Ayr surroundings

Taken from the same spot as the last two photographs, these two serve to show the extent of Ayr Bay and the Firth of Clyde.

The first is a little to the west of Ayr and shows the coast line up through Irvine and beyond up to the Cumbraes.



The second is even further west looking over towards Arran.

Historical -again

Whilst I was looking through my older photographs for yesterday's item, I found others I thought might be of interest. I'll post these on an occasional basis.

This one from 2005 was taken at the North-West of Arran, on the hills just above Locharanza, and includes the departure of the Cal-Mac ferry, the Loch Tarbert, from Lochranza to Clonaig. The view is over the junction of the Kilbrannan Sound and the Sound of Bute, looking up Loch Fyne.

Yes Arran

It's been another fairly 'yucky' day here again, so I've posted a photo of Arran taken from the cliff-top walk at Culzean a couple of days ago. Once again, the mysterious Isle haunts me!

Arran -farewell

A photo of the gloomy weather laying over Goatfell and the surrounding peaks as we left Arran aboard the MV Saturn.

Brodick Castle is slightly below centre-left of the picture.

Arran

A picture of the Auchrannie Hotel where we had a couple of nights pampering before returning to 'auld clathes and porridge'.

An excellent little break.

Arran Native

Firstly let me apologise for not posting yesterday - I just plain forgot.

We were returning to our hotel on the way back from the castle when we deviated via Douglas Row where my wife went on holiday, amongst other places, with her family for the first 20 odd years of her life.

On traversing a path over what used to be a field from Douglas Row, we came upon this little olive green/brown striped native who let me get very close before it hopped off.


We rather think it is immature, but we're not absolutely sure what species it is.

Arran - will it never stop....

The pictures today were taken from the slopes above Brodick Castle.

The first is a view of the main car ferry, MV Caledonian Isles arriving at Brodick Pier. I say the main ferry, since at the height of summer, there is an extra boat laid on.


The second is of Brodick and the bay slightly to the north of the pier.


As this is the main place of habitation in the Island, it gives you an idea of the size of the other villages.

Arran - need I say more

This is a shot taken about 120 degrees from the photograph of the Witch's Step, looking in a more Northerly direction back down North Glen Sannox. Looks as if it was taken on a completely different day, but there was less than 1 minute between the shots!

Arran - yes again

This is a picture of Ceum na Caillich, translated as Witch's Step, from North Glen Sannox.

I took it just before noticing an aerial dog-fight between two Peregrine Falcons and two Golden Eagles - I didn't get a photo because I only had the small camera, but the speed these birds were moving at meant I'd never have been able to use the big camera anyway.

The Peregrines had a nest just under a boiler plate and the Eagles were too close for their liking. Watching the Peregrines stooping and the Eagles rolling on their backs to present talons upwards was absolutely breath-taking.

Arran - again

A picture of Cioch na h'Oighe (661 m, 2168 ft) {phonetically Kee-och na Huya} which loosely translated is the Maiden's or Virgin's Breast - for reasons which are fairly obvious.

Arran once more

This charcoal cartoon is to be found, along with 5 or 6 others, on the walls of the boathouse attached to Dougrie Lodge, once the Duke of Montrose’s Shooting Lodge, on the west coast of Arran.

{Dougrie = An Dubh Gharadh or An Dubh Ghearraidh. "The black dyke" or "the black fertile land". Local people were nicknamed coilich dhubha, "black cocks".}

The artist and date is not known. but it is presumed to have been a guest of the Duke who was whiling away time, possibly during a rainstorm or keeping away from the midges.

Arran

Today's pictures are taken from Balnagore over the Kilbrannan Sound to the Mull of Kintyre.

The first photo was taken about mid-day


The second, looking slightly further North, was taken about 9 hours later.


If you look carefully in this photograph, you will see one of the wind-farms which are dotted about on the Mull. I personally don't mind them and it is a good way to generate electricity for local consumption.

Arran again

Today's photographs are of the standing stones on Machrie Moor.




There are many explanations of why the stone circles were built, including the links above, but the astronomical ones tend to ignore the facts that

1. the heavens are no longer in the same positions are they were when the stones were erected,
2. the topography of the surrounding hills has also changed and the various gullies and cuts have been eroded from their original positions, and
3. the ground on which the sites were erected has changed and may well have caused slight movement on the base positions of the sites.

It doesn't detract from the sheer wonder of how the makers of these sites managed to achieve what they did.

Back in Arran

I came over to Arran a week past Saturday for a wedding which took place last Friday. They know how to do weddings in Arran!

This picture is from the south end west side of the island.

Arran and Portencross

As I'm going off on holiday for a bit and won't be able to post, I'll give you 2 for the price of 1 today.


If you've been visiting my site for any time, you'll be aware of my love affair with the Island of Arran. This was taken from practically the same position as the photographs of Millport on the last two days, but turned through about 135 degrees.


This was taken about a mile further south and is of Portencross Castle. The link gives you all the information you'll need!

Another Arran View

This view of Arran was taken from the disused Bogside Racecourse which hosted the Scottish Grand National until it was transferred to Ayr in 1966. It lies in the junction of the rivers Irvine and Garnock, just north of Irvine. Apparently the track was used for point-to-point until about 1991. There was even a Bogside Racecourse Railway Station on the Ayrshire line for this course at one time.

The 2 mile right-handed racecourse is still walkable and many of the concrete posts which held the rails are still visible. However the road down to the racecourse beyond the Golf Course has to be negotiated with considerable care!

Birds - of the feathered kind

We went walking in Culzean Country Park this morning doing some bird watching. I took this photograph at the swan pond in order to capture the four visible species: Mallard, Cormorant, Gull and Grey Heron (it is much more difficult to spot). There are also 2 Moorhens with chicks and 2 female Mallards with ducklings, but I had to use the binoculars to see them.

The weather was excellent and the Park very quiet, so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I've posted the all the photos on Flickr (including one of Arran).

Guess where?

if you said Arran, you'd be correct. I took this on the beach at Ayr last night about 21.00 hours with my 75-300 lens hand-held. I'll post the other 30 or so on Flickr in the near future.

Culzean Wood Sculpture

The above pictures show a very fine wood sculpture, Otter Slide, which was commissioned by NTS and placed in this woodland setting.

The piece is by Marvin Elliot who works on the Island of Arran - which I keep showing you pictures of as well!

I love Culzean in the springtime.....

With apologies for the misquote ..........., but I do love Culzean in the springtime (and the summer and the autumn and the winter).

Here are two photographs of views from Culzean which replicate views you have seen before but at a different season.

The first is of Arran and the second Ailsa Craig.