strathspey golden hour glow at sunset

Golden Hour

Sunset glow across Strathspey – the clouds cleared and the setting sun streamed across the land, turning the autumn colours to gold.

Reed reflections

Evening reed reflections at the Lily loch Sunset at the Lily loch. I was particularly drawn to the graphic effect of the golden reeds against the birch tree reflections on the shore opposite. I attended a most inspirational event this week – the launch of the 2020VISION exhibition, at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. […]

Moss

Moss ‘forest’ detail We’ve had a wonderful few days of tremendous spring sunshine, shorts weather, even here in the Highlands.  The daffs are finally all opening, trees are showing buds all over the place, and the garden birds are competing with each other to see which can steal the most finest-quality ‘nesting’ moss from my […]

Loch Garten Light

Light on Loch Garten glinting through the trees. Can’t see the wood for the trees?  I liked this one of the intense light on the loch reflecting through the Caledonian Pine forest.  Whatever the weather its a lovely spot for a gentle walk, or just to gaze into the water. “The most beautiful thing we […]

Hydrangea

Hydrangea backlit in winter sunlight It was Imbolc this week, or St Brigid’s day (traditionally at the start of February), marking the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, marking the start of spring.   There is noticeably more sunlight, when it shines.  That was after this week’s terrific storms, with broken trees  and […]

Snow…

Snow and sun Taken shortly before the low sun dipped behind the hill of Craigellachie, I loved the golden sparkle as the sunlight came through the snow and birch branches.  The air was so cold and dry that as snow fell from branches it created a cloud of shining diamonds. “A human being is a […]

Birch Reed Reflections

Birch Reed Reflections – Craigellachie National Nature Reserve, Aviemore I loved the effect of these reeds reflected against the golden birch backdrop. “The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self.” – Albert Einstein.

Autumnal Birch leaf

Birch Leaf Our Birch trees have started to turn colour this last week or so.  Here’s one catching the sun along the riverbank, starting to turn. “Look deep, deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything.” – Albert Einstein “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to […]

Layers

Birch reflections on ice. Stones beneath. Last week’s snow thawed during this week, in the process of which I found this ice beginning to break up.  I love the way the shapes combine, together with the reflected birch tree – a bit of a Tangram puzzle! I’ve really noticed the days getting longer this week, […]

Loch Garten Pine Reflections

Pine reflections, Loch Garten, Strathspey. A favourite local loch, with the ripples creating lots of movement in the low light. “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein. “The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Reed Reflections

Reed Reflections, Craigellachie Lochan, Strathspey. Continuing with last week’s (this summer’s?) watery theme – reeds reflecting in a lochan, for a beautiful graphic effect. “A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from […]

Pollen Ripples

Pine Pollen Ripples, Loch Garten, Strathspey. Pollen from the overhanging Scots Pine made these galaxy-like patterns & clusters, with the gentle ripples along the shoreline. Fractal mathematics (the mathematics of natural patterns) tells us about self-similarity: nature shows us similar-looking patterns at many different levels of scale. “Concerning matter we have been all wrong.  What […]