Wordless Wednesday
Category: Flora & Fauna
Wordless Wednesday
A Walk Through Milton Wood
Well, hello there! How are you? Bet you thought I had disappeared. I assure you, friends, I haven’t. The last six weeks have just been completely, utterly, absolutely, and positively BONKERS. Unfortunately, blogging has taken a back seat. But here I am, back with you today and ready to take you on a walk through beautiful Milton Wood. Grab your backpacks – don’t forget to take some water – and let’s be off.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: A Quiet Moment
For this week’s challenge, I am sharing a photo that I took near Farr, Scotland. It was one of those sweet, precious, quiet moments where all you can think is, “Be still my heart.”
I haven’t posted much lately, as I’ve been crazy busy planning and overseeing home renovations. But, I promise you an article on Corse Castle sometime this week! Have a fantastic day, friends.
Scotland’s Adorable Red Squirrels
One of the cutest little critters you might encounter while in Scotland is the red squirrel.
Red squirrels (S. vulgaris) are identifiable by their reddish-brown fur, fluffy tails, and tufts of hair on the ends of their ears. They may be spotted in a variety of woodland habitats; however, these elusive creatures are most likely to be found in coniferous woods – especially in the pine forests of the Highlands or further south in the Dumfries and Galloway region.
Culloden House and the Bonnie Prince Charlie Connection
Hello, friends! I hope you are all continuing to stay safe and healthy during this crazy pandemic. How is everyone weathering the quarantine? Has the place where you live begun to reopen?
Today I would like to show you Culloden House, a stately Georgian-style mansion set in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. Last year, Mr. C and I visited for afternoon tea, before exploring the house and grounds and then heading over to see nearby Clava Cairns.
Sheep Crossing-A Traffic Jam in Aberdeenshire
This was such a fun moment for me. We were traveling through Aberdeenshire, Scotland, when we came upon this shepherd and his trusty canine companion moving their flock of sheep from one pasture to another. It’s a hundred of these wonderful little Scottish moments that stick with me the most.
I am going to take a short media break for the remainder of September, but I will anxiously look forward to seeing you all again in just a few short weeks!
xo,
Wee Sweet Faces-Animals in Scotland
Following each of our trips to Scotland, I like to create a coffee table photo book as a way to both commemorate our adventures and to share the highlights of our trips with others. Today I thought it would be fun to share with you a page from the book I am currently working on. It’s just a little snapshot of some of the wee sweet faces we met when we were there this past May. Cuties, all of them.
Have a terrific week, everyone. I’ll see you again soon.
Queen Anne’s Lace-The Legend of this Delicate Flower
Queen Anne’s Lace always makes me think of the scene in Anne of Green Gables when Diana Barry tucks a sprig of the summer flower into her best friend Anne’s hair. She tells Anne, “This is the very last of the Queen Anne’s Lace of the summer.” She then says, ” Don’t worry about your hair. No one even notices it anymore.” Her tender gesture and reassurance speaks to the sweet and inseparable bond of friendship between the girls.
Mandarin Ducks in Scotland? Why Yes There Are!
The last thing one would expect to see in Scotland (outside of a zoo) are Mandarin ducks. But Mandarin ducks we did see!
A couple of months ago, we were walking through Milton Woods (near Farr), along the grassy bank above the River Nairn, when Mr. C spotted some unusual waterfowl swimming below. Not sure what type of birds they were, he attempted to snap some photos. Unfortunately, they caught sight of him and were frightened and flew away. This photo was the best one he got.
It wasn’t until a bit later when I was looking through our photos that I realized what we had seen. How fantastic! Mandarin ducks! In Scotland!
According to BBC Scotland, the birds were introduced to the UK from the Far East in the mid-eighteenth century. Over time, some have managed to escape captivity and have bred and established colonies. There are over 7,000 of these native East Asian species in Britain. Very few have made it all the way to Scotland, which makes what we saw even more special.
Mandarin ducks. In Scotland. Who knew?
