Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

Tag: whin

  • Dùn Glas

    Dùn Glas

    Exploring the coast north of Helmsdale, part of the John o’Groats Trail from Inverness to John o’Groats. It’s not yet a National Trail and is partially but not consistently waymarked. One thing that is particularly noticeable at this time of the year is the yellow gorse, or whin. Large swathes of it colour the hillside.…

  • On Cliff Rigg

    On Cliff Rigg

    An end of the afternoon dog walk up Cliff Rigg, part of the Cleveland Dyke, an igneous intrusion formed 56 million years ago that withstood the forces of the glaciers. In the distance is Capt. Cook’s Monument on Easby Moor, and the Cleveland Hills, but the air is filled with the coconut scent of the…

  • Great Ayton from Cliff Rigg

    Great Ayton from Cliff Rigg

    An early wander with the dog up Cliff Rigg. Fog creeping up from the Tees Valley, its duvet not quite reaching the village. In an hour’s time, there’ll be sufficient heat in the sun for it to dissipate. Open Space Web-Map builder Code

  • When the gorse is out of bloom, kissing’s out of fashion

    When the gorse is out of bloom, kissing’s out of fashion

    So you can breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, you can find the yellow flowers of the thorny gorse shrub all year round thriving on poor acidic soils. It is an evergreen member of the pea family with small coconut-scented flowers which are edible and used in salads. They make a nice cup of…