Friday, June 8, 2012

May 2012 Holiday Overview - Scotland and northern England


Woodland by the Tweed above Berwick-upon-Tweed

On 5th May, my Munros Man headed north for a week climbing Munros, staying with friends in northern Scotland and various SYHAs . I headed north by train the following Tuesday for a one night stopover at YHA York, before taking another train north on the Wednesday to Berwick-upon-Tweed, staying three nights at the recently opened YHA there. On Saturday 12th, I took a train to Edinburgh, then coach to Pitclochry, where I met my Munros Man outside the Fisher’s Hotel, to begin our fortnight’s holiday in Perthshire, staying in a holiday cottage. On the way home, we had an overnight stopover at YHA Arnside.


While we were away, we had some very changeable weather, which I gather wasn’t just confined to Scotland – add hot water bottle and ice packs to the Things to Take on Holiday list. At the beginning of the trip, I left the south coast during a very unsettled, wet spell of weather which had proceeded many months of abnormally dry weather over most of England. For all my time at Berwick-upon-Tweed and for our first week in Perthshire it was changeable, with a few wet days, and cold for May. I believe daytime maxima were less than 10C some days. We went out in winter gear, complete with hats and gloves; our spring / summer wear just sat unused in drawers at the cottage. I was put off  more strenuous, higher level walks (3000ft+) by the prospect of lingering snow and ice. During his solo week, Munros Man had to deal with quite a bit of that. The higher mountains in Perthshire, such as Ben Lawers, still had snow on the tops. 

It didn’t help that our cottage wasn’t that warm, with a bizarre heating system, coming on at bizarre times, beyond our own control. It was actually the east wing of a country house, with sprawling grounds. One of the more interesting self-catering bases we’ve stayed in, even if not the most comfortable. The owner, a lady with a posh plum southern accent, was around sometimes; the caretaker lived nextdoor in the West Wing. Both came round the first night, apologetic just as we’d found no hot water. The heating hadn’t been turned on in advance of our arrival. Better when it came on; but it was set to come on during the day, when we were invariably out / more active; then, off in the evening, when we felt cold. We then had to make do with electric heaters and a gas fire reminiscent of the one in the first house I grew up in during the 1970s. It was an old house with high ceilings, so would have been expensive to heat (heating / electricity thankfully included in the price) and we only felt warm, sitting close to the radiators / heaters; something I might expect over the winter / in March, but not in May. Further up the hill there was a farm. Sheep grazed in the fields either side of the long, zig-zag sloping driveway down to the river. There were several dogs in the courtyard, including a black Labrador barking for about twenty minutes at a time, whenever we came to the bathroom window facing the courtyard.  There was also a cockerel; chickens which looked like cockerels, with the same dark green and rusty red feathers; and  couple of guinea fowl. I saw my very first red squirrel in the garden, and several more when we were out and about. These are endangered species, wiped out off much of the UK by the spread of the grey squirrel. In England, they are only found in the Lake District and on the IOW. 
Ben Lawers from Loch Tay

Then, early in the second week, the weather changed dramatically: within the space of about two days, the daytime maxima shot up by about 20C. On the Wednesday of the second week, the high at Aviemore was about 27C, not far off Southampton (just under 28C). The warmer rooms at the cottage now felt too hot. Out and about, it was more comfortable on the hills than in the glens. When we climbed Schiehallion, we started walking at 8:00am, thankful to for the mist keeping the sun off for first 900m or so of climbing. As we came down, we saw other people struggling in the heat on the way up.  Midges were less of a problem than they had been in places such as Glen Finnan two years ago (again a very warm second week). This was why I wanted to go earlier in May this year, especially for the lower level riverside / loch side walks. Nonetheless, we encountered bugs (probably mozzies rather than midges) at more than 3000 feet (1083m) on the summit of Schiehallion. We ended the trip with gruelling hot two day car journeys. Again we left early, particularly on the Sunday; but it was a choice of cooking in the car with the windows up, or being deafened by wind noise at 70 miles per hour with them down. I came home, pleased we’d had a good, variety packed, holiday, but exhausted from the journey back.

The Linn of Tummel
Overall, a good mix of river, loch, woodland and mountain scenery. Great to see some, fast flowing rivers – the Scottish rivers are in a different league to the English ones; higher rainfall, higher ground composed of harder / tougher rocks, making for waterfalls and rapids – especially after the prolonged drought down south (despite the heavy rainfall in April, this hasn’t gone away – “the current account [no pun intended] is healthy but the savings account is depleted”, as I saw quoted in the Saturday Guardian on 12th May. 

The main river was, of course, the Tay, impressively powerful for a British river. Though it’s name changes along it’s course – not called the Tay until it emerges from Loch Tay at Kenmore – it’s the longest river in Scotland; 120 miles from its source on Ben Lui, near Tyndrum in the west to the North Sea (via the Firth of Tay). By the volume of water carried it is the largest river in Britain. Its catchment area is nearly 5000km2. This takes in everything flowing into Loch Tay which is nearly 16 miles long; the River Lyon and its tributaries; the river Tummel and it’s catchment extending to Loch Rannoch. From the central belt, it receives the Almond and the Earn. The potential power of the river was evident at the Grandtully rapids near Aberfeldy (and the flood marks carved into the red sandstone of Smeaton’s Bridge in Perth. Even when it is not in flood, its carries more water than the Thames and Severn combined (figures available at http://www.ceh.ac.uk/data/nrfa/data/search.html). Hence the flooding hazard in Perth, clearly evident in the floodmarks, dating from the C19 - 2006, on Smeaton's Bridge. 

During our second week, we climbed Schiehallion and Ben Vrackie; Munros Man added Ben Lawers to his Munro tally, while I sketched the view of it along Loch Tay at Kenmore. Some good lower levels walks, too: a circular walk starting and finishing at Pitlochry, taking in Loch Faskally, the River Garry gorge below Killiecrankie and the waterfalls at the Linn of Tummel ; Weem woods and the Tay near Aberfeldy; Birnam Wood further down the Tay near Dunkeld; Glen Tilt, starting and finishing at Blair Atholl; woods and waterfalls in the Birks of Aberfeldy, they day before we headed home. We left the Highlands today to visit Perth and enjoy the views of the Tay and mountains from Kinnoull Hill.  Carl said it was good to take a closer look at the scenery his usually whizzes through along the A9 travelling to / from northern Scotland.

The Perthshire geology largely consisted of metamorphic rocks north of the Highland Boundary Fault: the Dalradian Supergroup. The sediments here were laid down during the Neoproterozoic period (1 billion – around 540 million years BP), according to the BGS 1:250000 Bedrock Geology map, North Sheet (2002). They were subsequently metamorphosed during the Caledonian Orogency, a continental collision / mountain building event occurring around 400 million years ago. There was some quartzite, as we saw on the summit and ridge of Schiehallion. South of the Highland Boundary Fault, around Perth, there was Devonian Old Red Sandstone; Kinnoull Hill consisted of volcanic rocks extruded during the Devonian period.

We ate well and drank lots of tea, frequenting cafés at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre – art exhibition, too; the Birnam Arts Centre; lunch one wet day at the Moulin Hotel near Pitclochry. We made five or six visits to the Watermill bookshop and café on the Moness Burn in Aberfeldy, buying books, various teas and cakes. Upstairs in their art gallery, an exhibition of abstract work by Wilhemena Barns Graham. 

On the way home, made over two days, the overnight stopover at Arnside at the end of the holiday was a relief from all the hot car travel.

Day-by-Day


Tuesday 8th  May 

Overnight stop at YHA York.  Have done York well/enjoyed it before, usually staying at the YHA.  This time, though, I found the city and hostel too busy 2012 and all that, perhaps - more tourists here in the run up to the Jubilee and Olympics.  I'm glad I was only there for one night.  I I found the River Ouse, and reflective - little more than a week ago, it was in flood, videos to prove it on youtube.  There was little sign of that today, though I saw someone hosing down the paving slabs near Lendal Bridge as I walked from the city centre to the hostel on my arrival on Tuesday afternoon.  It was on flood warning again after more rain later in the week.

Wednesday 9th - Friday Friday, 11th May - Berwick-upon-Tweed

Three nights at Berwick upon Tweed, travelling by train from York.  Refreshingly, after the busyness of York, it was fairly quiet around the town and at the hostel; though the Thursday was very wet.  Thankfully, the hostel was open throughout the day, meaning I could shelter and sketch in indoors after walking along the river in the morning.  Friday was dry, the the river Tweed was very fast flowing and rough after all the the rain.  I sketched along the river and in the woodland upstream from the Royal Border Bridge (the railway viaduct).
Royal Border Bridge - Berwick-upon-Tweed


Monday, the 14th of May  – Weem Wood and Aberfeldy

An easier day in and around Aberfeldy.  First of all, we went to the Watermill, when we had had a cup of tea and cake on Saturday and somewhere we with frequent several more times during our stay.  For now we looked round the bookshop.  We then went down to the river Tay, crossed General Wade's Bridge; and turned left to walk along the river.  From there, we took the path taking us past Castle Menzies and uphill into Weem Wood.  We followed the path up to saint David's Well and Weem Rock, enjoying the trees and wild flowers along the way.  Spring was gets later up here, so the bluebells were still flowering and the leaves on the trees still looked fresh.  From Weem Rock there were queues of the river Tay and cross the bridge to Aberfeldy.  Among the wood, worsened subtle stone carvings: we spotted a dinosaur like creature with an ominous eye which might have been a gruffalo from the children's books.  A bit further on, there was a griffin.

Tuesday, the 15th of May -  Pitlochry - Loch Faskally - Garry - Linn of Tummel circular walk

We headed over to Pitlochry, parking at the Festival theatre, I was doing a circular walk taking in the hydroelectric dam on the river Tummel, Loch Faskally, the river Garry below Killiecrankie, Clunie power station and the waterfalls at the Linn of Tummel.  Crossing over the dam, we walked along the eastern shore of Loch Faskally; with the junction of rivers Tummel and Garry and Clunie power station on the far side. We followed the Garry into the gorge below Killiecrankie, where there was a high bridge carrying the B8019, mixed woodland with trees growing on the steep crags and dark inky water. After crossing the footbridge upstream of the road bridge, we walked down the Garry on the right bank and into the woods at its confluence with the River Tummel. Here we saw a red squirrel; then, after lunch by the Linn of Tummel waterfalls, a kingfisher. We crossed the Tummel above the falls, the river here being constrained by an outcrop of harder / tougher rock, and followed the road behind Clunie power station. We then passed the memorial arch, constructed from the 7m diameter concrete pipe used to transfer water, in memory of the five men killed during the construction of the Loch Tummel hydroelectric scheme in the late 1940s / early 1950s. The road back to Pitlochry contoured around the hillside on the western shore of Loch Faskally, giving us good views over the loch. After the walk, tea at the Festival Theatre cafe.

Wednesday, 16th May - Perth and Kinnoull Hill

Headed south across the highland boundary fault to Perth, in the Central Belt (Midland Valley), geologically speaking.  We parked along the road near a disused quarry in the Devonian volcanic rock making up Kinnoull Hill.  We followed the paths through the woods to the viewpoint at the top of the hill - warnings of the steep drop of the crag on the south side.  From here, there was a view north to the mountains north of the highland boundary fault and south towards the Ochil Hills and  the river Tay widening towards the Firth of Tay. Among the mountains, Munros Man pointed out Schiehallion, Ben Vorlich and Ben More in the northwest; Lochnagar and the Cairngorms in the northeast. There was still quite a bit of snow on the higher peaks.  The round viewpoint signpost gave the height of the hill as 729 ft [222m], latitude 56o23'20''N, longitude 3o23'12''W.
We then headed down the hill into the city centre, crossing the river Tay via a footway on the railway bridge, the river here dividing into two channels around an islet.  We then strolled along the western bank of the river towards Smeaton's Bridge, built from Devenian Old Red Sandstone conglomerate. Floodmarks dating from the C19th, most recent January 1993 and December 1993, were carved into the sandstone on the north side. Prior to the building of Smeaton's Bridge, a succession of earlier bridges were swept away by floods. The flood defences have been upgraded (probably since the big flood in 1993), incorporating a flood wall along the stretch of river paralleling the city centre and several large gates to hold back the water, particularly near the war memorials in North Inch park. The peak discharge in Perth (volume of water), measured cubic metres per second, during the 1993 flood was 2269 cubic metres per second , on 17th January 1993; the height of the river was nearly 6.5m above normal (both figures for Perth, from Wikipedia, River Tay, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Tay , accessed 06/06/12. The highest daily flow rate at Ballathie (between Dunkeld and Perth) was more 600 cubic metres per second, again during the 1993 flood (CEH, National River Flow Archive http://www.ceh.ac.uk/data/nrfa/index.html). These figures would have been much higher, but for the hydroelectric schemes in the catchment, including those in the Tummel catchment at Pitlochry etc. 

Smeaton's Bridge
Art work and sculpture was incorporated into / situated close to the defences, including the gates themselves. A flock of strangely shaped animals on top of a section of the wall; a bird with a fish just downstream of Smeaton's Bridge.  We had our lunch on a bench just above Smeaton's Bridge.  I did a quick sketch here, but it was too chilly to sit around outside the very long.  We headed then, to a café for tea and tea cake, photographing the arty flood gates at the entrance to the North Inch park.  I later walked along the river in an awful inch park, where walkers, dog walkers, cyclists coexisted with golf and playing fields.  Generally on this trip, we found access to the River Tay  - a prime salmon river - very good - unlike along the exclusive salmon chalk streams of southern England.  The problem with parking where had done, once we had to walk back up the hill, a climb of about 200m - we had another look at the view at the top; but this time got a bit lost on our way down to the road where we'd parked.



Thursday 17th  - Friday 18th May 

A couple of wet days, they Friday was drier in the afternoon.  On Thursday we went to Pitlochry, where we looked round the hydroelectric dam exhibition and headed up the hill to the Moulin Hotel bar where we had lunch and Munros Man enjoyed the Braveheart beer, brewed in the small brewery nextdoor exclusively for this hotel and another one in Blair Atholl.  They were open fires in the bar, looked as if it was mid winter, it felt a bit like that outside.


On Friday morning at the cottage, I added some colour to the sketches I had done during the week.  Then in the afternoon, we headed out to Glen Lyon, driving on the narrow winding road for about 11 miles to the gallery at the Bridge of Balgie.  Crossing the bridge, we did one of the walks suggested in the guide which Munros Man had picked up in the car park.  This was on the Meggernie Estate, taking in waterfalls and Woodland and views over the Glen. At the top of the hill, there was a clearing with views over the mountains.  However the top of Ben Lawers the still covered in cloud.  We then found a way down to the northern end of road long the Ben Lawers Pass - memories of the cycling saga here on a family holiday nearly 30 years ago.

Saturday, 19th of May - Glen Tilt from Blair Atholl

The striking out and back walk of about 10 miles along Glen Tilt, starting and finishing at Blair Atholl. The walk was along a traditional Scottish Right Way, ultimately leading to the Linn of Dee. It followed the River Tilt for much of the way, a tributary of the Garry; the higher part of the Glen being the most attractive. The rocks here were metamorphic, part of the Dalradian Supergroup, though appeared to have steeply dipping bedding planes, sometimes jutting out into the riverbed and constricting it, to form rapids and waterfalls. Views of the Munro Ben A Ghlo.

Sunday 20th May - Loch Tay and upper River Tay

Trees by the Tay near Kenmore
The first bright day during our time in Scotland.  I walked and sketched along the shores of loch Tay and the upper river Tay between Kenmore and Aberfeldy. Munros Man meanwhile, climbed Ben Lawers, taking in three other Munros.  We made an early start, Munros Man dropping me off at the loch shore at Kenmore.  First, I followed the road along the south side of loch and took the path up hill passed some houses to the Falls all Acharn, passing the Crannog Centre; a crannog being an early Iron Age round hut with a thatched roof, built out onto the loch, on a pier.  I sketched the waterfall, then back on the loch shore, I sketched the view west along the loch towards, the cloud now clearing over Ben Lawers.  I thought of my Munros Man up their tackling the mountains; still patches of snow on the higher slopes. Ben Lawers is the highest mountain in the area at 1214 m,  (3983ft).  Though it was now warm and sunny, I felt chilly in the cool breeze along the loch.  

Leaving the loch, I walked into the village, past the Kenmore Hotel and the gates of Taymouth Castle.  I've then crossed the bridge where the river left the loch, from here on taking the name of the River Tay.  I then joined the riverside path along the north bank of the river, passing a chalet park, became more hotel backing onto the river on the other side.  The path then entered woodland and went up onto slope above the river.  Passing a monument to my right and golf course on the left, I sat and sketched some trees overlooking the river.  Where the river past Taymouth Castle, there will rapids; the bridge to the castle grounds still closed.  Clambering over a large fallen tree, I continued along the path, at the foot of Drummond Hill, then along the road for the remainder of the way to the Comrie Bridge over the River Lyon.  I then followed the river Lyon to its confluence with the fast flowing Tay, the two rivers merging either side of a stream of boulders.  From here on along the river Tay into Aberfeldy, gentle stretches of water alternated with faster stretches.  I did a quick sketch by the river, but his time was getting on, I had to rush this last bit.  At about 5.15pm, Munros Man texted me to say that he was off the mountain and waiting for me in Aberfeldy, at the Watermill, having climbed four Munros.

Monday, the 21st of May - Weem Wood and Aberfeldy

An easy day after Munros Man's strenuous day yesterday.  Essentially, we repeated what we did last Monday around Aberfeldy, this time during the walk up to Weem Rock through the woods first, and the Riverside walk to the bridge later.  In contrast to the cooler weather last week, its now felt very warm and a bit sticky.  After the walk, an early tea at the Watermill.

Tuesday, 22nd of May - Ben Vrackie

Climbed Ben Vrackie,  a Corbett (2757ft), east of Pitlochry. From Pitlochry, headed up the hill past the Moulin Hotel and parked in the car park further up the hill. We climbed out into a clearing, with views of the mountain, then up to a loch with an earth dam. From here, a steeper second half of the ascent to the top, still on a very well made path. It hot and sunny, though there was some breeze - one of the earlier risers, now coming down from the hill, warned us that the top was "a wee bit windy". Clearly a Scottish understatement, as it was blowing a gale when we got up there. Though it was a bit hazy, we enjoyed views south along the Tummel valley below Pitlochry, towards its junction with the Tay; the valleys of the Tummel and upper Tay  separated by Dunfallandy Hill. Higher up the valley, Loch Faskally and Glen Garry.  To the northeast with Ben A Ghlo, the still very snowy southern Cairngorms and Lochnager. Schiehallion was to the west. On our way down, we took a different, more fiddly path around to the north end of the loch, getting a bit lost trying to wiggle our way back round to the path back down to the Moulin car park. Cold drinks, followed by tea in the Festival Theatre cafe, overlooking the River Tummel, its anglers and the hill we'd climbed. The busy town and heat were a bit of a shock after our walk. The hoards of coach parties and general touristy grockle were off-putting. Not for the first time, I wanted to revolt against this and try another higher level, rugged mountain walk before we went home.

Wednesday 23rd May - Birnam and Dunkeld

Cathedral ground by the River Tay, Dunkeld
A rest day between two rugged days on the hills. However, it was oppressively hot in the sun, all the more in the glen of the Tay at Dunkeld.  Thankfully plenty of shade in the delightful Birnam Wood along the river. Spent most of our time here, strolling among the trees, looking out for signs of the Highland Boundary Fault. We saw the Birnam Oak, which features in William Shakespeare's Macbeth and the younger (300 year old) with an even bigger trunk, next to it. After sweating across the bridge, to have a quick look at the Cathedral and town, a welcome cold drink and cake in the cafe at the Birnam Arts Centre. Also an art exhibition of very luminescent oil paintings by Allan George Henderson.

Thursday 24th May - Schiehallion

Made an early start for Schiehallion,  to try and beat the heat, heading to the car park on the northeast side of the mountain, walking from 8:00am. It really helped that it started off misty - we couldn't actually see the mountain from the car park when we set off; though the sun threatened to burn it off.  Thankfully, it persisted while we climbed the steep first 900m of ascent to the ridge. It then began clearing, though didn't completely clear, giving us views looking down through broken cloud. It remained hazy all day, blocking views of the more distant mountains. There was a good path up to the ridge, the mountain owned by the John Muir Trust, but it then petered out when we got to the ridge of blocky quartzite. We just about managed this in our trainers (with ankle support - didn't feel like heavy boots in the heat), but it was a bit borderline. It took us about three hours to get to the top: view north down to Loch Tummel, Loch Rannoch and Kinlochrannoch in between. To the south Ben Lawers, still some snow on its north facing slope. Even on the top, the forecast temperature (daytime maximum) was 17C, about 10C higher in the glens; and, even at 1083m (3553ft), there were bugs - more flies and mozzies than midges, but they made it too uncomfortable to linger long at the top. All morning we had the mountain to ourselves, only seeing other people as we came down from the ridge, many of them struggling climbing the steep bit in the full sun. Back at the car at about 1.45pm, glad we hadn't had to endure that. Then, to Aberfeldy and the Watermill, pleased to got up there, exorcising and exercising the ghosts of the moody teenager who refused when Dad tried to get me up there during the Bryce holiday.

Friday 25th May The Birks of Aberfeldy and Grandtully

A lower key, easier day to end the holiday, visiting the Birks of Aberfeldy, enjoying the birch trees, wildflowers and waterfalls along the Moness Burn. Then, a final visit to the Watermill cafe. On the way back, I took a quick look at the River Tay at the Grandtully rapids, glimpsed from the road on the north side of the river.  According to Griff Rhys Jones in the Scottish episode of Rivers, broadcast on BBC2, 2009) the correct pronunciation is “Grantlee”; as if the fast flowing river could only be bothered with two syllables? This is  classic venue for canoeing and slalom competitions. I was able to get down to the river near the bridge, though it was too hot to stay out in the sun for too long. Though the rivers was lower than it had been last week, the rapids - formed where the valley narrows and the gradient visibly steepens - still looked impressive. The white water racing past the rock I clambered out onto, testified to the power of the river Tay. Back at the cottage, a welcome breeze, keeping the midges / bugs away, so I was able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine (seat in shade) in the grounds.  

Saturday 26th May - Sunday 27th May
Arnside

Home, south: two days in the car, in the burning heat, if not that deafening wind noise with the windows open :( . After the relative peace and quiet of Highland Perthshire it seemed very crowded everywhere.
Got to Arnside about 3pm, glad to get out of the car, seemingly just missing the bore. After dinner at the YHA in the evening, returned to the estuary to sketch and enjoy the sunset. 



Arnside - 26th May 2012



Our overnight stopover at YHA Arnside, on the way home from Scotland, was a relief between two long hot car journeys; though thanks to a hold-up on the M6 shortly before our turn off, I just missed the tidal bore running up Morecambe Bay into the Kent estuary here. As we passed the pier at Arnside in the car just before 3pm, it was very crowded; beachgoers watching the water, as if in anticipation. While my Munros Man cowered in the shade, in the YHA garden, I walked down the nearby path to the shore. The tide was now coming in, so the estuary was looking much fuller. I'm not sure there whether they'd have been an obvious tidal bore wave here today; the tidal cycle coming down to neap tide early the next week; but I got a pretty good look last year, during a higher tide. According to the tide table on the pier, high tide today was 15:49 BST. If, as it said on the table, it began flooding in two and half hours before highwater, it was a bit late; though perhaps that meant spring tides. As I strolled along the beach the current seemed to be winding down now, and the water didn't come up as far as it did when I saw the tide flood in here last year.

After dinner at the YHA, we came back down to the shore in the evening, the tide now going out. I sketched, then we wandered to the pier and enjoyed the sunset behind the hills on the far side of the estuary, just after 9.00pm. In contrast to the car journey, I now felt a good summer vibe; even the music playing from the lads' radio on the pier blended into it. Strangely, found myself gazing up through the windows above the shop which sold expensive gifts but good ice creams; the low light showing up the interiors.





The River Tay and Loch Tay - May 2012

Ben Lawers from Loch Tay 20/05/12. Weather warming up after our chilly first week in Perthshire; but still a cold wind off the loch as I was sketching; the mountain top still covered in snow. My Munros Man was climbing this mountain, looking down along the loch as I sketched, requiring an ice axe for the snowy part.

Trees above the River Tay below Kenmore - walking along north side to Aberfeldy

Tree by the River Tay above Aberfeldy, 20/05/12

Strong currents on the River Tay above Aberfeldy, 20/05/12

General Wade's Bridge, Aberfeldy. Black Watch monument nearby (to left of view). Single lane across the bridge, traffic lights either side. The day this photo was taken (14th May), my Munros Man had to chase some oafish ducks out of the road when they decided to stop in front of a car waiting to cross the bridge.

The rapids and slalom course, Grandtully ("Grantlee") below Aberfeldy, 25/05/12. The  River Tay is particularly rough here, with a visible increase in gradient compared to further upstream at Aberfeldy. This was taken on 25th May, at the end of our stay in Perthshire. Too hot too linger long in the sun. The white was more impressive during our first week, when there was more water in the river. The white water in this photo was running between a particularly narrow part of the channel, a large rock jutting out into it on the south side.

The cathedral grounds, Dunkeld, 23/05/12. Sketched under the shade of a tree, sheltering from the hot sun.

Smeaton's Bridge, Perth - built with local Devonian Old Red Sandstone conglomerate; flood marks from the C19th - 2006 carved into the stone near the archway on the far right. Prior to the building of Smeaton's Bridge, a succession of bridges were swept away by floods. The Tay is a powerful river. As well as strong currents, it is the largest river in Britain by the volume of water carried. It's average flow (discharge in cubic metres per second) is more than those of the Thames and Severn combined. At Perth it is tidal (less rough looking when the tide is in).

The River Tay viewed above the crag on the south side of Kinnoull Hill near Perth, looking east towards the Firth of Tay. From the northside of the hill (222m) there is a view of the highlands / mountains north of the Highland Boundary Fault. Kinnoull Hill is composed of volcanic rock extruded during the Devonian period.


Unusual still life in stair cupboard - Perthshire, May 2012





We spent the first day of our fortnight in Perthshire  (Sunday 13th May) at the cottage: the weather was poor and the surrounding roads were closed due to a big cycling event at Pitlochry.  I found an unusual still life object to draw in a cupboard above the stairs - a gong supported by two feet from a deer, complete with hooves and fur.


The place we stayed in for our fortnight in Perthshire (12th - 25th May 2012) wasn’t that warm during the first week, with a bizarre heating system, coming on at bizarre times, beyond our own control. It was actually the east wing of a country house, with sprawling grounds. One of the more interesting self-catering bases we’ve stayed in, even if not the most comfortable. The owner, a lady with a posh plum southern accent, was around sometimes; the caretaker lived nextdoor in the West Wing. Both came round the first night, apologetic just as we’d found no hot water. The heating hadn’t been turned on in advance of our arrival. Better when it came on; but it was set to come on during the day, when we were invariably out / more active; then, off in the evening, when we felt cold. We then had to make do with electric heaters and a gas fire reminiscent of the one in the first house I grew up in during the 1970s. It was an old house with high ceilings, so would have been expensive to heat (heating / electricity thankfully included in the price) and we only felt warm, sitting close to the radiators / heaters; something I might expect over the winter / in March, but not in May. Then, at the beginning of the second week, the weather changed completely: the daytime temperature increasing by about 20C. Rooms which had been too cold the previous week, now felt comfortably cool. Further up the hill there was a farm.

A menagerie of animals all round. Sheep grazed in the fields either side of the long, zig-zag sloping driveway down to the river. There were several dogs in the courtyard, including a black Labrador barking for about twenty minutes at a time, whenever we came to the bathroom window facing the courtyard.  There was also a cockerel; chickens which looked like cockerels, with the same dark green and rusty red feathers; and  couple of guinea fowl. I saw my very first red squirrel in the garden, and several more when we were out and about. These are endangered species, wiped out off much of the UK by the spread of the grey squirrel. In England, they are only found in the Lake District and on the IOW.



Some Perthshire Waterfalls

The Linn of Tummel, 15/05/12 - near hydroelectric Clunie power station  / confluence with the River Garry / where the River Tummel enters Loch Faskally; an artificial loch created by the building of the hydroelectric fam at Pitlochry in the early 1950s. Red squirrels in the nearby wood.

The Falls on Acharn, on the southeast shore of Loch Tay near Kenmore, 20/05/12. Sun  coming through early morning mist, shining through the trees in the background.

The Birks of Aberfeldy, 25/05/12

Waterfall near the Ben Lawers pass road and the Bridge of Balgie, Glen Lyon, 18/05/12.

Glen Tilt, 18/05/12

Glen Tilt 18/05/12

The Falls of Moness, Birks of Aberfeldy, 25/05/12

Mountain walks - Perthshire - May 2012

Ben Vrackie
During our the second week of our hols in Highland Perthshire, we climbed a couple of hills.  Climbed Ben Vrackie,  a Corbett (2757ft), east of Pitlochry. From Pitlochry, headed up the hill past the Moulin Hotel and parked in the car park further up the hill. We climbed out into a clearing, with views of the mountain, then up to a loch with an earth dam. From here, a steeper second half of the ascent to the top, still on a very well made path. It hot and sunny, though there was some breeze - one of the earlier risers, now coming down from the hill, warned us that the top was "a wee bit windy". Clearly a Scottish understatement, as it was blowing a gale when we got up there. Though it was a bit hazy, we enjoyed views south along the Tummel valley below Pitlochry, towards its junction with the Tay; the valleys of the Tummel and upper Tay  separated by Dunfallandy Hill. Higher up the valley, Loch Faskally and Glen Garry.  To the northeast with Ben A Ghlo, the still very snowy southern Cairngorms and Lochnager. Schiehallion was to the west. On our way down, we took a different, more fiddly path around to the north end of the loch, getting a bit lost trying to wiggle our way back round to the path back down to the Moulin car park. Cold drinks, followed by tea in the Festival Theatre cafe, overlooking the River Tummel, its anglers and the hill we'd climbed. The busy town and heat were a bit of a shock after our walk. The hoards of coach parties and general touristy grockle were off-putting. Not for the first time, I wanted to revolt against this and try another higher level, rugged mountain walk before we went home.

My Munros Man on Schiehallion
 With more hot weather forecast later in the week, we made an early start for Schiehallion: a Munro, 3553ft (1083m). Headed to the car park on the northeast side of the mountain, from where we were walking from 8:00am. It really helped that it started off misty - we couldn't actually see the mountain from the car park when we set off; though the sun threatened to burn it off.  Thankfully, it persisted while we climbed the steep first 900m of ascent to the ridge. It then began clearing, though didn't completely clear, giving us views looking down through broken cloud. It remained hazy all day, blocking views of the more distant mountains. There was a good path up to the ridge, the mountain owned by the John Muir Trust, but it then petered out when we got to the ridge of blocky quartzite. We just about managed this in our trainers (with ankle support - didn't feel like heavy boots in the heat), but it was a bit borderline. It took us about three hours to get to the top: view north down to Loch Tummel, Loch Rannoch and Kinlochrannoch in between. To the south Ben Lawers, still some snow on its north facing slope. Even on the top, the forecast temperature (daytime maximum) was 17C, about 10C higher in the glens; and, even at 3000ft+, there were bugs - more flies and mozzies than midges, but they made it too uncomfortable to linger long at the top. All morning we had the mountain to ourselves, only seeing other people as we came down from the ridge, many of them struggling climbing the steep bit in the full sun. Back at the car at about 1.45pm, glad we hadn't had to endure that. Then, to Aberfeldy and the Watermill cafe, pleased to have got up the mountain; exorcising and exercising the ghosts of the moody teenager who refused when her.

Ben Lawers from Schiehallion (distance)
While I was sketching Ben Lawers from Loch Tay on 20th May, my other half (over half of the 3000ft+ climbed and ticked off the Munros map back home) climbed Ben Lawers; one of four Munros he climbed that day. This is the highest mountain in Perthshire 3983ft (1214m). During our first week, there was still snow on the top; and even during the hot second week, we saw snow lingering on its northern slopes, viewed from Schiehallion.


 

To the west of Ben Lawers is a pass, with a narrow road running from the Bridge of Balgie in Glen Lyon, past a lochan, then down steeply to the A287 on the shore northern shore of Loch Tay.  On Friday 18th May, we did a short walk from the bridge, uphill beside waterfalls in the Meggernie Estate. Woodland and views over Glen Lyon.  At the top of the hill, there was a clearing with views over the mountains. The weather was clearing, but the top of Ben Lawers was still shrouded in cloud.   We then found a way down to the northern end of road along the pass. Some interesting waterfalls on the burn.  Revisiting the area now, with the car journey back via the pass and along the Loch Tay road, reminded of the cycle hire saga here in my teens, during the second week of  a family holiday nearly 30 years ago (the same one as the Schiehallion whimp-out). The cycling day started off well; along the Glen Lyon, in the summer sunshine, though plenty of shade from the trees. The problems came after lunch, negotiating the Ben Lawers pass. It didn't help that we were doing this in the heat of the day, with virtually no shade; but the bicycles weren't up to it. By modern cycling standards, they were pretty basic, without the luxury if hi-tech multiple gears. My father had to go running to motorists in the car parks asking if they had a spanner on them; the handlebars giving way on my bike and my brother; think there was a loose chain as well. We got round, eventually; me refusing Dad's offer of bringing the car round for the last bit, determined to finish all on my own stead (knackered bicycle). My other half - a keen cyclist as well as Munro climber was amazed my father contemplated taking us over this pass on bicycles, as it's steep and narrow; though don't think the A'road at the bottom was a busy then. Presumably my Dad's thinking had been variety and   doing the pass after the glen as we'd have had to have started with steep uphill if we'd done it the other way round (1:7 - 1:5 gradient at the south end). I was probably too tired or my mind fixated on getting back to the comfort of the guest house to notice cycling past the Ben Lawers visitor centre. We'd visited it earlier that week. It has since (2010) been removed - just boggy ground among moorland where it had been) as it was thought to have been too much of a visual eyesore and ecological intrusion on the mountain.



Perthshire May 2012 sketches - Woods



Sketches of woods / during woodland walks during our fortnight in Perthshire 12th - 25th May 2012. Mainly pencils / pens / water soluble pastels; sometimes watercolour washes; usually an A4 sketchbook, working across two pages for the larger ones.


The steep sided gorge of Glen Garry below Killiecrankie, 15/05/12. Circular walk from Pitlochry, taking in the  Rivers Tummel and Garry, Loch Faskally. I was struck by the inky dark water of the river Garry here.

Rocks at St.David's Well, Weem Rock, 21/05/12. Our second visit to Weem Wood, near Aberfeldy and Castle Menzies. Rock mainly low-grade metamorphic psammites etc. Here, I was taken with the line of darker rock cutting across the bedding planes. It looked like a dyke (igneous intrusion). It was acting as a conduit for water to percolate through the rock, down to the pool at the bottom. Views from the well of the Tay and Aberfeldy. Some lovely trees in the wood, as well as stone carvings of dragons and gruffalo-like creatures.

Weem Wood near Aberfeldy and Castle Menzies, 21/05/12. Our second visit. Weather warming up and beginning to feel sticky, so shade from the trees very welcome. Spring was later here than down south, so the greenery of the leaves / plantlife was very fresh; bluebells still flowering. 

Birnam Wood along the River Tay below Dunkeld, 23/05/12 - my other half as foreground. A very pleasant, shady walk on a very hot day, with highs of about 27C. Not far from here, the Tay cuts through the Highland Boundary Fault; other than the countryside becoming tamer / hilly rather than mountainous, I couldn't see any obvious sign of it along the river.

Another view of the River Tay from Birnam Wood, carving names in  tree trunks apparently popular here - some dating back to at least 1982.


Yellow poppies in the Birks of Aberfeldy woodland. A short woodland walk on the last day of our holiday. Again welcome shade from the heat in the woods. Bluebells still flowering.


Stone carving, Weem Wood - the eye of a graffalo-like head, a griffin a bit further along the path.




 

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

York and Berwick-upon-Tweed, May 2012

Sketches of the River Ouse, York and along the River Tweed in and around Berwick-upon-Tweed, May 2012. During a four day YHA-based trip on the way to Scotland. Very changeable weather: Sunny and fairly warm in York. Chilly in Berwick. A wet day on the Thursday, but better on the Friday. Media - pencils, pens, water soluble pastel in A4 cartridge paper sketchbook.

The reflective River Ouse, sketched just above the Lendal Bridge on the morning of 9th May, while walking from the YHA at Clifton into the city centre,  before catching the train north to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Though the river was calm during my overnight stopover in York at the beginning of the our holiday, it had been in flood the week before, following heavy rain. After more rain on Thursday 10th, it was on flood warning again. This went to show how quickly the river can rise after heavy rain in the Pennines. Upstream, the Ouse river system is called the Ure, with the Nidd and the Swale being tributaries.

View through the window on the top floor of the Granary, Berwick-upon-Tweed, looking east towards the sea.  As well as the recently opened YHA, it houses an art gallery and a cafe. 
The Royal Border Bridge, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 09/05/12. Sketched on my arrival at Berwick-upon-Tweed, viewed from the town wall. Earlier in the day, I crossed the viaduct on the train, a landmark on the London-Edinburgh line.

View of the River Tweed through a window at the Granary, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 10/05/12.

Another view of the Tweed from the Granary, looking across the river to Tweedmouth. Sketched on a very wet Thursday (10th May). After a short walk along the river in the morning and lunch in a cafe in the town, I returned to the YHA in the afternoon, just as the rain  was getting heavier. It was great to have access to the YHA during the day, with plenty of space in the top floor self-catering dining area to knuckle down to artwork and chill out.

River Tweed above the Royal Border Bridge on Friday morning (11th).  A big improvement on the day before weatherwise; though it was still and cloudy and showery. The River Tweed was very fast flowing and rough, particularly around the bridges, following rapid run-off of the rain in its catchment in southern Scotland. Saw some herons, comorants and oyster catchers along the banks of boulders and wooden debris washed down the river.



Woodland on a hillside along the Tweed above Berwick, 11/05/12.

River Tweed above Berwick, 11/05/12. A low lying, very damp field, with small creek, by the tidal estuary. 

View of the Royal Border Bridge, looking the opposite way along the river to the above view, 11/05/12.

View of the breakwater at the mouth of the River Tweed, 11/05/12, after LS Lowry. The noticeboard on the left, is one of several around the town for the Lowry train, showing the paintings and sketches he did around the town in the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the breakwater (pier) was closed for maintenance work, restricting the coastal perspective I had during my stay at Berwick-upon-Tweed.