crop of albums from artists both established and new. I bought 76 albums and these are the ten that slowly drifted their way to top of my listening pile.
1. Sun by Cat Power
Cat Power hit the news for less than cheerful reasons when it turned out she had to cancel a tour because of bankruptcy. It kick-started an interesting discussion about indie artists and money-making in the digital era, a discussion that will only become more important in 2013 as high street shops waver on the brink. Meanwhile, Sun is a quite remarkable album combining infectious electronica with Chan Marshall’s worldly-wise lyricism. A number of the songs have a quite infectious groove but these are countered by some poignant, slow-burning eulogies to the human spirit. Marshall’s soulful voice and almost world-weary tone at times serves as a great counterpoint to the more upbeat instrumentation.
2. Tree Bursts In Snow by Admiral Fallow
Admiral Fallow’s second album is far more accessible and poppy than their 2009 debut album. It’s a mature work demonstrating the wide range of influences and styles that take Admiral Fallow from arena-scale anthems to more measured and subtle songs. Harnessing their boy-girl vocalists and confident musicianship their is a lot to enjoy on this album. The biggest disappointment for me was that I missed them playing in Aberdeen.
3. No Flags Will Fly by Olympic Swimmers
Combining two of my favourite things - Scottish female vocals and post-rock - could really only result in something decent and Olympic Swimmers’ debut certainly proves the theory. Seeing them supporting the Unwinding Hours really sealed this album for me. There is no sign of holding back on this, their debut album, and they have put together an excellent set of songs with few little filler.
4. Hello Cruel World by Gretchen Peters
Lyrical flair and sublime production make this alt-country album a thing of joy. Though there are plenty of wonderful moments on the album, the standout track is the free form poetry of Idlewild which is achingly beautiful and bears repeat listenings to fully appreciate all the nuances.
5. Port of Morrow by The Shins
Though there have been side-projects, it feels like a long wait since the last Shins album. Thankfully, and despite a reasonable amount of hype, the wait was worth it and Port of Morrow is a triumphant return to form for James Mercer and the new-look Shins. Beautifully produced the album is a collection of songs which on the surface appear quite simple pop songs, but of course contain the depth and lyrical playfulness we have come to associate with Mercer. Simple Song is one of the most beautiful tunes to come out in 2012 and the rest of the album follows suit with sing-out-loud choruses and upbeat pop melodies.
6. Animal Joy by Shearwater
Though I find it hard to believe that Shearwater will ever surpass Rooks I nevertheless really enjoyed this, their latest offering. More consistent than Archipelago it offers a diverse range of songs from the frenetic energy of the opener all the way to more considered reflective moments. As ever with Shearwater the production is faultless.
7. Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird
A delight of an album, full of wonderful melodies and instruments, that really only opens up after a few listens. I have found this album to be perfect music for the Highlands, whether driving across for a day hillwalking or lying back in my tent watching the clouds brood over a lonely loch. Andrew’s lyrics are sublime (”here we go mistaking clouds for mountains”) and the off-kilter musicianship makes for a joyous and uplifting experience.
8. Affric by Duncan Chisholm
Instrumental albums don’t usually interest me that much but this one was introduced to me by Mike Harding on the BBC Radio 2 Acoustic and Folk radio show (now taken over by Mark Radcliffe). This album completes a trilogy of albums inspired by Scottish glens. I usually find it less easy to connect to songs without any lyrics, but the interplay between fiddle and the backing musicians works to create some fabulously atmospheric tracks full of meaning and place. The music constantly shifts from melancholic to playful and back, echoing the light on a distant mountain and the waters playing in a tumbling burn. It is truly a delight and has become a firm favourite for relaxed listening late into the evening.
9. The Romantics by Inlet Sound
In a year that Mumford and Sons became bigger than ever, and Of Monsters and Men brought their peculiar Icelandic twist to festivalcore, there were others taking a similar but subtler approach to pop-folk music. Toronto-based Inlet Sound have produced a confident and mature debut album that, though clearly fitting into the same groove as those previously mentioned folk-rock giants, provides something fresh and less encumbered by high-profile spotlights and the soundtrack to a summer of sport. I love this album for its ability to go between bounding enthusiasm and winsome lyricism. The musicianship and production is superb and I think this is a band with a huge future potential.
—> Listen to Inlet Sound on Bandcamp
10. The Haunted Man by Bat for Lashes
This album really gets under my skin. It kind of serves as an echo to PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake from 2011, with plenty of pastoral imagery layered on top of contemporary commentary. I love the vocal sound and the music is a step forward from her previous album.
Aberdeen Model Railway Exhibition
This was my first year attending the annual Aberdeen Model Railway Club exhibition, held at RGU Sport in Garthdee. The event was very good, with a wide variety of layouts, trade stands and other forms of modelling well represented.
It’s a good number of years since I last went along to a model railway show (we used to go along to both York and Darlington quite regularly) and it was interesting to see what has changed (lots more digital control and effects) and what remains the same (trains still derail and points don’t work when required). With my height advantage I was able to get to good views into some of the marshalling yards, something that was always a bit mysterious when I was smaller.
The layouts covered the popular gauges with both OO and N well represented, and there was a good mix of modern image and period settings. Probably the most delightful layout was that of the Isle of Man railway. Handcrafted steam trains running on methylated spirit ran on a track that wound its way between bright yellow gorse and red stone walls.
There was also a fun set based in Switzerland with numerous levels and trains seemingly running continuously. Elsewhere Aberdeen MRC were conspicuous by their plethora of Apple devices controlling the fully digital Caley Junction and East Neuk’s impressive Law Junction held plenty of interest with long freight trains rumbling along. There was a lot of careful shunting going on at Dunbusin (Moray MRG) and Wilberforce Junction (Perth MRC) was busy with classic British Rail Class 37s thundering away on mixed freight duty.
I must have spent a couple of hours just wandering around and enjoying the layouts; a remarkably therapeutic way to spend a bitterly cold October afternoon.
A Tour of England's North Country
After a hearty breakfast at Off The Wall in Brampton we headed east through Cumbria to arrive at our first stop along Hadrian’s Wall, the section at Walltown Crags.
Here a well-preserved 400m section of the Wall runs its way along the dramatic northern edge of the Whin Sill escarpment. We clambered up the waterlogged hillside to reach the ruins of Turret 45a with commanding views over a misty border country and along the line of the Whin Sill east towards the central Pennines and Northumberland. An easy stroll west took us along the section of wall which in places is more than two metres high and very well preserved.
Our next stop was at Steel Rigg for the fabulous views east along the Whin Sill towards Housesteads Roman Fort. The sun was shining and plenty of people were out enjoying the day. We followed the Wall for some way east before returning to the car. We didn’t quite make it to Sycamore Gap on this occasion.
Lunch was taken in the sunshine at Housesteads Roman Fort, my favourite place on the Wall. After a wander around the great little museum we headed up to the fort itself, spending time nosing around the Praetoria, the latrines, the granary and the curtain wall and gates.
The weather was wonderful with dramatic clouds drifting across the fells and the occasional burst of sunshine to light up the ruined stonework. Housesteads is an incredible place to visit.
From Housesteads we took a steep, winding road slightly south away from the line of the wall to reach Vindolanda. Here the highlight is really the original fragments of letters that are on display in the museum but we also had fun exploring the reconstructions of the wooden and stone wall and turrets as well as wandering around the extensive ruins of this fort.
The next day saw us out and about in North Yorkshire. We headed to Richmond, walking along besides the River Swale below the imposing curtain wall of the castle.
The colours were bright and autumnal and after spending time at the falls we walked along the old railway line to Easby Abbey and the church.
After a delicious lunch at the Station restaurant we came back through the town, passing St Mary’s church and returning to the cars by way of the market place.
Our final day in the North Country was really a return drive north to Aberdeen. This time rather than taking the western route we headed up the A1 and stopped off at a couple of spots along the Northumbrian coast. The first of these was Craster, the small fishing village where traditional smoked fish is still produced.
We walked along the easy going coastal path to the dramatic ruins of Dunstanburgh castle, the fortress of John of Gaunt. We had a pleasant wander around the site in the sunshine, enjoying views out to sea and further up the coast towards Bamburgh.
On the way back we had some fun making our way through a small herd of cows that had gathered on the path.
Eventually though we were back in Craster and driving further up the coast for a brief stop at Bamburgh.
From here we drove on to The Barn at Beal for a late lunch with views across to Holy Island and Lindisfarne. Although it would have been great to visit the island, tide and time were against us and so after the delicious food we got back on the road and had a pleasant journey back up to Aberdeen.
Autumn in Aberdeenshire
My parent’s annual trip to the North ended with a weekend in Aberdeen. After a week of wind and rain it was a pleasant surprise to get an almost completely dry and sunny few days. On the Friday we cycled a stretch of the Deeside Way from Ballater to Dinnet where we enjoyed tea and cake outside in the sunshine, keeping half an eye on big black clouds that seemed to be all around us. After a wander up to the Burn o’ Vat we headed back to Aberdeen for a fabulous evening meal at Musa. Smoked salmon pate, harissa-marinated lamb and a deliciously decadent strawberry tart filled me up nicely.
On the Saturday we had a wander through Aberdeen to viit the Winter Gardens in Duthie Park. Lunch was a sandwich at the Coffee Shop and then a trip out to Castle Fraser near Inverurie. Here the walled garden still held a decent crop of summer flowers and the inside of the castle provided plenty of interest with everything from haunted rooms to mysterious plumbing.
That evening we had a homecooked meal and then the final sunny Sunday morning was spent enjoying brunch at Dulcia and then a stroll back through Victoria Park.
My Dad’s photos from the trip can be seen here on Flickr.
British Science Festival in Aberdeen
Running all this past week, the 2012 British Science Festival, an annual celebration of science and technology, has taken over the quiet, out of term-time, University of Aberdeen.
We attended our first event on Friday evening where we heard Dr Stuart Clark talking about the subject of his most recent novel, Isaac Newton. It was an interesting talk, well presented, covering a lot of ground and featuring a lot of science personalities besides Newton himself.
On Saturday morning Aberdeen was bathed in glorious summer sunshine. After visiting the new library building to pick up a programme I wandered over to the venue for the first of the events I had a ticket for, only to find a crowd of people gathered around a large, moving, Tyrannosaurus Rex! This proved to be an entertaining taster of Dr John Hutchinson’s talk which was held in the Fraser Noble building’s large lecture theatre and was filled with a diverse audience including plenty of excited, young children. His talk looked at his research into the movements of large land animals, using the contrasting examples of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the elephant to illustrate different aspects of his investigations. The talk was hugely entertaining with plenty of interaction, humour and a lot of interesting science, particularly the geometry and physics of large animal leg systems.
During the lunch break I took an opportunity to check out the engineering poster exhibition and chat to a few of the people there, mostly research engineers from UK universities. There was a wide range of topics, but climate change and sustainability definitely dominated the agenda. I had an interesting talk about the perception of nuclear power with a guy from the University of Manchester, and heard about current research into floating wind turbines being developed for deep water offshore applications.
Later in the afternoon I attended one of the British Astronomical Association talks. Ken Kennedy, the aurora section head, was speaking about Noctilucent Clouds, a topic very close to my heart. As a passionate observer of these midsummer phenomenon whilst at university (I took the above photograph of a wonderful display in June 2007) it was great to hear that there is still strong research interest in this area and Ken’s talk was a very coherent overview of the subject and some of the latest ideas being investigated by space and ground based observers. I have resolved to get back into routinely observing for these during the next season.
After another laze in the sunshine outside King’s College, and a quick exploration of the exquisite sixteenth-century chapel I headed along to my final event of the day, Professor Iain Stewart’s talk about his latest (upcoming) geological series for the BBC which looks at the story of the continents.
Having seen him last year talking to the Royal Scottish Geographical Society I knew that he was an excellent speaker, but this talk was a bit broader in its scope and touched on some interesting aspects of documentary making, particularly the cult of the presenter. Besides that though he showed plenty of images and a couple of clips from the new series and it looks fantastic. I learnt a little something about the geology below Manhattan, and that the Appalachain mountains of North America share a common geological ancestry as the Grampian mountains of Scotland.
And so the day was over. I must say I was very impressed with the festival. There was a good vibe around the University campus with lots of smiling faces and helpful volunteers and the quality of the talks and exhibitions I attended was first class. If it comes to a city near you in the future then I would definitely recommend trying to get along.
For more about the events that happened on day five of the festival check out this report from the Aberdeen University Science Magazine team, this blog post from the xchange team and this official photography gallery.
The GiftED Sculpture Tour
In August 2012 the Gifted Book Sculpture Tour came to Aberdeen’s Central Library. Ten works, the book sculptures that appeared across Edinburgh between March and November of 2011, were toured around the country. We went along in early September to see these fascinating pieces which were in Aberdeen for only a few weeks before moving on to Dundee.
Easily recognised from all the exposure they got at the time on social media and newspapers, it was great to be able to enjoy them up close, marveling at the intricate workings and attention to detail that made each piece a unique work.
You can read more about the tour and the sculptures on this page from the Scottish Poetry Library.
Paris
Last month we spent a magical weekend in Paris. By day we criss-crossed the city, visiting the sights Paris is justly famous for, and dropping into churches, museums and parks. By night we enjoyed good food and wine, sitting out in street bars and cafés as the city bustled around us, enjoying good company late into the night.
We visited the beautiful collection of Impressionist paintings housed in the Musée d’Orsay, Monet’s famous panoramic Water Lilies in the Musée de l’Orangerie and spent a couple of happy hours just wondering through the Musée du Louvre, particularly enjoying the wonderful Italian statue collection and some of the famous French paintings by David, Delacroix and Gericault.
We climbed to Montmartre by way of Pigalle and the Moulin Rouge, then enjoyed a great café lunch on a quiet back street before ascending to the dome of Sacré Cœur for stunning views across the whole of Paris.
We strolled along the banks of the Seine, crossing bridges and watching boats ply their way up and down the river. We wandered the islands, getting numerous different views of Notre Dame, the Conciergerie and Saint-Chapelle.
We had fresh croissants and espresso for breakfast and negotiated our way through the Metro system, only experiencing one break-down and one suspicious smoke event. We strolled through the gardens of Luxembourg and the Tuilleries as the first signs of spring crept through the city.
We watched, enthralled, as the traffic surged and foamed around the Arc du Triomphe, having already ascended it for the spectacular views from the west side of the city. We watched the Eiffel Tower light up as dusk fell and ate ice cream besides the fountains of the Trocadero. We visited Sartre and Baudelaire’s graves in Montparnasse ceremony and walked past the Royal Observatory where Cassini carried out his detailed observations of Saturn's rings.
It was a truly brilliant few days and here are just a few photographic highlights with many more available on Flickr.
Notre Dame. f/8, 17mm, 1/200s, ISO 100.
The stained-glass in Saint-Chapelle on our first afternoon. f/4, 17mm, 1/25s, ISO 800.
Notre Dame, just two minutes from our hotel. f/11, 17mm, 1/160s, ISO 100.
A café lunch in Montmartre. f/7.1, 31mm, 1/160s, ISO 100.
La Louvre. f/7,1, 22mm, 1/125s, ISO 100.
Psyche Revived By Cupid's Kiss in the Louvre. f/4, 40mm, 1/200s, ISO 800.
Satre's Headstone in Montparnasse Cemetery. f/4, 40mm, 1/1250s, ISO 200.
Eiffel Tower at sunset. f/8, 40mm, 1/200s, ISO 400.
Cafe Noir. f/4, 22mm, 1/15s, ISO 100.
Seine at Sunset. f/8, 17mm, 1/800s, ISO 400
Pont Neuf. f/7.1, 17mm, 1/320s, ISO 400.
Eiffel Tower. f/7.1, 17mm, 1/500s, ISO 400.
The view from Sacre Coeur. f/6.3, 17mm, 1/200s, ISO 100.
Shakespeare & Co. the American bookshop. f/8, 30mm, 1/20s, ISO 100.
Sacre Coeur on a lazy afternoon. f/11, 17mm, 1/80s, ISO 100.
Montmartre. f/7.1, 17mm, 1/50s, ISO 100.
The Eiffel Tower from the Arc du Triomphe. f/8, 40mm, 1/200s, ISO 100.
L'Arc du Triomphe. f/5.6, 17mm, 1/250s, ISO 100.
Birdboxes in the Flower Market. f/4, 29mm, 1/250s, ISO 800.
Winged Victory of Samothrace in the Louvre. f/4, 26mm, 1/30s, ISO 800.
Looking down the Seine. f/9, 17mm, 1/160s, ISO 100.
Fountain in the Tuilleries. f/9, 17mm, 1/160s, ISO 100.