Landscapes

A shot from Dooneen pier near Letterfrack in County Galway. The high hill in the background is called 'Diamond Hill'. No diamonds but lots of shiny shale? Enjoy

A special treat for all lovers of Autumn colours. Taken yesterday whilst walking the stretch of the River Wharfe near Burnsall. As usual best viewed full screen on black. I wish you all, a great weekend, Herb

Strid Wood, one of the largest remnants of sessile oak trees in the Yorkshire Dales hugs the banks of the river Wharfe and invites visitors to walk its shaded paths. Here in Autumn, there is even a more magical feel about it with these golden canopies. Today, is special -it's a Halloween adventure' day, when parents and their children look around the trees to find spooky spiders webs, ghouls and witches along with their spooky sounds. For me though -I totally ignore all that in favour of natures abundance here. Enjoy full screen boltonabbey.com/what-to-see/strid-wood-and-the-strid

Just after Kylemore Abbey in Connemara is the start of the twelve Pins (Twelve Bens) tour. A magical trip past lakes, loughs, hills and mountains. Here is one of our first glimpse of this wilderness. This looks like it could well be the back of Diamond Hill at 442m from Kylemore Lough. Enjoy large

Ben Corr is a 711m mountain in the Twelve Bens range in Connemara seen here from just above the beautiful Lough Inagh. Behind and to the left the mountains continue with Ben Breen, Ben Gower and others. Enjoy.

This is a large lake within the 12 pins mountain range of the Connemara National Park. Here we stop for a few minutes, take a breather and shoot a few pictures like this. Some 30 minutes later the sky was overcast again. Best full size on black. PiP

A view down the lake. We are already half way down here.

A freshwater lake situated at the edge of the 12 Pins (12 Bens) of Connemara, County Galway. A wonderful scene, I believe when the reflections are perfect with snow on the tops but here we are in almost flat lighting but at least the sun is on the far mountains. Enjoy.

An Upper Wharfdale Valley view from Kettlewell and Starbottom. Below us here is the young river itself and as can be seen a valley of barns and walls not to mention 'light'.

Buttermere, another gem of a lake in our dear Lake District. Here we see it in weather and lighting less than perfect so I shall have to leave it to your imaginations to just how gorgeous this scene is when it has perfect light, mirror reflections and snowy peaks. Did I take the boat? –no, only the snap but I did like this scene all the same. A recent SPC contender. Best viewed full screen. I wish you all, a great weekend, Herb More SPC info : www.ipernity.com/group/2249054/discuss/191708

Join with me on this walk along a part of the magnificent Killary Fjord. Yes, the clouds are very threatening and this was to end up in a short rain storm just minutes later, but the results of the walk are telling. Below us here is one of Irelands big mussel farms and just behind is the sheltered harbour itself. The path on the right is an old famine relief road, built by cutting a terrace into the ground and laying stone. During the 1850s, tens of thousands of starving farmers worked on the road to earn a penny a day. Killary Fjordr is Ireland’s only true fjord and extends 16km (10 miles) in from the Atlantic to its head at Aasleagh, below Aasleagh falls. It forms the border between Galway and Mayo and boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in the west of Ireland. It is a centre for shellfish farming, and strings of ropes used to grow mussels are visible for much of its length. Mussels and clams grown in Killary Fjord are sold at the Westport Country Market every Thursday morning. To the north lies Mweelrea, the highest mountain in Connacht and County Mayo. To the south are the Twelve Bens and the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara. ~ www.destinationwestport.com

Walking on the upper edge of the Upper Wharfdale Valley view from Kettlewell and Starbottom gives us many fences. As well as those we have stiles, gates and many dry stoned walls. Always a pleasure to wander around here but in this Autumn light a real bonus. HFF, have a great weekend and New Year.

Travelling along the N70, Ring of Kerry road, just beyond the town of Kenmare and towards Killarney, we get into the mountains proper. A whole range of peaks presented themselves here so this could be any. To me, the light played just as an important part as the mountain itself. Enjoy

Taken on the Ring of Kerry road near Beenarourke, 20km west of Sneem. As the main road runs quite high here on the coast of Kerry, we are looking SW towards across the wild Atlantic to these small Islands. Scariff Island, is the bigger one (Irish: An Scairbh, meaning "Rugged") and Deenish in front, at 122 acres. Both are un-populated now. In the fields below, many sheep are grazing on the late summer grass kept very green by the frequent rains here from the Atlantic. Enjoy full size.

A very popular photographic viewpoint on this Ring of Kerry Road. We see here 'Muckross Lake' in the far distance at Killarney itself with the 'Upper Lake' just below us. "Ladies View is about 12 miles from Killarney on the N71 road as you go towards Kenmare. The view here is probably the best known of Killarney and is a major attraction for visitors. Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting visited here during the royal visit in 1861. They were so taken with the view that it was named after them." www.killarneynationalpark.ie/visit-us/ladies-view Enjoy full size

A glimpse of this iconic Upper Lake, as passed on the Ring of Kerry road.

The Matterhorn (Monte Cervino) at 4,478 metres (14,692 ft) is certainly an impressive mountain, in fact one of the highest in the Alps and Europe. This Eastern face is taken from Switzerland near the iconic village of Zermat, some time back in 1986 whilst on a skiing holiday in Cervinia on its Italian side. A Fuji slide conversion, dormant after its projection many years ago and then conversion in 2012, until today. As always, better full screen.

Seen from the N70 (Ring of Kerry road) looking South, past Killorgin and before Glenbeigh. A zoomed view of these high peaks as I skirt the sea shore to my North. Enjoy full screen