The Green Isle of the Great Deep

On the outskirts of Wick, originally uploaded by ccgd.

I've just spent the past couple of days in Caithness - in a bright, sunny and warm Wick.

A bright, sunny and warm Wick.

It's not often you see that in print.

Work of course, but I did manage to slip out to try and see Castle Sinclair for half an hour, only to find it was closed for excavations. My trip back to he town, and my formal dinner of an evening (in Mackays hotel - the Halibut was excellent, really excellent) had to be delayed by 10 Min's for this Caithness traffic jam.

Oh and thanks to Caithness.org for highlighting this blog and my flckr site- much appreciated.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Aberdeen Docks, originally uploaded by ccgd.

A view I always find surreal.

Dashing for the 16:01 train to Edinburgh - I'd been up at the University for the First Ministers Launch of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre - and had to be in Edinburgh by 18:30.

I thought - nice afternoon, wait for a taxi - or stroll the mile or so down to the Station. Stroll won. Trouble was the weather in Aberdeen was atypical to say the least.

Gray skies, no wind and close - no not close humid humid humid humid.

So the stroll down to the station left my shirt so soaked with sweat I looked liked I'd been in a shower.

Living by the Cromarty Firth the sight of vessels such as these is common, bit always from a distance. So I still get a little frisson of exitment when I turn a corner in Aberdeen and see this.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

Stacked Rigs in the evening sun, originally uploaded by ccgd.

One from back in 2006 - when there where a few more rigs further up the Firth.

This is an interesting shot, I think it looks great on screen, but when printed it looks washed out and burnt looking.

People like it though - its my top seller on Getty Images at the moment.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/85137923/flickr?esource=en-us_flickr_photo

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Yasa Golden Horn, originally uploaded by ccgd.

At the Nigg Oil Terminal.

I like the angles you get taking shots like these from a boat.

Still in a B&W phase, as you can see.

This Vessel is Turkish owned, but registered in the Solomon Islands - port of registration Honiara, which is the only city of Guadalcanal, of WW2 fame. Its also the name of a town near Seville. Wikipedia is a glorious resource....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments

Summer harr, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Over the Fishertown.

I'm going through a bit of a B&W phase at the moment. I suspect its to do with the August light here in the Highlands at the moment. Its kind of flat, with grey skies and a dense close atmosphere, no vibrancy at all.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments

Cromarty Harbour, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Albert Ross's old boat high and dry in Cromarty Harbour.

The shape and curves of this vessel are just about perfect.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

A last look at a 757, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Boarding a BA 757 at Heathrow, almost certainly for the last time - they are selling almost all of their fleet.

Heathrow - Madrid BTW.

Back in the 90's I was on BA 757's almost all the time, I was in Brussels or Paris monthly - 757's - and Glasgow/Edinburgh shuttles used them as well. But now they look and feel old, compared to BA's Airbus fleet, so I suppose its time for them to go.

The pane was pretty empty as well - which says a lot about BA's fortunes, aviation generally, and having a big 757 on a thinner route.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments

South Sutor god burst, originally uploaded by ccgd.

The summer is turning, and whilst its not autumnal.........

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments

A rather dead whale, originally uploaded by ccgd.

One of Bottle nose whales who died in the Cromarty Firth over the last week. Snapped when out sailing on Saturday

This one - an young male from what I could see - was on the ebb tide near Barbaraville.

Well pecked by gulls, and boy did it smell. I'm glad the tide was carrying it away from my side of the Firth.

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

Glasgow Sunburst, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Oh well - home for a week, but and back on my travels. Glasgow and London until the weekend.

Caught the Tea time Glasgow train today, arrived early to make sure of a seat, and was delighted to find two old colleagues and good friends in the reserved seat in front of me.

Spent the whole journey talking shop, scheming and developing plans.............

Oh and this is Kelvingrove from the 18th floor of the Hilton.

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

Turtle temperature, originally uploaded by ccgd.

We had a multi location holiday, ie we went lost of places.....

Flew to Madrid, and then spent a couple of days travelling down through Castille, exploring windmills, castles and little towns in the middle of nowhere.

All in all quite a difference to the Almerian coast where we spend a week in villa high in the hills. It had a very nice pool, where the water temperature was a steady 29 Celsius, as measured by the rather rubbery turtle thermometer.

But this region was expat country, typified by the local English language newspapers our host had kindly left us in the house.

All a quite bizarre cross between the Daily Mail and the Sunday Post. I'd don't think that I'll ever understand the expat mentality - what are they looking for and what are they leaving behind?

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

A fine Castille morning, originally uploaded by ccgd.

Well I’ve been back for a few days from a rather wonderful three week trip/holiday to Spain, just Ruth and myself. Almost all the time rather distant from an Internet connection, which was both a disturbing and liberating experience. I managed one blog entry, on Apollo 11, in the middle of the holiday, but otherwise thought rather than wrote.

I did however take huge numbers of photos, so most of my time since coming home has been taken up with processing, and getting a small sample ready for printing – the annual photo album. A hundred and fifty arrived today, in Michaels post van, but I still need to get another fifty ready……

Posted by Flickr Scotland at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments