Feb 28th Tranquil scene horse on beach

Another beautiful crisp blue sky day, just perfect for a walk along the beach. There were a few people around but this horse rider with Arran in the background made for a peaceful scene.

Feb 27th Balancing Rock

Just off the Ayrshire coast I spotted this great lump of rock balancing on another. It makes you reflect on the power of the sea that day or night when it lifted this onto the other. I don't think I would have wanted to be on the beach then.

Feb 26th Death of a mighty tree

Culzean woods is a great sight at this time of year. The foliage has not yet grown so you can see the devastation the winter storms have made to these forests. This big one is a few years old but no more.

Feb 25th Coos, as close as I want them to be.

When I was out my walk today I had to go through a working farm. Readers of my ramblings blog will know that I treat cows with extreme caution. At least this lot were occupied with their food and inside.

Feb 24th Snowdrops

Always a delight to come across my first snowdrops of the year, spring is definitely in the air. I thought my garden ones might have bloomed but not yet. Next up bluebells.

Snowdrops

Feb 23rd Skylark spring must be coming

The nights are getting lighter and I enjoyed an early evening walk. This was enhanced by this skylark, I know crap photo but it wasn't hanging around once it spotted me. This was my first sighting of the year, spring must be coming. Also I had a very short sighting of a short eared owl, I can't remember the last time I spotted one down here. A good walk.

Skylark

Feb 22nd Red Cross on the golf course

Nice to be back home and the weather picks up to be cold but dry. Managed to get in a round of golf. This snap on the golf course makes me both happy and sad. The cross is used to mark the direction to the green as it is blind from the fairway. But on the hills behind are the blot on the Scottish countryside, Alex Salmonds' windfarms.

cross and wind turbines

Feb 21st Oban on a wet day

Still pouring down, we popped into Oban for a look around but too wet and miserable for a lengthy stay.

Oban

Feb 20th Loch Lochy from Great Glen Way

The forecast was for continuous heavy rain but we had the gear so off we went to do a section of the Great Glen Way. The water level was high and this snap looking north up Loch Lochy shows these dead or dying trees with their roots under water.

Trees Loch Lochy

Feb 19th Moody Glencoe

We took a trip to Glencoe but the weather was too bad to risk doing the walk we had  intended to so had to settle for a moody picture of the magnificent mountains of Glencoe. No better place to feel hemmed in by big hulking mountains.

Glencoe

Feb 18th Rainbow Fort William Loch Linnhe

The weather had deteriorated somewhat and was to get worse as the break progressed. Just as we left the hotel we got this rainbow between the two boats on Loch Linnhe.

Rainbow Loch Linnhe

Feb 17th Beinn Dorain

We were driving to Fort William and just after leaving Tyndrum we came across this magnificent scene of Beinn Dorain in all its glory, stunning.

Beinn Dorain

Feb 16th Reel time

Listening to the Edinburgh derby replay on the radio as no TV coverage. Need something else to take my mind off it. Got these spare spools, excellent Pfleuger Trion reels, look great, work great and superb value for money. Need to get some backing and new lines on them, that will do.

Pfleuger Trion reels

Feb 15th Shewalton water swimmers!!!

I was cycling past here today when I saw a swimmer leave the water at the far side. I had seen people last year and had been told triathletes were using it. I am surprised as it is an old landfill waste pit and is always full of gulls who are presumably leaving all sorts in the water. I wouldn't want my mouth touching any of that.

Feb 14th Arran from Portencross

It is another beautiful day so we went for a walk. I took the good lady to see the bubbling waters at Hunterston, see yesterdays snap. We parked at Portencross and got this opportunity.

Arran from Portencross

Feb 13th Nuclear bubbling water

Took a cycle around Hunterston nuclear power station today. Out at sea there is this constant bubbling activity. I presume that it is the waters used to cool the reactors being pushed out into the sea. Little Cumbrae is behind.

Bubbling water Hunterston

Feb 12th Ailsa Craig

Today was another dry but very cold day. Golf in the morning and the afternoon sun allowed me to get this nice picture of Ailsa Craig and Troon harbour from Barassie beach.

Ailsa & Troon harbour

Feb 11th Varyag Memorial

It was a crisp blue day and a cracking day for a good walk which I took advantage of and walked from Ballantrae to Girvan (full details on my Desmondo's ramblings blog). One interesting feature was the memorial to the imperial Russian battlecruiser Varyag, worth a visit and read up on the internet it is a fascinating segment of local history that I knew nothing about until I did this walk.

Varyag Memorial with Ailsa in the background

Feb 10th Beach Art

About half way along the shore there has been this creation which I am glad to see has survived the storms. Not sure who is responsible but on a small scale it does brighten up the background.

Beach Art

Feb 9th. Beautiful sunset

We get a lot of crap days but we also get a lot of beautiful evenings and this west coast sunset says it all and no photoshop editing.

Feb 8th Empty beach

Once again we had a weather window so took the opportunity to walk the beach to Irvine. took this snap on the way back which shows a nice perspective of the empty beach looking south with the low clouds bringing the sky down. The weather window did not last as predicted we got soaked soon after this and my newish Berghaus leaked through an arm seam, very disappointing for the cost of this jacket.

Empty beach

Feb 7th That was good soup

The kids were over today for lunch and the youngest one has a great appetite and is at the stage where she wants to feed herself with the inevitable result, face covered, but the soup was great.

Good soup

Feb 6th Irvine harbour

The weather forecast was still not good enough for the long walk I wanted to do today. No point in travelling far to get out of the car into strong winds and rain so I settled for a walk into Irvine. This snap of one of the few boats that anchor here confirms the unsettled conditions.

Irvine harbour

Feb 5th Time for a beer

A beer was required to watch TV tonight. We were watching the excellent crime drama 'Shetland' so a Scottish beer was required and this excellent Orkney ale was the most appropriate and it tastes great.

Orkney beer

Feb 4th Master Smudge

Another not so nice day so was doing some work in the study. On my wall I have this nice photo of our old English setter called Smudge. A basket case at first but became a great dog. Still tempted but probably too much commitment, nice days.

Smudge

Feb 3rd Blue skies get the bike out

A colder night and blue skies first thing. Decided to cycle today as had a good walk yesterday. I was going to go inland but warnings of ice so stuck to the coast and headed to Ardrossan. Almost got there but route was blocked at Saltcoats, follow the diversions said the sign, no other sign to follow. Still great views a 30+ mile cycle, life feels better until tomorrows rain!! Snap of the day is snow clad Arran and Western Gailes golf course.

Arran from Western Gailes

Feb 2nd Horrid Henry still around

We got well battered yesterday and this morning was very windy but dry so a walk along the shore to Irvine, mad or what. The wind going out was relentless and as you can see from the picture the skies alternated between bright blue and this darkness. Remarkably I did not get caught in any showers. It might have been daft but it was enjoyable to get a half day outdoors.

Horrid Henry dark skies

Feb 1st Lost buoy

Well storm Gertrude blows through and storm Henry is now starting to pound in, when will this end, seems like we have had the wind and rain since November. Walking along the beach this mooring buoy has lost its anchor-point and ended up on the beach at North shore. Look at how low the clouds are. Some snow on the Arran hills in the distance.

Lost buoy