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Entries by Dr. Jeff Harper (349)
A Sunday Drive: Cruden Bay and Peterhead
Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 1:22AM 
After breakfast I was getting ready to plug in the iron and de-wrinkle some shirts for work . . . . until I looked out the window. It was a beautiful day, and there is no telling how many more of these we will have here in the far northeast of Scotland.
"Honey, let's go on a Sunday drive." I called to my wonderful wife.
"OK!" came the answer from the kitchen. ""Get ready while I spray the house plants -- let's drive up the coast to Peterhead."
And off we went down the small country roads north to Peterhead.
The days are short now so the sun is always at a low angle . . . perfect for photography.
The light was magnificent, the sky was magnificent, and the road was inviting.
Although we had the GPS turned on and set for Peterhead, we turned whenever we saw an interesting sign. Sometimes we stopped to walk around.
I do love cold and clear days. The Aberdeenshire countryside is fantastic.
Cruden Bay had a nice beach and what looked like an excellent golf course. We vowed to return.
Then we arrived in Peterhead, The Blue Toon. It was somewhat vacant and not all that inviting looking. It is a "blue collar" town of fishermen and packing house workers. We parked and walked around to find a restaurant.
There was a walking street, but no walkers.
Although Peterhead did not look inviting, it actually was. We stopped a woman and asked her where there was a good place to eat. She gladly recommend the Cottonwood. We went there and the service was friendly, the food was good, and the customers were positive and lively. We took the big road home in the dark. It was a nice Sunday.
The Tattie Hols* Road Trip: Inverness, Loch Ness, and The Highlands
Friday, October 18, 2013 at 12:32AM
The Tattie Hols were upon us so we decided to take an extensive road trip North and East. The Tattie Hols date from a time when the schools would close so the children could help bring in the potato (tatties) crop. The Scots still take this holiday (hols) and so does my school. We drove north out of Aberdeen and stopped at the Baxters roadside attraction. It is a factory store of a company that makes shortbread and baked goods. They had an "authentic" old village there for tourists.
Yes, there was a "Christmas all year" kind of shop there too . . . .
ELGIN:
This is more like it: the fabulous ruins of the Elgin Cathedral (c.1224). . . and perfect light.
We had a tee time in Inverness, so I did not go in to explore . . . it's only an hour from Aberdeen. I'll be back.
Fantastic.
INVERNESS:
We finished our golf game and made it to our hotel just as a magnificent sunset burst across Inverness.
We checked into the Winston Guest House in Inverness.
The Winston Guest House was a wonderful old building.
After a world class pizza (who knew you could get such a great pizza in Inverness, Scotland at Zizzi's) we walked back to the guest room to see the Inverness Castle (Caisteal Inbhir Nis) fully lit. A castle has stood on this site since 1057, but the current red sandstone structure dates from 1836.
Last night's sunset was good, but this morning's sunrise over the Inverness Castle was GREAT!
Inverness Castle is beautiful at any time of the day.
Inverness is a good town to just stroll around in . . . this church was just around the corner from our Guest House.
Wonderful detail . . .
Old Inverness was just across the Ness Canal.
A path ran along the canal at Inverness . . .
. . . where beautiful castle-like homes sprouted among the vegetation for miles.
LOCH NESS:
Our first view of Loch Ness was impressive.
Even if there were no "mystery" surrounding Loch Ness, it is a wonderful place to visit.
I watched the waves for awhile and saw the occasional "compounded wave" . . . larger than the others . . . and took this photo of it.
I enlarged (cropped) the above wave image and, lo and behold, there's Nessie! I did not enhance this photo in any way other than cropping. Isn't that a large fin-like protrusion along side? Could those really be demon eyes on The Loch Ness Monster? No, not really.
We were not the first people to visit Loch Ness.
If there ever could have been such a thing as the Loch Ness monster, this is what it could have looked like, if there could have ever been one, which there couldn't have been. Great photo op though.
The ruins of Urquhart Castle stand on the shores of Loch Ness. There is archeological evidence that the first castle or fort was built on this spot in the 560s. The current castle ruins date from the 11th through the 13th centuries.
Urquhart Castle is THE archetypical castle ruin.
A trebuchet stands in front of Urquhart Castle, a reminder of the many sieges that took place here, and the cause of the present state of destruction.
Beautiful artistic workmanship on this medieval weapon of mass destruction.
Urquhart Castle ramparts and the remains of the castle tower on the shore of Loch Ness.
Dr. Jeff Harper
Well, I seem to be able to add a follow-up, but not to be able to add any more photos, or comments, to the posting above. What's wrong with SquareSpace, my web site host? I am not happy!
The interior of the gate at Urquhart Castle.
For all you Dungeons and Dragons fans . . . this is the real deal.
An autumn view of Loch Ness from Urquhart Castle.
The National Trust Of Scotland often provides "residents" of castles dressed in period costumes . . like this old Highlander . . . although I think he may have been an original resident!
Portrait of an old Scottish Highlander.
Even though it was a dark and dull day, there were good views from within the castle.
We took the narrow passageway up the main tower for a look.
Not for the claustrophobic!
The view from the stairwell across Loch Ness was a marvel of mystery.
The view from the castle tower confirms why it was built where it was . . . literally, commanding views.
Splendid castle ruins.
We stayed in the lovely village of Drumnadrochit along Loch Ness.
These cottages were built in the 1820 on the Drumnadrochit village green.
We stayed in the lovely Bridgend B&B, built originally as the Drumnadrochit sheriff's office and jail!
The Bridgend B&B was nestled in a forest along a stream. This is the proprietor's cottage.
Our room looked out onto the Drumnadrochit village green.
Staying in a B&B is always a treat . . . and I do not just mean the quaint period decor . . . the breakfast was vast and tasty!
A warm summer and early fall allowed flowers to continue to bloom into October in Scotland this year.
Like most towns in Scotland (and the rest of the UK and Europe, for that matter), like Drumnadrochit, have a World War I monument commemorating the dead of the village. Several of the Urquhart family members are listed here. This list must have included a large percentage of the men from Drumnadrochit.
Flowers for the war dead.
You could satisfy your stuffed Nessie purchasing desire in the quaintest of places.
The competition for Nessie curios sales must have been intense: Nessie emporiums battled it out with amazing displays, like this otherworldly display with the surrealistic ceiling and floor distorting mirror configuration. Innovative, yet kitschy.
The otherworldly display with the surrealistic ceiling and floor distorting mirror configuration allowed me to indulge my own passion for oddball self-portraits (oddball in the sense of photographic composition only).
We barely got out of Drumnadrochit when we saw a sign pointing up a small road to a "pottery." We turned in. It was a very small road that climbed up the ridge above Loch Ness. Along the way there was much to see. Like much of this road trip, the day was dark and overcast, but not raining. It is a new kind of photography for me after so many years in the tropics. I like these dark scenes.
After several miles on a road not much wider than our car, we came to this idyllic potters cottage in the forest.
We walked in . . . the sign said to do so.
We needed a ceramic pot for our wooden spoons at home . . . .
. . . and it looked like this was going to be the place to find the perfect pot (and support some artists at the same time - always a good thing), er, ceramic pot.
As it turned out, the pottery was also a cafe! What luck. We enjoyed some baked goods and cups of tea while admiring our new purchase (on table above)
An innovative idea: build your greenware shelves around your wood stove to quicken the initial drying.
We could have lingered there all day chatting with the several potters who came in and introduced themselves. It was good to hang out with old hippies still living the hippie credo, but we saw a sign pointing to a nature walk, and wanted to get going. I loved this hanging sign:
The anatomy of Death
Is When and How
The Lasting Kiss of Life
Is
Here and Now.
Our walk in the damp hills above Loch Ness was magnificent.
The trail we happened to take was very beautiful.
The trail was very clearly marked.
Once in awhile the trail would take us into a meadow with views of the Autumnal tree line.
At other times the trail took us into deep, magic places in the enchanted forest.
It all seemed like a setting for a fairy tale.
After our forest walk we drove back over a ridge overlooking a valley leading from Drumnadrochit.
If you have read much of my blogs you know that I have a fascination with corrugation and dilapidation, especially in one place. Rounding a corner I hit the brakes when I was this decaying stone farm building.
The surfaces, patterns, colors, and textures were too interesting to pass by.
The crude artistry of the stone work was incredible.
The weather was constantly changing: throwing patches of bright sunlight on the colorful hillsides above Loch Ness
We drove towards the southern end of Loch Ness to the town of Fort Augustus.
The southern end of Loch Ness at Fort Augustus joins the Caledonian Canal which connects it to Loch Oich.
As rain clouds approached, we took one last look at Loch Ness.
Loch Ness is one of the world's most famous places. Many people come here to indulge their hopes and fantasies of seeing the very last dinosaur. These intrepid souls braved the rough waters of Loch ness in their inflatable Loch Ness Explorer. We called out to them, "Any sightings?" "No," came the sullen reply.
The old Fort Augustus Abbey, formerly a Benedictine monastery, faces the Caledonian Canal. It is in the process of being turned into a hotel.
Swans on a blustery Loch Ness at the Caledonian Canal.
The Caledonian Canal locks at Fort Augusts were very picturesque.
Calidonian Locks leading to Loch Ness in the background. Very quaint, old world scene. Lovely.
Before heading back up Loch Ness to our new B&B, we stopped for a bite and a brew in a traditional whiskey bar. Yummy.
Queen Victoria's Jubilee must have been a HUGE occasion throughout Great Britain because you still see these monuments all over the country commemorating the occasion. Talk about immortality!
Fort Augustus had it's own WWI memorial to those who lost their lives. Talk about mortality!
I was going to take a photo of a cute old chapel until I realized it had been converted into a discount woolen shop. We went in and I purchased an attractive red felt vest. The little chapel/shop was soon crawling with mainland Chinese tourists! I love to see Chinese tourists . . . it's good for them to get out and 'join the world.'
We drove back to Invermoriston, a little berg along side Loch Ness known for its waterfalls, and followed the signs . . . .and discovered this amazing stand of trees. No, I did not enhance the color of this photograph!
Yoo and I were nearly in tears at the beauty of this place.
We arrived at last at the falls viewing point to discover an old stone resting gazebo.
The view up the chutes was spectacular.
A photographer's dream shot!
The wonderful Craik Na Day B&B in Invermoriston.
Craik Na Day B&B was very quaint and the welcome and service was excellent. Sisters Manda and Lindsey were warm and hospitable . . . and a lot of fun. Deconstructing a TV food cook-off show one evening was one of the highlights of the trip! The sisters recommended we spend the next day on a "beautiful drive" up the highway A887 from their front door all the way to the Isle of Skye. Sure, why not.
We woke very early in the morning for our drive up the glen. There strands and wisps of mist licking the hills across the glen from our B&B. Fantastic!
It was an extraordinary beautiful morning. The mist had just lifted on the glens and everything was covered with a thick covering of dew.
A scene from an 18th century painting.
From the moving car these looked interesting . . . but when I pulled over . . . .
. . . a photographer's dream . . .
. . . back lit dew bejeweled spider webs. Astonishing!
This coldcrisp morning was turning out to be an epically beautiful road adventure.
Autumn reflections!
The road eventually left the verdant Glen Moriston and headed into the high mountain passes toward Loch Cluanie.
At Loch Cluanie we were at the highest point along the pass.
At the far end of Loch Claunie we would begin the descent through Glen Shiel and down to the sea level Bridge of Skye.
At the far end of Loch Claunie we began a decent through rugged Glen Shiel.
It was a gorgeous morning and we stopped often to gaze upon the natural beauty in stunned delight.
Extraordinary beauty.
Glen Shiel is a famous place in Scottish history; many famous battles took place here.
There was much to see along the glen, not least of which were the old walls webbing the steep slopes.
The views constantly changed as we headed down towards Loch Duich at sea level.
We eventually reached Loch Duich to be greeted by calm waters and amazing reflections.
Loch Duich is actually a sound connecting to the sea.
Rounding a bend in the road we caught our first glimpse of what we had come to see: Eilean Donan Castle!
WOW!
Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most famous castles in the world, and an icon for Scotland itself. Founded in the 6th ot 7th century, the castle was continuously rebuilt until it nearly vanished in 1912 when a major fund raising and rebuilding effort began. Because the castle played such a major role in Scottish history, it was not allowed to vanish.
If Castle Eilean Donan looks familiar it is because it has been seen in so many Hollywood movies (Bonnie Prince Charles, Master of Ballantrae, Black Angle, The Highlander, Entrapment, The World is Not Enough, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age).
No, not a Hollowood set . . . a real Scottish castle.
This was the only building on Eilean Donan that had a roof in 1912.
We bought our ticket and went for the tour.
There were so many great photos to be taken here, however, I wished I had been there at high tide to take a photo of the castle reflected in the sea. Maybe on our return trip from The Isle of Skye.
The views from the castle were almost as good as the views of the castle!
The views in all directions were exceptional.
Although the castle seems greatly impregnable, in fact it was easily bombarded by ships in the sound.
There are courtyards inside the castle. The National Trust of Scotland supplies guides and security personnel dressed in period costume. A nice touch.
Imagine you only had a sword and a bow and arrow . . . .
Photography is strictly forbidden inside Eilean Donan Castle.
If I had been allowed to take photographs inside the castle, this is what I would have chosen to shoot.
Another photo worth taking would have been the castle kitchen. Wonderful view.
It was time to move on further down the road. There was still the Isle of Skye to see.
The tide came in while were inside . . . . a special place . . . I know will be back.
30 minutes later, and after a fine lunch, we arrived at the magnificent Sky Bridge, considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
We drove across the Skye Bridge and stopped at the small town of Kyleakin which had a fine little harbour and view of the Dunakin Castle (also known as Castle Maol) ruins.
The Castle Maol dates from the 15th century.
Ah, Scotland! What a beautiful country.
We turned around and drove back over the Sky Bridge for our B&B. We vowed to return to the Isle of Sky for a complete exploration one day soon.
We were equally amazed at the mountain glens on our return drive. The afternoon light was fantastic.
We had been very lucky with the weather. Only days later this pass was covered by the first snow storm of the year.
Early the next morning at our B&B I noticed fingers of cloud creep up the glen through the forest.
What a visual treat.
A cold Autumn morning in the mountain glens.
We headed on to our next destination, The Scottish Highlands, via Fort William. The city fathers of Fort William thought it would be a good idea to convert the old high street into a walking street. The plan did not seem to work: the by-pass seems to have left the town behind. About 1/3 of the shops were closed and for lease, and another 1/3 were selling tourist trinkets. To bad . . . it could have been a very quaint village.
A cemetery right down town, a couple of Fort William teens stopped for an ice cream. Make yourself right at home!
We took the A86 up through the highlands toward Aviemore.
This road is also known as the Distillery Road.
Although I am not a whiskey drinker, we stopped at several distilleries along the way.
At the Aberlour Distillery (1826) we bought some gifts.
There were a number of roadside attractions, like this bakery administration building (!).
The main attraction was the scrumptious countryside.
All along the way, in every tiny village, there were tea rooms (and Chinese take-away!). We would often stop for tea and scones. Yummie.
At nearly every stone bridge we would stop and get out to look at the streams.
We stayed at the Ravenscraig Guest House in the outdoor sports Mecca of Aviemore. The place was full of rock climbers, mountain bikers, and canoeists.
Aviemore had a fine old train station.
We had several fine meals at the old Cairngorm Hotel in Aviemore.
We drove home the next day through the gorgeous Aberdeenshire hills and farms . . . we were only two hours from home. The weather had cooperated throughout the seven day road trip . . . . until our last day while driving home. It was a perfect week in a remarkably beautiful place.
A Day On The Links: Royal Aberdeen Golf Club
Thursday, October 10, 2013 at 12:41AM 
My new boss invited my wife and I to join him at his golf club for a round of links golf. My golf it pitiful, but my wonderful wife gladly accepted; she is a very good golfer. I asked if I could caddy for her and take photos. The club granted permission.
But of course this is not your ordinary golf course. It is the sixth oldest golf course on earth, The Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.
Tom Watson, the famous PGA golfer, once said the front nine at Royal Aberdeen is the best nine holes in golf.
Royal Aberdeen is without a doubt the most beautiful golf course I have ever seen.
Unbelievable beauty . . . and a tremendous challenge for even the best golfers.
Any mistake is punished on this course.
Dune, green, pot bunker.
There are wonderful views of the North Sea coast throughout the course. Amazing.
It was a great day.
Drum Castle and Gardens, Aberdeenshire
Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 6:28PM 
While cleaning the house and putting away some of our shipment, I happened to look out he window and was amazed at what a beautiful day it was. There may not be too many of these left before winder arrives, so my darling wife and I dressed up for a trip to the countryside, and Drum Castle. First we stopped at the amazing Mains of Drum Garden Centre and had a cup of coffee and a brilliant scone.
A 'Fairytale Sky'.
Drum Castle, founded in 1325. I couldn't tell which was the front and which was the back of this castle. It didn't matter.
Drum Castle.
Castle architecture is a lost art.
Architectural detail on the new section of Drum Castle.
These castle features are fascinating to me. Although the light was not great . . . it kept peeking out from behind a cloud, then disappearing again . . . until . . .
I was at last rewarded with some bright, clear light from behind those scrumptious billowy clouds.
A lovely day for a Scottish castle wedding . . . and the perfect setting.
The woods around Drum Castle are not 'natural,'per se; they have been planted over the centuries with interesting and rare trees and shrubberies. I have no idea what these maroon-colored treed were . . . .
There was a stand of these; each seemed to glow maroon from the inside.
We did not go inside the castle . . . we had come for a walk in the woods. We followed the signs leading us through the forest to the gardens.
The gardens were old and well maintained.
The gardens were an enchanted place.
One can imagine all sorts of forest creatures loitering around this pond when the humans are nowhere near.
Parts of the castle walls enclosed other gardens.
A castle gate enticed us inside the formal gardens.
The inital impression was of a formality in design. But the wildness of Nature filled every circumscribed space.
The clinging vines covering the castle walls were beginning to turn the colors of Autumn.
I think I am going to have to keep coming back here every week for the next month to see the entirety of the Autumnal transformation.
I was in a continuous swoon! Having spent the last seventeen Autumns in the tropics, I realized, all at once, the immense beauty of Fall colors in the far northern latitudes.
On the verge of Autumn.
All around the castle garden walls, a riot of color.
There was so much, nay, too much to see in this magnificent garden.
There were amazing beddings of furry white ground cover.
Nature uses her devices over and over again; fur.
Bright, optimistic white burst.
The gardener here had quite an eye for impactful arrangements, I'd say.
End of summer fruiting.
Abundant rose hips.
A Drum Castle rose.
Beautiful flowers and bedding, all surrounded by high walls festooned in Autumn colors. A beautiful day.
Pure Beauty.
There are many garden spaced separated by high castle walls . . . and garden gates.
Many of the flowers were beginning to decay in the remnants of the summer light.
The last autumnal floral array . . .
A red splash on the castle garden wall.
The light alternated between bright direct sunlight and the muted, flat light of a cloudy day. It was a real challenge.
You can't miss with white flowers on a dark background.
There is a beauty in roses, and their hips.
These are 200 year old gardens . . . planted and replanted over and over again.
I love these thick planted beds: the colors and the complexity.
We are only weeks from regular frost here in Abedeenshire . . the impermanence is palpable.
These dense planted extended the length of one wall . . and the sun shone one them all at once . . . I was breathless once again.
Incredible.
My compliments to the garden architect.
We crossed paths with the wedding party and their photographer several times in the gardens.
Every turn revealed new vistas.
There were waves of flowering plants . . . .
. . . . . hedges of flowing plants . . . .
. . . . all the last flowers of summer.
It was getting late . . . .
. . . . the sun was getting below the tree line . . . .
. . . . I had to reluctantly admit it was time to leave.
We walked out the path we entered on . . . but . . .
. . . but now the path seemed mysterious in the gathering gloom. We walked faster towards the castle.
The shadows in the forest grew longer, deeper. I would not want to be out here in the dark.
We were glad to see the castle again.
Last light at Drum Castle.
I watched the sky all day, appreciating the giant structures there.
Aberdeenshire Day Trip: Around Banchory
Sunday, September 29, 2013 at 4:03AM 
I decided not to spend the whole wee-end in my office . . . especially when the weather was still good. We headed out east on North Deeside Road . . .
Our destination was Banchory, about 30 miles west of Aberdeen. When we arrived we took a small road toward the river because we had heard that the salmon were jumping. But, when we arrived at the River Feugh, we could not resist going in for tea and scones at The Falls of Feugh Restaurant. Yummy.
Such a yummy place indeed.
The river Feugh was a fast and rocky stream.
We stood on a bridge and some old local people told us that today there was only one large and one small salmon trying to make it up and over the rapids. We saw the large one make a great leap . . . but fail.
Our next destination was a farm store that had been recommended to us in the area. We took to a country lane dotted with wonderful cottages here and there.
Several people had been talking to us about the charms of the rural farm stores. Finzean Estate Farm Store was nondescript on the outside.
But on the inside it was a food photographer's dream!
The low, flat light was perfect for capturing the subtle shades and shifts of light.
Yes, I have to say it, a veritable cornucopia!
I was taking so many photos of the vegetables that I actually drew an interested crowd of onlookers!
We bought parsnips, hot peppers, and garlic.
I love to photograph vegetables. What's wrong with me?
Just give me a cabbage and some good light . . . .
. . . and I'll even shoot in black in white, in spite of the color!
They had more for sale than food . . .
. . . lots of honest, simple items.
We left the farm store and went on down the country lanes of Aberdeenshire. I love how people name their homes.
We drove deeper into rural Aberdeenshire and were rewarded with a blanket of yellow ferns along the road.
Blue grey light on the white beech bark above a carpet of yellow.
It was a perfect day to be in the forest of Abedeenshire, Scotland.
I have never seen this yellowing fern array in my life. Very beautiful!
We have equipped ourselves with the perfect road trip vehicle: the VW Taureg AWD 2.0 Diesel . . . 50+ MPG!
We meandered around on the small Aberdeenshire country roads until we came to the Potarch Hotel. We went in had had a wonderful lunch.
After lunch we walked fifty meters to the stone bridge over the upper River Dee. It was a perfect end-of-summer day.
A perfect day for some fly fishing on the River Dee.
Aberdeenshire on the brink of Autumn.
We followed a nearby sign pointing to a "Forest Walk." We thought we were going to be walking in the wilderness, but instead the path followed the road, albeit a wooded road.
There were some very sweet cottages along the way.
I love these old walls being reclaimed by Nature. There is know way to know how old these walls are . . . perhaps from Medieval times.
One of the great things about forest walks in Europe is coming across a vestige of some older era . . . slowly dissolving back into the earth.
Although it was the fifth day of Autumn, there were still a few summer blooms hanging on.
The proverbial late bloomer!
Summer's end: time to disperse seeds.
There were some fine large mushrooms pushing their way up though the overgrown forest floor too.
These black mushrooms looked positively DANGEROUS! I was scared to get too close.
A forest is a living thing: it takes life from parts of itself when they die.
We saw these red "berries' everywhere, but knew, somehow, that you could not eat them. How do we know this?
Evidence of a job well done.
We left the beautiful Aberdeenshire forest rivulets, flowers, and treed behind . . . .
. . . and bid farewell to our little friend the inch worm (he better hurry: winter is coming!), and drove to Banchory.
We arrived in Banchory in late afternoon under greying skies.
It was a Saturday and lots of people seemed to have driven out from Aberdeen for the small town charm.
We did a little shopping ourselves in this butchery that seems little changed from its 1921 origins. We bought the perfect mint sauce for lamb.
One last look around town to discover this marvelous flower shop before driving home. We only put 30 miles on the odometer. There is so much to see that is near to Aberdeen. We are really loving exploring the city and the region. Fortunately we are having one of the driest and warmest summers anyone around her can remember. We plan on taking advantage of every minute of it.