Britain (Ængland ꝛ Alba)

We did 4 day hiking of this eponymous trek in Scottish Highlands in April 2013. It was a fantastic experience. Despite the relatively low altitude as well as forestation, the Highlands can offer many unique sides - its vast valleys, and a very Northern feeling of these majestic old mountains. Also the colours are astonishing, the contrast between a picturesque sky of all shadows of blue, grey, yellow or black... with the natural tones of the greenery, flowers, rocks, soil... A weather issue must be mentioned also. The april weather was quite cold, with rain and wind, but we saw sun every day, even if it was for a 15 minutes (after whole day of rain, one enjoys this moment like never before). Plus we got soon into appreciation of the Scotch whisky. And an important positive was that in this time of the year, there aren't any infamous little flies known as midges . It's recomended as a gateway trek in Scotland, and it's worth it... Truly, a strong side of Scotland lies in the countryside. What better place to experience it than in the mountains. ... Some facts ( www.walkhighlands.co.uk ) The West Highland Way was Scotland's first long distance route and remains by far the most popular. Stretching for 151km from Milngavie on the edge of Glasgow to Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis, the route offers a fabulous introduction to the Scottish Highlands. Those wanting to add an extra days walking could even begin in the heart of Glasgow, reaching Milngavie by following the Kelvin Walkway. It offers tremendous variety, beginning in the pastoral landscapes beneath the Campsies, past the serene beauty of Loch Lomond, and on into increasingly rugged and majestic Highlands. It then crosses the vast, awe-inspiring expanse of Rannoch Moor, with a glimpse down Glencoe, before crossing the hills to lovely Loch Leven. The route finally reaches Fort William via beautiful Glen Nevis. The very keenest could continue from the town by walking the Great Glen Way, or the unofficial East Highland Way.

The Highlands lie to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, which runs from Arran to Stonehaven. This part of Scotland is largely composed of ancient rocks from the Cambrian and Precambrian periods which were uplifted during the later Caledonian Orogeny. Smaller formations of Lewisian gneiss in the northwest are up to 3 billion years old. The overlying rocks of the Torridon Sandstone form mountains in the Torridon Hills such as Liathach and Beinn Eighe in Wester Ross. These foundations are interspersed with many igneous intrusions of a more recent age, the remnants of which have formed mountain massifs such as the Cairngorms and the Cuillin of Skye. A significant exception to the above are the fossil-bearing beds of Old Red Sandstone found principally along the Moray Firth coast and partially down the Highland Boundary Fault. The Jurassic beds found in isolated locations on Skye and Applecross reflect the complex underlying geology. They are the original source of much North Sea oil. The Great Glen is formed along a transform fault which divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands. The entire region was covered by ice sheets during the Pleistocene ice ages, save perhaps for a few nunataks. The complex geomorphology includes incised valleys and lochs carved by the action of mountain streams and ice, and a topography of irregularly distributed mountains whose summits have similar heights above sea-level, but whose bases depend upon the amount of denudation to which the plateau has been subjected in various places.

The touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram was on display in the Jerwood Gallery from 17 May 2019 to 5 January 2020. Museum of the Moon, a six-metre spherical sculpture suspended from above, features high-resolution NASA imagery of the lunar surface. Allowing visitors the chance to see the far side of the Moon, the artwork will offer a new and exciting perspective of Earth’s celestial neighbour. The sculpture is accompanied by a surround-sound composition by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones.

A yellowy orange coloured leafy lichen that is one of the most common species around. The yellow chemical xanthorin is thought to be produced as a defence against UV radiation to which it is exposed in its normal habitat - cement tiled roofs, exposed twigs and branches etc. When it is growing in the shade it does not require such protection and xanthorin production stops and the lichen remains green. In or after rain, this lichen appears more greeny yellow as the algae shows through the more translucent fungus. www.naturespot.org.uk/species/xanthoria-parietina