Tag: coast
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It’s good to see blue skies after the grey of the last few days
This is the sands at Redcar. A few years after the turn of the 19th-century Redcar, with the exception of Scarborough, was described as “the most extensively patronised seaside resort on the N.E. coast.” An old Redcar woman, Mrs. Diana Carter, had begun providing the first bathing machines at Redcar in about 1802. Six years…
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Caolas nan Gall
Portnahaven and Port Wemyss are two fishing villages on the south-western tip of the island of Islay. They are protected from the Atlantic rollers by the islands of Orsay and Eilean an Mhic Coinnich. We arrived on a falling tide, with waves breaking in the Caolas nan Gall, the narrows which separates the islands, and…
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Siccar Point and The Father of Geology
In 1788, 62 year old Dr. James Hutton, physician, merchant, local farmer and self-taught geologist set out by boat for Siccar Point. He was accompanied by his friends, Sir James Hall and John Playfair. Hutton was in search of an ‘unconformity‘ which he thought would prove his revolutionary theory that the earth was millions of…
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Seacliff Harbour with Tantallon Castle in the background
Reputedly the smallest harbour in Britain, although it is hard to imagine anything smaller. It was built in 1890 by Andrew Laidlay, the laird of Seacliff, the grandest baronial mansion built on the cliff overlooking the bay. The family fortune came from the manufacture of indigo in Calcutta. Laidlay was killed in 1907 when Seacliff…
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St. Abb’s village
Named after the Headland, so familiar to listeners of the shipping forecast, which is named after the 7th-century, monastery which, in turn, is named after its founder, Aebbe. Aebbe was a Royal princess, born to Aethelfrid, King of Northumbria. She was an Angle, and to use modern parlance, probably a 2nd generation immigrant from Southern…
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Skinningrove Jetty
The old jetty at Skinningrove dominates the uncommercialised Cattersty Sands. It was built in the 1870s when the first two blast furnaces were built on the hill overlooking the little fishing village of Skinningrove. Later the works were enlarged to include five blast furnaces, with four in continuous operation. At this time the iron-smelting industry…
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Howick Haven
One of the many small sandy bays along this stretch of the Northumbrian coast between Boulmer and Caistor. At the turn of this century, an amateur archaeologist spotted some worked flints protruding out of an eroded sandy cliff just beyond the far side of the bay. He reported the finds to Newcastle University who investigated…
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An Dùn
Another section of the John o’Groats Trail completed. I’ve done a fair few now. This coastline north of Helmsdale really is superb . And another ‘fort’; or is it? About the only evidence this promontory with a narrow sea arch under its neck is indeed a fort, is its name ‘An Dùn’, which means in…
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Eynhallow Sound from Rousay
A view of Eynhallow Sound from Knowe of Yarso on the island of Rousay. Midway is the southern tip of Eynhallow and in the distance is Costa Hill with the grand height of 151 metres. Sited on a glacial shelf, the Knowe of Yarso is a chambered cairn about 5,000 years old which was found…
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A pluviose start to the day.
But it turned out nice in the end.And there’s a couple of seals in the bay.But neither are wearing an orange swimming hat. But neither are wearing an orange swimming hat. One thing I was very uneasy with is the number of spring traps throughout the island. They seem to be everywhere, I counted three on our 3km walk down to the…