Castle Stalker

Castle Stalker – in the Gaelic, Stalcaire, meaning Hunter or Falconer – is believed originally to have been belonged to MacDougalls when they were Lords of Lorn, and built around 1320. In about 1388 the Lordship of Lorn passed to the Stewarts. It is believed that Castle Stalker, much in its present form, was built by the then Lord of Lorn, Sir John Stewart.In around 1620 the Castle passed into the hands of the Campbells of Airds as a result of a drunken wager. At the time of the 1745 Rising Castle Stalker was held by the Campbells with a Garrison of about 59 Government troops. Although the Stewarts of Appin were solidly behind Prince Charles, and raised a regiment of 300, the Castle was too strong for them to take and their 2lb cannon-balls merely bounced off the walls. In 1908 the Castle was regained from the Campbells by Charles Stewart of Achara who purchased it and carried out some basic preservation work to stem its decay. It is still owned by the Stewarts today.

Autumn in Glencoe

Glencoe Lochan

Just outside Glencoe village, you’ll find a  beautiful wood around a lochan with a backdrop of mountains including the Pap of Glencoe. The trails wind through a landscape planted with North American trees by Lord Strathcona in the 1890s – he hoped they would comfort his homesick Canadian wife.

Dorset and Devon

Beautiful Barmouth

Beautiful Barmouth and the Llŷn Peninsula

Roses at Bodnant

Summer has arrived and with it, all the Roses at Bodnant Garden were really coming into flower.

Clouds over Coniston

Beautiful clouds patterns over Coniston with the Langdales in the background.

Loch Morlich in May

The Cairngorms in May and we discovered a sandy beach on Loch Morlich and watched Ospreys over Lochindorb. There is always something new to discover around Aviemore.

Beautiful Bodnant

The first week of May and the first "Wag Wednesday" of 2017. The sun was shining and these tulips looked stunning.

Llandudno Pier

The present pier, built for the Llandudno Pier Company by Walter Macfarlane of Glasgow using iron castings from the Glasgow Elmbank foundry, was opened to the public on 1 August 1877. 

A British Tourist Authority report in 1975 said of it: '.... It zooms out of the sea.... in a spectacular Indian Gothic style rather like a Maharajah's palace floating on a lake. Cast iron, brackets of iron lacework, an outstandingly pretty balustrade like an enlarged fish net, ogee roofs curling away to the sky, all add up to a totally pleasurable experience.'

Winter at Bodnant

We had a lovely sunny walk around Bodnant Garden this week. I was really impressed with all the flowers that were out already out in the garden and I thought the winter garden looked wonderful. 

Coffee in the Bluebird

This week marked the 50th anniversary of the death of former British land and water speed record holder Donald Campbell. Mr Campbell was holder of eight world speed records in the 1950s and 1960s in the Bluebird cars and boats.On January 4 1967 he attempted a water speed record in the Bluebird K7 at Coniston Water with the target of 300mph (480km/h).After numerous attempts the Bluebird boat reached a speed of 328mph (528km/h) but shortly after, it somersaulted, breaking in two and plunging into the water.