Nov 30th Glasgow and the Clyde

I had to make a return journey to Glasgow, Xmas pressie time, and was fortunate to get this shot of Glasgow looking from the Transport museum. A perfect crisp calm Autumn day. The SSEC & Hydro on the left. The science centre and sadly non working Glasgow Tower.

River Clyde Glasgow

Nov 29th Salmonds Legacy

Whilst walking along the beach today, the air purity was so good that I had a fantastic view of the Paps Of Jute many miles away. However, the view was so good that I picked up on something I have not spotted before, wind turbines. They are probably on the Campbeltown peninsula and not on Jura but still a spoiler. A photo of them would not have worked as the distance is too far but I only needed to swing the camera to the Dalry hills ahead of me to see one of the hideous and despoiling wind farms in our area. Bye bye to my SNP vote, environment v landscape, not convinced.

Wind Farm Dalry hills

Nov 28th Wood chipping dinosaur

Another blue sky day and time to get the feet in operation, too cold for cycling. We have 2 sawmills in Troon, one down by the harbour sees many lorries in and out, the inward lot carrying logs and the outward lot timber frames, wood structures, sawdust you name it. Looks very prosperous. Then up the back we have another one where it all looks a bit more basic, possibly even run down as this rather prehistoric looking machine reflects. However, there is money in trees and I'm sure these owners do very well.

Sawmill

Nov 27th Hope that is not real TEA

When out on my cycle today I noticed this train wagon sitting at the sidings. I am hopefully the reference to TEA does not mean that is what is inside the tanker, I think I will stick to beer.

TEA

Nov 26th Rugby at Rugby Park

Is it two weeks already since the great performance against Australia? Todays game is against Georgia being played on the artificial turf at Rugby Park. It worked for Scotland as they scored 6 tries winning handsomely, a good day, now for the 6 Nations? A surprising number of good natured Georgian supporters at the game, locals or travellers?

Rugby at Rugby Park

Nov 25th My favourite Indian

It must be about 6 months since I have visited Mother India's Cafe in Argyle Street Glasgow and I have missed it. It is a small place, you cannot book a table and is tapas style as you can see from the blurry snap. The food has never let me down. If in the area go for it. PS by the time we left every plate was empty as were the beer glasses.

Mother India's Cafe

Nov 24th Glaswegian walking nutrition

Had a good walk and according to my tracking device almost 30000 steps so a solid effort. I had not brought any food with me apart from an orange, which had gone, so reverting to my Glaswegian upbringing I found a small store and refreshed with an empire biscuit and a bottle of Barrs ginger beer. You know it might not be healthy, nor nutritious but superb just what the doctor ordered. Sometimes you just have to be a big kid.

Walking nutrition

Nov 23rd The Wedge is for sale

Most people who take the short ferry trip from Largs to Cumbrae and visit Millport will be familiar with 'The Wedge' reputed to be the narrowest frontage of a house in Britain and indeed some say the world with breathtaking seaviews. So if you have a spare circa £85000 and you want the cache of a unique property owner, now is your opportunity.

The Wedge Millport

Nov 22nd Who doesn't like Autumn colours

I make no apologies for another Autumn tree snap. When you look up and see these beautiful golden sycamore leaves with a crisp blue sky as the background you cannot help but be glad to be alive and be lucky enough to see these scenes.

Autumn colours

Nov 21st Sea Power

This is a brute of a tree that has been washed up after last weeks high storm. It brings home the power of the incoming tide that it can move this monster with ease. It will be interesting to see how long it remains with us.

Beached tree

Nov 20th Cycle cross

In the distance I could see a lot of activity on the Stone Dragon hill at Irvine so curiosity made me detour from my chosen path. It turned out to be a leg of the Scottish cyclocross championship. The course meander up and down the grassy hills as well as through the dunes. As a cyclist I could only admire the fitness required to complete the course, a hard, hard event.

Cyclocross Irvine

Nov 19th Cooking Day

The weather was to be awful all day so I decided to just have a day indoors cooking. Duck a l'orange, boulangere potatoes, a banana yoghurt dessert from Delia, home made bread to go with the soup. Yes the soup, Lorraine Pascale's recipe that she says made her as a serious cook not a glamour model. For once I stuck exactly to the recipe and it was very tasty, try it.

Roasted butternut squash soup

Nov 18th Lady Isle

I thought that this was a good image of the uninhabited Lady Isle which sits just offshore at Troon. With the light today it almost looks like it is in the sky not on water. Its disused beacon stands proud almost like a submarine's tower.. I have never visited the isle and I doubt that many have. It is a nature reserve hosting mainly varieties of gulls, shags, cormorants and eiders.
Also in the shot, to the right, is Lappock Rock, a shipping warning beacon and in the forefront, appropriately, a raft of eiders.

Lady Isle

Nov 17th Pollution what pollution

There is not a lot of industry locally to despoil our landscape. Apart from the quarry, highlighted in a previous post, we also have this paper mill. On days like this when steam and whatever is expelled into the atmosphere is this really clean and free from pollution as they claimed when the construction was first mooted. The prevailing wind rarely pushes any of this to us but you do wonder.

Paper mill pollution

Nov 16th Death on the beach

Sadly when out walking our beach I came across this dead seal pup. From its size it is fairly newborn, probably caught out in last weeks storms and drowned or starved, if separated from its mother. Just like us not all get a long life, still sad.

Seal pup

Nov 15th Autumn Colours again

Well you guessed it, after the cloud cover last night spoiled the supermoon for most of Scotland, today after 10am the clouds disappeared and a crisp sunny autumn day developed. A wander in the woods nearby and I spot this menage of colour, the fading brown and orange maple leafs and the bright green ivy leaves. An autumn contrast to bring a smile to my face.

Autumn Colours

Nov 14th Supermoom

What a bummer for most of Scotland a once in a generation supermoon comes along and we get a blanket of cloud so most of the population missed it. This crap phone photo is the self same moon a couple of days earlier over Edinburgh Castle, not the image I wanted. Still if I live long enough it is back again in 2034!!

Supermoon

Nov 13th Remembrance Sunday

We are regular visitors to Fort William and if I want to bring a tear to my eye and a swelling in my throat a visit to the Commando war memorial at Spean Bridge. Wander around the site, read their tales and if you do not feel something stir then you have a hard heart. The views across the commando training grounds to Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor are quite outstanding. So for a time of reflection at a war memorial on Remembrance Sunday to think about the dead this is as good a spot as any.

Commando memorial Spean Bridge

Nov 12th Murrayfield Stadium a thriller

Being at Murrayfield for a rugby international is always an exciting day. No bit more so than at the beginning with the capacity crowd delivering Flower of Scotland in a way no other sporting event does. The game is on and as it is at the beginning there is eager anticipation. Today Scotland lost out to Australia, being ahead until the last couple of minutes, 22-23, it was a thrilling game. Now for some Edinburgh beer to drown the sorrows.

Murrayfield

Nov 11th Xmas shopping display

I have not been in the Buchanan galleries for some time and I picked a good day as they had just put up this glittering Xmas display. Next month when the choirs sing below this display it will really feel like Xmas.

Buchanan Galleries

Nov 10th Clyde Arc

Although this bridge over the River Clyde in Glasgow was built 10 years ago I have never taken the opportunity to walk over it. On a crisp, cold, blue skied November day it is something to remember.

Clyde Arc

Nov 9th Cool Grandpa

One of the kids got her first mobile phone the other day so I decided to welcome her by sending her my 1st Whats app, it seemed appropriate that I sent her my cool grandpa image.

Cool Grandpa

Nov 8th Prolific Ivy

When out my walk I could not help notice how prolific the ivy was over a short stretch. Also known as climbing ivy it has a destructive reputation for 'strangling' trees but apparently this is not the case. Just enjoy this attractive autumn flowering species with its veined leaves.

Ivy

Nov 7th A good place for lunch

A very nice out of the way cafe style for coffees or lunch is Langholm farm close to Troon. Many residents do not know of its existence but many do as by 1pm on a Monday I was very surprised that every table was occupied. Usual stuff but if you have a West Scotland sweet tooth the homemade pineapple cakes are to swoon over.

Langholm Farm

Nov 6th What a difference a week makes

Last Sunday I posted about walking the beach in unseasonable very warm temperatures. Well today I walked the beach again. The skies were blue but the temperature had plummeted from nearly 20 degrees to just above freezing. In fact with the cold northerly wind the feel like temperature would not be far away from freezing. Still be positive, well wrapped up and no rain or snow.

Winter Sunday

Nov 5th No hills today

The winter blast continues today. The forecast was for rain and sleet from noon onwards but this was taken around 9am from the bridge at Aviemore railway looking south to the Cairngorm hills and the low clouds were already arriving so no time to do a decent hill walk today. Just need to have the cake with guilt as few calories burned.

Cairngorm hills from Aviemore railway station

Nov 4th Pass of Ryvoan

Only a partial walk today up from Glenmore Lodge through the Pass of Ryvoan which is still a beautiful walk despite the threatening day. The building in the photo is the Ryvoan bothy. Just after this the forecast heavy rain started along with snow. Indeed the weather turned so bad that this afternoon the Cairngorm mountain rescue team, based at Glenmore Lodge, were twice called out rescue walkers caught by the winter blast.

Pass of Ryvoan

Nov 3rd Hunting with Hawks

It was a dull grey rain threatening day in the Perthshire countryside but I was in a very good place. A belated birthday present was an afternoon hunting red legged partridge and pheasant but not with a gun instead it was with this beautiful female Goshawk. Along with two black pointers which use their amazing smelling skills to locate and then flush the game. 

Goshawk

Nov 2nd Scenic War Memorial

It is that time of the year with Remembrance Sunday due soon. War memorials have floral decorations and poppy wreaths. However, my focus for this one is the outstanding location. On the western side of the island of Great Cumbrae with the Isle of Bute in the foreground and Arran behind it. A stunning and very quiet place to be remembered.

War Memorial Cumbrae

Nov 1st Dumping in the Sea unwanted rubbish

I was walking along my normal shore when I spotted something sticking out of the water at the edge of the tide. When I reached the spot this is what I found. There is underwater rubbish dumping but enough of it escapes and the tides can bring it our way, quite disgraceful. The label on the bin is from a shop inland over 10 miles from here.

Unwanted rubbish