Author: geoffspages

Day’s end

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Skye1 Comment

Friday evening: the end of the day and almost the end of our trip. The sun has shone from an unbroken blue sky all day – we’ll watch it set in the gap between North Uist and South Harris, during a tranquil hour which will serve me well during the next couple of days. Tomorrow we’re heading for Edinburgh – a relatively pleasant and easy drive; on Sunday we’ll head for the border and the joy that is the M6. There may be times on that journey when I’ll need to think back to these moments.

The pictures, which are in chronological order, need no captions.

No fairies…

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Skye, WalksLeave a comment

…the visitors have frightened them all away! Friday: a walk up to the Fairy Glen near Uig – with the emphasis on “walk”. The first time we visited this curious and fascinating landscape in miniature, we had the place to ourselves. That was perhaps getting on for 40 years ago – now it’s firmly on the tourist to-do list (remember to pack the selfie stick!). Driving up there is not to be recommended – parking is limited and potentially boggy, and then there are the adventure minibuses to contend with. But between the passing cars it’s quiet and a pleasant walk – and much easier to take in the scenery and the ambience.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=140635&Y=863337&A=Y&Z=120

Loch Dunvegan

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Not a day for walking – instead, we’re driving round to Dunvegan, for a change of scene and a look at the seals. There’s still some showery rain over the hills as we look over the loch from the east side, but it’s getting brighter by the minute, and when we explore the little dead-end road beside the western shore, sunshine predominates.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=124569&Y=848830&A=Y&Z=120

Staffin shore and skyescapes

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Wednesday: it’s misty and damp here, on the western side of Trotternish (as seems to happen fairly often), but just a few miles away, at Staffin on the eastern shoreline, it’s much clearer, with the odd sunny spell. There are showers about, but we seem to escape them. We walk over the hill from Staffin to the slip and the beach (beware of minibus tours!), then along to the rocks, before heading back over the hill to the car, to drive around the coast to the fog and gloom.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=149128&Y=867796&A=Y&Z=115

 

Balmacquien – stacks and caves

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Tuesday: Port Gobhlaig. We’ve walked many times from here, following the shoreline northwards to Rubha na h-Aiseig. Today we’re starting from the same parking place, around the other side of the bay and up onto the cliffs, above a wonderful selection of stacks and the odd cave or two, to end at the old RAF radar station high above Bagh nan Gunnaichean. Returning, we follow the main (single track) road as far as the Balmacquien lane, which takes us back to that little white house out on the point, from where we retrace our steps to the start. What a spectacular stretch of coastline!

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=144210&Y=874345&A=Y&Z=120

Jam tomorrow

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

…or perhaps in a week or two. Wednesday 11 September – a walk near Much Wenlock, armed with bags for the blackberries we hope to find on our way. It’s a breezy big-sky day, good to be out, and there’s no shortage of fruit, even if we have to brave the scratches and the nettle-stings. The jam will be worth it, perhaps not just yet – the berries (just under 4lb) are in the freezer, waiting for a couple of days when we’ve time for boiling, sieving and boiling again. It needs to be soon though – we’ve just finished the last jar from 2018.

 

Lunch at Ledbury

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Railways...Leave a comment

Tuesday 10 September: a day out using a “West Midlands Day Ranger” (just £18 with an old buffers’ card). We’re taking a roundabout but interesting route to the Herefordshire town. First stop is Stourbridge, for a ride on the Parry People Mover, and we pause for a while at Great Malvern, where the station’s ironwork is worth a look. Finally, Ledbury (“Junction for Poetry”) provides us with an excellent pub lunch and equally good beer to wash it down with.

We return homewards via Barnt Green, where a ride on the short line to Redditch takes us through pleasant countryside, but we don’t hang about at the new town’s station (it’s not a patch on Telford Central, despite having electric trains). The return trip takes us to a crowded New Street, and an equally crowded (it thins out along the way) electric train to Rugeley, a line whose electrification was completed relatively recently. Time for a photo or two here, before returning to Shropshire on three more trains, connecting perfectly at Stafford and Wolverhampton. Fifteen journeys on thirteen separate trains (if the “People Mover” counts as such), every one on time. Great fun!

Early Autumn on Brown Clee

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

The Met Office’s autumn starts on 1 September – summer’s over! It certainly feels like it today – there’s warm sunshine in-between the clouds, and the lightest of breezes, which is just as well, as the air’s cold. Perfect walking weather, of course, and once we’ve left behind the dog-walkers, there’s hardly anyone else up here. The views to the east are extensive, but unexciting,  as we ascend gently. The views to the west, once we’re on the summit ridge, are also extensive – and much more interesting. Line after line of hills stretching out to the limit of visibility, perhaps 40-50 miles – yes, it could be clearer, but we’re not complaining…

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=359855&Y=285941&A=Y&Z=120