Good Morning from Scotland
Glencoe daybreak over Buachaille Etive Mòr
Good Morning from Scotland
West Coast Sunrise looking out to Lochcarron
Urban Fox near Saughton Park.
“I’ll meet you at midnight,
Under the streetlight”
From Friends of Saughton Park FB Page
So last night as the snow was at its heaviest, I had to do a wee errand and on the way back, I thought I would stop off at the park to see if there was any action in the snow.
After seeing everyones wonderful pictures of the foxes, I was kinda hoping that one would show and I might be able to spot it with fresh tracks in the snow. After a good 30 minutes wandering aimlessly, I spotted a movement by Fords Road and for the next 45 minutes, I had some wonderful moments with one of the park’s urban foxes.
I apologise for the noise in the images as I had to shoot at ISO16000 with a shutter speed of 1/20th at times.
Here are a couple of shots that I have managed to look at so far. Best Wishes all
Paul Masterton
Voyage through the Lens Cap Photography
Anna Shepherd was born on February 11th 1893 at East Peterculter 3 miles west of Aberdeen.
Nan, as she was known, spent most of her life living in the same house she grew up in. As well as looking after her mother she went to Aberdeen High School for Girls, and studied at Aberdeen University before joining, what is now Aberdeen College of Education, teaching English literature, Nan has been described as “an inspiring teacher, with a feminist approach in her lectures which was ahead of her time” She taught there until her retirement in 1956.
Shepherd’s first novel, The Quarry Wood, was published in 1928, with two more following in the 1930s. All three are set in the North-East with the country communities and harsh landscape as background. Her book The Living Mountain, a work of poetic prose exploring her close relationship with the hills, was written in the 1940s, though not published until 1977. Hill-walking was Shepherd’s great love; her work mostly centred on her love of The Cairngorms.
I must admit I haven’t read much of her writings other than a few poems, but I recall s friend Steve, who lives on Skye posting about her on his, well his dogs’ twitter page, saying “Nan Shepherd has the gift to describe the mountains the way I feel it, and I only wish I could do it justice in words as she can.” This made me look her up and watch The Living Mountain: A Cairngorms Journey, it was on the BBC iPlayer but has gone now. I also found several clip on Youtube, just search for her and you will find them.
Nan Shepherd was renowned for the enthusiasm with which she taught and helped students, colleagues, and other writers. Her generous attention was not confined to caring for her invalid mother and the family housekeeper; she devoted much energy to friendships with many writers. She is represented in anthologies of Scottish women poets, and books of mountain poetry. Nan joined those Scottish writers already honoured in Edinburgh’s Makars’ Court when a stone dedicated to her was placed there in 2000.For those of you in Scotland, and have made it this far into my post about Nan, and maybe still haven’t heard of her, dig in your wallet or purse and dig out a Royal Bank of Scotland £5 note, that’s Nan you have been looking at for the last five years.
Summit of Corrie Etchachan
by Nan Shepherd
But in the climbing ecstasy of thought, Ere consummation, ere the final peak, Come hours like this. Behind, the long defile, The steep rock-path, alongside which, from under Snow-caves, sharp-corniced, tumble the ice-cold waters. And now, here, at the corrie’s summit, no peak, No vision of the blue world, far, unattainable, But this grey plateau, rock-strewn, vast, silent, The dark loch, the toiling crags, the snow; A mountain shut within itself, yet a world, Immensity. So may the mind achieve, Toiling, no vision of the infinite, But a vast, dark and inscrutable sense Of its own terror, its own glory and power.
Loads more on Oor Nan here http://www.geopoetics.org.uk/tag/nan-shepherd/
Callendar Park Falkirk.
According to my phone it was still -5 when I set out for my walk this morning, it didn’t feel it, and less than an hour later it had fair warmed up to -1
Good Morning from Scotland
A calm cold morning at Loch an Eilein in the Rothiemurchus Forest near Aviemore