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I thanked the inspector for his help after taking my shots, and he then said "The other one would look good next to it, wouldn't it ? I'll go and get it ...", so off he went, and came back with no. 60 !
The Leyland National 2 had been new here in wheelchair-accessible form in 1985, and like the Lancet it stayed here until a Stagecoach clear-out in 1999, by which time it had gained their stripes. It had a few later owners, all quite short-term, but it lasted until 2005.
Hull bus park, 20/7/88
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El Parc de Diagonal Mar és el segon parc més gran de Barcelona. És un espai immens i assolellat, diàfan, absolutament accessible, on l'aigua d'un gran llac comparteix protagonisme amb turons coberts de gespa i una vegetació exuberant.
El parc s'allarga amb un disseny que afavoreix que es barregi amb la ciutat a través d'un espai gran i diàfan, que al final es connecta amb el mar. El parc s'ordena seguint una sèrie de camins que, com un arbre, es ramifiquen cap a totes les direccions. Arreu, tot separant i endreçant espais, llarguíssims bancs de formigó que volen evocar les ones del mar van agafant la forma d'aquests camins i els contorns de diverses placetes.
at the Jefferson Park transit center in Chicago
Nikon FM, Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 AI, Ektachrome E100. DSLR-scanned.
The top of continental Portugal's highest mountain is unusual in that it is accessible by car (just barely, due to low oxygen at almost 2000 m). Not just that but it also features a restaurant and a small shopping center among other attractions. :)
My favorite predawn/sunrise spot on Pithalachocco finally became accessible this month. It had been closed since September from last years Hurricane damage. Even with a pretty thick blanket of clouds blowing in, the nearly full moon still burned through, and was bright enough to light up the pier and obscure most of the stars.
Accessibility
Lake Johnson has an assortment of accessible amenities in the park. See our park map for general wayfinding and facility locations.
Parking
Lake Johnson has 3 accessible parking spaces located in the parking lot at the waterfront center off Avent Ferry Road as well as 4 accessible parking spaces located in the parking lot at the Thomas G. Crowder Woodland Center located off Jaguar Park Drive. There are 2 accessible parking spaces at the “South” parking lot along Avent Ferry Rd and 1 additional parking space at the Lake Dam Road parking lot.
Access to the Waterfront Center
The accessible entrance to the Waterfront Center is located at the front of the facility. A ramp leads patrons directly to deck, veranda, and restrooms.
Restroom Facilities and Lake Overlook
Restrooms with accessible features are located at the Waterfront Center. The deck and veranda provide a covered area to enjoy the view of Lake Johnson. Restrooms with accessible features are also located at the Thomas G. Crowder Woodland Center. The deck at the Woodland Center provides views of the surrounding Forest at approximately 15 feet above the ground.
Accessible Fishing Dock
The accessible fishing dock is located behind the waterfront center. The access ramp is located off the sidewalk between to waterfront center and the boardwalk across the lake.
For more information about access at the park please call 919-996-3141.
SideStixTM - a shock-absorbant crutch with attachable tips for navigating any kind of terrain - are helping people living with physical disabilities explore and enjoy the outdoors.
This made-in-BC solution and many others are included in the second-annual Accessibility 2024 progress update.
The Accessibility 2024 Two Year Progress Report recognizes work over the last year by government, the disability community and the business community towards BC's vision to be the most progressive jurisdiction in Canada for people with disabilities.
More information: www.gov.bc.ca/accessibility
Photo: Kerith Perreur-Lloyd (SideStixTM on the West Coast Trail)
A lone leaf amongst bumps in the pavement at a crosswalk. This is the same location I photographed in 2016. www.flickr.com/photos/drew_makepeace/29349535613/
Interst-Elephant’s intergalactic design is full of all sorts of things to excite the imagination including rockets, Martians, asteroids, the planets of our solar system and even an astronaut on a spacewalk. Artists Aimee and Josh Williams have painted some of the most famous star constellations across each side of this out-of-this-world sculpture. Track down the Interst-Elephant and test your space knowledge by seeing how many you can spot!
Designed by: Josh and Aimee Williams
Josh and Aimee Williams are a husband and wife design duo from Weston-Super-Mare. With Josh’s background in children’s illustration and Aimee’s talents in surface design they make a great team especially when working on large mural art projects.
Sponsored by: John Lewis
Auction Price: £5600
Summer 2016, a herd of elephant sculptures descended on Sheffield for the biggest public art event the city has ever seen!
58 elephant sculptures, each uniquely decorated by artists, descended on Sheffield’s parks and open spaces, creating one of the biggest mass participation arts events the city has ever seen. Did you find them all?
The trail of elephants celebrates Sheffield’s creativity with over 75% of artists from the city. Some well-known names include Pete McKee, James Green, Jonathan Wilkinson and Lydia Monks – each of which has put their own creative mark on a 1.6m tall fibreglass elephant sculpture. They are all very difference, take a selfie with your favourite as they will be on display until the end of September.
International artist Mark Alexander, who is currently working with Rembrandt for an exhibition in Berlin, flew to Sheffield especially to paint his elephant and international players from the World Snooker Championship signed SnookHerd, an elephant celebrating the heritage of snooker in Sheffield.
The Arctic Monkeys, famous for their love of their home city, added their signatures to their own personalised sculpture which pays homage to the striking sound wave cover of the band’s 2013 album “AM”.
By supporting the Herd of Sheffield you are investing in the future of Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Every penny raised will go towards our Artfelt programme, which transforms the hospital’s walls and spaces with bright art, helping children recover in an environment tailored to them. The programme also puts on workshops for youngsters to provide distraction during anxious moments – such as before an operation, and to breakup long stays on the wards.
This exciting Wild in Art event brought to you by The Children’s Hospital Charity will:
Unite our city – bringing businesses, communities, artists, individuals and schools together to create a FREE sculpture trail which is accessible to all.
Attract more visitors – both nationally and regionally as well as encouraging thousands of people to become a tourist in their own city.
Invest in the future – with a city wide education programme that can be used for years to come and by funding a life-saving piece of medical equipment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital from the Herd auction at the end of the trail.
Showcase our city – celebrating Sheffield’s heritage and cementing our status as a vibrant and culturally exciting city through this world-class initiative.
The Herd of Sheffield Farewell Weekend was held on 14-16 October and was your chance to say a last goodbye to all 58 large elephant sculptures as they gather in one place for a final send-off at Meadowhall.
This special event gave visitors a chance to see the entire herd in all its glory – from the signed Arctic Monkeys’ ‘AM’ elephant, right through to ‘SnookHerd’, autographed by a host of international snooker players including current world champion Mark Selby.
Please note that the Little Herd elephants will not be on display as they will be returned to their school for pupils to enjoy.
Meadowhall, along with its joint owners, British Land are very proud to be supporting The Children’s Hospital Charity as host sponsors for the Herd of Sheffield Farewell Weekend.
Auction: Hundreds of elephant enthusiasts gathered at the Crucible on 20 October for the Herd of Sheffield Auction, which raised a total of £410,600 for The Children’s Hospital Charity.
Single Exposure, no HDR
Me went to a very remote beach in South West of the island for the much awaited Sunset shot since it have been raining everyday since i came back.
It was low tide, most part of the beach is accessible. The beginning part of the beach was pretty flat-out, only sand and waves, so i wandered further down to the southern part hoping to get some nice rocks, this is a very very remote patch where it is only accessible during low-tide, and few years ago, 2 photogs were found dead here, it was so gruesome that the local newspaper frontpage showed 2 dead bodies without their tongue, they were suspected to be killed by pirates.
However, the locals have their own set of story. Just before i went to the remote patch, i met a fisherman who warned me about the incident a few years ago, and wanted me to take extra precaution on the Green Monster (a.k.a Pontianak Hijau). It is believed that the Green Monster which takes it's shape as a moss covered rock during day time will transform into a beautiful lady ghost just as the Sun sets below the horizon. She use to clad in a skimpy green dress, and will try to lure fishermen into the mangrove forest behind the beach, she will then undress herself and kiss the fishermen and...tear-off their tongue!!
For my case, i knew i had to capture the image as the Green Monster appeared to be too beautiful for the composition. Just as i finished my shot, it was getting dark, i started to hear whispers of a young lady, and i saw the greenie slimy moss started creeping towards me. I stumbled, grabbed my camera, backpack and torch light and ran as fast as i could half mile back to my car leaving my tripod behind as returning back to take it will mean death. Just as i reach my car, i threw everything in and sped off home.
Man!! It was so close!! As i reached home, i turned my back to grab my gears, all i remembered was hearing a voice saying:"Hey boy, how could you left your tripod on the beach? Don't you know how much it costs?"
You'll never run away from the Green Monster...
beach in portugal:albufeira algarve (umibe) пляж 海滩 plaża
Algarve is a tourist destination par excellence, first of all because of its beaches of its Mediterranean climate, of the safety, and of its numerous golf courses. The length of the coast in the South is about 155 kilometers. Beyond the most western point of the Cape St Vincent the country extends over still 50 kilometers northward. The coast is remarkable for the picturesque caves and the abysses of limestone, particularly around Lagos, which are accessible by motorboat. Praia da Marinha, to Lagoa was classified in the most beautiful 100 beaches and best of the world. There is the other numerous beautiful popular places of the tourists, as for example Albufeira, Vilamoura, Praia da Rocha, Lagos, Armação of Pêra, Alvor, monte Gordo, Tavira, Salema and Sagres. Algarve also welcomes every year the Cup)of Algarve, the international tournament of feminine football opened to the national teams.
Tossa de Mar, La Selva, Girona (Spain).
ENGLISH
Tossa de Mar is a holiday resort located in Catalonia on the Costa Brava, about 95 kilometres north of Barcelona and 100 kilometres south of the French border. It is accessible through Girona airport, some distance north.
There is ample evidence of settlements dating back to the Neolithic period, and it is believed that the area has been continuously populated since that time. Between the 4th century BC and the 1st century BC appeared the first Iberian settlements, followed shortly after by the Romans in the 1st century.
In 966 Tossa is ceded by Count Miró of Barcelona to the Abbey of Ripoll. Some two centuries latter, in 1187 Tossa is granted its charter by the Abbot of Ripoll, coinciding with the building of a church atop Mount Guardí, the remnants of which can still be seen today.
Sometime in the 12th century the mediaeval town was walled off and a castle was built on the highest point of Mt. Guardí, this castle was to be subsequently replaced by a wind mill, and this in turn by a lighthouse which is still operational.
By the year 1500 the first houses were built extra-muros to accommodate population growth. This process was greatly accelerated during the 17th and 18th centuries, shaping an urban configuration which was to remain practically unchanged until the arrival of mass tourism in the 1950s.
----------------------------
CASTELLANO
Tossa de Mar, también llamado Tossa, es un municipio de 5.260 habitantes (INE 2005) perteneciente a la provincia de Gerona, Cataluña (España). Situada en la comarca de La Selva, su ubicación en la Costa Brava hace que sea un destino turístico importante.
En la bahía de Tossa, posee un recinto amurallado románico, la Vila Vella, en un pequeño promontorio en plena playa con siete torres circulares, se estima su origen en el siglo XII para evitar los ataques de piratas. En su interior los restos de una iglesia y el palacio del gobernador del siglo XIV. Cerca del recinto se encuentran los hallazgos arqueológicos de lo que fuera una villa romana del siglo IV, la villa romana de Els Ametllers. Posee un museo municipal dentro del propio recinto con colecciones arqueológicas, de pintura local y extranjera, escultura y vidrio.
En los años 50, Ava Gardner y James Mason llegaron a la pequeña localidad para rodar "Pandora y el holandés errante" y eso le dio cierta fama al pueblo, en cuyo filme se bautizó "Esperanza".
Marc Chagall la bautizó con el nombre de "Paraíso azul" en 1933.
Don't forget Closed Captioning! HTML5 needs to be accessible for the hearing disabled as well.
Feel free to use this logo for any presentations, web pages, or whatever else you can think of. it uses the Gallaudet font www.fontspace.com/category/ASL
Here's a braille version: www.flickr.com/photos/draket/5449654430/
Accessible by boat or a small pathway, this stunning, pristine beach has fine-grained white sand and crystalline waters as well as magnificent jagged karsts. This is a highly secluded picture perfect beach that attracts thousands of visitors year round but is able to maintain its flawless appearance and relaxing ambience.
This beach is the location of the 5-star Rayavadee resort, a private property that occupies 26 acres of the beach and the only compound located near Phra Nang Beach.
The Inner and Outer Phra Nang Caves, and Phra Nang Lagoon, which are located nearby offer remarkable views against a stunning backdrop and a range of accommodations to suit every budget. Although these attractions are accessible only by boat, they still draw numerous visitors for recreational and adventurous activities such as diving, snorkeling, hiking and rock climbing.
Explored: Highest Position: 342
So this week i am no longer self employed as have taken a job with Attain Travel . My first job was yesterday to Blackpool and as i have experience and am trained in using accessible coaches and clamping wheelchairs i was given this job. Seen at Sandbach services YP09NRF a Scania K320 / Irizar I4 C49FL. This was also my first drive of a I4. Photo taken 05/10/17
"The Georgian House is an 18th-century townhouse situated at No. 7 Charlotte Square in the heart of the historic New Town of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. It has been restored and furnished by the National Trust for Scotland, and is operated as a popular tourist attraction, with over 40,000 visitors annually.
Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended to mirror St. Andrew Square in the east. The gardens are private and not publicly accessible.
Initially named St. George's Square in James Craig's original plan, it was renamed in 1786 after King George III's Queen and first daughter, to avoid confusion with George Square to the south of the Old Town. Charlotte Square was the last part of the initial phase of the New Town to be "completed" in 1820 (note- the north-west section at Glenfinlas Street was not completed until 1990 due to a long-running boundary dispute). Much of it was to the 1791 design of Robert Adam, who died in 1792, just as building began.
In 1939 a very sizable air-raid shelter was created under the south side of the gardens, accessed from the street to the south.
In 2013 the south side was redeveloped in an award-winning scheme by Paul Quinn, creating major new office floorspace behind a restored series of townhouses.
Edinburgh Collegiate School was located in Charlotte Square.
The garden was originally laid out as a level circular form by William Weir in 1808.
In 1861 a plan was drawn up by Robert Matheson, Clerk of Works for Scotland for a larger, more square garden, centred upon a memorial to the recently deceased Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria.
The commission for the sculpture was granted in 1865 to Sir John Steell. The main statue features an equestrian statue of the prince, in field marshal's uniform, dwarfing the four figures around the base. It was unveiled by Queen Victoria herself in 1876. The stone plinth was designed by the architect David Bryce and the four corner figures are by David Watson Stevenson (Science and Learning/Labour), George Clark Stanton (Army and Navy) and William Brodie (Nobility). The statue was originally intended to go in the centre of the eastern edge of the garden, facing down George Street.
This remodelling featured major new tree-planting which took many years to re-establish.
The central open space is a private garden, available to owners of the surrounding properties. For the last three weeks in August each year Charlotte Square gardens are the site of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
The railings around the gardens were removed in 1940 as part of the war effort. The current railings date from 1947.
On the north side, No. 5 was the home of John Crichton-Stuart, 4th Marquess of Bute (1881–1947), who bought it in 1903 and gave it to the National Trust for Scotland on his death. It was the Trust headquarters from 1949 to 2000. Bute did much to promote the preservation of the Square.
Nos. 6 and 7 are also owned by the National Trust for Scotland. No.6, Bute House is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland. In 1806 it was home to Sir John Sinclair creator of the first Statistical Account of Scotland. No. 7 was internally restored by the Trust in 1975 to its original state, and is open to the public as The Georgian House. The upper floor was formerly the official residence of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The building includes one fireplace brought from Hill of Tarvit in Fife in 1975.
West Register House, formerly St. George's Church, forms the centre of the west side. It was designed by the architect Robert Reid in 1811, broadly to Adam's plan. The church opened in 1814 and was converted to its current use in 1964. It is one of the main buildings of the National Records of Scotland.
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. A masterpiece of city planning, it was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street, facing Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town across the geological depression of the former Nor Loch. Together with the Old Town, the New Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/; Scots: Edinburgh; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˈt̪uːn ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the supreme courts of Scotland. The city's Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. It is the second largest financial centre in the United Kingdom (after London) and the city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the United Kingdom's second most visited tourist destination attracting 4.9 million visits including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.
Edinburgh is Scotland's second most populous city and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. The official population estimates are 488,050 (2016) for the Locality of Edinburgh (Edinburgh pre 1975 regionalisation plus Currie and Balerno), 518,500 (2018) for the City of Edinburgh, and 1,339,380 (2014) for the city region. Edinburgh lies at the heart of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region comprising East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.
The city is the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is home to national institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of four in the city, is placed 20th in the QS World University Rankings for 2020. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
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Accessible shops makes going to the mechanics easier. Visit Karl Knudsen Automotive now. karlknudsen.com.au
Having been surrounded all my life by people with special needs, this picnic table caught my attention in a good way.
The beautiful Eyot House is on D'Oyly Carte Island, a small island in the Thames between Weybridge and Walton. It was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte, the hotelier and opera producer. It is accessible only across the narrow footbridge shown.
3-exposure HDR, handheld, processed in PM, SEP and LR4.
New to LUT long single door National 542 after conversion by GM Buses 228 to one of 2 accessible Nationals with a wheelchairlift in the bay where the exit doors would be on a 2 door National
(C) GMTS collection
Photographed on July 25, 2015 at the Inn at St. John's in Plymouth, Michigan as cars were arriving on the show field for the Sunday's Concours d'Elegance show.
This sharp Bentley has been modified to be usable by a wheelchair bound driver, including custom hand controls installed and the 4-speed transmission replaced with an automatic. To make entry and exit possible for the wheelchair, the driver's side door has been modified to slide back sideways, the floor has been lowered and a power lift added. In order to lower the floor, the car has been converted from rear-wheel to front-wheel drive with an LT1 Corvette engine, Toronado transmission and differential and Chevy Blazer front axle, eliminating the drive shaft. It sounds to me like a rather peppy Bentley.
All of my classic car photos can be found here: Car Collections
Press "L" for a larger image on black.
Inclusive GameTime playground at Hugh MacRae Park features accessible PowerScape 3D play system with shade structures, Merry-Go-All, adaptive swings, ZipTrack and much more.
Everyone has a right to access our public lands, but few of Glacier's trails were created with accessibility in mind.
A first step to addressing limits to accessibility is to identify them.
Glacier and the National Park Service are using tools—like the orange, one-wheeled device pictured here alongside two rangers and a measuring tape—to evaluate trails in the park using the High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP).
HETAP identifies trail variables: grade, cross-slope, trail width, surface material, and more.
This data allows park managers to prioritize future trail improvements, and allow visitors in the future to make more informed decisions.
he monastery of Radu Vodă has the consecrations of the Holy Trinity and the Saint Hierarch Nectarios of Aegina.
It was founded by Voivod Alexander II Mircea (1568-1577) and his lady, Ecaterina, to thank God that He gave him the victory in the battle he carried on these lands, against Vintilă-Vornicul and Dumbravă-Vornicul.
“The architectural plan and forms of the Radu Vodă church are inspired by the Episcopal church at Curtea de Argeş, the difference being that the building material is not stone, but brick.
The plan is a triconch, with a tower on the nave, and with an enlarged narthex, with three towers above it.
The main of the three towers rests on twelve columns, symbolizing the twelve apostles, similar to the model from Curtea of Argeş”
as we learn from the presentation page of the Monastery.
The personality of the place is emphasized as well by the fact that it is located on a hill, so that it looks like a Christian fortress, and the high communist blocks of flats around it do nothing but protect it from the inclement weather.
Located only ten-minute walk away from Unirii Square, the settlement is easily accessible to those who want to cross its threshold.
The construction date is controversial and it fluctuates between 1568 and 1574.
Later, in 1595, during the reign of Michael the Brave, the Holy Trinity Monastery was badly damaged by Sinan Pasa's army, during its withdrawal from Bucharest.
All the buildings on the hill were set on fire then and the church was transformed into a mosque.
The same documentary source informs us that in 1615, Radu Mihnea began the restoration of the entire ensemble of the Holy Trinity Monastery, a work which, “together with the painting” was completed ten years later.
Thus, from the monastery of 1625, bearing the name of its founder, Radu Vodă, the church and the bell tower have been preserved to this day.
It was painted again in 1714 and the porch was added to it.
After the earthquakes of 1790, 1793, 1794 and 1802 other repairs followed. It was restored in 1804 by the Hegumen Ignație Iviritorul from the Ivir Monastery, located on Mount Athos.
Another earthquake, in 1838, caused great damage. Important repairs were carried out between 1859 and 1864.
The wooden towers were then rebuilt, and they were covered with sheet metal, the porch (which still exists today) was restored, but some cells and the chapel were torn down.
During 1969 - 1974, extensive restoration work was carried out, at the initiative of Patriarch Justinian Marina.
The painting was completely redone by painters Sofian Boghiu, Vasile Caraman and Gheorghe Ciobanu.
An interesting aspect is that on the same hill we find the Church of Bucur the Shepherd (dedicated to St. Athanasius and Chiril Church) which functioned as a funeral chapel for the monks of the Radu Vodă monastery.
Around 1870, it was separated from its courtyard, by cutting the Radu Vodă street - now there are two distinct hills.
At Radu Vodă Monastery we also find the relics of Saint Nectarios (Nectarie), and because of this the place is one of the most sought after by pilgrims.
The climb to the church itself, similar to the one on the Hill of the Patriarchate, but shorter, gives a special feeling to the believer, who can imagine that he climbs a small Golgotha.
About Saint Nectarios it is said: “living like an angel in the body, and loving the incessant prayer, silence, humility, fasting and mercy, the Holy Nectarios drew many to Christ, spilling out around him peace, joy and uncreated light of the Holy Spirit, with which he comforted and rested all who came to his cell. “(doxologia.ro)
Another interesting record is that of Paul of Aleppo, preserved in “The Travels of Patriarch Macarie”. It describes the Radu Vodă Monastery as being situated on the outskirts of the city, on a higher place, surrounded by a river and standing water.
He also mentions that during the growth of the water the place could only be reached by using a wooden bridge.
The traveler also says that: “it is a great building, with a very pleasant view.
Its church is large and spacious, with harmonious lines, highly ornamented and entirely covered with paintings.”
We learn from the same documentary source made public by the monastery that Saint Nectarios is “one of the newest saints canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the last century.
He was born in 1846, in the Thracian Silivria, near Constantinople, from poor but very godly parents.
At the baptism he receives the name of Anastasie, and from a young age he was given a good quality Christian education.
After the first years of school, Anastasie is sent to learn further in Constantinople, where he studies Theology and writings of the Holy Fathers.
Here, his soul begins to discover Christ in his heart, through prayer, through reading the holy books and thinking about the divine.”
www.magd.ox.ac.uk/discover-magdalen/
To celebrate its 550th anniversary Magdalen College, Oxford has commissioned the Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Wallinger to create his first-ever dedicated permanent artwork.
Two years in development, the sculpture Y was unveiled on St Mary Magdalen Day 2008. William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester founded Magdalen College in 1458. It is one of the best-known colleges in the University of Oxford and is known internationally for its high academic standing.
The College has many fine buildings. The Cloisters, Chapel, Founder’s Tower and Hall were built in the Gothic style in the later part of the 15th century. The Great Tower, a pictorial symbol of Oxford, is famous for the May Day event when the College choir sings an ancient hymn at dawn. The Georgian New Buildings, which blend into the College Gardens and grounds, were completed in 1733. The buildings sit amid a hundred acres of lawns, woodlands and riverside walks, which are publicly accessible, and there is a deer herd that has been in existence for over 300 years.
Addison’s Walk, named after the great essayist of the 18th century and father of English journalism, is about a mile in length and goes by the River Cherwell around a great water meadow. Beyond the end of Addison’s Walk is a tranquil field known as Bat Willow Meadow, which is where the new commission is sited. Maps of the grounds of Magdalen College are available from the Porters’ Lodge or they can be downloaded from the Magdalen website.
Over the past twenty years Mark Wallinger has established an international reputation with major solo exhibitions in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Val-de-Marne, Frankfurt, Aarau, Basel, Milan, New York and Chicago.
His work encompasses a wide range of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, video and installation, and it takes art history, mythology, religion, politics, national identity and popular culture as its subject matter. Wallinger studied at Chelsea School of Art in 2001, and in Goldsmiths' College. He exhibited in Young British Artists II at the Saatchi Collection in 1993 and at the Royal Academy of Art's Sensation exhibition in 1997.
His Time and relative dimensions in space derived from a residency and was shown at Oxford University Museum of Natural History in 2001 and in the same year he represented Britain in the 49th Venice Biennale. The artist is best known for Ecce Homo, a life-size sculpture of Jesus Christ which inaugurated the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in 1999, and State Britain, his 2007 re-creation at Tate Britain of Brian Haw's protest display outside parliament. He was a Turner Prize nominee in 1995 and won the award in 2007, and he is one of five internationally acclaimed artists who have been commissioned to produce proposals for the Ebbsfleet Landmark Project, which will be one of the biggest artworks in the United Kingdom.
Everyone has a right to access our public lands, but few of Glacier's trails were created with accessibility in mind.
A first step to addressing limits to accessibility is to identify them.
Glacier and the National Park Service are using tools—like the orange, one-wheeled device a ranger is pictured here using—to evaluate trails in the park using the High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP).
HETAP identifies trail variables: grade, cross-slope, trail width, surface material, and more.
This data allows park managers to prioritize future trail improvements, and allow visitors in the future to make more informed decisions.
A view of the west side of Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts. The upper deck was built for Gropius' 12-year old daughter who wanted to be able to sleep under the stars. It is directly accessible from her bedroom and includes a spiral stairway as her own private entrance, a feature she had also requested.
Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus school of design in Weimar Germany following World War I and built this house as his family home in 1938 after moving to the United States to accept a teaching position at Harvard University. The design of the house reflects the Bauhaus principles of simplicity, efficiency, and aesthetics combined with the use of basic materials and the latest technology. The home also features many other traditional Bauhaus elements, including its furniture, art, and landscaping. Due to Gropius' enormous influence on 20th century architecture, his house was designated a National Historic Landmark on May 16, 2000.
For additional information on the house, Walter Gropius, and the Bauhaus, see these links:
www.historicnewengland.org/historic-properties/homes/Grop...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gropius_House
The only venerated image of the Virgen de Guadalupe (Extremadura) in the Philippines. This image arrived in Loboc in 1843 when the dreadful cholera epidemic raged the town of Loboc. It was commissioned by Fr. Francisco Vasquez, a native of Caceres, Spain where devotion of the Virgen de Guadalupe commenced in the 13th century. In Loboc Church, where the image is enshrined, she is placed in the lower and more accessible level. Known for its centuries-old tradition of wood carving, Lobocanons showed this prowess in the niche reserved for Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is said that the background (Our Lady's niche) of intertwining vines in gilded wood is matchless in its artistry.
ORIGIN OF THE DEVOTION TO THE VIRGEN DE GUADALUPE (EXTREMADURA)
The shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe was the most important Marian shrine in the medieval kingdom of Castile. It is revered in the monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe, in today's Cáceres province of the Extremadura autonomous community of Spain.
The shrine housed a statue reputed to have been carved by Luke the Evangelist and given to Saint Leander, archbishop of Seville, by Pope Gregory I. When Seville was taken by the Moors, a group of priests fled northward and buried the statue in the hills near the Guadalupe River in Extremadura. At the beginning of the 14th century, a shepherd claimed that the Virgin Mary had appeared to him and ordered him to ask priests to dig at the site of the apparition. Excavating priests rediscovered the hidden statue and built a small shrine around it which evolved into the great Guadalupe monastery. Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of three black madonnas in Spain. The statue was canonically crowned in 1928 with a crown designed and crafted by Father Felix Granda.
Pilgrims began arriving in 1326, and in 1340, King Alfonso XI took a personal interest in the shrine's development, attributing his victory over the Moors at the Battle of Rio Salado to the Virgin's intercession. Our Lady of Guadalupe, along with Santiago de Compostela and Nuestra Señora del Pilar became rallying points for the Christian Spaniards in their reconquista of Iberia.
In 1386, the shrine was commended to the Hieronymites, who turned the popular devotion to the figure into a genuine cult. Copies of the statue were venerated in satellite chapels.
THE DEVOTION OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE (EXTREMADURA) IN THE PHILIPPINES
In the Visayas, Catholic Faithful venerates two Black Madonnas – the Virgin de la Regla of Lapu-Lapu (Opon) and the Virgen de Guadalupe de Caceres (Extremadura) of Loboc, Bohol. The devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe originated from the hilly town Guadalupe in the Spanish region of Extremadura, close to the Portuguese border.
Like its Bohol descendant, the Spanish image is dressed like a queen, stands erect, and holds the Child in one arm. Both mother and child are dark-skinned, and belong to the tradition of the ‘Black Madonnas’ of medieval Western Europe. The cult of Guadalupe was among the most important in Spain at the time of the conquest of Mexico. There another cult to the Virgin in Mexico is quite different from that familiar to the Spaniards: head bowed in an attitude more humble than regal, hands in prayer, and the noticeable absence of the child. The Loboc devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe is therefore descended from the Spanish tradition, in honoring their Virgin on May 24, chose to follow neither the Spanish fiesta (September 8) nor the Mexican holiday (December 12), nor even the feastday of the Guadalupe image in Cebu, said to be venerated since the late 16th century (July 16). Fray Aquilino Bon published novenas to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Peter in 1870.
In the 1840s, the Augustinian Recollects brought with them from Spain an image of Our Lady carved from black wood and stands 7ft high. The image was placed on a crate and is intented for veneration in Tagbilaran. Since the townspeople found it hard to open the enclosure of Our Lady, they chose to let her stay inside her crate while visiting several parishes from Tagbilaran. The image went to as far as Carmen town overlooking the town of Loboc that was then plagued by the deadly cholera epidemic. Many people died. However, feeling responsible for ignoring Loboc of the visitation of Our Lady, they pursued in bringing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Parish of Sts. Peter and Paul. This happened on May 24, 1843. And the crate bearing the image of Our Lady was unlocked without difficulty. The Lobocanons in their grief and with a vestige of hope, turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary for help, through the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. And the supplication of the Lobocanons was answered. After bringing the image to a fluvial procession in the Loboc River, a three-hour heavy downpour took place. The cholera epidemic lifted and the people were able to resume their daily occupations and get on with their lives.
DOCUMENTED MIRACLES OF THE VIRGEN DE GUADALUPE (EXTREMADURA) DE LOBOC
Loboc documented so many miracles which they attribute to the loving intercession of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Foremost of which happened on November 26, 1876. As immortalized in a painting on the ceiling of Loboc Church by reknowned Cebuano painter Ray Francia, a flood plunged Loboc wreaking havoc to the whole town. The water went up submerging the altar of Loboc Church but leaving the image unscathed as the waters calmly stopped at the base of the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe. The Lobocanons added that despite the extent of the flood, they were left unharmed.
Many devotees from other places in the Philippines also attend the Maytime festival to honor the Virgen de Guadalupe and to ask for her miraculous intercessions. Other childless mothers who went to Loboc in May to dance the bolibongkingking before her image return to her shrine offering their child, the fruit of their supplication to God through the prayers of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Some, whose prayers have been answered return to Loboc in thanksgiving and present new vestments and metal ornaments to the Virgen de Guadalupe, the devotional patroness of Loboc.
MAYTIME FESTIVAL IN HONOR OF THE VIRGEN DE GUADALUPE DE LOBOC
In thanksgiving, the Lobocanons celebrate the feast of the Blessed Virgin every 24th of May with all the revelry that they could muster. The event starts with the 9-day Novena Masses which end on the vesper day, with the gozos or praises to the Virgin rendered in Spanish or Visayan before the beginning of the daily mass.
Following the Sunday schedule, several masses are offered during the feast day proper and the Pontifical Mass is usually scheduled at about 9am with, more often than not, the Bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran officiating accompanied by visiting priest-members of the diocese and those coming from other towns and cities of the Philippines. It is a well-attended affair, not only by the priest visitors but also by visiting nuns and government dignitaries.
On the 24th, the feast day itself, an activity called the “altares” is carried out just before the Pontifical Mass. Four small altars are set outside the four doors of the church with the image of the Virgin on each altar. Verses and the “Oremus” are chanted and hymns sung accompanied by the brass band and an orchestra. An example of the repertory would be - Altares 1 "Virgen sa Guadalupe" by Marcelo Varquez, Altares 2 "Bulahan" (Bendita), Altares 3 "Afectos" and Altares 4 "Maanyag nga inahan." These compositions are sung in Visayan in 2 or more voices.
Nightly activities are held way back on the 15th of May sponsored by the different religious and civic organizations of the town to add gaiety to the solemn 9-days consecutive Novena Masses held prior to the feast day.
Music and drama is an inherent part of the lives of every Lobocanon and is revealed by the people’s participation in cultural shows, choirs, bands and other groups. The now-famous Loboc Children’s Choir and other groups find time to perform their repertoire during these nights which adds joy and revelry to the occasion.
An important event that portrays the people’s great love for the Blessed Virgin is the Sambat or the fluvial parade that is held on the eve of the feast. For the occasion, a floating restaurant where the image of the Blessed Virgin will be enthroned is elaborately decorated with expenses reaching up to a hundred thousand pesos.
Band members, together with the Parish Priest and visiting dignitaries from the church and state, ride the floating vessel. Marches and procession music is played non-stop during the parade wherein the main vessel is followed by smaller boats likewise elegantly decorated with buntings and flowers. The event culminates with fireworks and more music making.
Another activity which lasts for three days starting from the feast day proper is known in Loboc as the Bolibongkingking Festival. The Bolibongkingking is a ritual devotion of dance and music commemorated in thanksgiving for the healing of the people during the cholera outbreak which was lifted due to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
During the festival, indigenous instruments are used such as the guimbao, the drum and the agong, the gong. The name Bolibongkingking was derived from the sound of the drum which goes “bolibong” and the sound of the gong which goes “kingking” thus Bolibongkingking.
The Bolibongkingking is also believed to be a healing ritual. With the mesmerizing beat of the drums and the gongs, the faithful dances and sways the different parts of their bodies that are aching in front of the image of the Blessed Virgin. Others do it in thanksgiving for graces granted through the Virgin’s intercession. Often you will see old women with handkerchiefs held aloft, mothers with infants, men waving their arms and teenagers dancing with gusto. Others feel inhibited, especially the first timers, but in the long run become the best dancers, carried away by the mesmerizing rhythm and beat of the music.
Ben Nevis and Glen Coe is a national scenic area (NSA) covering part of the Highlands of Scotland surrounding Ben Nevis and Glen Coe, in which certain forms of development are restricted. It is one of 40 such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The Ben Nevis and Glen Coe NSA covers 903 km2 (349 sq mi) of land, lying within the Highland, Argyll and Bute and Perth and Kinross council areas. A further 19 km2 (7.3 sq mi) of the NSA are marine, covering the sea loch of Loch Leven.
National scenic areas are primarily designated due to the scenic qualities of an area, however NSAs may well have other special qualities, for example related to culture, history, archaeology, geology or wildlife. Areas with such qualities may be protected via other national and international designations that overlap with the NSA designation. Glen Coe is designated as a national nature reserve, and there are several Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas within the NSA. Although the national scenic area designation provides a degree of additional protection via the planning process, there are no bodies equivalent to a national park authority, and whilst local authorities can produce a management strategy for each one, only the three national scenic areas within Dumfries and Galloway have current management strategies .
The idea that areas of wild or remote character such as Ben Nevis and Glen Coe should be designated to protect the scenic qualities of their landscapes grew in popularity throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1931 a commission headed by Christopher Addison first proposed the creation of a national park in Scotland. Following the Second World War a committee chaired by Sir Douglas Ramsay to consider the issue proposed that five areas should receive a level of protection: Glen Coe-Ben Nevis-Black Mount was one of the areas listed. The area thus became one of five designated "national park direction areas", in which planning decisions taken by local authorities could be reviewed by central government under certain circumstances.
A 1974 report by the Countryside Commission for Scotland (CCS) entitled A Park System for Scotland recommended that the Glen Coe-Ben Nevis-Black Mount area should be designated as one of four proposed "Special Parks", considering the area of national importance due to its natural beauty and amenity value, however this recommendation was not acted on. Following a further review of landscape protection in 1978, it was suggested that additional areas, alongside the existing direction areas should receive protection, and in 1981 the direction areas were thus replaced by the 40 national scenic areas, which were based on the 1978 recommendations, and included the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe area.
A further report into protection of the landscape of Scotland was published by the CCS in 1990. Entitled The Mountain Areas of Scotland - Conservation and Management, it recommended that four areas were under such pressure that they ought to be designated as national parks, each with an independent planning board, in order to retain their heritage value. The four areas identified were similar to those proposed by the Ramsay Committee, and included Glen Coe-Ben Nevis-Black Mount. The government did not however choose to establish national parks and so the status of the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe area was not altered. Following the passage of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, national parks were established in the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, two of the areas identified by the Ramsay committee, however the status of the other three Ramsay areas, including Ben Nevis and Glen Coe, was again not altered. In 2013 the Scottish Campaign for National Parks proposed seven areas deemed suitable for national park status, one of which was the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe area.
Although named after Ben Nevis and Glen Coe, the national scenic area covers a much wider area of land, as detailed below. Much of the northern part of the NSA lies within the Lochaber region.
Glen Nevis (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Nibheis) lies in the north of the national scenic area, and runs south from Fort William. It is bordered to the south by the Mamore range, and to the north by the highest mountains in the British Isles: Ben Nevis (Scotland's highest mountain), Càrn Mor Dearg, Aonach Mòr, and Aonach Beag. It is home to the second highest waterfall in Scotland, Steall Falls. Below the waterfall is a steeply walled and impressive gorge.
The Mamores form an east–west ridge approximately fifteen kilometres in length lying between Glen Nevis to the north and Loch Leven to the south. Ten of the ranges are classified as Munros. The hills can be accessed from both Glen Nevis and the former aluminium smelting town of Kinlochleven.
Glen Coe (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Comhann) is a glen of volcanic origins, in the heart of the national scenic area. A review of the national scenic areas by Scottish Natural Heritage in 2010 made reference to the "soaring, dramatic splendour of Glen Coe", and "the suddenness of the transition between high mountain pass and the lightly wooded strath" in the lower glen. It also described the journey through the glen on the main A82 road as "one of the classic Highland journeys". The main settlement is the village of Glencoe located at the foot of the glen. The glen is regarded as the home of Scottish mountaineering and is popular with hillwalkers and climbers.
Glen Etive (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Èite) lies to the south of Glen Coe. The River Etive (Scottish Gaelic: Abhainn Èite) rises on the peaks surrounding Rannoch Moor, with several tributary streams coming together at the Kings House Hotel. From the Kings House, the Etive flows for about 18 km, reaching the sea loch, Loch Etive. The river and its tributaries are popular with whitewater kayakers and at high water levels it is a test piece of the area and a classic run. Glen Etive has been used as the backdrop to many movies, among them Braveheart and Skyfall.
The Black Mount is situated between Glen Orchy and Glen Coe, to the east of Glen Etive, forming the southernmost part of the national scenic area. Its four Munros are Stob Ghabhar, Stob a' Choire Odhair, Creise and Meall a' Bhuiridh. The hills of Ben Inverveigh and Meall Tairbh are located between Black Mount and the Bridge of Orchy. The Black Mount Deer Forest includes moorland, the mountain, as well as several rivers, burns, lochs, and tarns.
Much of the western part of Rannoch Moor (Scottish Gaelic: Mòinteach Raineach/Raithneach), an expanse of around 50 square miles (130 km2) of boggy moorland to the west of Loch Rannoch in Scotland, is included in the national scenic area. The A82 road crosses western Rannoch Moor on its way to Glen Coe and Fort William, as does the West Highland Line, which reaches Fort William via Glen Spean rather than Glen Coe. When the line was built across the moor, its builders had to float the tracks on a mattress of tree roots, brushwood and thousands of tons of earth and ashes. Corrour railway station, the UK's highest, and one of its most remote being 10 miles (16 km) from the nearest public road, is located on this section of the line at 1,339 feet (408 m). The line takes gentle curves totalling 23 miles (37 km) across the moorland.
A number of other conservation designation are defined within or overlapping with the NSA: Glen Coe is designated as a both national nature reserve (NNR), and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) due to wide variety of montane habitats found within the glen. Glen Coe, along with most of the southwestern portion of the NSA including Glen Etive and the Black Mount, forms part of the Glen Etive and Glen Fyne Special Protection Area (SPA), which is protected due to its breeding population of golden eagles.
Rannoch Moor is also designated as an SAC, and is particularly famous as being the sole British location for the Rannoch-rush, named after the moor. It also has populations of otters and freshwater pearl mussels. The River Tay rises on the moor within the NSA, and is designated as a separate SAC for its entire length. The Ben Nevis massif is also an SAC, as are the woodlands at North Ballachulish in the westernmost part of the NSA. The final SAC within the NSA protects the woods on the western side of Loch Etive, in the southwestern extremity of the area.
The Highlands is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands. The term is also used for the area north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, although the exact boundaries are not clearly defined, particularly to the east. The Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands. The Scottish Gaelic name of A' Ghàidhealtachd literally means "the place of the Gaels" and traditionally, from a Gaelic-speaking point of view, includes both the Western Isles and the Highlands.
The area is very sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region, and includes the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis. During the 18th and early 19th centuries the population of the Highlands rose to around 300,000, but from c. 1841 and for the next 160 years, the natural increase in population was exceeded by emigration (mostly to Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and migration to the industrial cities of Scotland and England.) and passim The area is now one of the most sparsely populated in Europe. At 9.1/km2 (24/sq mi) in 2012, the population density in the Highlands and Islands is less than one seventh of Scotland's as a whole.
The Highland Council is the administrative body for much of the Highlands, with its administrative centre at Inverness. However, the Highlands also includes parts of the council areas of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Moray, North Ayrshire, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire.
The Scottish Highlands is the only area in the British Isles to have the taiga biome as it features concentrated populations of Scots pine forest: see Caledonian Forest. It is the most mountainous part of the United Kingdom.
Between the 15th century and the mid-20th century, the area differed from most of the Lowlands in terms of language. In Scottish Gaelic, the region is known as the Gàidhealtachd, because it was traditionally the Gaelic-speaking part of Scotland, although the language is now largely confined to The Hebrides. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably but have different meanings in their respective languages. Scottish English (in its Highland form) is the predominant language of the area today, though Highland English has been influenced by Gaelic speech to a significant extent. Historically, the "Highland line" distinguished the two Scottish cultures. While the Highland line broadly followed the geography of the Grampians in the south, it continued in the north, cutting off the north-eastern areas, that is Eastern Caithness, Orkney and Shetland, from the more Gaelic Highlands and Hebrides.
Historically, the major social unit of the Highlands was the clan. Scottish kings, particularly James VI, saw clans as a challenge to their authority; the Highlands was seen by many as a lawless region. The Scots of the Lowlands viewed the Highlanders as backward and more "Irish". The Highlands were seen as the overspill of Gaelic Ireland. They made this distinction by separating Germanic "Scots" English and the Gaelic by renaming it "Erse" a play on Eire. Following the Union of the Crowns, James VI had the military strength to back up any attempts to impose some control. The result was, in 1609, the Statutes of Iona which started the process of integrating clan leaders into Scottish society. The gradual changes continued into the 19th century, as clan chiefs thought of themselves less as patriarchal leaders of their people and more as commercial landlords. The first effect on the clansmen who were their tenants was the change to rents being payable in money rather than in kind. Later, rents were increased as Highland landowners sought to increase their income. This was followed, mostly in the period 1760–1850, by agricultural improvement that often (particularly in the Western Highlands) involved clearance of the population to make way for large scale sheep farms. Displaced tenants were set up in crofting communities in the process. The crofts were intended not to provide all the needs of their occupiers; they were expected to work in other industries such as kelping and fishing. Crofters came to rely substantially on seasonal migrant work, particularly in the Lowlands. This gave impetus to the learning of English, which was seen by many rural Gaelic speakers to be the essential "language of work".
Older historiography attributes the collapse of the clan system to the aftermath of the Jacobite risings. This is now thought less influential by historians. Following the Jacobite rising of 1745 the British government enacted a series of laws to try to suppress the clan system, including bans on the bearing of arms and the wearing of tartan, and limitations on the activities of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Most of this legislation was repealed by the end of the 18th century as the Jacobite threat subsided. There was soon a rehabilitation of Highland culture. Tartan was adopted for Highland regiments in the British Army, which poor Highlanders joined in large numbers in the era of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1790–1815). Tartan had largely been abandoned by the ordinary people of the region, but in the 1820s, tartan and the kilt were adopted by members of the social elite, not just in Scotland, but across Europe. The international craze for tartan, and for idealising a romanticised Highlands, was set off by the Ossian cycle, and further popularised by the works of Walter Scott. His "staging" of the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 and the king's wearing of tartan resulted in a massive upsurge in demand for kilts and tartans that could not be met by the Scottish woollen industry. Individual clan tartans were largely designated in this period and they became a major symbol of Scottish identity. This "Highlandism", by which all of Scotland was identified with the culture of the Highlands, was cemented by Queen Victoria's interest in the country, her adoption of Balmoral as a major royal retreat, and her interest in "tartenry".
Recurrent famine affected the Highlands for much of its history, with significant instances as late as 1817 in the Eastern Highlands and the early 1850s in the West. Over the 18th century, the region had developed a trade of black cattle into Lowland markets, and this was balanced by imports of meal into the area. There was a critical reliance on this trade to provide sufficient food, and it is seen as an essential prerequisite for the population growth that started in the 18th century. Most of the Highlands, particularly in the North and West was short of the arable land that was essential for the mixed, run rig based, communal farming that existed before agricultural improvement was introduced into the region.[a] Between the 1760s and the 1830s there was a substantial trade in unlicensed whisky that had been distilled in the Highlands. Lowland distillers (who were not able to avoid the heavy taxation of this product) complained that Highland whisky made up more than half the market. The development of the cattle trade is taken as evidence that the pre-improvement Highlands was not an immutable system, but did exploit the economic opportunities that came its way. The illicit whisky trade demonstrates the entrepreneurial ability of the peasant classes.
Agricultural improvement reached the Highlands mostly over the period 1760 to 1850. Agricultural advisors, factors, land surveyors and others educated in the thinking of Adam Smith were keen to put into practice the new ideas taught in Scottish universities. Highland landowners, many of whom were burdened with chronic debts, were generally receptive to the advice they offered and keen to increase the income from their land. In the East and South the resulting change was similar to that in the Lowlands, with the creation of larger farms with single tenants, enclosure of the old run rig fields, introduction of new crops (such as turnips), land drainage and, as a consequence of all this, eviction, as part of the Highland clearances, of many tenants and cottars. Some of those cleared found employment on the new, larger farms, others moved to the accessible towns of the Lowlands.
In the West and North, evicted tenants were usually given tenancies in newly created crofting communities, while their former holdings were converted into large sheep farms. Sheep farmers could pay substantially higher rents than the run rig farmers and were much less prone to falling into arrears. Each croft was limited in size so that the tenants would have to find work elsewhere. The major alternatives were fishing and the kelp industry. Landlords took control of the kelp shores, deducting the wages earned by their tenants from the rent due and retaining the large profits that could be earned at the high prices paid for the processed product during the Napoleonic wars.
When the Napoleonic wars finished in 1815, the Highland industries were affected by the return to a peacetime economy. The price of black cattle fell, nearly halving between 1810 and the 1830s. Kelp prices had peaked in 1810, but reduced from £9 a ton in 1823 to £3 13s 4d a ton in 1828. Wool prices were also badly affected. This worsened the financial problems of debt-encumbered landlords. Then, in 1846, potato blight arrived in the Highlands, wiping out the essential subsistence crop for the overcrowded crofting communities. As the famine struck, the government made clear to landlords that it was their responsibility to provide famine relief for their tenants. The result of the economic downturn had been that a large proportion of Highland estates were sold in the first half of the 19th century. T M Devine points out that in the region most affected by the potato famine, by 1846, 70 per cent of the landowners were new purchasers who had not owned Highland property before 1800. More landlords were obliged to sell due to the cost of famine relief. Those who were protected from the worst of the crisis were those with extensive rental income from sheep farms. Government loans were made available for drainage works, road building and other improvements and many crofters became temporary migrants – taking work in the Lowlands. When the potato famine ceased in 1856, this established a pattern of more extensive working away from the Highlands.
The unequal concentration of land ownership remained an emotional and controversial subject, of enormous importance to the Highland economy, and eventually became a cornerstone of liberal radicalism. The poor crofters were politically powerless, and many of them turned to religion. They embraced the popularly oriented, fervently evangelical Presbyterian revival after 1800. Most joined the breakaway "Free Church" after 1843. This evangelical movement was led by lay preachers who themselves came from the lower strata, and whose preaching was implicitly critical of the established order. The religious change energised the crofters and separated them from the landlords; it helped prepare them for their successful and violent challenge to the landlords in the 1880s through the Highland Land League. Violence erupted, starting on the Isle of Skye, when Highland landlords cleared their lands for sheep and deer parks. It was quietened when the government stepped in, passing the Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1886 to reduce rents, guarantee fixity of tenure, and break up large estates to provide crofts for the homeless. This contrasted with the Irish Land War underway at the same time, where the Irish were intensely politicised through roots in Irish nationalism, while political dimensions were limited. In 1885 three Independent Crofter candidates were elected to Parliament, which listened to their pleas. The results included explicit security for the Scottish smallholders in the "crofting counties"; the legal right to bequeath tenancies to descendants; and the creation of a Crofting Commission. The Crofters as a political movement faded away by 1892, and the Liberal Party gained their votes.
Today, the Highlands are the largest of Scotland's whisky producing regions; the relevant area runs from Orkney to the Isle of Arran in the south and includes the northern isles and much of Inner and Outer Hebrides, Argyll, Stirlingshire, Arran, as well as sections of Perthshire and Aberdeenshire. (Other sources treat The Islands, except Islay, as a separate whisky producing region.) This massive area has over 30 distilleries, or 47 when the Islands sub-region is included in the count. According to one source, the top five are The Macallan, Glenfiddich, Aberlour, Glenfarclas and Balvenie. While Speyside is geographically within the Highlands, that region is specified as distinct in terms of whisky productions. Speyside single malt whiskies are produced by about 50 distilleries.
According to Visit Scotland, Highlands whisky is "fruity, sweet, spicy, malty". Another review states that Northern Highlands single malt is "sweet and full-bodied", the Eastern Highlands and Southern Highlands whiskies tend to be "lighter in texture" while the distilleries in the Western Highlands produce single malts with a "much peatier influence".
The Scottish Reformation achieved partial success in the Highlands. Roman Catholicism remained strong in some areas, owing to remote locations and the efforts of Franciscan missionaries from Ireland, who regularly came to celebrate Mass. There remain significant Catholic strongholds within the Highlands and Islands such as Moidart and Morar on the mainland and South Uist and Barra in the southern Outer Hebrides. The remoteness of the region and the lack of a Gaelic-speaking clergy undermined the missionary efforts of the established church. The later 18th century saw somewhat greater success, owing to the efforts of the SSPCK missionaries and to the disruption of traditional society after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. In the 19th century, the evangelical Free Churches, which were more accepting of Gaelic language and culture, grew rapidly, appealing much more strongly than did the established church.
For the most part, however, the Highlands are considered predominantly Protestant, belonging to the Church of Scotland. In contrast to the Catholic southern islands, the northern Outer Hebrides islands (Lewis, Harris and North Uist) have an exceptionally high proportion of their population belonging to the Protestant Free Church of Scotland or the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Outer Hebrides have been described as the last bastion of Calvinism in Britain and the Sabbath remains widely observed. Inverness and the surrounding area has a majority Protestant population, with most locals belonging to either The Kirk or the Free Church of Scotland. The church maintains a noticeable presence within the area, with church attendance notably higher than in other parts of Scotland. Religion continues to play an important role in Highland culture, with Sabbath observance still widely practised, particularly in the Hebrides.
In traditional Scottish geography, the Highlands refers to that part of Scotland north-west of the Highland Boundary Fault, which crosses mainland Scotland in a near-straight line from Helensburgh to Stonehaven. However the flat coastal lands that occupy parts of the counties of Nairnshire, Morayshire, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire are often excluded as they do not share the distinctive geographical and cultural features of the rest of the Highlands. The north-east of Caithness, as well as Orkney and Shetland, are also often excluded from the Highlands, although the Hebrides are usually included. The Highland area, as so defined, differed from the Lowlands in language and tradition, having preserved Gaelic speech and customs centuries after the anglicisation of the latter; this led to a growing perception of a divide, with the cultural distinction between Highlander and Lowlander first noted towards the end of the 14th century. In Aberdeenshire, the boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands is not well defined. There is a stone beside the A93 road near the village of Dinnet on Royal Deeside which states 'You are now in the Highlands', although there are areas of Highland character to the east of this point.
A much wider definition of the Highlands is that used by the Scotch whisky industry. Highland single malts are produced at distilleries north of an imaginary line between Dundee and Greenock, thus including all of Aberdeenshire and Angus.
Inverness is regarded as the Capital of the Highlands, although less so in the Highland parts of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perthshire and Stirlingshire which look more to Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, and Stirling as their commercial centres.
The Highland Council area, created as one of the local government regions of Scotland, has been a unitary council area since 1996. The council area excludes a large area of the southern and eastern Highlands, and the Western Isles, but includes Caithness. Highlands is sometimes used, however, as a name for the council area, as in the former Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service. Northern is also used to refer to the area, as in the former Northern Constabulary. These former bodies both covered the Highland council area and the island council areas of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Much of the Highlands area overlaps the Highlands and Islands area. An electoral region called Highlands and Islands is used in elections to the Scottish Parliament: this area includes Orkney and Shetland, as well as the Highland Council local government area, the Western Isles and most of the Argyll and Bute and Moray local government areas. Highlands and Islands has, however, different meanings in different contexts. It means Highland (the local government area), Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles in Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service. Northern, as in Northern Constabulary, refers to the same area as that covered by the fire and rescue service.
There have been trackways from the Lowlands to the Highlands since prehistoric times. Many traverse the Mounth, a spur of mountainous land that extends from the higher inland range to the North Sea slightly north of Stonehaven. The most well-known and historically important trackways are the Causey Mounth, Elsick Mounth, Cryne Corse Mounth and Cairnamounth.
Although most of the Highlands is geographically on the British mainland, it is somewhat less accessible than the rest of Britain; thus most UK couriers categorise it separately, alongside Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and other offshore islands. They thus charge additional fees for delivery to the Highlands, or exclude the area entirely. While the physical remoteness from the largest population centres inevitably leads to higher transit cost, there is confusion and consternation over the scale of the fees charged and the effectiveness of their communication, and the use of the word Mainland in their justification. Since the charges are often based on postcode areas, many far less remote areas, including some which are traditionally considered part of the lowlands, are also subject to these charges. Royal Mail is the only delivery network bound by a Universal Service Obligation to charge a uniform tariff across the UK. This, however, applies only to mail items and not larger packages which are dealt with by its Parcelforce division.
The Highlands lie to the north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault, which runs from Arran to Stonehaven. This part of Scotland is largely composed of ancient rocks from the Cambrian and Precambrian periods which were uplifted during the later Caledonian Orogeny. Smaller formations of Lewisian gneiss in the northwest are up to 3 billion years old. The overlying rocks of the Torridon Sandstone form mountains in the Torridon Hills such as Liathach and Beinn Eighe in Wester Ross.
These foundations are interspersed with many igneous intrusions of a more recent age, the remnants of which have formed mountain massifs such as the Cairngorms and the Cuillin of Skye. A significant exception to the above are the fossil-bearing beds of Old Red Sandstone found principally along the Moray Firth coast and partially down the Highland Boundary Fault. The Jurassic beds found in isolated locations on Skye and Applecross reflect the complex underlying geology. They are the original source of much North Sea oil. The Great Glen is formed along a transform fault which divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands.
The entire region was covered by ice sheets during the Pleistocene ice ages, save perhaps for a few nunataks. The complex geomorphology includes incised valleys and lochs carved by the action of mountain streams and ice, and a topography of irregularly distributed mountains whose summits have similar heights above sea-level, but whose bases depend upon the amount of denudation to which the plateau has been subjected in various places.
Climate
The region is much warmer than other areas at similar latitudes (such as Kamchatka in Russia, or Labrador in Canada) because of the Gulf Stream making it cool, damp and temperate. The Köppen climate classification is "Cfb" at low altitudes, then becoming "Cfc", "Dfc" and "ET" at higher altitudes.
Places of interest
An Teallach
Aonach Mòr (Nevis Range ski centre)
Arrochar Alps
Balmoral Castle
Balquhidder
Battlefield of Culloden
Beinn Alligin
Beinn Eighe
Ben Cruachan hydro-electric power station
Ben Lomond
Ben Macdui (second highest mountain in Scotland and UK)
Ben Nevis (highest mountain in Scotland and UK)
Cairngorms National Park
Cairngorm Ski centre near Aviemore
Cairngorm Mountains
Caledonian Canal
Cape Wrath
Carrick Castle
Castle Stalker
Castle Tioram
Chanonry Point
Conic Hill
Culloden Moor
Dunadd
Duart Castle
Durness
Eilean Donan
Fingal's Cave (Staffa)
Fort George
Glen Coe
Glen Etive
Glen Kinglas
Glen Lyon
Glen Orchy
Glenshee Ski Centre
Glen Shiel
Glen Spean
Glenfinnan (and its railway station and viaduct)
Grampian Mountains
Hebrides
Highland Folk Museum – The first open-air museum in the UK.
Highland Wildlife Park
Inveraray Castle
Inveraray Jail
Inverness Castle
Inverewe Garden
Iona Abbey
Isle of Staffa
Kilchurn Castle
Kilmartin Glen
Liathach
Lecht Ski Centre
Loch Alsh
Loch Ard
Loch Awe
Loch Assynt
Loch Earn
Loch Etive
Loch Fyne
Loch Goil
Loch Katrine
Loch Leven
Loch Linnhe
Loch Lochy
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
Loch Lubnaig
Loch Maree
Loch Morar
Loch Morlich
Loch Ness
Loch Nevis
Loch Rannoch
Loch Tay
Lochranza
Luss
Meall a' Bhuiridh (Glencoe Ski Centre)
Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary at Loch Creran
Rannoch Moor
Red Cuillin
Rest and Be Thankful stretch of A83
River Carron, Wester Ross
River Spey
River Tay
Ross and Cromarty
Smoo Cave
Stob Coire a' Chàirn
Stac Polly
Strathspey Railway
Sutherland
Tor Castle
Torridon Hills
Urquhart Castle
West Highland Line (scenic railway)
West Highland Way (Long-distance footpath)
Wester Ross
Fremont Avenue
Sunnyvale, California
I was being deliberately selective when I composed what I hoped would be an incongruous image. The accessible parking spot is for disabled patrons of a restaurant and other businesses that are out of the shot, to the left.
Paved, accessible trail in the Lava Lands Trail of Molten Lands in Newberry Volcano National Monument
I've always admired the original castle sets but wasn't of Lego-buying age (or even born) for many of the themes. With the Black Falcon knights being re-released I wanted to make them a grand castle.
Here is my largest castle to date. I've included many details I've wanted to include for a long time; hinging open, a rounded main wall, multiple towers, every room accessible to a minifigure, and large enough rooms to have enough space for furnishings.
This really stretched my collection but I think I did well to spread the details out over the entire build.
I'm extremely pleased with how this turned out! Check out all the angles and let me know what you like best!
Rotterdam - Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the world’s first fully accessible art depot, will open its doors in September 2021 at Museumpark in the centre of Rotterdam. With this construction completion, now the museum and the users can start to inhabit the building and fill its spaces with priceless art. Although it will take another year before the real opening, the completion is a special moment . 7,000 lucky persons can make a safe quick visit in 3 days in September 2020.
The assignment for MVRDV Architects was to offer a glimpse behind the scenes of the museum world and make the whole art collection accessible to the public. The reflective round volume responds to its surroundings. The Depot features exhibition halls, a rooftop garden, and a restaurant, in addition to an enormous amount of storage space for art and design.
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is the first depot in the world that offers access to a complete collection. The dynamics of the depot are different from those of the museum: no exhibitions are held here, but you can - independently or with a guide - browse through 151,000 art objects. You can also take a look at, for example, conservation and restoration.. Surface 15,000 m²
MVRDV has completed the bowl-like Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam's Museumpark, which is covered in mirrored glass and topped by a rooftop forest. The art storage facility, which will open to the public in autumn 2021, has been built to house the art collection of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in one place for the first time since 1935. Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen contains a mix of storage spaces alongside areas for art maintenance, both of which will be made accessible to visitors after the artwork has been moved there. This makes the facility the first publicly accessible art depot in the world, according to MVRDV Architects, and will offer a new type of experience for museum-goers in the Netherlands.
The Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen measures 12 metres in height and encompasses 15,000 m2. The budget was € 55,000,000. To help reduce its visual impact, MVRDV clad the depot in 1,664 reflective glass panels so that it blends in with its surroundings in the OMA-designed Museumpark. Its bowl-shape was also developed to minimise its footprint. The rooftop features 75 birch trees. Its reflective facade wears the trappings of whatever surrounds it: people passing by, Museumpark's leafy grounds, the clouds, and Rotterdam's dynamic city skyline. Thanks to this reflection, the building is already fully integrated into its surroundings, despite its not insignificant size.
Inside, the building contains several storage spaces alongside studios for the curators and areas for the maintenance of the art. The storage spaces are divided into five different climate zones so that the artefacts can be stored and exhibited according to their specific temperature and humidity requirements, which can vary depending on the materials used to make them. According to MVRDV, the focal point of the depot is its central atrium, which is filled with overlapping staircases and suspended glass display cases that will eventually be filled with art chosen by the museum's curators. This atrium will connect the storage and exhibition spaces to the curators' studios, and offer visitors rare access and insights into how the museum cares and maintains its collection. Once open to the public, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen's artwork will be displayed throughout the entire building, including on its rooftop restaurant and sculpture garden. The rooftop forest is covered with 75 tall birch trees and was incorporated by the studio to make up for the lost green space and provide views across the city.
MVRDV is an architecture studio based in Rotterdam, which was founded by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries in 1991. The studio won a competition to design the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in 2014.
It was developed by the studio with BAM Bouw & Techniek and will be made open to the public after its interiors are completed and the artwork has been moved inside.
Only minor changes are in store for the 2016 Nissan Frontier. They involve three new exterior colors and the accessibility of a moonroof on crew cab SV models. Providing one of the most relaxed driver's seats and seating positions among midsize trucks, the 2016 Nissan Frontier also offers serious off road chops, ruggedly attractive good looks, and the ability to tow up to 6,500 pounds.
Driving Impressions
Most midsize truck buyers like the smaller dimensions and simpler driving manners of such cars compared to their full size brethren. On this front, the 2016 Nissan Frontier is still very qualified despite its age. In our newest test of a Crew Cab PRO-4X model, we found the Frontier easy to move and more agile and relaxed than we'd expected for the daily commute. On rough pavement, though, Nissan's midsize truck experienced notably harsher. We were also still satisfied with the power from the 4.0 liter V6 engine, but not the resulting fuel economy. We averaged 15 mpg around city, which is outmatched by full size trucks these days. The 2016 Nissan Frontier interior is comfortable, and the dash design is clean and simple, though dated. At speed, there's prominent wind disturbance from the large outside mirrors, and engine and highway noise intrude as well. For those into off roading, the PRO-4X brings additional skid plating and a locking center differential.
Interior
While dated and on the very basic side, the 2016 Nissan Frontier provides a comfortable and flexible interior. Open the rear hinged doors of the King Cab model and you will find a pair of crowded seats; if you plan on carrying passengers regularly, it's best to opt for the Crew Cab model with its conventional doors and adult-sized 3 passenger bench. The rear seats on all 2016 Nissan Frontier designs flip up for more space, and the front side passenger seat can fold flat, developing an impromptu workstation. Leather replaces cloth on higher trim levels, but a telescoping steering wheel isn't accessible on the Frontier.
Exterior
We find the 2016 Nissan Frontier's looks more conventional than those of its competitors, and we don't particularly mind. So while you won't see a hulking grille or mean looking face, Nissan's pickup maintains its handsome, get the job done overall look. The Frontier is also flexible, with a long bed available on 2016 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab models, presenting it the same bed length as the smaller cabin King Cab. Off road devices like skid plates adorns the PRO-4X models, which are also offered with roof racks and crossbars.
Under the Hood
Regular on the 2016 Nissan Frontier King Cab types is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 152 hp. It comes with either a five-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic. Accessible in King Cab and standard in Crew Cab types or any 4WD Frontier is a 4.0 liter V6, with a far more robust 261 hp. Here, a six-speed manual is regular, with a five-speed automatic available. The four-cylinder model is no slouch, providing a respectable tow rating of 3,500 pounds, and 2WD V6 versions can tow up to 6,500 pounds. All 2016 Nissan Frontiers run on regular unleaded gasoline. However, fuel economy trails far behind the new GM mid-size trucks, with just 23 mpg highway for four-cylinder models or 21/22 mpg for V6 versions.
2016 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab and King Cab
The stripped-down 2016 Nissan Frontier King Cab S with a manual transmission has a tempting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of just over $19,000, but instead check out the mid level SV trim on either King Cab or 2016 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab models. They begin around $23,000 for King Cab four-cylinder models, or about $25,000 if you want a V6 operated King Cab. The longbed Frontier SL with 4WD begins at more than $37,000. While its beginning price undercuts competitors, the Nissan's pricing becomes more in line with them as you climb trims, although it's continue to below that of a loaded Tacoma or diesel powered Colorado or Canyon. thecarspecs.com/2016-nissan-frontier-review/