Craigellachie: walking above Thunder in the Glens

The Cairngorms in Scotland is my holiday destination for my final week before the start of the school year, and today I decided to visit Aviemore to get some walking ideas.  I had been wondering about the large number of motorbikes on the road up here, and it turns out that Aviemore has been hosting a huge Harley Davidson bash - Thunder in the Glens - over the past few days.  So my walk around Craigellachie was accompanied by the sounds of engines revving, and several different covers bands. Not the usual sounds you associate with a walk around a nature reserve!

I was taken by the heather covering the forest floor: purple in the green. 

Ferns add fire to the purple in the green.

   

Nearly at the summit.

My descent was marked by a swarm of midges, which attacked me at the summit and a mass exodus of tiny frogs, which were making a dash from the forest.

Sharing the path with tiny frogs.

After spotting a deer in the ferns, there was a moment to pause by the water.

Clouds reflected in the water.

Wall Studies at Restormel Castle

Back in June I ventured out to Cornwall for a week's camping and also to visit the Eden Project to see PJ Harvey perform her new album.  I stayed in Lostwithiel, a wonderful little Cornish town, nestled in amongst hills within the River Fowey valley.  Just outside the town is Restormel Castle, a 12th century castle commanding views across the River Fowey and beyond.

While at the castle I was reminded about a quote from Leonardo daVinci  about studying walls and stones a while ago, and then found this article expanding on the idea.  So I decided to photograph my own little studies.  It's amazing the colours, textures, and tiny worlds that exist in such a small space!

Wall Study 1

Wall Study 2