Clarity

The weather was just gorgeous in Arran a few weekends ago compared to recent weeks. It wasn't that warm, but it was sunny and clear. In fact, it was the clearest I can ever remember seeing from Lamlash...

I've never before seen Culzean Castle so clearly from Lamlash (right across the Firth of Clyde) with the naked eye.

We went for an evening stroll along Shore Road, and enjoyed the clear views over to the mainland... the wind farm and the paper mill at Irvine both really stood out.

We even spotted the fast cat from Ireland heading for Troon - that's the first time I've ever seen it. Here it's passing Culzean - and the lighthouse on Holy Isle.

Last interesting sighting of the evening was a nuclear sub being escorted down the Clyde from Faslane.

It was going at a fair pace and it didn't take it long to appear again at the south end of Holy Isle.

 A beautiful evening. One to remember.

Transit of Venus

The weather has changed dramatically here; after a gorgeous weekend camping in Applecross where it stayed dry the whole time, it doesn't seem to have stopped raining since I got back to Inverurie! As a result I most definitely didn't see the transit of Venus today as I didn't see the sun at all... however, I did see the one back in 2004. The next one won't occur until 2117 so I guess I won't be seeing that one either.

This was an early digital image from well before I got a digital SLR, showing the sun being projected through a telescope onto a piece of paper, with Venus clearly visible.

Views

I'm kind of missing the views I had in Gamrie, although I am enjoying living in Inverurie so far.

The view I had previously is pretty hard to beat though ... There just isn't the same temptation to take photos from my window now...

Sunsets

There have been some gorgeous sunsets over the last week or so. Of course, now that the clocks have changed I can't get back from work in time to catch the sunset over the sea, which I so enjoyed watching on the rare occasions when we saw the sun this summer. However, I've managed to catch the sunset in the countryside a couple of times. Beautiful.

The Changing View - part 2

Having moved recently, I'm still missing the amazing views I enjoyed previously. That's not to say that my new place doesn't have good views too though... 

These were all taken from my balcony.

Shalders and dunters are common.

Plenty of boats to watch too...

 ... including the Pharos which moored out in the bay one evening. That's another boat I last saw in Orkney.

Some wilder weather.

The changing view - part 1

Having moved house recently I'm still missing the views I had previously. These were all taken in the last week or so before I left Orkney.

 

 

I do have some pretty nice views from my new place too, thank goodness!

Glencoe

I've always loved the scenery around Glencoe and Rannoch Moor, since I was a wee girl. When I lived in Skye, we used to pass through there regularly whenever we went to visit family & friends. However, I've rarely been there in the past 11 years since I moved to Orkney, so in the October holidays I decided to drive the scenic route back to Orkney...

The drive was a lot longer this way, but it was well worth it.

St Kilda day

It's a long time I've blogged, for a variety of reasons. I decided St Kilda Day would be a good time to restart - with some photos from my visit to St Kilda a few years ago. It's an amazing place and I'd love to go back sometime....

There's several interesting looking programmes on TV today, tomorrow and Monday to celebrate St Kilda day. Sadly, they're on BBC Alba so most of Scotland can't see them!

More photos on my website at http://www.orcadiaimages.co.uk/

KKC or KKC?

As I had a lot of work from the placement to get written up and handed in this morning (first day of induction week) I couldn't go on the KKC (Kyle Kayak Club) weekend to Tayvallich - so I went to see KKC (Kirkwall Kayak Club) instead. KKC had an Orkney team in the Scottish Canoe Polo Championships at the Falkirk Wheel.


I had a great time - I'd never been to the Falkirk Wheel before so I found that really interesting, and I really surprised myself by how much I enjoyed watching the polo. Orkney won every game I watched which probably helped! It was a gorgeous sunny day as well (I think a lot of people would have got a bit sunburnt if they weren't very careful!).


I've still to sort the photos properly - that'll happen when I have more time - but here's a wee taster for just now.

Orkney scoring a goal

Another Orkney goal...