Tag Archives: Scotland

Jun 12 2025
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Daily Post, Landscape

3,000-foot staircase up Big Hill

Tuesday 10th June 2025, 10.00am (day 5,038)

Ben More path, 10/6/25

The lump to top right is Ben More. Its Gaelic name literally means “Big Hill”, and it can join the ranks of places that have clearly been named for their physical characteristics. On the left of this shot, the start of the path up it, and it’s representative of the whole — a 3,000-foot climb, all like this. Imagine climbing one of the staircases up the Eiffel Tower, three times in succession. Do I do these things for fun? Yes, I suppose I do. (See also the other blog.)

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Jun 09 2025
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

The Great Tapestry of Scotland

Sunday 8th June 2025, 2.30pm (day 5,036)

A stop off on the way north to Dundee. There are various routes available, things not yet seen, including the Great Tapestry, with 160 panels created collectively by over a thousand people between 2012-13. So not as old as this blog, but with more history in it, if you see what I mean. What is seen here is just the first few panels, chronologically. Having toured the country for a while it is now on permanent display in Galashiels, which makes that the 499th different place to feature on here, and number 500 should be along before the week is out, possibly tomorrow.

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May 19 2025
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Art and architecture, Daily Post

The buildings of Edinburgh

Sunday 18th May 2025, 11.10am (day 5,015)

Edinburgh buildings, 18/5/25

Scotland doesn’t just do good rural landscapes, but good urban ones too, particularly Edinburgh. A half-hour stopover in Waverley station on the way home allowed a glimpse of this. For once, I don’t mind the lamppost, it seems to fit in just right, as if the light is responsible for the shadow in the gap below it.

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May 15 2025
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Daily Post, Landscape

Somewhere in Fife

Thursday 15th May 2025, 7.50pm (day 5,012)

View from Fife train, 15/5/25

The last time I posted a picture taken in Scotland was from the crossing of the Forth on 30th May last year. I crossed it again today, and nearly went for the same theme: whether one uses the road or the rail bridge, the views are invariably excellent. But this one isn’t bad, either, about half an hour further along the journey towards Dundee — and towards sunset. I think this was taken from somewhere near Markinch station; somewhere in Fife, anyway. What’s the building? No idea.

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May 31 2024
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Daily Post, Transport

Crossing the Forth

Thursday 30th May 2024, 4.10pm (day 4,662)

Was sat in an office for all the first part of the day and a train for all the second part of it. But at least, when travelling home from Scotland, the Forth Bridges usually make an appearance, and they’re almost always worth photographing. The monochrome, as so often, conceals colour balance crimes caused mainly by the scene being viewed through the windows of the 13:59 from Aberdeen to Edinburgh (arrived 16:20).

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May 24 2024
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

On Union Street

Friday 24th May 2024, 5.25pm (day 4,656)

I’m as satisfied with this portrait as I can be. Important elements come together: the woman walking past; his ankle (and what it implies); the just-lit cigarette.

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Mar 23 2024
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Daily Post, Transport

The Forth Road bridges

Friday 22nd March 2024, 2.50pm (day 4,593)

Forth Road bridges, 22/3/24

On the journey to Dundee, whether made by car or train, crossing the Firth of Forth is always a highlight. Today, a mostly sunny train journey was interrupted by occasional heavy showers and one of these kicked in just as we left Inverkeithing, but that didn’t matter, this shot will still do (particularly as to get any picture from the rail bridge itself involves timing it very well to avoid getting big, red chunks of steel in the way). Here, you in fact see both road bridges: the roadway in view is that of the first, 20th century version, since superseded by the 21st century bridge whose stanchion and (just) cables are the ones behind.

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Dec 27 2023
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Daily Post, Landscape

Driving through total crap for five hours

Wednesday 27th December 2023, 11.25am (day 4,507)

Crap drive home, 27/12/23

This is a totally crap picture, but it epitomises the day, entirely. The sunshine of Boxing Day was not sustained. We left Dundee at about 9am, I gritted my teeth and drove, and we staggered into Morecambe at about 2pm — an hour longer than it should have taken — battered by high winds, driving rain, surface water, low visibility, the lot. This is taken somewhere in the wilds of the Southern Uplands, in the indefinable watershed country between Tweeddale and Annandale, when I just had to pull over and stop for a few minutes. 

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Dec 27 2023
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Art and architecture, Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

The Kelpies

Tuesday 26th December 2023, 1.30pm (day 4,506)

Kelpies.26/12/23

The Kelpies are sculptures a hundred feet high that sit beside the M9 motorway in Falkirk, Scotland. They are certainly impressive although I don’t quite see the point. Yes, it would be nicer if the pylons weren’t there, but never mind, you are meant to be distracted by the penetrating stare of the one on the left, while the other does that whole head-tossing thing, all in tons of steel. 

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Dec 27 2023
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Daily Post, Transport, Urban scene

The Tay Bridge, from Dundee Law

Monday 25th December 2023, 11.55am (day 4,505)

Tay Bridge, from the Law, 25/12/23

Ummed and ahhed over this one for a while (two days, as you can see) but in the end I decided to go for something without a Christmas reference at all. Except, of course, in what I’ve just said. Anyway — a view from my morning exertion up Dundee Law, the walk I usually try to take on Christmas morning in advance of the food bloat that is to come. This is only the second Christmas of my life that I have spent in Scotland, after a not-so-fondly remembered time in a cabin on Loch Awe in 1992.

Anyway — if a bit belatedly, a I hope you all had a happy Christmas, however you spent it. 

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