Ballenbreich Castle by the River Tay

I like to visit this part of the country now and again. I was lucky to choose such a beautiful day.

Balmerino

I love this walk along the banks of the Tay at Balmerino. That's Dundee on the other side.

Ardtoe

A little gem in the West Highlands; so peaceful and beautiful I didn't want to leave.

Room with a View

This is the view from the window of the room where my Scrabble club meets ~ Edinburgh Castle in the evening sunshine...

Another Window

...and to the left, you can see Ramsay Garden (the white buildings), the spire of St. Columba's Church and the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall (the building with the scaffolding). The statue in the left foreground is to commemorate the Royal Scots Greys, who fought in the South African War.

Kevock Choir 40th Anniversary

The Kevock Choir was founded in 1967 by Alex Elrick MBE , and conducted by him for many years. A garden party to celebrate the anniversary was held in the grounds of Prestonhall, home of one of our members. The photo shows a highlight of the day, when past and present choir members joined together to sing All in the April Evening and Shenandoah, under the direction of our present conductor, Graham Lovett; a memory to treasure, along with the many others the Kevock Choir has given us over the years.

Two days after this happy celebration, Alex Elrick died, having been ill for some time. Alex, I'm sure you'll soon have the heavenly choir sounding better than it ever has before.

Peebles

Peebles, in the Scottish Borders, takes its name from the Celtic word, pebyll, meaning tent or rough shelter. It's a bit more sophisticated now, but you can still pitch your tent at one of the campsites in the area.

Tweed Bridge

Peebles stands on the River Tweed, which is popular with salmon fishers.

(I sound like a geography book!)

On the Banks of the Tweed

A perfect place to rest awhile on a bench and admire the view.

Caerketton

Caerketton is first in the Pentland Hills range, on Edinburgh's doorstep. This hill says home to me. It can be seen from many places in and around my town; its image is firmly fixed in my inner eye.

Glencorse Reservoir

A short drive from home and I can be in the Pentland Hills, soaking up the peace and tranquillity and enjoying views like this.

North Berwick

North Berwick is a pleasant seaside town, twenty five miles east of Edinburgh. There are long stretches of clean, sandy beaches, making the town a popular choice for family holidays.

Bass Rock

The Bass Rock, seen here, one and a half miles offshore, is home to 80 000 gannets, as well as puffins, guillemots and gulls. They can be observed at close quarters, through the remotely controlled cameras at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.

Durness

This is Smoo Bay, near Durness in the north west corner of Scotland.

John Lennon spent childhood holidays at a croft in Durness. He revisited the area in 1969 with Yoko Ono and their children.

John Lennon Memorial

The John Lennon Memorial in Durness Community Garden has some of the lyrics from "In my Life" carved on its stones.

There are places I'll remember

All my life .........

....All these places had their moments

With lovers and friends
Some are dead and some are living

In my life, I've loved them all

Eilean Donan Castle

This castle is not as old as it looks; it's a reconstruction of an earlier building. It is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, and often appears on calendars, usually in bright sunshine, under blue skies; but I like this moodier view.

Gathering Storm

Another moody picture. This was taken at Connel Bridge, north of Oban, looking out over Ardmucknish Bay. You can just see snow on the distant mountains.

A New Start

Welcome to my new blog. The three photos below were on my old blog. I'll be posting new ones regularly. Hope you'll drop in from time to time.

River Isla at Rothiemay

Sunset over Jura

Off the beaten track in Argyll