Blowing the cobwebs away

For a whole variety of reasons I've hardly been out and about in the countryside, and I've missed it. Last weekend I was finally feeling remotely fitter (that is, fitter as in healthier, most definitely not fit though, in fact I'm now probably the most unfit I've ever been in my life) so it was defnitely time to get out and about and blow the cobwebs away.

We decided to visit Rattray Head, although if we'd known how much worse the track there had got over the past few months since I was last there, we might have thought twice about it! It's a fantastic place - but some of the potholes are now so large they're actually the road!! And due to all the snow and rain recently, in a couple of places it was as if you were driving through a small lochan - with no idea of the depth! It's a real pity that the road has been allowed to get into such a state, as it will put people off visiting - unless they have a vehicle suitable for off roading (which we definitely don't)!

 

It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed walking along the beach.

 

There was lots of kelp washed up, presumably from the recent storms. There was lots of marine litter too - more on that here.

 

The ever changing light was great for photography at times, though challenging at times too.

 

The wind blown patterns both in the dunes and on the beach itself were really interesting.

 

The tangled roots of marram grass are binding the dunes together, trying to hold the sand in against the strength of the recent winds.

 

 

The light was great - this is the first time I've actually found the St Fergus gas terminal photogenic!

 

 

The phrase "Middle Earth" did cross my mind though...



A lovely day out.

Pick Up Three Pieces

I've been inspired by this campaign to join in and pick up three pieces of litter when I visit a beach - even though it's technically an Orkney campaign and I no longer live in Orkney! Of course there's still a link in that I do still have a house there, but also the campaign was started by pupils at Glaitness School. I used to teach at Glaitness and did a couple of beach cleans with my P3/4 class when I was there as well, as teaching tham about the dangers posed by about marine litter. We also sponsored a dolphin.

Recently, in the school I'm in now in Aberdeenshire, my P3/4 class chose for me to sponsor a seal for them at Christmas instead of buying them small presents. They're going to be learning a lot more about the dangers of marine litter, and they are aware that some of the sponsorship money goes towards educating people about this issue. They've already asked if we can do a litter pick up - maybe the planet is in safe hands?

Anyway, I decided it would be a good idea to "pick up three" when I was at the beach yesterday. We went to Rattray Head for a walk along the beach, and although the beach looks very clean at first glance, as soon as you start looking closely you start becoming aware of just how much litter is there.

The most unusual thing we spotted was this:

We decided that, as there was a limit to how much rubbish we could carry, we would just "pick up three pieces" as the campaign suggests. In the end though, we picked up more of course. We prioritised picking up things which we reckoned could do the most damage the soonest - so we picked up a bottle which could easily get broken and cause a nasty injury, rather than the already broken pieces of glass smoothed by the action of the sea. We chose mostly plastic which had already started to harden and crack, as it was beginning to break up. Each of the rubber gloves we picked up was very rigid and cracked, and would soon become many pieces of marine litter and not just one, and could therefore, we assume, damage a lot more wildlife.

The pink rope was picked up as A decided that he couldn't pick it up because it was pink, so I took it! He then carried the traffic cone all the way along the beach and over the dunes to bin it - good work, especially as it was full of sand and rather heavy. We couldn't resist picking up the welly boot and hard hat too, just to add to our wee collection, but that was all we could manage to carry easily.

At least we've done our small bit - and will keep doing so. If only everyone else does the same, what a massive difference it could make, both to the beauty and cleanliness of our beaches and to the amount of wildlife being injured or killed by marine litter.

Rather poignantly, we were just returning to the path over the dunes and back to the car park when we came across this.

I think this a real case where a picture tells a thousand words, and it made us doubly glad that we were doing our small bit to help prevent this sort of occurrence being so common.

Hopefully everyone else will do their small bit too...

Rattray dawn

I was back staying at the bunkhouse at Rattray Head again this week. I was south for another interview, and also spent a bit of time exploring the area (more of that to follow in further blog posts.) This time I managed to get some dawn photos of the lighthouse.

It was a beatiful morning, as the sky gradually lightened.

Sadly, the early promise of good weather didn't last all day as it dulled down a fair bit, but it was still a pretty good day. The forecast for the next day wasn't too promising though, leaving me a bit worried about the ferry journey home...

That evening, after managing to cover over 200 miles in my wee car, I relaxed by the fire with a small  glass (well actually a cup, as the hostel unsurprisingly isn't stocked with wine glasses) of red wine (and I do mean small, this is one of these peedie bottles, not a full-sized one.) 

I like this hostel. :-)

A photogenic lighthouse

Rather than stay in a hotel or B&B in Aberdeen, I opted for the comforts of the bunkhouse at Rattray Head. Actually, it was extremely comfortable and I'd highly recommend it!

It's a couple of miles along a rather interesting road, but it's well worth the visit. The bunkhouse is in the old lighthouse keepers' accommodation on the shore behind the sand dunes, while the lighthouse is built on a concrete platform out at sea beyond the dunes.

Looking back across the dunes to the lighthouse buildings, now a bunkhouse.

I had the bunkhouse to myself. It was warm, comfortable, and well equipped and to my amazement it had wifi!

 

 

I went for a walk on the beach in the afternoon, and stayed for quite a while as it gradually got darker.

I found the lighthouse rather photogenic - and did take quite a few photos of it....

The Stevenson lighthouse was completed in 1895 (work began in 1892). It apparently cost £18,949 1/1d to build. It's possible to walk out to it at low tide - but it was pitch dark at low tide, so I didn't do that. The lighthouse keepers were heading out to do some maintenance at night while I was there - I think they were going to be staying out there for a few days until the work was completed.

Apparently in 1977 a mains electricity supply and telephone cable were laid under the sea-bed. Shortly after this, in 1982, the lighthouse was automated. This seems very early to me, considering that Fair Isle South, the last to be automated, was only automated in 1998.

I wonder what the first Scottish lighthouse to be automated was? There's a lighthouse museum in Fraserburgh, where I guess I would find out, but I didn't have time to visit it. Maybe another time...

Looking south along the beach to the St Fergus gas terminal. North along the beach is Fraserburgh and I think the beach itself is something like 11 miles long.