Loch Lomond, Scotland
Loch Lomond is the largest loch/lake in Great Britain and contains many islands. It is lying on the Highland Boundary Fault, the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands and is now part of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
The loch is featured in a well-known song which was first published around 1841:
- Oh, ye’ll tak’ the high road, and I’ll tak’ the low road,
- And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye;
- But me and my true love will never meet again
- On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond.
The original author is unkown, but the song has been recorded by many performers over the years.
Botanic Garden, Aberdeen
The Cruickshank Botanic Garden is situated near the University of Aberdeen in Old Aberdeen. It built on land bequested by Miss Anne Cruickshank to commemorate her brother Dr. Alexander Cruickshank.
It’s spring time! :-)
It is spring time and flowers are everywhere…
Crocus are one of the first flowers to bloom in spring and are very popular for gardens and parks. Crocus flowers and and their leaves are protected from frost by a waxy cuticle, so it’s common to see early-flowering crocus blooming through the last spring snowfall.
The Ness Islands
The Ness Islands are situated in Inverness (Scotland) beside the river Ness. 1828, the first bridge was built to the islands and washed away in the flood of 1849. In the years 1853-1854 the bridge was replaced by two suspension bridges designed by William Dredge.
Nowadays, the islands are a popular and picturesque walk and a a natural beauty spot. The area is a home for a number of imported and foreign species of trees and home to wildlife.
Duthie Park, Aberdeen
Duthie Park is situated in Ferryhill, Aberdeen (Scotland), by the banks of the River Dee. The land was gifted to the council by Lady Elizabeth Duthie of Ruthrieston in the year 1881. Her idea was to create a memory for her uncle and her brother.
The winter gardens are the home for the second largest collections of bromeliads and of giant cacti respectively in Great Britain.
Early Morning, Aberdeen
Aberdeen Beach is famous for its golden sand and its long curved length between the harbour and the River Don’s mouth and is popular with walkers, surfers and windsurfers.
Externsteine, Teutoburg Forest
The Externsteine are a distinctive rock formation located in North Rhine Westphalia (Germany) in the Southern part of the Teutoburg Forest. The formation is a tor consisting of several tall, narrow columns of rock which rise abruptly from the surrounding wooded hills and are a natural outcropping of five sandstone pillars. All pillars have been modified and decorated by humans over the centuries and were a centre of religious activity for the Teutonic peoples and their predecessors prior to the arrival of Christianity in northern Europe. At the top of the tallest stone is a chamber, formerly used for sacrifices and the little decoration remains apart from one wall with a circular hole cut into it. Early studies have shown that this is some form of calendar. On the exact day each year when summer turns to winter, the sun shines exactly onto this hole.
Today, the Externsteine are one of the most frequently visited nature reserves in Westphalia.
