Sep 29th Sea Potato

One advantage of living beside an uncleaned beach is finding things that you have to go and look up. I knew this was from a living thing but had no idea what. It turns out this shell from a dead creature is known as a 'test'.  Proper name Echinocardium cordatum, aka 'Sea Potato' or 'Heart Urchin'. The beach was littered with these small almost baseball like casings. I was not familiar with them and apparently dogs will not go near them. So delicate a firmish grip shatters them.

QUOTE:
“They are quite common at the lower end of the right type of sandy beach, living below the sand in burrows,” said Martin Attrill, director of the marine institute at Plymouth University. “You get lots of them on Torbay main beach, for example. “They are related to starfish and usually covered with little spines.”

Sea Potato

Sep 27th Beach hazard

It is sad that a beach is allowed to become neglected to the extent that it becomes a danger. The local beach between Barassie and Irvine is 3 miles of relatively unspoilt coastline. Because it is a boundary between South & North Ayrshire councils and money is tight it is no longer cleaned except by the tide. However the occasional stuff like this degraded iron pipe is a hazard to the public. At high tide you sometimes do have to get over this obstacle or get your feet wet.

Beach hazard

Sep 27th I think I'm going to get wet

Autumn has firmly arrived with a constant blast of stormy conditions. I thought that the squalls had passed for the day, the BBC weather app said that they had, so I went for a walk along the beach. As I turned to return home this undoubtedly full of rain cloud was coming this blown on the southern winds. Hood up, the joys.

Raincloud Barassie beach

Sep 25th Party dress

This lovely young lady was over at the house today getting some minor alterations to her big day dress. I am looking forward to seeing them all dressed to kill.

Sep 26th Can't sit here

Yes we are back to the great west coast weather where we have been battered by a few storms. Out for my cycle today and came across this. The winds have been particularly strong as indicated here where the sand has been blown off the beach, covering the esplanade and the seats behind. Wonder when the council will clear it up?

Troon beach seat!!

Sep 24th 4 Wise owls

This carving in a local garden caught my eye. Don't know if it was bought from a store or is a proper carving, I suspect the latter, but I liked it and it made me smile. Better than the garden gnomes.

Barn Owl carving

Sep 23rd Creag Bheag Kingussie

The weather was not that great but this is a cracking little hill walk with stunning views all round and starting right from the car park in Kingussie as this board indicates. 2 hours up and down, go for it if in the area.

Creag Bheag map

Sep 22nd The jellies are back

It is now Autumn and the jellyfish arriving on Barassie beach are much larger than the early summer arrivals. The colours are much more intense as well.

Jellyfish

Sep 21st To eat or not too eat

I noticed this handsome mushroom popping up in the grass at the side of a secluded road. It looks very much like one of the mushrooms I get in my mixed Tesco bag for my stir fry. It can probably be eaten but I will still to the supermarket.

Mushroom

Sep 20th Razorclams

I came across this shell on Barassie beach, a razorclam. Once upon a time they were prolific on the beach but the came along some bad guys with a new fishing method whereby they electrified the seabed, forcing the clams up, easy pickings for a diver. After a year or so very few clam shells and the boats have gone as well!!

Razorclam shell

Sep 19th Sunflower

I was out my morning walk on a bright Autumn morning and I was surprised to see this peeking over a neighbours fence. I associate sunflowers with the Tour de France rolling past sunkissed Provencal fields but in our climate in Barassie, never seen before. But here it is and yes it is pointing at the sun.

Sunflower

  

Sep 18th Sleep Tight

When I was away I had a couple of nights great sleep, not just because of the drink because I do that at home anyway. So was it the mattress, almost certainly yes as our home one is just too hard. When I checked it out this was actually a very cheap one so worth a punt an order will be placed. Sleep tight.

Sleep Tight

Sep 17th Goosander gathering

I am used to seeing a pair of Goosanders on the rivers I fish but this is the first time that I have seen a brood such as this. I presume that there is a fully grown female with her brood which are also all female unless non breeding birds look similar. Or is it just a bunch of females coming together?

Goosander

Sep 16th The iconic toadstool

It's that time of the year when the fungi are everywhere particularly if you go for a woodland walk. This is one of our most recognisable ones and is infamous for its intoxicating effects. Amanita muscaria or the fly agaric, the red and white one although the cap colour can vary. Still brightened up the walk without eating it.

Amanita muscaria

Sep 15th Il Barroccio

When we were out for our dinner the wine list suggested this new to them red wine was a staff favourite and highly recommended. Surprisingly it was the cheapest on their wine list and yes we tried it and it was superb. Try for yourselves. Il Barroccio a cracking value for money Sicilian red.

Il Barroccio red wine

Sep 15th Good or bad hair day

Spotted this handsome pony grazing contently. The hair was quite stunning but which category do you put it in?

Grazing pony

Sep 14th Alyth

During our fishing trip we stayed in Alyth at the hotel, the white building in the snap. This community was devastated by the storm last year which raised this water channel so high that the street was totally flooded. Indeed the hotel has just reopened, water and dampness causes such long evacuations to get these old stone properties dried out.

Alyth

Sep 13th Lintrathan Fishery

We moved onto Lintrathan reservoir another very large fishery which is boat only and this time we had booked ahead. When we arrived flat calm blue sky day perfect for photos but not fishing. Thankfully a breeze got up but it remained a warm and hard fishing day. However I had a very good day with some cracking fish caught on both wet and dry flies. 

Lintrathan

Sep 12th Frandy Reservoir

First time visit to Frandy fishery a big reservoir near Auchterarder. We could not get any boats as all taken so a snap of the bank fishing that we had to do is my memory. A hard day for me as only 1 caught despite half a dozen misses. Very nice spot though.

Frandy bank fishing

Sep 11th Foraging natures harvest

Went out today with the intention of collecting some fresh brambles. I have been away so missed the best of the season but was fortunate to find a patch still in good condition. I picked these two punnets and could have got more except for the wasps. I was not the only one after a free meal. I had to be very careful as almost put my fingers on a bramble already occupied by a feeding wasp. They were not the least interested in me but the sheer numbers made the picking awkward. Still enough for 2 bramble and apple crumbles.

Brambles

Sep 10th Quaint Old Kirk

Last full day on Speyside and during my bike ride I came across this quaint old kirk just outside of Nethy Bridge. The Highlands are full of small kirk's with their attached graveyards. It is fascinating to walk round these graves and get a feel for the lives of our ancestors.

Abernethy Old Kirk

Sep 9th A Bridge to remember

On our break to Speyside we took a trip down memory lane and visited Carrbridge. For a number of years we holidayed here for the Easter break and the villages landmark is this iconic packhorse bridge which some say the village is named after. It is now in a dangerous condition but I am told that it is still a right of passage for youngsters to jump into the river, hopefully deeper water than today.

Carrbridge

Sep 8th A good fish pate

I like a fish pate but I do find most store efforts much of a muchness. I came across this in the deli today and first reaction is yum yum. More please.

Recommended pate

Sep 7th Two Thirsty Men

In Grantown on Spey I came across this sign in what appears to be a derelict yard. However around the front on the main street is a cafe/bar connected to Scotland's newest micro brewery. They only have 2 beers and I had a pint of Spey IPA, nectar, one of the smoothest beers I have drunk. It probably helped that I had walked 2 stretches of the Speyside Way beforehand. If in the area try it out.

Two Thirsty Men

Sep 6th

I don't believe that I have ever seen so many Rowan trees (also known as Mountain Ash)  in my life in such full berry bloom. They are prolific in Speyside and their red berries add colour to the autumn landscape. Some believe that a heavy crop is an indicator of a harsh winter ahead but I do not think that it is backed up with facts, hoping not anyway.

Rowan tree with heavy crop

Sep 5th A Fisherman's seat

Out and about today I came across this chainsaw carving which I thought was done by a person at the top of their craft. As a salmon fisherman I would love this piece of garden furniture art but I think you need to back onto a river to do it justice.

Salmon garden furniture art

Sep 4th A good pub

Today has been a great outdoor day beginning this morning with an almost 20 mile ride from Aviemore up-to the funicular railway. Averaged about 8 mph uphill and 20mph back down. Then a walk from town to Ord Ban and around Loch An Eilan another 10 miles. Luckily just before home we go past the Old Bridge Inn so a deserved pint or two in order, a fine food and drink pub.

Old Bridge Inn Aviemore

Sep 3rd Pitlochry Ironwork art

Pitlochry is a favourite place of mine and the iron artworks dotted around the town are superb. This flower lady situated at the south bus stop in the centre of the town is a great example.

Pitlochry Ironwork

Sep 2nd Colour blindness

I know that I have a red green colour blindness where I cannot see numbers within a graphic of coloured balls. Yet I think I see green grass perfectly well and red jumpers etc. A good example is that I saw this mushroom in the raw as perfectly chestnut brown and was disappointed with this photograph and blamed my camera, as I see it as more strawberry coloured but my Mrs disagreed, whose right?.

Strawberry mushroom?

Sep 1st New month new car

Decided it was time to change my beast and wanted something with a more oomph. Delighted with the VRS Octavia, very quick when I want it but on trip to Aviemore did almost 57 MPG, very good all round.

Octavia VRS

Aug 31st Last day of summer....Ringlet

It is appropriate that the last day of summer brought a small hour of sunshine amongst the very strong winds battering the west coast. Surprisingly on my walk today I caught this Ringlet butterfly briefly enjoying the warmth, good luck it is going fast.

Ringlet

Aug 30th Sea

I posted recently about a tee name in South Uist but locally this name is not special because of its name but because of the quality of the golf hole. A shortish par 3 on Western Gailes, that is all carry and should be straightforward. But deep bunkers protect the hole and when the wind blows, which is all the time, tough, tough, tough. One of my all time favourite golf holes.

Hole 7 Sea Western Gailes GC

Aug 29th Empty beach

It seems like summer is just about over and we are back to normal. Grey skies and windy conditions, is that not what we have had all summer. Still no sun beach is deserted again.

Empty beach