The Signal Tower

The Signal Tower and person with dog.

These pics were taken a couple of weeks back at Arbroath harbour. Above is looking south west towards Carnoustie over the harbour bar. The Signal Tower is just visible at the far right.

The seagull had one eye on me.

This is where I park my yacht.

The Signal Tower. Now a Museum. Originally built (as its name suggests) as the Signal Tower for the Bell Rock Lighthouse, it was completed nearly 200 years ago in 1813. In the 1950's, the building was converted into council houses, how cool would they have been? I really must get round to a post devoted solely to Lighthouses and the Stevenson family involvement with them. It's all fascinating stuff......

In the meantime I recommend a visit to this website for a bit more info on the Signal Tower and if you're interested in that then the rest of the site is fascinating too. Enjoy.

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Lunan (and the Ancient Sphynx of Angus)

A few weeks back I posted some pics of Lunan Bay. A lovely sweep of beach between Arbroath and Montrose. About a mile or so inland from there is the village of Lunan. I love this little spot where the bridge runs over the Lunan Burn (or Lunan Water to be more accurate) and the road sweeps round and up to the little church.

This is the view from the bridge looking west, a tranquil spot which I clearly remember visiting with a fishing rod many, many years ago. In fact, I don't think I've actually been here since that day. I was about 15 I think. My pal from school and I must have got the bus from Arbroath and walked out here. One of those halcyon days which sticks in your memory!

Looking over the other side of the bridge, I certainly don't remember these guys being there......nice spot for them though. They seem as happy as pigs in s***.

Looking north from the bridge, you can catch a glimpse of the wee church in the trees.

Regular visitors to this blog will know by now that I'm a sucker for little country churchyards.

This one was so peaceful. Not a soul around and only the birdsong broke the silence.

What is it about lichen covered stonework that so fascinates?

I loved this cross lying in it's bed of unkempt weeds.

I tried the door, but it was locked....... sorry!

About a mile or so up the road from the church stands this ruined castley thing. It probably has a name.....

..... but don't ask me what it is!

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Foresters Seat

Apologies for the lateness of this weeks Skywatch pics. I was so exhausted after all the fresh air involved in taking these yesterday evening that I feel asleep before I got round to posting them.......

......but better late than never eh? I stopped at Foresters Seat Caravan Park on the way home to Forfar from Arbroath to take these. The skies were just so full of different cloud varieties that I couldn't resist it.

As I was happily snapping away, a 4x4 drew up beside me and the lady driver sized me up and said 'What are you doing?'........ Not....Hi.....what are you doing?, or Hello, nice day eh? What are you doing?.......Just 'What are you doing?

Immediately, the hackles rose......but being a mild mannered kinda guy, I simply looked at the camera in my hand and said 'Taking some pictures'....... then looked at her in a sort of confused, 'What does it look like?' way.......you know, as you do.

Turned out she was the 'manager' of the Caravan Park, and we subsequently managed a convivial chat. But it got me thinking about how important those first few words can be in any situation between strangers.

Not only in terms of the actual words used, but the inflection used when saying them.

Those four words........What are you doing?...... Place the emphasis on each different word and the meaning changes dramatically.

.........The wonders of the English language eh?

......... Funnily enough, the lady was English..........

........and rounding off with a nice bottom pic for M.

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Onward to Autumn

It's official......today's the first day of Autumn apparently. Not my favourite season it has to be said. I find it hard getting too excited about a period of the year when everything seems to be dying. Dying leaves, dying flowers, dying light........

....and yes, I know that out of this death comes rebirth....blah, blah, blah.......

Do I sound a bit negative about Autumn?

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness..... my arse!

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A Shag on Arbroath Beach

Sandy beaches are all very well ...... let's face it, they have their place. If all you want to do is stretch out on the warm sand and allow your body to be engulfed by the (genderless) sun's rays, that's fine! But for sheer interest and variety, give me a nice stony, rocky beach any day.

A sandy beach wouldn't be much use to this guy, nature has provided him with some serious poking shit to get in amongst the rocks.

And these are much more interesting than 10,000 billion grains of sand.......

..........and not to be outdone by Ms. Toastburner, a good Scottish Shag........ or is it a Cormorant?

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Half Moons and Keeking

A sky with little rhyme or reason to it..... nature at it's best.

Keeking out from behind his hiding place........ is the sun male or female?.......hmmm.

The soul of a once busy fishing port gives up the ghost......

And inspired by prkl on Digital Bipolaroid.........

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Radiohead

Remarkable song......remarkable vid....what more can I say?

Bit scary that it's fourteen years old now.

Lintrathen Loch

About five miles west of Kirriemuir, lies Lintrathen Loch. Or the Loch of Lintrathen, whichever way you want to put it. A well known local fishing spot, I fished here once. Not a particularly successful expedition, it has to be said. I went out in a boat with a friend of a friend, whom I'd never met before. Never a good idea to get into a wee boat about twelve feet long and spend the evening with a total stranger.......I learned this that evening.

After about an hours or two's fishing, it was becoming apparent that fishing was about the only thing we had in common, so in an effort to engender a spirit of camaraderie, I pulled a couple of beers from my bag and offered one to my companion.......

His reply 'No thanks.....I don't believe you should mix alcohol and boats'.....didn't really do much to improve the atmosphere.

So I pulled the ring pull, took a long swallow on the lager and said, 'Don't you now?'.......

We never went fishing together again....

.......And we never caught a fish.

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Reekie Linn

It was a fine sunny day yesterday, so I headed off to Reekie Linn, a waterfall on the River Isla situated about halfway between Kirriemuir and Alyth. I hadn't been here in many years. Last time I was there I had my now deceased dog with me, the sign is pertinent as she nearly deceased before her time when she slipped at the edge of the path!

I loved this part of the path where you have to squeeze between the two trees, there's something cosy and comforting about it.

The bright sunshine piercing the trees and the leaves left some lovely dappled effects and the temperature was just about right for a picnic. Back at the car park there was a family going the whole hog with a barbecue (well ok not a whole hog, burgers maybe), and the smell was drifting through the woods.

Unfortunately, I had to make do with sammiches and near beer, but they did the trick in staving off hunger.

I took this just as I jumped in.......

Kidding.......

As you can see, jumping in is probably not a sensible option.

The pool at the bottom of the falls is around 36 metres deep, so I believe. I didn't check it out personally.....

Reekie Linn gets it's name from the spume (what a great word!) which rises from the falls and resembles smoke. Hence Reekie as in Auld Reekie (Edinburgh). It's literal translation is 'Smoky Pool or Falls'.

I came over all peculiar when I saw this old tree, can't think why........

The pictures themselves don't really do justice to the real thing. The thunderous roar of the falls is a major part of the experience. There are other vids on You Tube which give a better idea of the noise, but I liked this one as it has The Skids playing Into The Valley, a Scottish classic!

Enjoy....

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Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan

Bloody Midges

EDIT : As an afterthought, I thought it would be a bit heartless not to include the big yellow combine harvester. Given that it was the highlight of my day seeing this thing appear over the top of the ridge........ 'How sad was your day? '.....I hear you say. Check out the swallow (swift?) thingy.

A selection of skies over the past two days between Arbroath and Forfar. The above pic was taken north of Carnoustie just before the barley was harvested. A big yellow combine harvester was rolling up and down the field to the left of this scene.

A view over Forfar Loch this evening. The midges were out in force and my head's still itching. Wee buggers.

Looking west over the Loch...... still not seen those otters......

Seagull on lookout duty at Arbroath Harbour today.

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