The Green Isle of the Great Deep

The Venture, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Currently my favorite vessel working out of Cromarty Harbour.

Posted by Calum at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

B&W Rig and Angus fishing, originally uploaded by ccgd.

A Jack Up sitting at the entrance to the Cromarty Firth - Angus collecting Creels in the foreground.

Posted by Calum at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

Black Isle Fields, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Above Findon Farm - Culbokie

Posted by Calum at 9:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

The very last rig, originally uploaded by ccgd.

The last rig left in the Cromarty Firth - and its due to leave in the next wee while.

Posted by Calum at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

Checking their times, originally uploaded by ccgd.

A B&W study of Mark and Magnus checking their circuit times at a Wednesday night training sessions at the Highland Institute of Sport Inverness. Being 15 and in the "serious athlete" training stream is very hard work. Racing/Training every weekend, and training session three nights a week - in a Highland November - leaves little time for any other activities, even school.

And it's quite hard on the Mums and Dads as well.

Posted by Calum at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

Wind Bound Lerwick, originally uploaded by ccgd.

A photo by JD Ratter the famous Shetland Photographer. Dates from around 1880. This is a scan of a copy that hangs on our stairs.

The view is of a barque moored in Brei Wick, a bay just south of the town of Lerwick. Looks to me as if the photo has been taken from near where the Shetland Hotel now is.

As I kid in the 60's we lived in Sound, on the outskirts of Lerwick, and this was the view as we walked to school, minus the sailing ship of course.

There was always a hand coloured copy - yellow sunbursts - in our hall when I was a kid, in fact my parents still have it. I must try and replicate with Photoshop.

Posted by Calum at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Bathysphere, originally uploaded by ccgd.

A very old Bathysphere at the Dive Centre, Fort William.

Posted by Calum at 10:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

Church Street Cromarty from the air, originally uploaded by ccgd.

I took this on Helicopter trip - my pal Pete flies the air Ambulance and invited me for a spin on one of his training sorties - in August 2004. It shows Church Street, Shore Street and the Vennels of Cromarty. It also shows the 17th and 18th Century Street patterns with later buildings "disturbing" the building lines.

Also shows my neighbour and pal Fraser standing outside waving at us.

Posted by Calum at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

Cromarty Rose, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Posted by Calum at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

The foothills of the Picos from Parres, Llanes, Asturias, Iberia, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Posted by Calum at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

Shadows on a wall, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Winter sunlight on the wall of the old Brewery Cromarty. Serious contrast tweak to bring out the colours and shadows.

Posted by Calum at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Highlanders Scotland Talent Team, originally uploaded by ccgd.

The three lads from the north who are in the Scotland Cycling Talent Team, Magnus, Marc and Kenta - with Scotland Cycling Coach Gary Willis.

This photo was in today's Inverness Courier, with the following press release:-

Race Report – Press Release


North Gold and Silver in Scottish Cycling Championships.

North youth cyclists came home with the Gold and Silver Medals from the Scottish Cyclocross championships at Glenrothes at the weekend.

Magnus Davidson from Cromarty, riding for Cube Bikes/Square Wheels, dominated the race, leading from the start, and with Kenta Gallagher from Inverness, (777 Mtb) quickly broke away from the rest of the field. As the race developed they gradually increased their lead over Oliver Young (Edinburgh Road Club) and at the finish, Davidson took the chequered flag from Gallagher and Young, with an emphatic lead of nearly two minutes. Mark Sinclair of Culbokie came sixth.

The senor race was won by up and coming junior Scottish Cyclist Ross Creber (Evans Cycles), who took advantage of a puncture by Scottish Commonwealth Games rider Garth Montgomery to take and hold on to the lead in a thrilling race. Despite crashing in half way through the race he managed to take Gold, with the Silver going to Craig Hardie of Dunfermline Cycling Club and Gareth Montgomery (Endura/Voodoo/Singletrack) taking a consolation bronze. Creber has just been selected for the GB under 23 Cycling Academy.

The Woman’s event was won by Commonwealth games rider Ruth McGavigan from World Duathalon champion Catriona Morrison with the bronze medal going to last years champion Caroline Wallace.

The three Highland Youngsters have also been selected for the 2007 Youth Talent Team. Following a nationwide search during 2006 Scottish Cycling has chosen only nine young cyclists from all over Scotland to take part in an intensive training and performance programme over the winter of 2006/7. The riders will then compete as part of a Scotland squad during the 2007 racing series.

Ends

Note to editors

The attached photograph shows Highland Cyclists, Magnus Davidson, Marc Sinclair, Kenta Gallagher with Scotland Coach Gary Willis.

Issued by the Highland Mountain Bike Association. For more information contact Steve MacDonald on 01997 421000, or Calum Davidson on 07768 537722.

Posted by Calum at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Would the last rig to leave the Cromarty Firth please turn on the lights?, originally uploaded by ccgd.

The Cromarty Firth is almost empty of rigs - this is the Frontier Driller, ex KNV, ex Transocean Explorer being towed by the tug "Fairmount Glacier" to Pascagoula in the Gulf of Mexico. This rig has been parked in the firth for years, dark and rusty. I understand that she has been omly been "readied" for the Atlantic tow , and will require extensive moblosition work (aka rebuilding) in the Gulf.

Shows how the oil price can affect even the oldest bit of kit....

Rigs tend to be lit up and Christmas tree like - it's very strange to see one being towed out of the firth dark and almost derelict.

A long exposure shot using a Tripod (I was in the sitting room and saw the lights of the tug, so ran down to the shore with camera and tripod)

Posted by Calum at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

On the rollers, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Magnus and Mark training at the Highland Institute of Sport - Inverness. A long exposure hand held shot with "interesting colours" from the strip lights. Seeing cyclists work as hard as they can without moving - as they cycle on rollers - is a bit weird.

Posted by Calum at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

North sea trail, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Well I won a photo competition - with a cash prize!

Have a look at :-

www.morayfirth.org

For a photo of me with my tie all over the place - in my defence I'd just had a long afternoon at the Executive office of University of the Highlands and Islands MI discussing business schools......

Posted by Calum at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

The first fire of winter, originally uploaded by ccgd.

The 11th was a Scottish Day in the Life, but as it was the first weekend I'd had at home since late September I was not feeling to up to much adventure. Any way I had to get a haircut and pay bills, and sort out the Network in the house. And the Weather was hellish.

So a quick walk around the town, some B&W kirk yard shots and then lit the sitting room fire.

Posted by Calum at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

A small object of desire, originally uploaded by ccgd.

My new slimline Nokia 9300 - and I can browse flickr on the move...

Sad or what!

I have a drawerful of old dead Nokia Communicators going back to the very first - the Nokia 9000, introduced in 1996. I was smitten when I saw a prototype 9000 at the University of Helsinki in late 1995. The 9300 is about the best I've had - small but very functional.

Posted by Calum at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

Orange morning, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Sunrise over the South Sutor - Cromarty

Posted by Calum at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Scotland Mountain Bikers, originally uploaded by ccgd.

The Mountain Bikers in the Scotland Youth Talent Team - with Gary the Scotland Cycling Coach.

Posted by Calum at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

Northern Corries, originally uploaded by ccgd.

First snow of winter on the Cairngorms

Posted by Calum at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments

Cairngorms, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Cairngorm and the Northern Corries from Boat of Garten. The first snows of winter.

Posted by Calum at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

Ben Hope, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Scotlands most northerly Munro

Posted by Calum at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments