The Green Isle of the Great Deep

Sami tent, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Been away in Sweden for most of last week, up in the Mountains of Lapland. This Sami tent frame caught my eye.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sitting room sunrise, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Looking east through our sitting room window, just after the shutters have been opened, and the rays of the rising sun catch one of Ruth's houseplants.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The font, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Baptismal Font - East Kirk, Cromarty

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ghost doors, originally uploaded by ccgd.

The town is full of houses that have turned into garden walls, leaving us with a faint legacy of what was once more than stone.....

Church Street, Cromarty.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

RIP, originally uploaded by ccgd.

?

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Oil Rigs under Ben Wyvis - Hogmany 2004, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Not something that we see these days, Rigs in the Cromarty Firth and Snow on Ben Wyvis.

Taken on Hogmanay 2004, a zoom shot from Cromarty.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The lad, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Getting ready to go out for a couple of hours of hill climbing around the Black Isle, as the first race (MTB) is only three weeks away. However getting out on the bike is a lot more fun after a dark wet winter spent in the gym, or on the rollers.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Blood vessels of sand, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Forensic evidence on Cromarty Beach.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sand feathers, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Low winter sun on the beach. Fine grained sand and water combine to make these amazing patterns.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The last rig leaves the Firth, originally uploaded by ccgd.

The Essar Wildcat (ex Transocean Wildcat) is towed out between the Sutors as it starts a 90 day journey to Kakinada India. Due to the height of the derrick, the Suez Canal cannot be used, so it will go the long round, via the Cape. She is being towed by the (very colourful) Fairmount Sherpa, who steamed to the Cromarty Firth from Dubai, and the combination will travel at an average speed of 8 knots, all the way back again.

Essar paid $220M for this 30 year old rig, which has been cold stacked in the Firth since the late 90's.

So apart from the Galaxy Jackup alongside the service base at Invergordon, which is due to go out in the next few weeks, the Firth is empty.

See also - news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/642772...

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seana Bhraigh, originally uploaded by ccgd.

A very distinctive mountain, snapped on a January flight from Inverness to Stornoway. Snapped is the right word, as you can see the engine exhaust top left, and the window bottom left.

I was struck, however, buy the distinctive shape of the peak, and the remarkable corrie - textbook glaciation.

It's a few years since I attempted to climb anything higher than the Watch Hill at Coldbackie, but I must admit that this shot made me hanker back to my teenage years when every weekend was spend in the hills, skiing or climbing......

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Barnacle wave, originally uploaded by ccgd.

A wave breaks over a stone on Cromarty Beach. I like the bubbles/barnacles feel.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

These things are big, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Mammoth machines indeed.

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Mini monoliths, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Kessock bridge at night, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Not quite centred, but a shot under the Kessock Bridge. A 13 sec exposure catches the rain and mist, lit up by the lights of North Kessock....

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)