European

The light left on for Scotland on the EU commission building

So Britain exited the European Union yesterday and many people celebrated, set off fireworks and generally couldn’t explain what would be different now that we were out of Europe. They stammered and looked stupid when asked what this meant to them and how would their lives be different. Twitter, inevitably, lost its collective shit on both sides of the argument.

Personally, I don’t think a fifty pence coin preaching “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations” is going to mend the wounds north of the border. I will be happy to tell any shopkeeper that gives me that coin to shove it up their arse.

It would appear that Boris has done Scotland a massive favour this evening. Exiting Europe was not the will of Scotland, but her voice was not heard nor listened too in Westminster and now it is inevitable that there will be another Independence referendum.

You cannot ask a nation to stay together on the basis you will remain in Europe and then remove them from Europe a few years later. What happened to stronger together? Oh, that doesn’t suit your message now Boris? Well, fuck you.

I look forward to the £350 million a week funding for NHS, the really great, just the best, trade deals (as long as we don’t work with Huawei) the revitalised industry and claiming back our fishing waters that’s going to happen in the weeks to come. I really want whatever they were smoking when they came up with this nonsense and really want whatever those that voted for this were smoking because my word you had to be a little bit special to fall for the shit they were selling.

We have now entered the transition period where there will be endless trade deals where we give away everything and a period of blaming the facism party and Brexit for everything that goes wrong for the foreseeable future.

This was voted for by people that were millionaires and idiots, you should go check your bank balance and see which you are.

I am now planning my return to The Netherlands where upon I will be applying for Dutch citizenship to get away from all this madness.

Winter Solstice

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Possibly my favourite day of the year, the Winter Solstice marks the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. For me it marks the start of ‘proper’ winter, January and February always feel the coldest in Scotland. It also means that the days start lengthening again up until the June summer solstice.

For many winter is the hardest part of the year due to the lack of light and coldness. When I hear people complain about winter I often think of the poem There’s a certain slant of light, by Emily Dickinson.

There's a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons –
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes –

Heavenly Hurt, it gives us –
We can find no scar,
But internal difference –
Where the Meanings, are –

None may teach it – Any –
Tis the seal Despair –
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air –

When it comes, the Landscape listens –
Shadows – hold their breath –
When it goes, 'tis like the Distance
On the look of Death –

Whatever your feeling about winter, Happy Solstice.

Wester Ross

Years ago, during my undergraduate years, I used to take a break with my father in September for a week. It was usually to go somewhere hill walking as he had a week off from work in September and it coincided nicely before I left for university each year.

I have great memories from these trips and usually came back super fit from just a week of hillwalking or Munro Bagging as it is commonly known. I am keenly aware of how fortunate I am to have this time with my father and it has been the source of many memories I have thought about over the years since then.

Although it had nothing to do with hill walking, one of my fondest memories the second year that we went together was phoning home to find out that I had got into The University of St Andrews. It had been a stressful summer waiting to find out as it was the only university I had applied to. Putting all your eggs in one basket? Moi? It started the ball rolling towards my higher education. Little did I know at the time that I would still be in higher education for the next eight years.

This year, as I had accumulated a little too much vacation time from my own work, I had the opportunity to rekindle the September get away with my father. We visited Wester Ross, in particular the Gairloch area. I used to spend a lot of time in this area when I was younger as it was a favourite holiday location of my parents and I had become very attached to the area as I grew up.

Click to see the larger image.

Although no hillwalking was taken on this trip we did spend a lot of time walking and travelling around the area, and booking dinner at the Old Inn every night! It was a welcome break from the central region and it was nice that there is no cellular reception whatsoever. Like, none. But there was wifi at the campsite and the Old Inn, as long as 512kb/s is your thing. This isn’t a complaint, but it is reality in this area.

We also had the worst coffee in all of Scotland at Mountain Coffee, primarily because it was close to the campsite. It is perfect if you like Starbucks prices and dishwater tasting coffee. I also had a nice surprise at the Gale Centre, they have an amazing Rain Garden which I must add to the 10000 Rain Gardens for Scotland Project.

Anyway, I did take some photos, primarily to see what the iPhone 11 Pro could do with the new cameras, which did not disappoint me especially in low light. I have a lot of landscape photographs below because it is hard to take photographs in such a beautiful place without being in landscape :-)

Gairloch Bay from Strath.

Gairloch Bay at dusk.

Across Gairloch Bay towards Free Church of Scotland

From Cove looking back towards Poolewe and the Isle of Ewe

Stac Pollaidh in the middle with Beinn an Eoin on the left with its summit covered in cloud.

Summertime trips

Summer, this year, has stalled several times. Most days are a mix of everything, hail, rain, sunshine and cloudy can be expected anywhere at anytime!

With a friend (@catwith8lives) visiting last weekend we were lucky to at least get a day with some sunshine and managed to visit a few of the local attractions along the John Muir Way and later drove north into the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

I live close enough to the Falkirk Wheel to be able to walk there along the canal tow path, a walk that can be extended along the John Muir Way via Rough Castle and back into Bonnybridge at the Forth & Clyde Canal. The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift that connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It opened in 2002, reconnecting the two canals for the first time since the 1930s as part of the Millennium Link project.

Driving into the Trossachs is always a bit arduous, the amount of traffic that is in that area on such tight roads is amazing. Making it to Loch Katrine was worth it though, there is a great walk around Loch Katrine that has splendid views of the surrounding hills and if you are lucky you will also see the Sir Walter Scott steamship. Trips on steamships have been going since 1859 and the Sir Walter Scott has been cruising Loch Katrine since 1899.

Visiting the Trossachs was also a great opportunity to eat at Venachar Lochside Restaurant, which I highly recommend and as luck would have it they were able to host us after our visit to Loch Katrine. Usually it’s very busy at the weekends and during the summer they close for wedding receptions, so it’s worth checking their website beforehand. Have added a photograph that I took before in winter from the garden of the restaurant, it is a great location to take photographs of Loch Achray and the surrounding countryside.

Loch Achray, winter 2017/18