Monday, 4 October 2010
Balloch Castle B&W
A slightly better day weather wise at Balloch Castle today to say the least It's an eleven-sided curtain-walled castle one of the finest and best preserved examples in the country. Originally sighted on an island at the southern end of Loch Doon hewn from blocks of ashlar that have stood the test of time sinse the 13th century and part of the Earls of Carrick lands ie Robert the Bruce
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Friday, 1 October 2010
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Carrick Lane
Lane what lane?? Hereabouts a lane is also a small river burn confusing to some. The Whitespout Lane and the Eglin Lane flow and combine to make what you see here the Carrick Lane that runs into Loch Doon at the southern end of the Loch.
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Monday, 27 September 2010
Through The Brambles
I could hear this small waterfall but trying to get to it was tricky the first three attempts were blocked and failed. Eventually after following a sheep trail through gorse and down a steep slope I managed to get to it. A 30sec exposure taken at 2pm in bright sunshine not a cloud in the sky with just a polariser and an ND4 @f/9.5.... yes it was that dark and gloomy down in there!
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Friday, 24 September 2010
Tomb With a View and the Crimea
Graveyard.... founded by the Earl of Carrick in 1193 around the time when William I 'the Lion', King of Scotland was about, he who founded the Auld Alliance with France, unfortunately he was captured at Alnwick and forced to acknowledge Henry II as Scotland's overlord in 1174.
I digress back to the graveyard, Kirkbride it's pertinents was granted to the convent of Cistercian nuns at North Berwick in whose possession it remained until the Reformation.
As to one of the occupants below this cold stone he was in the Scots Greys and participated in the charge of the heavy brigade (yes heavy not light) at Balaclava. We have all heard of the charge of the light brigade at Balaclava technically a military disaster, less so the charge of the heavy brigade a success, under no less difficult circumstances/odds.
Lord Tennyson who wrote a his more famous poem about the charge of the light brigade also wrote a lesser known poem about the charge of the heavy brigade.
Here's a wee snippet from the poem.... the full version can be found HERE
"The charge of the gallant three hundred, the Heavy Brigade!"
Down the hill, down the hill, thousands of Russians,
Thousands of horsemen, drew to the valley - and stay'd;
For Scarlett and Scarlett's three hundred were riding by
When the points of the Russian lances arose in the sky;
And he call'd "Left wheel into line!" and they wheel'd and obeyed.
Then he looked at the host that had halted he knew not why,
And he turn'd half round and he bad his trumpeter sound
To the charge, and he rode on ahead, as he waved his blade
To the gallant three hundred whose glory will never die-
"Follow", and up the hill, up the hill, up the hill,
Follow'd the Heavy Brigade.
I digress back to the graveyard, Kirkbride it's pertinents was granted to the convent of Cistercian nuns at North Berwick in whose possession it remained until the Reformation.
As to one of the occupants below this cold stone he was in the Scots Greys and participated in the charge of the heavy brigade (yes heavy not light) at Balaclava. We have all heard of the charge of the light brigade at Balaclava technically a military disaster, less so the charge of the heavy brigade a success, under no less difficult circumstances/odds.
Lord Tennyson who wrote a his more famous poem about the charge of the light brigade also wrote a lesser known poem about the charge of the heavy brigade.
Here's a wee snippet from the poem.... the full version can be found HERE
"The charge of the gallant three hundred, the Heavy Brigade!"
Down the hill, down the hill, thousands of Russians,
Thousands of horsemen, drew to the valley - and stay'd;
For Scarlett and Scarlett's three hundred were riding by
When the points of the Russian lances arose in the sky;
And he call'd "Left wheel into line!" and they wheel'd and obeyed.
Then he looked at the host that had halted he knew not why,
And he turn'd half round and he bad his trumpeter sound
To the charge, and he rode on ahead, as he waved his blade
To the gallant three hundred whose glory will never die-
"Follow", and up the hill, up the hill, up the hill,
Follow'd the Heavy Brigade.
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Behind Twisted Oaks 2
The last shot from Hermitage down in the borders. In October 1566 it was visited by Mary Queen of Scots, when she heard the Earl Of Bothwell who held the castle at that time was injured in a fight with border reivers. She rode the 25 miles from Jedburgh to be with him. As she was still married to Lord Darnley she could not stay at Hermitage with the Earl of Bothwell so after a short two hours she returned the 25 miles back to Jedburgh, en route she stumbled into a bog (marsh) and contracted "man flu" (a cold) from which she nearly died. click pic to bigger it
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Behind Twisted Oaks
Just couldn't get a decent angle to include the river and the castle to show Hermitage castle to it's best because of the trees. Some brutal architecture in a brutal landscape miles from anywhere (let me tell you!!) created for brutal times in the heart of wild border country, the Scottish borders.
Originally built around 1240, firstly just a wooden Norman Mott and Bailey castle later built in stone around 1371 to 1390
As this shot was taken in the harsh light of the early afternoon I wasn't to happy with the resultant blue-green casts in the colour version. Even after some colour correction I still thought there was to much of a green cast, so it called for a B&W conversion! Using a simple blend of the red and green channels. I posted both for comparison but it's the B&W for me... click pics to bigger them :)
Originally built around 1240, firstly just a wooden Norman Mott and Bailey castle later built in stone around 1371 to 1390
As this shot was taken in the harsh light of the early afternoon I wasn't to happy with the resultant blue-green casts in the colour version. Even after some colour correction I still thought there was to much of a green cast, so it called for a B&W conversion! Using a simple blend of the red and green channels. I posted both for comparison but it's the B&W for me... click pics to bigger them :)
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