Alan Drury's photos

Alan at summit Trig Post Bidein a` Ghlas Thuill, A…

25 Jun 1999 3 2 194
An Teallach is a mountain in Scotland. It lies to the southwest of Dundonnell and overlooks Little Loch Broom, in an area often nicknamed the "great wilderness". An Teallach means 'The Anvil' or 'The Forge' in Scottish Gaelic; although most scholars claim the latter is most correct as the mountain's name refers more to the colour of the terrain in certain lighting conditions, rather than shape. The mountain is mostly made of Torridonian sandstone. Like the peaks around Torridon (for which the rock is named), An Teallach has terraced sides riven with steep gullies and a sharp rocky summit crest at Sgùrr Fiona. The steepest section, known as Corrag Bhuidhe, rises above Loch Toll an Lochain. Corrag Bhuidhe's most spectacular feature is an overhanging pinnacle known as Lord Berkeley's Seat. An Teallach is a complex mountain massif, with ten distinct summits over 3,000 feet (914.4 m). From 1891 to 1981, only the highest of these, Bidean a' Ghlas Thuill, had the status of a Munro – a separate mountain over 3,000 feet. In 1981 the Scottish Mountaineering Club granted Munro status to Sgùrr Fiona, in recognition of its considerable topographic prominence (150 m) and distinct nature.

Alan and Steve near The Red Burn,Ben Nevis Path 16…

Alan & Neil at the summit Cairn Sgurr Mhor, Beinn…

16 May 1996 5 6 192
Beinn Alligin (Gaelic: Beinn Àilleagan) one of the classic mountains of the Torridon region of Scotland, lying to the north of Loch Torridon, in the Highlands. The name Beinn Alligin is from the Scottish Gaelic, meaning Jewelled Hill. The mountain has two peaks of Munro status: Tom na Gruagaich (922 m) to the south, and Sgùrr Mhòr at 3,235 feet (986 m) to the north.

A.D on summit plato Ben Nevis 16th May 1994

16 May 1994 3 4 188
Ben Nevis (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Nibheis, pronounced [peˈɲivəʃ]; English: /bɛnˈnɛvɪs/) is the highest mountain in the British Isles. Standing at 1,345 metres (4,411 ft) above sea level, it is at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William. The mountain is a popular destination, attracting an estimated 100,000 ascents a year, around three-quarters of which use the Pony Track from Glen Nevis.The 700-metre (2,300 ft) cliffs of the north face are among the highest in Scotland, providing classic scrambles and rock climbs of all difficulties for climbers and mountaineers. They are also the principal locations in Scotland for ice climbing. The summit, which is the collapsed dome of an ancient volcano, features the ruins of an observatory which was continuously staffed between 1883 and 1904. The meteorological data collected during this period are still important for understanding Scottish mountain weather. C. T. R. Wilson was inspired to invent the cloud chamber after a period spent working at the observatory.

LMS class 8P Coronation 4-6-2 6233 DUCHESS OF SUTH…

GWR 2800 class 2-8-0 2857+Bulleid West country cla…

Aspinall L &Y class 27 LMS 3F 0-6-0 52322 with 2E…

LMS class 8P Coronation 4-6-2 6233 DUCHESS OF SUTH…

LMS class 8P Coronation 4-6-2 6233 DUCHESS OF SUTH…

GWR 2800 class 2-8-0 2857 with 1G51 09.30. Bury -…

GWR 2800 class 2-8-0 2857 with 1G51 09.30 Bury - R…

Alan on Loughrigg Fell with Windermere beyond 1997…

16 Oct 2018 3 8 147
Loughrigg Fell is a hill in the central part of the English Lake District. It stands on the end of the long ridge coming down from High Raise over Silver How towards Ambleside, and is separated from its neighbours by the depression of Red Bank. The fell is surrounded by an unusual amount of open water. To the north the River Rothay flows through Grasmere and Rydal Water before bending around the eastern side of Loughrigg. On the southern flank the River Brathay runs from Elter Water and is also fed by the outfall from Loughrigg Tarn. The two rivers merge at Clappersgate on the south eastern corner of the fell, just before flowing into Windermere. The western boundary is formed by Red Bank (535 ft) on the ridge to Silver How. Unnamed becks fall north and south into Grasmere and Elter Water. Loughrigg has two subsidiary ridges on its eastern flank. Lanty Scar provides the obvious line of ascent from Rydal, while the spur rising over Todd Crag leads up from Clappersgate. There are many areas of woodland on the lower slopes, giving way to a wide expanse of bracken-clad knolls and small tarns on the top. The summit is on the western side of the plateau and is identified by an Ordnance Survey column. Many lower tops also decorate the fell, sometimes to the confusion of visitors. Despite the girdle of lakes only Windermere is visible from the summit. The vista is open to the south over the green and blue country of Furness, with many fells in view on the other three sides. The fell is easily accessible, being surrounded by roads on all sides. Ambleside and the smaller settlements of Skelwith Bridge, Elterwater, Grasmere and Rydal are all within reach, as is the popular double car park at White Moss Common. Many paths run over the fell including the well known Loughrigg Terrace, a level path with superb views of Grasmere, Helm Crag and the Fairfield group. Just beyond the eastern end of the Terrace are some quite remarkable caves, caused by quarrying. They penetrate about 150 feet (46 m) into the hillside and are often full of water; there are other small mines on the fell. The highest rocky knoll can be identified by an Ordnance Survey triangulation column beside a large cairn, both standing out from the turf. The view includes intimate views of the Langdale Pikes and the fells around Grasmere, together with the Fairfield horseshoe and the Coniston Fells. Elter Water, Grasmere and a large part of Windermere can also be seen.

Alan on the Crinkle Crags with Bow Fell beyond,Lak…

16 Oct 2018 1 2 122
Crinkle Crags is a fell in the English Lake District in the county of Cumbria. It forms part of two major rings of mountains, surrounding the valleys of Great Langdale and Upper Eskdale. The name reflects the fell's physical appearance as its summit ridge is a series of five rises and depressions (crinkles) that are very distinctive from the valley floor. In Old English, cringol means twisted or wrinkled. The nomenclature of the various tops is very confused. Traditional guidebooks tend to rely on what the eye sees and therefore focus attention upon the five ‘crinkles’ of the summit ridge. These are generally referred to as the first to fifth crinkles, but Richards starts in the north, Birkett in the south and Wainwright employs both conventions, depending upon the direction of travel. For clarity in this article the first crinkle will be taken as the southernmost top. On this basis, the second Crinkle (also called Long Top) is the true summit of the fell. The only other Crinkle with a definitive name is Gunson Knott, the fifth. To the north of the Crinkles proper is a depression and then the outcropping continues over Shelter Crags. In recent times more systematic hill lists have been produced based upon topographical prominence and height, rather than mere visual appeal. Most relevant to Crinkle Crags are the lists of Hewitts and Nuttalls. These variously list the summit, the first Crinkle (Crinkle Crags South Top), and two tops on Shelter Crags (Shelter Crags and Shelter Crags North Top), but exclude the other three Crinkles. The ridge of Crinkle Crags extends due south from its higher neighbour, Bowfell. Between the two is the col of Three Tarns, named for the small pools in the depression. Depending upon recent rainfall there may be anything from two to five tarns in evidence on the ground. From here the rocky outcropping of Shelter Crags is quickly reached. Beyond the summit to the south the ridge descends over Stonesty Pike and Little Stand (a Nuttall) to the Duddon Valley at Cockley Beck. Two further ridges branch out from Crinkle Crags on either side of the summit, before turning south to run parallel to Little Stand. On the west, across the marshy trench of Moasdale is Hard Knott. To the east an initially indistinct ridge firms up on the traverse to Cold Pike. Between Cold Pike and Crinkle Crags, but generally included as part of the latter is the further Nuttall of Great Knott. The traverse of the summit ridge with its series of undulations is an exhilarating experience for the fell walker. The ridge includes the so-called "Bad Step", a steep declivity which catches out many walkers when travelling from north to south; however, the obstacle can be by-passed without too much trouble. The view from the summit is very good: there are airy views of Great Langdale, Eskdale and Dunnerdale, with the estuaries of the rivers Duddon and Esk well seen as they enter the Irish Sea. There is a very good view of England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, which lies just four kilometres (2½ miles) away to the north west. Shelter Crags gives extensive all-round views.

Russian Fishing Factory Ship at Ullapool,Loch Broo…

M.V. Hebridean Princess leaving Oban 24th May 1989…

16 Oct 2018 1 2 285
MV Hebridean Princess is a cruise ship operated by Hebridean Island Cruises. She started life as the MacBrayne car ferry and Royal Mail Ship, initially RMS then MV Columba, based in Oban for the first 25 years of her life, carrying up to 600 passengers, and 50 cars, between the Scottish islands. RMS Columba was the last of three car ferries built in 1964 by Hall, Russell & Company, Aberdeen for the Secretary of State for Scotland.The Secretary of State for Scotland ordered a trio of near-identical car ferries for the Western Isles. They were chartered to David MacBrayne Ltd and were all equipped to serve as floating nuclear shelters, in the event of national emergency.This included vertical sliding watertight doors that could seal off the car deck, immediately aft of the hoist.Columba was the last of the three to enter service. Columba took up the Isle of Mull service, replacing the elderly ships MV Lochearn and MV Lochmor. She continued on this route for nine years. Columba's interiors, and those of her sisters MV Hebrides and MV Clansman, were designed by a young Scottish designer, John McNeece, who was to go on to design the interiors of numerous cruise ships over the next 40 years. In 1968, additional buoyant seating was added on the after deck, boosting her passenger complement from 600 to 870. Cars were loaded via a forward hydraulic hoist.Below the car deck were sleeping berths for 51. She was the first vessel to make Sunday sailings, which started in 1972 and were combined with short cruises. There was some opposition to the innovation. 1972 was her last year on the Mull station. That winter, Columba relieved at Stornoway and then took up MV Clansman's roster at Mallaig. Night sailings to Lochboisdale and Castlebay only lasted one year and in 1974 Columba only had the light Mallaig – Armadale, Skye roster. On the withdrawal of the veteran King George V, Columba was restored to Oban, serving Coll and Tiree, Colonsay, Iona, Lochaline and Tobermory. In winter Columba became the regular relief at Uig and, until 1979, of MV Iona on the Outer Isles run. Columba continued in service after her sisters, MV Hebrides and MV Clansman. Even in CalMac operation, she gave special cruises, including St Kilda and Kishorn Yard as destinations.From 1985 she was the last dedicated hoist-loading vessel in service. In 1988, she was acquired by a new venture, Hebridean Island Cruises of Skipton to offer luxury cruises. She underwent a major refit at George Prior Engineering in Great Yarmouth in 1989, emerging as the cruise ship, MV Hebridean Princess. She began operating on 26 May 1989 and provides cruises around the Western Isles of Scotland. More recently, itineraries have been extended to include Ireland, the Orkney and Shetland islands, the Norwegian Fjords and the Isles of Scilly. Initially, she retained a car-carrying capability, giving the option of leaving at intermediate ports. Within two years the car-carrying capacity was removed and additional cabins constructed to allow a dramatic increase in the crew-to-guest ratio. By 1997, a crew of 37 was serving just 49 passengers in considerable luxury. From 21 July to 29 July 2006, HM Queen Elizabeth II chartered Hebridean Princess for a holiday around the Scottish Islands to mark her 80th birthday. The Queen reportedly paid £125,000 for the use of the ship.[14] In June 2009, All Leisure Group, which also owns the Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery lines, purchased the company.The company name was changed from Hebridean International Cruises (used when MV Hebridean Spirit was operating deep-sea itineraries), to its current name, but the ship continues to operate as it did before the take over. In 2010 HM Queen Elizabeth II chartered Hebridean Princess for another holiday around the Scottish Islands, sailing from Stornoway on 23 July for two weeks.

Derwent Water and Skiddaw from Ashness Bridge 6th…

A.D. on the climb to the CMD arete 16th May 1994.

Russian Trawler in Loch Broom,Ullapool 22nd Septem…


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