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Saturday 26 November 2016

Photo slideshow of a visit to the Isle of Arran, Scotland.

This is a few of the images I took on the Isle of Arran whilst on holiday. These are just something to relax and enjoy. As always, I will not add a comment on an image if it really doesn't need one.

Goatfell, the highest peak on Arran


Sunrise at 5 am from our front room 
window, looking across Brodick Bay

Brodick bay is used as a safe harbour by small ships, even small tankers. There was a great variety of craft stopping over for one to three nights.

A three mast ship in Brodick Bay,
taken from out window again

Safe harbour Brodick Bay

Brodick castle from across the bay

Herring gull, the red spot on it's bill
is a target area for the young gulls.
They tap it with their beaks and 
the parent feeds them.

Herring gull bathing. Note the 
water running down it's back

This sad photo was taken only a few 
hundred yards from the harbour

The Waverley coming into harbour.
It's the last paddle steamer in the world.
The Caledonian Island, the bigger of the 
two ferries, in the background.
It docked in at Arran on my birthday, 
what a treat it was for me.

A Moon Jellyfish found at Whiting Bay

Sea Carrot  - Daucus carota subsp. 
Gummifer. Whiting Bay

From Lamlash looking to Holy Island 
on the left. It is now owned by Buddhist 
monks. The island is open to visitors


Now I'll show a few of the tropical palms in Brodick castle gardens. one of it's past owners collected plants from all over the world. Palm trees grow well on Arran, as it's on the Gulf Stream, and therefore has a mild climate. Palms were growing in every part of Arran we visited.





A crow in Brodick castle

Hoverfly unknown type, 
on a tropical flower in 
Brodick castle grounds

Scots Pine - castle grounds

Now for the SalmonberryRubus spectabilis, it's also known as the Arran Raspberry. It is cultivated in the Western Isles for its ornamental pink flowers. The plant has escaped and widely colonised the castle grounds in Stornoway. It is becoming a pest. It came from North America and the The North American Indians eat the fruit if they have eaten too much salmon. Apparently, it doesn't have a lot of flavour.

This is not a great photo but I needed to show it. I took several shots, it was in a difficult place to get to. The plant was near the roadside by Arran Aromatics. 

A salmonberry - Rubus spectabilis

Finally, I have prepared a slideshow of Arran photos, one or two are shown above. I'm sorry about that but slideshow was prepared a while ago. The video runs for about 4 minutes and 40 seconds. I hope you enjoy it. Turn your monitor speakers on. I've added some Baroque music, it is Charpentier's - Marche de Triomphe. One or two photos in it are shown above too.


A short look at Arran.

I hope some of you are inspired to visit Arran. We loved it and will be going back. 

My next post, hopefully soon, will be on some of my recent artwork.

Have fun,  
Gordon.