Herb Riddle's photos

A quick return to my August 2020 trip to the Lake District with this one. A miserable day for walking but these scenes take my attention. Always funny to see these fences going way into the lake. I imagine that a cow could easily wade or swam around it but… Fells: Grasmoor (852m) on the left, with Rannerdale Knots (355m) on the right. Enjoy full size. Have a great weekend.

Back in Kirkby Lonsdale we take a look at this famous view. “Feast your eyes on a breathtaking panorama of the Lune Valley and Underley Hall – the famous, heavenly Ruskin’s View. This scene was painted by the artist JMW Turner in 1822 and the picture so impressed the 19th century art critic, social theorist, painter and poet John Ruskin, that he wrote: ‘I do not know in all my country, still less in France or Italy, a place more naturally divine.’ In 1875, Ruskin described the panorama as ‘one of the loveliest views in England, therefore in the world’.” www.exploresouthlakeland.co.uk To approach this view, one walks through the grounds of the beautiful Norman Church of St Mary the Virgin. See PiP Enjoy full screen.

The Norman Kirkby Lonsdale Parish Church of St Mary's. 11/12th century. See Toz's great example for more info: www.ipernity.com/doc/2405228/50955266

Our walk continues to our parked car near the bridge and Ford. The wooded area on the left is Barbon Manor woodland alongside Barbon Beck. It has stopped raining at least but it still looks dicey with these dark clouds. At least a window of light lightens up the hillside for this phot. See PiP or our final destination. Enjoy full screen.

A rather artistic view as we get to our half way point of this round walk in very wet conditions. We arrive at the village church built in 1892 near the older original, so in some ways it is quite modern. Our return way is along the narrow lane you see going up from the left and this takes us back to our car parked just beyond the footbridge having completed our little circle of around four miles (6.5km). See PiP. Enjoy full screen.

We are back in Cumbria/South Lake District, so come along on an adventure along Barbon Beck through the woodlands of Barbon Manor. Along the hill sides we have new tree plants with foxgloves too. Yes the world is alive today, soon we will come to the church of Barbon village. See PiP for another connection. Keep safe. Herb

You are now at Alltan'abrahan, just north of Achmelvich, by the old ruined grain mill. There are several old mill stones around the building, which were turned by means of a horizontal paddle. It is hard to imagine in this most inhospitable place that there must have been lots of people walking here with sacks of wheat over their shoulders to have their grain milled. In the early 18 hundreds, John McCloud , the mill owner, only wanted the hardest grinding stones he could get for his mill, so he found the granite stone he wanted on the slopes of Suilven (see Pip). From there he transported the cut blocks to the little harbour of Loch Inver where he shaped them into these wheels, then he transported the finished products by row-boat to this small valley some five miles (8km) north. See PiPs Enjoy full size.

We are now at Alltan'abrahan, just north of Achmelvich

As we take a walk above and away from the beautiful Achmelvich Bay we get views like this. The sandy bay can just about be seen. (see Pip) These are typical Highland homes but many nowadays are occupied by folk like us, ie holiday makers. We are looking south here. Best full screen.

We see here the same view showing the predominant peaks around here. The first grey picture was taken on the way up to our final destination at Lochinver, this second, quite different, was taken on our way back to the south of Scotland (Stirling) after a week, both showing Scotland as seen in different conditions. We are looking north west from near Strathcanaird towards the Coigach area with Stac Pollaidh taking centre stage. See adjacent photo for full size alternative view. Enjoy full size. HFF. Have a great weekend. Herb

We see here the view showing the predominant peaks around here. This first grey picture was taken on the way up to our final destination at Lochinver, the second, quite different, was taken on our way back to the south of Scotland (Stirling) after a week, both showing Scotland as seen in different conditions. We are looking north west from near Strathcanaird towards the Coigach area with Stac Pollaidh taking centre stage. See adjacent photo for full size alternative view. Enjoy full size. Have a great weekend. Herb

A rather nice and rare night showing both the waning gibbous moon and stars too. A bit of trickery had to take place here to display it like this though. Some minutes later, light cloud came again to obscure this scene. Taken from my garden. Enjoy full size,

Enjoy with me this breathtaking, beautiful beach along the highlands coast in the Sutherland region of Scotland. My idea of paradise with pure golden sand, clean cool water and scenery inhabited only by birds and rabbits. Not a footprint or unnatural sound to spoil the magic. Enjoy full size.

As we leave The Falls of Kirkaig, I look back further up the valley and see this spectacular scene through my long lens. In reality it was only a mile or so further up the path to get to see its foot and a nice lake too but we didn’t! as it was only supposed to be a short morning walk and we had brought nothing to eat nor drink for an extended walk. Pity! ...Townies!! Suilven: is a mountain in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs, and lochans known as the Inverpolly National Nature Reserve. Suilven forms a steep-sided ridge some 2 kilometres in length. Wikipedia It is in the list of Marilyns and ranked No.561 by height at 731m in the Database of British and Irish Hills. Enjoy full screen. Herb

The Falls of Kirkaig is a wonderfully scenic waterfall on the River Kirkaig, south of Lochinver. This is about two miles away along a wonderful track from the little beach of Kirkaig where we saw deer as we traversed up the glen. In the distance as we walked up, we were tantalised by snatches of views to that wonderful mountain: Suilven. (see PiPs). Enjoy full screen. Herb

An opportunity at last to share the second week of my fortnight in Scotland during May. The area here known as Assynt, lies on the far North West corner of Scotland. This is our local stony beach which we were to see every day for a week in different conditions. Our own wooden holiday chalet sits just behind this closest white building with our garden running to the rocky shoreline seen here. This seat was a pleasure to sit on, watching different waders, birds, sheep and even wild deer. The weather today was typical of the week. Enjoy full screen and have a good week.

Definition: a holiday spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. As we park at the local carpark we chance to see this wonderful expansive beach full of people taking a staycation. We are at Lligwy Beach here on the north coast of Anglesey, Wales. It’s been a while since we have seen beaches full like this. Anglesey is a popular place for families from Cheshire and Lancashire to visit. Our walk continues far from the maddening crowd. Enjoy full screen.

A square tower erected in 1853, is the fourth on this site, the first probably in 1817. It has original fine, but battered, ashlar masonry to a height of 4.6 metres (15ft), the present lantern was added on top at a later date. The light was discontinued in 1973. Two short piers at Amlwch were built following a private Act of Parliament of 1743, when the harbour was improved. Two octagonal houses with small lanterns, protruding from the roof, were added. They were described in the New Seaman’s Guide as "small white houses displaying lights at night". In 1816 an outer pier, about 46 metres (151ft) long, was built to give shipping extra protection inside the harbour. In 1817, a small lighthouse with a light 8.5 metres (28ft) above high water mark was built, subsequently replaced with the present lighthouse. There are, like many, variations to this story, some say it was built in 1853, others sources including Findlay's 1879 list say the building is the 1817 original. The drydock and lighthouse on the small creek at Amlwch once served the shipping of one of the largest copper mines in Europe, located at Parys Mountain. The significance of the early copper-exporting port at Amlwch makes the lighthouse part of a heritage site of international importance. (http://www.photographers-resource.co.uk/) See Pips for alternative view and harbour.