Month: September 2020
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Tayvallich
A dreich day so didn’t venture far. Tayvallich is a community overlooking the natural harbour of Loch a’ Bhealaich in Knapdale, Argyll. I find the learning of the pronunciation of Gaelic names is a slow process, Tayvallich is Taigh a’ Bhealaich in Gaelic and gives good hints. I just need to remember them. The name…
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Ben Arthur/The Cobbler
At 884m high, Ben Arthur, familiarly known as The Cobbler, is only a Corbett but is a cracking hill. It is one of a group of hills known as the Arrochar Alps: The Cobbler, and the Munros Beinn Narnaim and Beinn Ime. I believe technically The Cobbler refers to the central peak and Ben Arthur…
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Hillend Iron Age Hill Fort
Caerketton Hill is on the north-eastern end of the Pentland Hills outside of Edinburgh. With its dry ski slope, it dominates the view from the Edinburgh bypass. About halfway up is a distinctive knoll that is the site of an Iron Age hill fort. It takes its name from the small hamlet at the foot…
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Percy Rigg Hut Circles
It’s been at least three years since I posted a photo of the Iron Age hut circles at Percy Rigg. This is a group of five circular huts, one of which can be seen in the photo, although not all would have been in use at the same time. The occupants were farmers, probably living…
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Dry hedging in Newton Wood
A tiring day in Newton Wood on the main route up Roseberry making some dry hedges from cut sycamore saplings. Dry hedges are basically a wall of branches weaved between stakes. They provide good habitat for all small mammals and insects but the primary aim for these hedges is to encourage visitors not to wander…
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Westerdale and Crown End
Westerdale, as the name suggests is the westernmost dale of the valley of the River Esk, although why Westerdale and not just Eskdale is lost to time. It’s a dale which has escaped the 19th-century mineral extraction of other valleys. There was some jet mining but this was mostly small scale and has not left…
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Roseberry from Ryston Bank
September, the meteorologists say we are now into autumn, the ‘back-end‘ of the year when mornings are that bit chillier and trees show signs of taking on their russet hues. In Macbeth, Shakespeare referred to the season as ‘sear‘. The King laments he is in the autumn of his life, he is cursed and will…
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Far House
A long-abandoned farmstead on the west bank of the River Rye, in the manor of Arden. It was last occupied in the 1930s. Although, it is named as Far House on the oldest Ordnance Survey maps the farm has been identified as previously being called Paddock Wath, a name which Bill Cowley records was still…