Second update from Scotland

WARNING  WARNING . .. . . . . . too many pictures in this post......

....since I last posted 3 months ago, it got colder, almost-but-not-quite snowed for Christmas and New Year came and went amid a flurry of resolutions for the new year. A wonderful week was spent in Edinburgh (one of my favourite cities), embarked on many day trips and local hikes, chased abandoned castles and mansions and just recently returned from The Highlands where the sun shone for the entire week, no-one could believe it! Especially in the middle of winter - it was wonderful!  I have not missed my aussie summer in the tropics at all!
And in a few short days we'll be heading off down into England for a few days.
Only 6 weeks until I return to Australia.

enjoy some of the highlights of the past 3 months....
January

beautiful hikes and lochs and trails

in all kinds of weather

some views are more breathtaking than others

with every ruin worth exploring

always something interesting to see from Scotland's roads

rugged and beautiful coastlines

bridges and burns galore

old established estate gardens to enjoy

seashell pathways

drystone walls snake all over Scotland's landscape and I love them

red reminders of the past, I'm surprised to see them at almost every turn

the thrill of bird hides and bird watching

chasing sunrises even when it's freezing

17th Jan and the first real snows arrive in the south west

taking a hike is mandatory

disused farm buildings are everywhere

 a little taphophilia most weeks

disused doo'cot

I fell in love with Scotland's harbourside villages

a wonderful pastime abandoned mansion hunting - Barnbarroch House

from the back after slashing our way through the growth

follow any path and it will take you to something, usually amazing

 like this...

get out and explore every bridge, they all have a story

February - Edinburgh bound - stop, let the guys sort it out

no winners or losers - a stand-off

...the amazing, awesome Dalveen Pass

taken from atop Calton Hill, Edinburgh

 inside St Giles

really loved Holyroodhouse with its attached abbey ruins

the lady of the house wasn't in today and disappointingly didn't invite me to tea

...when in Edinburgh a day trip to visit Britannia and the Forth Rail Bridge is a must

perhaps if I sang they would bring me my supper

 Edinburgh Castle's offerings - a full day is needed here..... don't rush

overlooking part of the city from the Castle

this establishment was ..... unexpected ..... the cat's rule for sure!

cake please?    just forget the rules for a minute ok?

a few crumbs would do if you don't mind - no-one's watching

so many great pubs to have a rest and some nourishment 

such a sad tale .... almost too much for me

departing Edinburgh the next day it was a wild and windy drive home

passing Glasgow (still on the to-do list)

we took the scenic way home along the coast and things were pretty wild

February
a beautiful day and a nice circuit walk around the village and a peek at what was going on at the local cattle mart... some ladies were being tidied ready for the lambing season I'd say

much tidier

viaducts - amazing feats of engineering

time to soak up some more glorious countryside and hunt down the elusive Kenmure Castle

home via beautiful Loch Ken

just love these bridges

lots of waterfalls but my camera doesn't pick them up very well at all - time for a new one?!

lovely Kirkdale Estate, its gardens and old walled garden - open for Snowdrop Festival

and a working mill nearby 

more bridges - of course

taphophilia strikes often

time for a jolly good hike in the forestry
...loch frozen over - it was freezing!

always bring the essentials - hot coffee and strawberries and pretend your hands aren't frozen

a more recent hike through Glenshalloch

and another hike the next day - just park up and climb a hill!

the views from the top are always amazing

and a couple of days later another gorgeous local hike

meeting up with previous 'blog friend' now personal friend 'Nellies' from the Netherlands who I first met via her fabulous NYC blog when living there. Some of you may have been followers of her blog as well. Isn't it amazing when 'blog world' becomes 'real world'.
The whole weekend she was here we had TWO ONLY HOURS of sunshine. 

.....human sheep magnets

I'm still editing photos from our trip into The Highlands so stay tuned for a 'special', but in the meantime . . . . . 

HAPPY BLOGGING

from spring-has-sprung Scotland