Scotland Trip

The dramatic ruins of Castle Girnigoe on an overcast day of mizzle and rain, interspersed by all too brief periods of brightish stuff.

The dramatic ruins of Castle Girnigoe on an overcast day of mizzle and rain, interspersed by all too brief periods of brightish stuff.

The dramatic ruins of Castle Girnigoe on an overcast day of mizzle and rain, interspersed by all too brief periods of brightish stuff.

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The site of Scotlands brief gold rush of 1868. There is still gold to be found in the burns of the surrounding area and people can still be found panning the stream beds.

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If you look closely, the bright specs are indeed minute flecks of genuine gold in the fine silt covering the rocks. We did not have a gold pan when we visited so we filtered some of the silt into my handkerchief and placed the bundle in a polythene bag which was later put into a plastic containner and frozen for the journey. As soon as we have the time we will have a go at extracting the "treasure", such as it is. Where is that microscope.

The site of Scotlands brief gold rush of 1868. There is still gold to be found in the burns of the surrounding area and people can still be found panning the stream beds.

The site of Scotlands brief gold rush of 1868. There is still gold to be found in the burns of the surrounding area and people can still be found panning the stream beds.

A beautiful loch but but very restrictive. While understanding the need for osprey security, the regeme does not make for a somewhat 'open prison' atmosphere so it does not feel particularly welcoming for the friendly visitor.

A beautiful loch but but very restrictive. While understanding the need for osprey security, the regeme does not make for a somewhat 'open prison' atmosphere so it does not feel particularly welcoming for the friendly visitor.

A beautiful loch but but very restrictive. While understanding the need for osprey security, the regeme does not make for a somewhat 'open prison' atmosphere so it does not feel particularly welcoming for the friendly visitor.

A beautiful loch but but very restrictive. While understanding the need for osprey security, the regeme does not make for a somewhat 'open prison' atmosphere so it does not feel particularly welcoming for the friendly visitor.

Damp, windswept upland moors of Northumberland, on the eastern edge of the Kilder Forest. Again a kind of strange beauty in is wildness.

A wonderful, classic castle town. The castle has a fascinating fascinating history and architecture. It was a shame that we did not have the time to spend more than just a couple of hours here, it is worth a couple of days at least.

A wonderful, classic castle town. The castle has a fascinating fascinating history and architecture. It was a shame that we did not have the time to spend more than just a couple of hours here, it is worth a couple of days at least.

A wonderful, classic castle town. The castle has a fascinating fascinating history and architecture. It was a shame that we did not have the time to spend more than just a couple of hours here, it is worth a couple of days at least.