A resort on the outskirts of Rishikesh - Facebook post

A resort on the outskirts of Rishikesh - Facebook post

A resort on the outskirts of Rishikesh, in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. These resorts, with their permanent tents, on concrete bases, make for a confortable stay. During summer, the weather here is more comfortable, and it gets bracing during the onset of winter. Good to go here in a group. Not seen in the photo, but most of these resorts are near the shores of small mountain streams, since that gives the place a great presence and makes it much more attractive for visitors. However, there is a danger that with sudden rains, these shallow streams collect a huge amount of water and overflow quickly.  #Rishikesh
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Foggy winter morning - Prints on Saatchiart

Foggy winter morning - Prints on Saatchiart 

A foggy winter morning, with mist obscuring the details in the distance. This is at a heritage site (most likely Machu Picchu), where a group of visitors are climbing up an ancient stone paved path, the years having caused damage to the path with the setting between the stones having become uneven, and in some cases, the stones themselves have come off and are no longer to be seen. This is high on the hillside, and cold and damp are a constant presence, leading to a large amount of moss everywhere. This site witnesses a huge number of visitors every year, and is very popular on the tourist circuit.
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Boat full of visitors in Belgium - Saatchiart

Boat full of visitors in Belgium - Saatchiart 

A boat full of visitors on a river tour in Belgium. Tourism is a great economic factor in the progress of a region, since it provides the local economy boost through the boost to local hotels and lodging, shops, the food and drinks industry, as well as those who act as guides to the tourists. The river tours are a big draw here, since they let tourists travel on a easy circuit, avoiding road traffic and getting a view of the architecture and other attractions on the route. Most cities that have rivers or other such water streams passing through their cities or other tourist draws develop the facilities that allow river tourism to attract a number of tourists.
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Visitors at 2 different castles in Scotland

The castles in Scotland have a great infrastructure in terms of visitors entry, facilities for visitors, ticketed entry, and so on. There are provisions for food and drink, well maintained outdoors (even though the actual castle building may be in ruins). The overall effect can be very beautiful. Some of the most famous castles in Scotland are Edinburgh and Stirling Castle, but there are other castles that also attract a large number of visitors, also because of their setting. A couple of such castles are the Eilean Donan Castle and the Urquhart Castle, both on the shores of Lochs and with an overall beautiful setting.

Tourists at Urquhart Castle in Scotland (More Photos / Prints)

Visitors at the view point near Urquhart Castle. The castle is located on the shore of Loch Ness, and it is a big complex. There is a visitor entry right at the highway, and once you have crossed the visitor's entry, there is this viewing platform (where there is also a telescope that be used for getting a closer look at the ruins of the castle) from where you can get a great view of the castle, the lake, and the mountains at the other end of the Loch. In the photo, one can see many tourists using the same location to get a great view of the entire castle and the background.

Eilean Donan Castle and visitor entry outside the castle (View more photos)

The beautiful entrance to the Eilean Donan Castle on the shore of Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands. The Eilean Donan Castle is connected to the mainland by a small bridge, a small portion of which can be seen in the photo. Right before the gates of the castle (and before the bridge) is the visitor entry gate, where tickets are checked. Right outside the gates are some benches and a sitting area, and one can see some visitors sitting on these benches - these are some beautiful locations to relax and enjoy.

The imposing structure of the Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands

Structure of the Eilean Donan Castle in front with a dry part of the lake (More photos at this link)

A view of the historic Eilean Donan Castle, located on a small island (which has the same name), located in Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands. The castle was in the thick of many uprisings and other battles till it was finally overrun and destroyed in 1719. The current structure and the bridge were reconstructed in the early part of the 20th century with the same feel as the older building, and now is one of the most famous castles in Scotland (having appeared in many movies as well) and has been photographed a huge number of times. Right in front of the castle is a Scottish Flag, called the Saltire.

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The Eilean Donan Castle along with the stone bridge in front with a dry part of the lake (More photos here)

A view of the entire Eilean Donan Castle (located on its own island) along with the bridge connecting the castle to the mainland. The part of the lake surrounding the island is dry, and one can see the dry portion of the lake with no growth on the lake bed (for land under the lake, if it is only dry for some time, then there can be very little growth on such land). There was light coming from the clouds, with the light seemingly projecting onto the entire setting).

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Tourists trying to get a vantage view of the Eilean Doonan Castle in Scotland (More photos at this link)

Tourists on a vantage point near the Eilean Donan Castle. The Castle is located close to the Isle of Skye, and is an exceedingly beautiful castle. These rocks provide a great side view of the castle, and these visitors were having a great vantage view.

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Tourists at the Stirling Castle in Scotland

Tourists inside the Stirling Castle in Scotland near the entrance gate (photo sizes and more photos)

The Stirling Castle in Scotland, located near the town of Stirling, is one of the most important marks of the Scottish medieval ages history, the time when there were constant skirmishes between the Scots and the English (which ended when they got a common king in 1603, and then they were merged around a hundred years later). Close by, one a bridge over the Stirling river, one of the important battles of this fight for retaining their independence was fought, celebrated in the movie "Braveheart".
This is a photo near the entrance to the castle, and if you look through the entrance, you can see the gardens and even a hint of the river at lower levels (like most castles), the Stirling Castle is located at a higher level as a part of good defensive strategy. Over the entrance, you can see some flags, with the central flag being the Saltire, the Scottish Flag (as distinct from the Union Jack (the British Flag)). There are ongoing efforts to gain independence for Scotland, and the Saltire plays a key role in that.

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Van approaching the entrance of the Stirling Castle (more photos and sizes here)

The Stirling Castle is located at a height over the surrounding, at a natural volcanic height called Castle Hill (the name sounds so appropriate, right?). The height and the natural beauty and greenery of the surroundings gives a beautiful look to the location, with houses and rolling meadows seen below. Vehicles are allowed upto the car parking which is located close to the entrance, but there will be some walking involved to the entrance, and of course, inside the castle, there will be more walking involved. The spot from where this photo was taken only allows vehicles belonging to the castle to go through, everybody else needs to park their vehicles in the car parking. From this location, there are also some view finders that allow you to see the landscape.

Prints of a version of this photo that has been converted into an Oil Painting available at FAA.

The depth of the moat, now covered with grass at Stirling Castle (more photos and size here)

In addition to the huge advantage of being at a height from where you can see approaching enemies and try to pick them out as they climb up to reach the castle, there was the always the moat to deter attackers. This moat, now empty and looking beautifully green, would have been full of water and maybe some pollutants to deter people from trying to cross the moat other than through a narrow bridge (which could have been pulled up), all the while defenders from the top of the castle walls would have been attacking those who were attacking the castle. It looks so beautiful now, but is deep and would have been dangerous at those times.

Prints of a version of this photo that has been converted into an Oil Painting available at 500px.

Furled Scottish Flag at the top of entrance gate of the Stirling Castle (more photos available here)

In the first photo above, visitors could be seen near and at the entrance to the Stirling Castle. This is a photo of the flags and flagpoles above the entrance. It was always interesting for me to see whether it would be the Union Jack (the official flag of Great Britain) or the Saltire (the Scottish Flag) at the various castles and other historical landmarks. In this case (and even at the Eilean Donan Castle), I could see the Saltire while the Union Jack was in a prominent position at Edinburgh Castle. I was hoping to get a photo with the flag fluttering, but there was no wind and hence no flutter.