This is a view of the Calder river valley taken from Muirshiel Regional Park.

This is a wonderful place to visit - about five miles up in the hills behind Lochwinnoch, and less than 20 miles from Glasgow City Centre. It is so peaceful and tranquil most of the time.

Apart from the cars which come to visit the centre, and the occasional plane flying overhead, there is virtually no non-natural sounds. In fact if one walks up the track on the far side of the park, which leads to an old Barytes mine, it is possible to hear nothing but the sounds of Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and the insects visiting the heather flowers..........and the odd sheep bleating too!

It is well worth a visit especially between now (23rd June ) and mid july, as there are some cctv cameras on a Hen Harriers nest in the region, and they are beaming back LIVE footage of the birds. We had 3 chicks hatch out over the last week, the last one on thursday afternoon - to an audience of 12 people who had dropped in to visit and were watching the screens at the time!!

Some of the trails are in 'mature' wooded areas, others are through young plantations, and yet others go through areas of cleared conifer woods which have been replanted with native deciduous trees.

From the Clyde to the highlands!

From the Clyde to the highlands!, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

The river Clyde flowing past Dumbarton with the snow-topped highland hills in the distance behind. That is the snow-covered tip of Ben Lomond showing on the right of the picture Spring morning 2008

Loch Thom and spring clouds 2008

Loch Thom and spring clouds 2008, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Loch Thom and spring clouds 2008. A beautiful clear , stil, sunny but cold spring day in Scotland. This is the area I am working in for this summer - lucky me!!

Patch and windy weather at Ayr beach

Patch and windy weather at Ayr beach 12-March-2008 , originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Having fun on a stormy beach! Patch playing with his ball and ignoring the surf and the very strong winds.
I got a little bit of video of Patch standing head into the wind , and all his fur was being continuously ruffled up!

Castle Semple high waters

Castle Semple high waters, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Castle Semple Loch flooding over the waterside walkway on the 8th March 2008. There is a concrete walkway underneath the waters edge - probably about half a metre below the surface!! The swans and other waterbirds were sheltering behinf the shrubs down near the white vehicle - as far up on the grass as they could get. When the rain did come - it was horizontal!!

Clydeside walkies!

Clydeside 1, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Patch taking a saunter along the Clydeside walkway west of Bells bridge and the Moat Hotel. Unfortunately he decided to use the landscape route - probably much more interesting smells there!

Past and future in the present -3

Past and future in the present -3, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

A nicer view of the Waverley waiting for the season to begin again. I really like the way she is moored next to the very futuristic looking Science Centre - a real union of the past, present and future!

Past and future in the present -1

Past and future in the present -1, originally uploaded by Kindurco.

The Waverly paddle steamer moored at the Science centre on the Clyde - next to the science tower [which is still closed!]. I took this after an afternoon at the Craft & Hobbies Fair at the SECC, and I needed some fresh air - so went for a walk along the Clyde walkway [which doubles as a cycletrack!] around 4.00pm on a Friday afternoon.

Mountains of the Moon a poem written by E. M.A.DURKIN sept 2001

Mountains of the Moon

Mountains of the moon - they call to me
from far across the distant seas
Where massive storms were seen to rage
The knowledge of a distant age

The place of our fathers, in the rays of the sun
Is no longer a good place for people to run
The protective layer miles over our heads
Has vanished to the point where this planet is dead

So now we must leave; for a new place they’ve found
Where people do not have to live underground
The land there is fertile as ours used to be
And they’ve grown all the plants again - even the trees.

Now solar sails are filling fast
And our ship is setting out at last
To travel the billions of miles far away
To this strange new world, where we will all stay.

Mountains of the moons - they are calling to me
From far across the deep dark space
Where solar storms are seen to race
Oh the foolishness of an earlier age!

This is definately a stormy day today - much too windy and wet to go out and take photos - I shall copy my cat and dog and curl up indoors.

However back in December there were some beautiful -

but very cold days......and on one of these I travelled up to East Kilbride - where there was a freezing fog sitting for the whole day - which was strange anyway as East Kilbride is on top of hills!

It was very, very cold but the frost did make everything quite etherial!

This was taken near the Kingsgate retail park, in the middle of the afternoon!

West Coast Wander - Two

Well, on our second day in the area, after a late night at the very welcoming and intimate, Argyll Arms Hotel the evening before, I took the dogs for a morning walk around the Ardrishaig Basin on the Crinan Canal before having a relaxed breakfast with everyone when we got back. The Canal Basin

The Canal Basin

Ardrishaig Harbour from the house garden,

with a ship being loaded with forestry trees, to take by sea, to the pulp mill on the Clyde.

We decided to take a trip down the Kintyre peninsular to Machrahanish to check out the superb beach there. I have to admit it was not the warmest of days to visit, nor the calmest. The waves crashing on shore enroute down the coast road.

We stopped in Cambelltown, to get something to eat before heading across the peninsular to the beach.

There was a strong southerly wind whipping up the fines sand and blowing it along the beach at our feet.

We walked with the wind at our backs firstly and then turned to come back to the vehicle and had the wind in our faces as the sun was setting over the Mull of Kintyre! However the dogs really loved it and were totally exhausted for the rest of the evening! One of the interesting 'finds' on the tide line was an old shoe, which must have been in the water for quite some time as it was encrusted with Goose Barnicles. As they were still alive we threw the shoe back out into the water as far as we could.

Heading homewards at 3.30pm!!

West coast wander one

Just back from a little trip up the West Coast, to visit some friends who have just moved to Ardrishaig. They have got a little Bed & Breakfast business, and like most people on the West of Scotland, a couple of other jobs to bring in some revenue. Patch and I drove up on Monday, past a snow topped Ben Lomond and then through Arrochar heading westwards.

We had to stop at the roadworks where the landslide was , near the 'rest and be thankful' [ a spot so called because on the old road the gradient was so steep on the slope, that if you managed to reach the top without losing either thecontents of you load,or the horse and cart, (or the 'new-fangled' cars).

Patch lost interest in the scenery when it started to rain a little.

We reached Invarary around luchtime and I stopped to get something to eat and have a wee look around. Luckily the suncame out and there was some lovely blue sky for a while, which gave me some nice photos. Inverary from the opposite shore, The church tower, and the town Hall to start.

and then a few more photos round the main Street too.

Arrived at Ardrishaig around 3pm, at Seaview and after a coffeee and a chat, we took the dogs - Patch and Shadow - a Cocker Spaniel 1 year old 'pup' out for a walk along the towpath of the Crinan Canal - heading towards Lochgilphead, before turning for home before it got too dark.