StoneRoad2013's photos with the keyword: Scottish Interlude

The Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick. This was extensively refurbished - with a new, interactive, discovery centre in 2019, and this was my first visit since then. www.seabird.org en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Seabird_Centre The seated seabird is, I think, an arctic tern, judging by the profile, especially the tail. [Sterna paradisaea - and probably the most travelled of migrating birds] Although, given the Bass Rock in the background I was expecting it to be a gannet or a kittiwake.

There's a hole in my harbour, dear lizza, there's a hole ! Thanks to "Storm Ciarán" around 30th October 2023, the 400 year old sea-defences / harbour wall have a 16ft wide hole. Funding is being sought to make repairs and arrangements are being made, by moving boats, for example. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-67259624

Fairly comprehensive, if brief, discussion of the history of the Union Chain Bridge, and the innovations Captain Samuel Brown introduced to bridge-building.

Abutment / chain anchorage on the south [English} bank. The seated statue on the left is the bridge's designer, a Royal Navy Captain, Samuel Brown. Although John Rennie was responsible for the stonework. There was a toll booth in the form of a small, two room cottage against the base of this structure. Tolls were payable between 1820 and 1888. Since the cottage was demolished in the 1950s, the layout is indicted by different coloured paving. Note: the stone width markers ! despite having been open for only four months or so, there are several gouges already. Also, only one car is allowed on the bridge at a time ...

The original [1820] bronze dedication plaque for the Union Chain Bridge. Placed on the repaired abutment / tower / chain anchor located on the English bank.

The restored Union Chain Bridge has been awarded a number of accolades. Apart from the Scottish Cat A and English Grade I listings ... This plaque, dedicated in July 2020, acknowledges the bridge as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. And in July 2023, The American Society of Civil Engineers gave their own award, listing the bridge as an Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. E2A --- 18 July 2024 --- New Civil Engineer Bridge Awards, the Union Bridge won the Historic Bridges Project part of the Bridge Awards Section for the Spencer Group, against some very strong competition. bridges.newcivilengineer.com/2024/en/page/historic-bridge-project-of-the-year-2024

Statue representing the modern civil engineers involved in the Union Bridge's restoration, well dressed in her PPE, she stands on the Scottish side, looking towards the bridge.

Slightly lower down is this temporary sign as an information display.

High up on the wall by the Harbourmaster's Office is the North Berwick Harbour Barometer. It was installed circa 1950 by NH Butterworth, the Commodore of the East Lothian Yacht Club, and restored in 2021 by the Harbour Trust. [see next image for more details - from the info display]

Part of the St Andrew's Old Kirk with some interesting information panels [the rest is visible only as the lowest courses of the walls]. The Kirk was ruined after a storm in 1656 swept the entire eastern section into the sea. This is on the same headland as the seabird centre. www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/northberwick/standrewsoldkirk/index.html

Bass Rock, from East Bay, North Berwick. One of the more significant gannet breeding colonies. Maybe, sometime soon & in good weather, I'll get a boat trip around the rock. [Geologically, it's a volcanic plug ...] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Rock The little white dot on the right of the island is the Lighthouse [Built & designed by David Stevenson in 1902 using locally available stone from demolishing the castle keep & other buildings, and gas lit until it was automated in 1988] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Rock_Lighthouse

Bronze statue of a bird watcher [twitcher] gazing through binoculars at Bass Rock in the distance, erected in 2014. In the breeding season, this rock hosted an enormous colony of gannets [Sula bassana] and other nesting seabirds. Sadly, avian flu, pollution and climate change [reduction in sand eels] have reduced the gannet numbers by around a third in the past few years [from 2019 - before covid - and this year, 2023]. The only bright news is that the gannet numbers are recovering slightly, and some birds appear to have developed a degree of immunity - their eyes have very dark blue or black iris].

The Chain Bridge is just four miles upstream from Berwick upon Tweed, as seen from the south west. Originally built in 1820 as largely designed by a Royal Navy Caption Samuel Brown, when opened it was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge [ at 449 feet / 137m]. It is currently listed "Cat 'A'" and is on several other historic landmark registers. It was reopened in April 2023 after a lengthy and expensive restoration, and is now the oldest bridge still open to vehicles, with weight & width restrictions. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Chain_Bridge

This is the 1900 Lifeboat Station [?on the site of the 1860 lifeboat house?], refurbished and updated in 1991. Behind me and to the left, these yellow box markings lead to the lifeboat launching slipway [currently - Oct/Nov 2023 to early 2024 - under reconstruction, so the RNLI are using the slipway by the Harbourmaster's Office - good luck with that, the approach route had got two builder's vans in it at the time I took this image !] A little to my right behind me and you'll find the RNLI shop. From 1967 to 2013, the ILB here was "Blue Peter III" ... there were five of these ILBs, and collectively they were used to rescue 277 people. Since 1860, when the station was first established, three RNLI Gallantry awards and three GOLD Blue Peter Badges have been awarded to crew members. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Berwick_Lifeboat_Station

Approaching the central section of the Kincardine Bridge, from the north. The Kincardine Bridge --- Listed as "Category A" in 2005. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kincardine_Bridge - Built in 1932. sadly, the central swinging section hasn't turned since 1988. In 2023 the southern approach viaduct is under repair.

Kincardine Bridge, from the Northern approach viaduct ie Kincardine. The Kincardine Bridge --- Listed as "Category A" in 2005. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kincardine_Bridge - Built in 1932. sadly, the central swinging section hasn't turned since 1988. In 2023 the southern approach viaduct is under repair.

Kincardine Bridge, from the south west. The Kincardine Bridge --- Listed as "Category A" in 2005. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kincardine_Bridge - Built in 1932. sadly, the central swinging section hasn't turned since 1988. In 2023 the southern approach viaduct is under repair.