Showing posts with label Image. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Image. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Lovely eating options in The Highlands Club in Fort Augustus

What a place to have food. You are in the mood of some nice food and drinks, and a good environment along with friends would be great. What could be better than the surroundings of Loch Ness, one of the largest lakes in Scotland (it may not be the largest in terms of surface area, but due to it being the lake that has the maximum average depth, it has the maximum volume of water); of course, if 'Nessie', the reputed Loch Ness monster emerges from the lake, then probably its dinner would be us. A simple wooden table and chairs on a small strip of land that seems to project into the lake, at evening, what could be better. Enjoy the beer ! This is the Boathouse restaurant, located right on the shore of the lake, and almost at the point where the Caledonian Canal meets the Loch Ness.


Ashish Agarwal: Scotland &emdash; Wooden table and chairs at the shore of Loch Ness in Scotland
Table and chairs at the shore of Loch Ness in Fort Augusts (More photos and prints)
This is a more descriptive photo of the tables and chairs at the Boathouse Restaurant in Fort Augustus. In addition to the places to eat, the facility for boating on the Loch is also visible, with the Boathouse. In the Boathouse, there are boats and rubber dinghies that are available to use, and can be launched from here.


Ashish Agarwal: Scotland &emdash; Boat yard and tables on the shore of Loch Ness in Scotland
Tables, Chairs and the Boathouse at the restaurant in the Highland Club (More photos and prints)

Another view of the chairs and umbrella covered tables at the Boathouse Restaurant in the Highland Club in Fort Augustus, with the projection of land on which these tables are placed being visible in this image. This is a lovely place to sit, with the water of the lake being on both sides of the projection, and the boathouse for launching boats, dinghies and kayaks into the lake.


Chairs and tables at the Boathouse Restaurant in For Augustus
Chairs and tables at the Boathouse Restaurant in For Augustus (More photos and prints)

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Monday, June 29, 2015

A Benedictine Abbey in Fort Augustus in the Scottish Highlands

If you were to go to the quaint Fort Augustus in the Scottish Highlands on the shore of Loch Ness, you would come across this beautiful building, a Benedictine Abbey. Imagine being able to live in this place, and yes, you can. This is a former Benedictine Abbey, which was an Abbey for more than a century but was finally shut down for lack of funds. The project for building such an Abbey was started in 1874, but it took some time for collecting the necessary funds, and the Abbey was finally completed in 1880. In 1882, it was removed from English control and was made independent, reporting directly to the Pope. The school here for older boys was the chief source of funds for the Abbey, but modernity brought problems. In 1993, due to modern standards, the school had to be shut down, and the immediate impact of lack of funds started to be felt. Over a period of time, the Abbey tried multiple ways to generate funds, but was never successful to generate the require funds. Finally, after some ventures, the abbey was sold and converted into The Highland Club, self-catering apartments. And these are truly lovely.


Repair work on one wing of the Benedictine Abbey in Fort Augustus
Repair work on one wing of the Abbey (More images and Prints)

View of one of the sections of the Abbey, and one of the entrances. The place looks incredible, with all the traditional architecture in place. Look at these windows, the exterior finish, and you might be taken back to the architecture shown in period shows and movies. It was a pleasure staying at this place.


Front view of one section of the Benedictine Abbey in Fort Augustus
Front view of one section of the Benedictine Abbey in Fort Augustus (Prints and more photos)

A more expanded view of this section of the former Benedictine Abbey in Fort Augustus. At the extreme bottom right, one can see a lady who is one of the guests here. The expanse of windows to the left of the photos actually shows a corridor in the place.


Expanded view of front section of Benedictine Abbey in Fort Augustus
Expanded view of front section of Benedictine Abbey in Fort Augustus (More photos and prints here)

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Friday, October 03, 2014

Photos of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands along with an island

Scotland is famous for its Lochs, the lakes that are present all over the area of the Scottish Highlands. If you are wondering why a lake is called a Loch, it is the Scottish (and Irish) name for a Loch. These water bodies are pretty famous for the beauty they impart to the region, and for attracting visitors to the Scottish Highlands. A large number of these lakes are right next to hills, and are long and narrow. Some of them can be pretty deep, with depths of upto 200 meter or more. One of the most famous such Loch is Loch Ness, which has been supposed to have a large monster in it, affectionately known as Nessie. In the photos below, this is a depiction of a small section of a Loch which is less well settled, with no traces of civilization being shown next to the Loch. The scene is as nature would have liked to be, with no buildings on the lake, no people boating or sailing on the lake, and with the shore of the loch forming an irregular pattern. There was a highway right next to the Loch, and one could quickly reach this spot, and admire the beauty of the location. We spent close to an hour here, just watching the movement of the water, the slightly cold temperature, and almost had to force each other to leave.


Irregular shore line of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands
Irregular shore line of a Loch in the Scottish Highlands (More photos / Prints of this photo)
This kind of shoreline looks so beautiful. The Loch is pretty narrow over here, and there is this small and narrow strip of land that projects into the Loch. Standing on this narrow strip of land, there would be a great view of the Loch all around you.



Island on the other side of the narrow section of the Loch
Island on the other side of the narrow section of the Loch (More photos)
A small island on the other side of a narrow section of the Loch. The whole place looked totally natural, no presence of civilization and people nearby (although I am sure there might be houses or other facilities somewhere close by). This Loch was pretty long, since it went on for long stretches on both sides, but the width of the Loch was very narrow at this point.




Zoomed view of the island seen in the previous photo
Zoomed view of the island seen in the previous photo (More photos)
A view with more zoom of the island seen in the previous photo. The island has a rocky shore, and does look totally uninhabited, adding to the charm of the location. 

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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Eilean Donan Castle on the shore of Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands

The Eilean Donan Castle is a very beautiful castle, located on the shore of Loch Duich. It is actually located on an island, named Eilean Donan, which is located very close to the shore. The castle was part of many protests and fighting over the years, and was finally destroyed many centuries back to prevents its use in rebellions. It was only in the first half of the 20th century that the castle was restored back to the condition in which it is seen today and a bridge was constructed to connect the island to the mainland, and over the years, the castle became a tourist highlight. Right now, the castle is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland and is also among the most visited.

Flag of Scotland in front of the Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands
Flag of Scotland in front of the Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands (More photos )
This photo shows the Saltire (the Scottish Flag) in front of the Eilean Donan Castle, in a small stretch of green right in front of the castle. The rest of the grounds seems a bit brownish, but this is because this entire stretch of brown is the land that gets covered by water when the water level is high. Right now the water level was so low that even the bridge was over dry land, with no water below it (and when you see photos of the castle, there are times when the water level was much higher). In the background are hills with trees and green cover on the hills.




Bridge connecting the Eilean Donan Castle with the mainland
Bridge connecting the Eilean Donan Castle with the mainland (More photos)
The stone bridge connecting the Eilean Donan Castle with the mainland (with the highway pretty close by). At this point of time, the water level was so low that the area under the bridge was totally dry, while at other points of time, the water level was much higher and there was some amount of depth of water under the bridge. The bridge looks real wonderful, looking like typical stone bridges from older times. 

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

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
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
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.

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Sunday, September 14, 2014

Urquhart Castle - A beautiful castle on the shore of Loch Ness in Scotland

Scotland is famous for many castles, spread all over. There were a number of clans spread over the region, and there were a number of battles in the medieval ages for supremacy and power. One of the major castles (besides the major ones such as Stirling Castle and Edinburgh Castle) was Urquhart Castle, located on the shore of Loch Ness. The castle is now in ruins, but the spread is still very beautiful, with the castle and the backdrop of Loch Ness, mountains in the distance and incredible greenery near the castle. The castle is located right next to the highway, making for easy access; and with a proper visitor center, it is a delight to go to.

The plaque highlighting some influential people at Urquhart Castle in Scotland
The plaque highlighting some influential people at Urquhart Castle in Scotland (More photos / Prints)
This is a plaque at the visitor center at Urquhart Castle. The plaque highlights some of the critical people who are important and influential and who have been here - namely, St Columba of Iona, Sir Andrew De Moray, Sir Donald MacDonald, and Sir John Grant (chief of Clan Grant).




Replica of wooden trebuchet at Urquhart Castle, on the path
Replica of wooden trebuchet at Urquhart Castle, on the path (More photos / Prints)
A trebuchet was one of the most powerful siege weapons, used by attacking armies against castles. The trebuchet could throw all kinds of projectiles over castle walls as well as attack castle walls (along with the catapult); one of the more horrific uses was in terms of throwing diseased bodies over the walls with the intention of causing disease among the defenders.

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Monday, September 01, 2014

Photos from Urquhart Castle (along Loch Ness)

Urquhart Castle is a fabulously beautiful castle located on the shore of the Loch Ness, close to Inverness in Scotland. The castle is essentially ruins now, but its location, and the incredible greenery all around the castle is superb. It is located on the A82 and is very accessible. Right next to the castle, one can get boat rides of Loch Ness, and the whole experience is superb. The castle was in prominence from the 13th to the 16th centuries, and was destroyed in 1692 to prevent its use during rebellions.


View of Urquhart Castle and the path leading to it
View of Urquhart Castle and the path leading to it (More photos at this link)
This is the approach to the ruins of the castle from the road and the visitor center. The place is incredibly beautiful and with the great Loch Ness right next to it, it can look pretty romantic.




Tourists on a stone bridge crossing the moat at Urquhart Castle
Tourists on a stone bridge crossing the moat at Urquhart Castle  (See more photos at this link)
This is a small bridge. It is over a moat that no longer exists of course, and it is speculated that the moat was built in the middle ages, but there is really no correct dating of when the moat was made. This bridge has to be crossed by every visitor who comes to see the castle.

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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Photos from the HMY Britannia, at Leith in Edinburgh and can be visited by tourists

The HMY Britannia, used by Britain's Queen Elizabeth for more than 40 years, was finally decommissioned in the year 1997, and was probably the last such ship available to the Queen. It has not been replaced by another ship, and at times of austerity and recession, it would not be politically feasible for any Government to announce the construction of a large ship for the Queen. British subjects have changed, from loving the Queen and the royal family earlier, to now grumbling about the expenditure on the royal family. As a part of this, let us see some more photos from the decommissioned ship and the way that the royalty would travel.

Bunks for the crew inside the decommissioned royal yacht HMV Britannia
Bunks for the crew inside the decommissioned royal yacht HMV Britannia (get more photos here)
These bunks is how the crew would rest and sleep inside the royal ship, HMY Britannia. These have been retained in a manner that would show visitors their way of living, including items they would use, their dress uniforms, and so on. These seem pretty comfortable, but then this was a royal ship and one would expect the crew to not live in a bad condition. Visitors get to see these quarters as part of their tour around the ship.




The glass enclosed corridor leading to the HMV Britannia
The glass enclosed corridor leading to the HMV Britannia (View more photos here)
HMY Britannia is berthed permanently, and is now a tourist attraction. When you look at the bus tours in Edinburgh, many of them include the ship in their tours, and there is a whole support system for this. On the land side, there is an entire building infrastructure for guiding tourists, providing shops for them to buy food and drinks and memorabilia. This corridor is one that connects the ship and the building, allowing a smooth flow for tourists.





Grand staircase inside the berthed royal yacht HMV Britannia, cordoned off to prevent tourists from entering
Grand staircase inside the berthed royal yacht HMV Britannia, cordoned off to prevent tourists from entering (more photos)
A grand staircase inside the ship, meant for leading to the royal quarters and other parts of the ship. This area is off limits for tourists and hence the gentle reminders - with cordons at the bottom and top end of the staircase. And of course, with the number of tourists who visit the ship, too many people up and down the carpet is liable to make the carpet ragged.








The royal gangway along with red carpet used by the royal family
The royal gangway along with red carpet used by the royal family (More photos at this link)
As part of maintaining the royal ship, this special entry gangway has also been preserved, along with the red carpet. And to ensure that nobody does any mischief, the entire area is blocked using a wooden fence, with the entry only being seen from a higher point, such as from the ship.

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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

HMY Britannia at her permanent position in Leith near Edinburgh

The Queen (or King) of England have had royal yachts from a long time (since 1660, with the restoration of the monarchy, there have been 83 such ships to bear the royal name). The ship was commissioned in 1954, taking an inaugural journey to Malta in April of the same year, but not carrying the Queen or Prince Philip, instead carrying Prince Charles and Princess Anne, with the Queen setting foot on the ship on the return journey on 1st May 1954. The ship has been used for a number of ceremonial occasions with leaders of other countries also stepping foot on the ship, as well as being used for the honeymoon of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The ship was decommissioned in 1997 and there has been no replacement ever since, and it is unlikely that there will be, due to public relations impact of building another ship of this cost, with the cost coming from the British Government.

The pier at Leith where the royal yacht, HMY Britannia is berthed
The pier at Leith where the royal yacht, HMY Britannia is berthed (View more images here)
Now the yacht is berthed at the port of Leith near Scotland, and offers tourists a chance to view many sections of the ship, including the bedroom of the queen (through a glass partition), many of the official dining and state rooms, and for a different touch, the sleeping quarters of the men manning the ship. A number of people take the tour, and it is part of many of the tour packages of Edinburgh.





The royal racing yacht, the Bloodhound, berthed next to the HMY Britannia
The royal racing yacht, the Bloodhound, berthed next to the HMY Britannia (more photos here)
Tourists who come to see the HMY Britannia can also get to see the royal racing yacht, the Bloodhound. It was built in 1936 and has been used in the past by many of the royals (including Prince Charles) to learn how to sail. Now, it is available for charter. Berthed next to HMY Britannia, the racing yacht looks much smaller, but sleeker.

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Monday, July 28, 2014

Deep Sea World near Edinburgh in Scotland - A wonderful aquarium

Modern aquariums provide an immersive experience to visitors, allowing them to see fish all around them, shows with fish, allowing them to swim along with the fish, get colorful fishes, and various other experiences. One of these experiences is called Deep Sea World, located in North Queensbury, under the famous bridge in Fife, Scotland. It provides a travelator where visitors can travel under and through a tank full of fishes of different sizes and shapes, including sharks, rays and others.

Corridor inside the Deep Sea World aquarium on the outskirts of Edinburgh
Corridor inside the Deep Sea World aquarium on the outskirts of Edinburgh (More photos here)

In this photo, this is a view of the corridor where the visitor starts to make the way down to the prized part of the aquarium, the passage through a thick glass tank where fish can be seen all around. The aquarium has given a rock based appearance to this corridor, seemingly depicting that this part of the aquarium is underground.







One of the attractions of a modern aquarium is to have a wide variety of fish to dazzle visitors. This is even more so when these fish are colorful, and many fishes can be very colorful.

Brightly colored fish inside a tank in the Deep Sea World aquarium
Brightly colored fish inside a tank in the Deep Sea World aquarium (View more photos here)
These are one of the first fish that you see when you enter the aquarium. They look beautiful, with the bright colors gleaming in the light from outside that is entering their tank. For sure, it is rare that people would have seen this fish naturally. When you are going along with children, it is very exciting for them to see these fish and stand around for some time to watch these fish swim inside the tank, only moving away when either they are dragged away, or other people want to see the exhibit.

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Sunday, November 10, 2013

Scenery of the Lochs in the Scottish Highlands - very beautiful

A lake in Scotland along with the greenery and hills on the shore
A lake in Scotland along with the greenery and hills on the shore (More photos at this link)
Scotland is famous the world over for its beauty, and attracts a huge number of visitors every year who come here to admire the place and travel. Particularly, they come to see the Scottish Highlands, and while places like Edinburgh are beautiful, it is the Scottish Highlands that attract those visitors who come here to see the beauty of the place; they come to see the lochs (the Scottish and Irish word for lakes), they come to see the hills and mountains, the rugged outdoors and the fabulous view of nature everywhere. If you can make it, you should come here to see this place.

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Loch Duich and the surroundings in the Scottish Highlands
Loch Duich and the surroundings in the Scottish Highlands (View more photos here)
The Lochs in the Scottish Highlands tend to be narrow but long. So when you are next to a lake, you can see that the loch extends far beyond the horizon to the left and right, but you can easily see the opposite end of the Loch (different from the traditional round nature of a lake). However, this is a photo of the shore of the Loch right next to the beautiful Eilean Donan Castle. This is a typical view of a Loch, with the water and with green covered mountains right next to it.

A print of this image, in the form of a Digital Cartoon is available at Fine Art America.







A small island in the water of a lake in the Scottish Highlands
A small island in the water of a lake in the Scottish Highlands (Get more such photos here)
Scotland is teeming with Lochs, big and small. Some of them are huge, with the most famous one, Loch Ness being as much as 230 meter deep. Others are smaller, and some of them are fresh water Lochs while are sea water Lochs. The interesting point about these Lochs is that they are narrow (even Loch Ness, which is 36 km long, is only 2.3 km wide at its widest point). In this case, this is a very small strip of rock emerging from the surface of this Loch, located very close to the Skye Bridge. The only use for this small strip of land seems to to allow birds to land, although a small swell would be enough to cover this patch of land.

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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The structure of the Stirling Castle, seen from a lower level

View of the structure of Stirling Castle as seen from a lower level of the castle
View of the structure of Stirling Castle as seen from a lower level of the castle (More photos at this link)
The structure of Stirling Castle, as seen from a lower level (near the entrance, near the car parking). The Stirling Castle played a very significant role during the medieval centuries, when there was a fight ongoing for the Scots to retain their independence from the English, and there was also fighting going on between the different Scots for power. The Castle is surrounded by a high wall, and is itself located on a volcanic spur, much higher than the neighboring region, making it more

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Staff with ladders for maintenance of the wall and creepers at Stirling Castle
Staff with ladders for maintenance of the wall and creepers at Stirling Castle (View more photos at this link)
Historical monuments (especially those that are several centuries old) require a lot of maintenance. Just the sheer size of these monuments, and being exposed to different weather conditions, can cause a lot of damage and wear and tear. And with their heritage value, as well as having a large number of tourists visiting them on a regular basis, the need for maintenance is on a regular basis. In the photo, one can see maintenance workers on the wall of the Stirling Castle.

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Parking area and ticketing counter at the Stirling Castle in Scotland
Parking area and ticketing counter at the Stirling Castle in Scotland (More photos at this link)
The parking lot near the entrance to the Stirling Castle. Even though the parking lot is as close to the entrance as possible, given the size of the structure, there will be some walking required, and any visitor will need to be aware of that. Having such a parking lot is extremely important because of the number of visitors to the Castle on a regular basis.

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Saturday, October 26, 2013

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
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
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
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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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Eilean Donan Castle in the Scottish Highlands - very beautiful castle

Structure of the Eilean Donan Castle with a stone bridge connecting the castle and water nearby
Structure of the Eilean Donan Castle with a stone bridge connecting the castle and water nearby (More photos here)
The Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most beautiful castles in Scotland, located on the shore of Loch Duich in the Scottish Highlands. The castle was part of the history of infighting during the medieval ages, but was then blown up in 1719 to prevent any further fighting using the castle as a base. The current structure of the castle was rebuilt between 1919 and 1932, along with the bridge (seen in the current photo) that connected the islands to the mainland, and now allows a large number of tourists to pay the entry charge and make their way inside the castle. The island is a pretty small castle, and at points, the water level recedes enough that anybody can directly walk to the island.

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Structure of the Eilean Donan Castle with a stone bridge connecting the castle with a thin stream of water
Structure of the Eilean Donan Castle with a stone bridge connecting the castle (more photos here)
Another view of the beautiful Eilean Donan Castle located on the shore of Loch Duich. There is a small bridge that connects the island to the mainland, and is also the way that tourists can come to visit the island. At this point of time, the water levels are low, and a lot of the surrounding of the castle are uncovered, and the lake bed at this point of time shows that it was under water (visible as the brown surface of the land without any green cover). This very thin channel of water that was visible in this photo, flowing through the greenery was very interesting, since it was just a trickle.

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Structure of the Eilean Donan Castle with a stone bridge connecting the castle
Structure of the Eilean Donan Castle with a stone bridge connecting the castle (More photos of castle here)
Another close up view of the Eilean Donan Castle in this photo, showing the stone structure of the castle as well as the bridge connecting the castle (and the island on which the castle is located) to the mainland. Way back in 1719, the castle was destroyed to prevent it being the base of any further uprising, and it was only in the early 20th century that the castle was reconstructed along with the bridge in front. Now, this is one of the most famous castles in Scotland and particularly one of the most photographed structures in Scotland.

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Stirling Castle located at a height - very significant in medieval times

The welcome plaque for the Stirling Castle at the entrance of the Castle
The welcome plaque for the Stirling Castle at the entrance of the Castle (More photos here)
The plaque near the entrance of the Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle is one of the most famous castles in Scotland, and along with the Edinburgh Castle, played a very strategic role in the medieval ages when there were constant skirmishes between the English and Scotsmen over their independence. In fact, one of the most famous battles during this fight happened nearby, where a contingent of Scots being led by 'Braveheart' William Wallace defeated an English army in the nearby battle of Stirling Bridge. The Castle is located on a height, a natural volcanic height, and has a commanding position over the entire surroundings.








Houses and meadows as seen from the height of the Stirling Castle
Houses and meadows as seen from the height of the Stirling Castle (More photos at this link)
A view of the surrounding scenery and houses, showing the height at which the Castle is located. Of course, given that it is an important tourist attraction for anybody who comes to Stirling or even to Scotland, there is a very good road connectivity to the Castle. In the distance is rolling countryside, with farms and trees. It looks tremendously beautiful, especially on days when there is very clear visibility for long distances all around.

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Statue of Robert Bruce and the structure of Stirling Castle on the hill
Statue of Robert Bruce and the structure of Stirling Castle on the hill (More photos at this link)
Robert Bruce was one of the leaders who was involved in the constant battle against the English rulers who were attempting to control Scotland. He was from one of the high families in Scotland, and had collaborated with the English at one point of time and fought with them at another point of time. Eventually, when the English were routed from there, he took over as the ruler of Scotland, and his statue is located near the entrance of Stirling Castle. The photo shows the high walls of the castle, and the yellow building in the rear is the refurbished and restored Great Hall inside the castle.

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Sunday, October 20, 2013

The rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands - rough scenery

Rugged part of the Scottish Highlands with a water body and small hills
Rugged part of the Scottish Highlands with a water body and small hills (More photos here)
This is a stretch of the rugged section of the Scottish Highlands. We were staying near Loch Ness and were moving towards the northern parts of the Highlands, and the highway took us through sections of countryside that were rugged and rough. There was no human habitation for long distances, just this stretch of water bodies moving lazily through this countryside which had stretches of scrubland, with some trees in between. Even the water bodies seemed to move where they wanted rather than through straight channels. And in the distance were these mountains, not very high, but still looking beautiful.

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Water bodies and greenery in the rugged part of the Scottish Highlands
Water bodies and greenery in the rugged part of the Scottish Highlands (View more photos here)
A view of some of the more rugged parts of the Scottish Highlands, well actually, the rugged parts that have a highway passing through them :-). We were on the highway, having proceeded from next to Loch Ness, to the northern part of the Highlands, and came across this region of more wilderness, with water bodies in the region, rough land covered by scrubs and a few trees. The water bodies could be anywhere, with the springs from the mountains contributing to the water. The presence of these rocks and boulders suggested that in times of strong rain, the water moved much more ferociously.







Cars on a road in the rugged wilderness of the Scottish Highlands
Cars on a road in the rugged wilderness of the Scottish Highlands (More photos here)
I like this photo, since it shows the rugged nature of the Scottish Highlands, even though the presence of a highway through the place destroys the nature of wilderness to some degree, This was the highway through which we had just passed, moving through small and higher mountains, and with no great greenery anywhere. The entire area is a hard place, with some greenery, but more of scrub type vegetation everywhere. In this photo, the highway is along the slope of a short hill and with a number of cars on the highway.

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Saturday, October 19, 2013

Cars and others on the road in scenic conditions - in Scotland

Cars crossing a stone bridge over the River Teith, near the town of Stirling in Scotland
Cars crossing a stone bridge over the River Teith, near the town of Stirling in Scotland (More photos at this link)
An old style bridge located near the town of Stirling in Scotland. The bridge, made of stone, is over the river Teith, and looks very beautiful. It was worth it just to be close to the bridge and take a photo of cars crossing the bridge - although it does seem odd, a combination of old times and modern vehicles. The area all around is very green, with trees, grass and flowers all around. Also, there is the sign for the Deanston distillery which is close by; Scotland is famous for its distilleries and for being the birthplace for Scotch.

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Car on a road in Scotland, with cycles mounted on the top
Car on a road in Scotland, with cycles mounted on the top (More photos at this link)
Cycling is a popular pastime for a number of people. It is a healthy form of exercise, allows you to travel with a group of friends in scenic surroundings. People in the cities love cycling where they can, but the problem is that cycling is best done in locations that are outside the cities. So, the best solution is, when traveling somewhere, take your cycles along with you. It is fairly easy to install this equipment on top of the vehicle to be taken safely wherever you are going. This is located in a scenic highway in Scotland.

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Cyclists on a road in the Scottish Highlands with a lake next to them
Cyclists on a road in the Scottish Highlands with a lake next to them (For more photos, click on this link)
I love this photo. It takes a small highway heading from Edinburgh towards the region of Lochs, hills, towards the Scottish Highlands and takes some cycling enthusiasts as they are cycling on the side of the road. The rest of the road is deserted, but the section of road that is on view is also small, since there is a curve right ahead, with the road curving to meet the contours of the Loch. The hills to the right of the Loch provide the basic definition of what tourists view Scotland - lakes and hills.

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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Children and their rides inside the Blair Drummond safari park near Stirling in Scotland

Children and adults at the Merry go round inside the Blair Drummond safari park
Children and adults at the Merry go round inside the Blair Drummond safari park (More photos at this link)
A merry go around inside the Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling in Scotland. This is part of the rides located near the entrance of the park. Once you enter the park, there are these rides for children near the entrance, with some of these being slides and the other being rides such as this merry-go-round and other slides which also take people in a circle. When you looked at these rides, you could see that these kids were having a great time, with many of these children being accompanied by their parents or somebody else who was an adult. And there were these parents standing outside the ride, watching their children go around and enjoy.

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The dragon ride with children in it in the Blair Drummond Safari park near Stirling
The dragon ride with children in it in the Blair Drummond Safari park near Stirling (View more photos at this link)
Another wonderful ride for children inside the Blair Drummond Safari Park near the town of Stirling in Scotland. The ride is very colorful and takes children on a ride that goes up and down at a fast clip. In the photo, it is not clear whether all of them are enjoying it, since the girl in front seems to be just taking in her stride but the kid behind her seems more excited about the ride. As with the other rides, there are adults in this slide, accompanying the young kids.

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The dragon ride with children in it in the Blair Drummond Safari park near Stirling
The dragon ride with children in it in the Blair Drummond Safari park near Stirling (View more photos at this link)
Another view of the same ride as above, just a different perspective. The ride is in the form of a dragon with seats down the line, and with almost all of the seats occupied. The fence surrounding the ride seems in a strange shape though, with the fence tilting at an angle. A man with his child is waving to his other children who are there in the slide.

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A slide with kids and parked cars inside the Blair Drummond safari park near Stirling in Scotland
A slide with kids and parked cars inside the Blair Drummond safari park near Stirling in Scotland (View more photos)
This is another slide, catering to children, near the entrance of the Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling in Scotland. The slide consists of a wavy slide down, with going up on the other side of the slide in an orderly queue. They climb to the top of the slide and come down in twos and threes.

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