View allAll Photos Tagged Stability
NHA TRANG, Vietnam (May 17, 2018) Joint service members aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) man the rails as the ship arrives in Nha Trang for the fourth mission stop of Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP18). PP18’s mission is to work collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships across the Indo-Pacific region. Pacific Partnership, now in its 13th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Harley K. Sarmiento/Released)
Now & then I like to use some Instax, too. I love the colour of this film and the contrasts it can produce, I love its stability... but I hate the bulkiness and the poor maneuverability of the camera. Taking this camera with me is a pain in the backpack, though results are often very pleasant. If you want to see more of my Instax shots, you'll have to visit my LomoHome at bit.ly/ADGlomo.
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Camera: Lomo'Instant Wide
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In the meanwhile visit my Etsy shop for my Instant Art at www.etsy.com/shop/AleDiGangi
TAIWAN STRAIT (June 4, 2020) Ensign Ryan O’Neal, from Wichita, Kan., searches for surface contacts from the pilot house as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) transits the Taiwan Strait. Russell is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Lynch)
(FLTR) Robin Niblett, Director, Chatham House, United Kingdom; Global Agenda Council on Europe, Alexander Stubb, Prime Minister of Finland; Young Global Leader, Enda Kenny, Taoiseach of Ireland, Laimdota Straujuma, Prime Minister of Latvia, Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Sigmar Gabriel, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany are captured during the session 'Europe's Twin Challenges: Growth and Stability' in the congress centre at the Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 22, 2015.
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Remy Steinegger
PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 22 2020) Maj. Robert Johnson, from Boston, pilots an AH-1Z Viper helicopter from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 on the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). New Orleans, part of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)
SASEBO, Japan (Oct. 27, 2020) A hose team attacks a mock fire during a Federal Fire integrated firefighting drill aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). The fire drill integrates Federal fire fighters from Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo with Sailors aboard the ship to train on fighting in-port fires. New Orleans, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)
In front of the old houses in the turkish ottoman quarter. The kid in the right jumped in the frame as i was shooting the little girl!
Like Massawa or Suakin, Berbera is an old ottoman town. Many buildings are in ruins, but most of them are inhabited by very welcoming people.
Formerly a British colony, Somaliland briefly reached its independence in 1960. It is one of the three Territories, with Puntland and former Italian Somalia that compose the current State of Somalia.
Somaliland proclaimed its independence in 1991, adopting its own currency, a fully independent government, working institutions and police. The authorities organized a referendum in 2001, advocating once again for full independence. However, to date, it is not internationally recognized.
Ethiopian Prime minister Meles Zenawi is the only one to speak about a Somalilander president, recognizing implicitly the existence of an independent State. Indeed the economy of neighboring Ethiopia dramatically depends on Somaliland stability, since the landlocked country’s main trade route passes through the Somalilander port of Berbera… And vice-versa, the economy of Somaliland largely depends on the taxes and duties it charges Ethiopia. Besides that, the principal economic activity of Somaliland is livestock exportation to the Arabian Peninsula. Most people are Sunni Muslims and speak Arabic, as well as some Somali dialect and many of them, English.Lastely, the East African demography being based on clan alliances, it is no surprise that the frontiers drawn by the colonists don’t match the ethnic divisions of territory, leading to open clashes. More broadly, this problem is recurrent across the African continent.
© Eric Lafforgue
Puck's Glen is a river-formed ravine on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, with a popular scenic walking trail beside the Eas Mòr stream (Gaelic for "big waterfall"). In 2020 the glen and adjoining trails were closed temporarily due to issues of stability of the gorge, and felling of trees infected by larch disease.
It comes under Forestry and Land Scotland which has highlighted it as a feature of the Argyll Forest Park (itself within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park), and described it as "One of the most magical forests in Scotland, with a delightful trail along a rocky gorge."
The stream tumbles down a series of waterfalls and rapids, joining the River Eachaig about 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) south of the entrance to the Benmore Botanic Garden. A car park off the A815 road (about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Dunoon on the road to Loch Eck) gives access by a track to the foot of the glen path, as well as forest paths giving an alternative route to the top of the glen.
The Benmore Estate, previously hunting grounds of the Campbells of Ballochyle, was improved by a succession of owners in the 19th century. Forestry plantation began in the 1820s, and extensive garden improvements were made from 1862 by James Piers Patrick. The Ordnance Survey from 1865 shows the Eas Mòr gorge extending uphill through a small area of woodland into open moorland with some trees in the ravine.
In 1870 the Greenock sugar refiner and philanthropist James Duncan bought the estate, and added the adjacent Kilmun and Bernice Estates. He arranged extensive plantings, including more than six million trees around the estate, and added paths leading up the Eas Mòr gorge for his visitors to enjoy the magical atmosphere of the glen, reminiscent of the mythological Puck, the character Puck in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Henry Younger of the Edinburgh brewer Younger's bought the estate in 1889, and with his son Harry George Younger made many improvements to the woods and gardens.
Two strips of Japanese larch planted at Puck's Glen around 1903 were successfully established by 1912, though European larch had failed in the locality. In 1918, the Anchor Line Staff Magazine noted that Benmore House was celebrated for "Puck's Glen with its amber stream cutting a channel through moss-draped schistose rock, and tumbling from one silver rock-chalice to another."
In 1924, Harry George Younger presented the estates to the Forestry Commissioners. The Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society made a visit in July 1925, and described Puck's Glen as "a striking example of how man, working hand in hand with nature, has made what was once a bare hillside ravine into one of the most lovely walks imaginable." Starting near the sixth milestone from Dunoon on the old main road to Arrochar, the bridle-path "by the stream which the Ordnance Survey map calls the Eas Mor, but which is better known as Puck's Burn" was soon hemmed in by steep banks, "while growing on their slopes are conifers of a dozen or more varieties, rhododendrons, and many of the rarer species of ferns. The path follows the stream through the whole course of the ravine".
In commemoration of the improvements James Duncan had made to the estate, Younger provided the Bayley Balfour Memorial Hut above the glen, dedicated to the memory of the botanist Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour. The hut was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with wood panelling featuring all the varieties of timber grown at Benmore, and positioned above the tree-tops. The dedication ceremony in September 1928 enjoyed fine weather; The Gardeners' Chronicle described its site as commanding "beautiful views above a gorge where 'the singing waters fall to the Eachaig River from lofty heights' " amidst towering woods, with Beinn Mhòr visible through a faint blue haze.
In 1929 the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh opened the Younger Botanic Garden in the Benmore estate as its first outstation, and in the 1930s the Forestry Commission established Kilmun Arboretum to the south of Puck's Glen, planting large groups of tree species rather than individual specimens
The Forestry Commission's Scottish National Forest Park Guide, issued in 1947, calls Puck's Glen "a rocky cleft beside a rushing stream, leading up to a fine viewpoint, which may be visited without charge or formality", and describes access by Clyde steamer and bus services.
In 1948, the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal noted regular visits to Puck's Glen, "attractive at all seasons but at its best in the Rhododendron month of June", and praised the view "from the Rest Hut, exquisitely designed by Robert Lorimer".
The Bayley Balfour Memorial Hut, Puck's Hut, was moved in 1968 to the walled garden in the Botanic Garden. It originally had a fireplace and chimney, but these were not reconstructed, and were replaced by an additional window. In 1992 the hut was listed as a Grade C listed building.[15] The Puck's Glen path needed repair, and was restored in May 1986, with renewed bridges.
The high rainfall, with an average annual precipitation of around 200 to 230 cm (79 to 91 in), is suited to temperate rainforest and associated undergrowth. The acid soil makes the area particularly suitable for conifers. The Forestry Commission has planted coniferous trees at the sides of Puck's Glen, which runs through Uig Wood. The lower slopes of this woodland feature some of the earliest tree plantations on the estate.
The wood forms part of Benmore forest, which features waymarked trails leading visitors among trees including giant Californian redwoods, Douglas fir and Western hemlock. Puck's Glen itself is part of the Puck's Glen Gorge Trail, leading from the car park, and the Black Gates Trail which starts at the entrance to Benmore Botanic Garden, and goes past extensive mature conifers on the hillside of Benmore forest before connecting to the top of the Upper Puck's Glen loop.
A signpost at the forestry track crossing Puck's Glen points south along the track to Kilmun Arboretum and north along the track to Benmore Botanic Garden. It also points to the Upper Puck's Glen Loop path which continues further uphill beside the stream before connecting to the top of the Black Gates Trail. Some detailed routes are available online at Walkhighlands.
Argyll Forest Park is a forest park located on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. Established in 1935, it was the first forest park to be created in the United Kingdom.[2] The park is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, and covers 211 km2 in total.
From the Holy Loch in the south to the Arrochar Alps in the north, the park includes a variety of landscapes, from high peaks to freshwater and seawater lochs.
Much of the forest park lies within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was established in 2002, however the forests at Corlarach and Ardyne in Cowal are outwith the national park boundary but within the forest park.
Forestry and Land Scotland highlight trails at the following places:
Glenbranter, bike trails and walks, featuring ancient oaks
Puck's Glen, trail up rocky gorge among woodlands
Benmore, forest around Benmore Botanic Garden, with giant trees
Kilmun Arboretum, collection of tree species in woodland groves
Ardentinny, easy trails and beach walk
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (Scottish Gaelic: Pàirc Nàiseanta Loch Laomainn is nan Tròisichean) is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond and the hills and glens of the Trossachs, along with several other ranges of hills. It was the first of the two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament in 2002, the second being the Cairngorms National Park. The park extends to cover much of the western part of the southern highlands, lying to the north of the Glasgow conurbation, and contains many mountains and lochs. It is the fourth-largest national park in the British Isles, with a total area of 1,865 km2 (720 sq mi) and a boundary of some 350 km (220 mi) in length. It features 21 Munros (including Ben Lomond, Ben Lui, Beinn Challuim, Ben More and two peaks called Ben Vorlich) and 20 Corbetts.
The park straddles the Highland Boundary Fault, which divides it into two distinct regions - lowland and highland - that differ in underlying geology, soil types and topography. The change in rock type can most clearly be seen at Loch Lomond itself, as the fault runs across the islands of Inchmurrin, Creinch, Torrinch and Inchcailloch and over the ridge of Conic Hill. To the south lie green fields and cultivated land; to the north, mountains.
The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park lies close to Scotland's heavily populated Central Belt, and the area has long been popular with visitors. Principal attractions are viewing scenery and wildlife, walking, climbing, water sports, and other outdoor activities. In 2017, there were 2.9 million visits to the park, of which 2.1 million were day visits and 783,000 were made by visitors staying overnight within the park.
Argyll and Bute is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020). The administrative centre for the council area is in Lochgilphead at Kilmory Castle, a 19th-century Gothic Revival building and estate. The current council leader is Robin Currie, a councillor for Kintyre and the Islands.
Argyll and Bute covers the second-largest administrative area of any Scottish council. The council area adjoins those of Highland, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire.
History
Buteshire and Argyll were two of the historic counties of Scotland, having originated as shires (the area controlled by a sheriff) in the Middle Ages. From 1890 until 1975 both counties had an elected county council.
In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts were abolished and replaced with upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. The Strathclyde region was created covering a large part of western Scotland. Strathclyde was divided into nineteen districts, one of which the 1973 Act called "Argyll", covering most of the former county of Argyll, but also including the Isle of Bute from Buteshire. The shadow authority elected in 1974 requested a change of name to "Argyll and Bute", which was agreed by the government before the new district came into being on 16 May 1975.
As created in 1975 the Argyll and Bute district covered the whole area of fourteen of Argyll's sixteen districts and part of a fifteenth, plus two of Buteshire's five districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
From Argyll:
Campbeltown Burgh
Cowal District
Dunoon Burgh
Inveraray Burgh
Islay District
Jura and Colonsay District
Kintyre District
Lochgilphead Burgh
Mid Argyll District
Mull District
North Lorn District: the Lismore and Appin, and Ardchattan electoral divisions only, rest (Ballachulish and Kinlochleven electoral divisions) went to Lochaber district of Highland
Oban Burgh
South Lorn District
Tiree and Coll District
Tobermory Burgh
From Buteshire:
Bute District
Rothesay Burgh
The two Buteshire districts together corresponded to the whole Isle of Bute. The rest of Buteshire, being the Isle of Arran and The Cumbraes went to Cunninghame district. The Ardnamurchan district from Argyll went to the Lochaber district of Highland. The new district was made a single Argyll and Bute lieutenancy area.
Local government was reformed again in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary council areas. Argyll and Bute became one of the new council areas, but had its territory enlarged to include the town of Helensburgh and surrounding rural areas which had been in the Dumbarton district prior to 1996, and had formed part of the county of Dunbartonshire prior to 1975. The Helensburgh area had voted in a referendum in 1994 to join Argyll and Bute rather than stay with Dumbarton.
Transport
Railways
The main railway line in Argyll and Bute is the West Highland Line, which links Oban to Glasgow, passing through much of the eastern and northern parts of the area. From the south the line enters Argyll and Bute just to the west of Dumbarton, continuing north via Helensburgh Upper to the eastern shores of the Gare Loch and Loch Long. The line comes inland at Arrochar and Tarbet to meet the western shore of Loch Lomond. At the northern end of the loch the lines leaves Argyll and Bute to enter Stirling council area. The Oban branch of the West Highland Line re-enters the area just west of Tyndrum, and heads west to Oban: stations on this section of the line include Dalmally and Taynuilt railway station. The majority of services on the line are operated by ScotRail: as of 2019 the summer service has six trains a day to Oban, with four on Sundays. In addition to the ScotRail service is the nightly Caledonian Sleeper, although this does not run on the Oban branch.
Helensburgh also has a much more frequent service into Glasgow and beyond via the North Clyde Line, which has its western terminus at the town's central railway station.
Roads
The main trunk roads in Argyll and Bute are:
The A82, which runs along the western shore of Loch Lomond, providing the main route between Glasgow and Fort William.
The A83, which leaves the A82 at Tarbet, heading west and then south to eventually reach Campbeltown by way of Inveraray and Lochgilphead.
The A85, which leaves the A82 at Tyndrum (just outside Argyll and Bute) and heads west to Oban via Dalmally.
The A828, which leaves the A85 at Connel and north through Appin to join the A82 at Ballachulish.
The A815, which leaves the A83 in Glen Kinglas near Cairndow, heading south through Strachur and Dunoon and ends at Toward 40 miles later, on the southern tip of the Cowal peninsula. The A815 is the main road through Cowal.
The A886, which leaves the A815 at Strachur, passing through Glendaruel, the route includes a ferry link to the Isle of Bute, Colintraive - Rhubodach terminating at Port Bannatyne to the north of Rothesay.
Ferry services
Due to its heavily indented coastline and many islands, ferries form an important part of the council area's transport system. The main ferry operator in Argyll and Bute is Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which operates services from the mainland to most of the inhabited islands. Several other routes are operated by commercial operators, usually on contract to the council, although the Western Ferries service across the Firth of Clyde is run on a commercial basis.
Bute is served by a route across the Kyles of Bute between Rhubodach and Colintraive in Cowal, as well as a route between Rothesay to Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde. Both routes are operated by CalMac.
Coll and Tiree are each served from Oban, via a CalMac service that also provides links between the two islands, and a once-weekly link to Barra.
Gigha is served by a CalMac route from Tayinloan in Kintyre.
Islay is served by a CalMac route from Kennacraig in Kintyre. The service is timetabled to utilise either one of two ports on the island, with both Port Askaig and Port Ellen having a service to the mainland.
Feolin on Jura is linked to Port Askaig on Islay via a vehicle ferry run by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council. There is also a passenger-only service between the island's main centre, Craighouse, and Tayvallich on the mainland that is operated by Islay Sea Safaris.
Kerrera is linked to Gallanach (about 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of Oban) by a passenger-only service operated by CalMac.
Lismore is served by two ferries, a vehicle and passenger service operated by CalMac that runs from Oban, and a passenger-only service from Port Appin that is operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.
Mull is served by a route between Oban and Craignure on the island's east coast, as well as routes across the Sound of Mull (between Lochaline and Fishnish, and Tobermory and Kilchoan). All three routes are operated by CalMac.
Iona is linked to Mull via a CalMac service from Fionnphort at Mull's southwest tip.
The island of Seil, which itself is linked to the mainland via the Clachan Bridge, has links to two further islands: Easdale and Luing. Both services are operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.
There are also routes connecting some mainland locations in Argyll and Bute to other parts of the mainland:
There is a CalMac service across Loch Fyne which provides a link between Portavadie in Cowal and Tarbert in Kintyre.
The Cowal peninsula route is a passenger-only service from the Dunoon Breakwater to Gourock pier, giving easy access to ScotRail services at Gourock railway station with onward transport to Glasgow Central station. This route was for a period run by a CalMac subsidiary company, Argyll Ferries, but has since January 2019 been operated directly by CalMac.
CalMac provide a limited (3 ferry each way per week) service between Cambeltown in Kintyre and Ardrosssan in North Aryshire during the summer months.
Western Ferries, a commercial operator, runs a vehicle and passenger service between Hunters Quay to McInroy's Point that also provides a link between Cowal and Inverclyde in (partial) competition with the subsidised CalMac service.
A service operated by Clyde Marine Services on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport runs between Kilcreggan and Gourock pier, providing a link from the Rosneath peninsula to the rail network at Gourock.
Argyll and Bute also has ferry services linking it to islands in neighbouring council areas:
Oban is the mainland terminal for services to Barra in Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Outer Hebrides).
Lochranza on Arran, in North Ayrshire, has a year-round service to Kintyre: during the summer the mainland port used is Claonaig, however in winter the service is reduced to a single daily return crossing from Tarbert.
There is also a passenger-only ferry service linking Campbeltown and Port Ellen on Islay with Ballycastle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, running seasonally from April to September, operated by West Coast Tours as the Kintyre Express.
Cultural references
The later scenes of the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love were filmed around the lochs and hills of Argyll and Bute.
The area has also been indirectly immortalised in popular culture by the 1977 hit song "Mull of Kintyre" by Kintyre resident Paul McCartney's band of the time, Wings.
The situation is not as hostile as it may appear. The shotgun and the barbed wire are only regular security measures surrounding the UN's helicopter landing in Port de Paix. As any young kid would be, these boys like to be where the action is...
What is more accurate though, is that any person born since 1986 (when dictator Baby Doc Duvalier left the country) has hardly seen the country without foreign soldiers to enforce stability. (UN has played a role in the country most of the time since the early 90's).
Another aspect: With or without foreign input - in a country where there is a big gap between the few rich and the many poor, barbed wire is something you see surrounding any property worth defending. And it is not only UN soldiers carrying shotguns to protect... when you enter the stores for wealthy people, or their neighbourhoods, there are privat guards with shotguns everywhere.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Jan. 13, 2021) Machinery Repairman Fireman Alexis Gonzalez, from West Palm Beach, Fla., machines a Baxter bolt onboard USS America (LHA 6). America, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, serving as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kelsey Culbertson)
Bendix(R) ESP(R) Electronic Stability Program is now standard on new Kenworth T680 (shown here) and T880 tractors. Bendix ESP full stability meets the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new electronic stability control (ESC) technology mandate, which goes into effect Aug. 1, 2017, on Class 8 tractors with tandem drive axles.
For stability and planning reasons, I start with this curve, as it the most rigid one of the bunch. The longer curves are a bit better in being adjusted to the needs of the module.
Also why is 2^-2 not a cool integer? Fuck
BAY OF BENGAL (Oct. 18, 2021) MH-60S Sea Hawks, assigned to the “Black Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 4, transfer cargo between Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Yukon (T-AO 202) and Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) for a replenishment-at-sea, during Maritime Partnership Exercise 2021. MPX is a multilateral maritime exercise between the Royal Australian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, U.K. Royal Navy, and U.S. maritime forces, focused on naval cooperation, interoperability and regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific and is an example of the enduring partnership between Australian, Japanese, U.K. and U.S. maritime forces, who routinely operate together in the Indo-Pacific, fostering a cooperative approach toward regional security and stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeff D. Kempton)
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US officials expect the Nordic neighbours to bid for membership of the alliance, potentially as early as June.
Washington is believed to support the move which would see the Western alliance grow to 32 members. US State Department officials said last week that discussions had taken place between Nato leaders and foreign ministers from Helsinki and Stockholm.
Before it launched its invasion, Russia demanded that the alliance agree to halt any future enlargement, but the war has led to the deployment of more Nato troops on its eastern flank and a rise in public support for Swedish and Finnish membership.
Finland shares a 1,340km (830 miles) long border with Russia and has been rattled by the invasion of Ukraine.
And Sweden's ruling Social Democratic party, which has traditionally opposed Nato membership, said it is rethinking this position in light of Russia's attack on its western neighbour. Party secretary Tobias Baudin told local media that the Nato review should be complete within the next few months.
"When Russia invaded Ukraine, Sweden's security position changed fundamentally," the party said in a statement on Monday.
But Moscow has been clear that it opposes any potential enlargement of the alliance. Mr Peskov warned the bloc "is not that kind of alliance which ensures peace and stability, and its further expansion will not bring additional security to the European continent".
Last week Mr Peskov said that Russia would have to "rebalance the situation" with its own measures were Sweden and Finland to join Nato.
And in February Maria Zakharova, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, warned of "military and political consequences" if the countries joined the bloc.
Nato was formed in 1949 to counter the threat of Soviet expansion, though since the fall of the Berlin wall a number of formerly communist eastern European countries have joined.
Member states agree to come to one another's aid in the event of an armed attack against any individual member state.
Despite the threats, both countries have pushed ahead with their bids and stepped up defence spending.
On Monday, army leaders in Helsinki announced a new plan to allocate €14m (£10.88m) to purchase drones for Finland's military.
And last month Swedish officials said they would boost defence spending by three billion kronas ($317m; £243m) in 2022.
{bbc.com}
My own opinion:
Russia isn’t behaving like a big brother, its aggressive unprovoked and unjustifed invasion of Ukraine, a sister nation sharing similar cultural heritage, under ever changing pretext, is a wake up call to whoever thought Russia brought peace and stability to the region, in light of what’s happening, Russia is best described as a rogue terrorist state intent on imposing its will on neighbouring nations with an overkill use of force not afraid to kill, rape and destroy the civilian population
Maria Zakharova, Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, warned of "military and political consequences" if the countries joined the bloc! Maria warning is more like a threat making its message clear: do as you’re told or else expect tanks and missiles to reinforce our advice! sound typical of unsavoury terrorism to me
I managed to wake up early enough this morning to catch the start of the Cape Epic Mountain Bike Race... at the Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville.
Just as I was starting to curse myself for deciding to bring my heavy tripod along (I only used it for one shot (I'll post that one tomorrow))... I noticed this photographer lugging his huge, even-heavier, optical-stabilization-system around with him! Although I could immediately see the benefit of this setup... I don't have a clue how it works!! I suppose I should have stopped to ask him... but he was so busy with his contraption... that I decided not to wait.
Perhaps someone a bit more knowledgable than me could tell me a bit more about this system?
Okay... I know I should have shot this with a wider aperture to blur out the background... but this was just a quick grab shot while I was walking past. :)
Nikon D300, Sigma 18-200mm at 36mm, aperture of f9, with a 1/320th second exposure.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 25, 2020) Junior Officer of the Deck, Ensign Yeltsin Rodriguez, from Des Moines, Iowa, takes a bearing using a telescopic alidade on the starboard bridge wing of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) as the ship sails in formation with the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), left, and the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). Germantown, part of America Expeditionary Strike Group, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit team, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 7, 2020) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) receives fuel from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) while conducting a fueling-at-sea. Ronald Reagan and Mustin are forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Codie L. Soule)
EAST CHINA SEA (Aug. 3, 2020) Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Brian Peterson, from Vancouver, Wash., right, and Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Tyron Kelly Pajel, from San Diego, handle fire hoses during an aircraft crash and salvage drill on the flight deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42). Germantown, part of America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)
"If no disorder is produced, then no order can form."
For more info on the process read my comment here
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 3, 2020) The amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), right, receives pallets of dry goods from the dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10) during an underway replenishment. New Orleans, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group assigned to Amphibious Squadron 11, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)
PHILIPPINE SEA (Mar. 14, 2020) - The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) launches a torpedo during an anti-submarine exercise. Mustin is underway conducting operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific while assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15 the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s largest principal force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Askia Collins) 200314-N-YQ181-1246
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Pvt. Charles Hazelip, rifleman and grenadier, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, calls in his position after his team leader was injured during a firefight at the National Training Center Aug. 13. Hazelip and his team members were on patrol in support of village stability when a firefight erupted.
28th Public Affairs Detachment
Photo by Spc. Ryan Hallock
Date Taken:08.13.2011
Location:FORT IRWIN, CA, US
Related Photos: dvidshub.net/r/twxvza
U.S. Marines Critical Skills Operators from United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command conduct combat marksmanship training to prepare for Exercise Combined Resolve II at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, May 15, 2014. The exercise is a U.S. Army Europe-directed multinational exercise at the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas, including more than 4,000 participants from 13 allied and partner countries including special operations forces from the U.S., Bulgaria and Croatia interoperability training during the exercise to promote security and stability among NATO and European partner nations. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Gertrud Zach/Released)
Puck's Glen is a river-formed ravine on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, with a popular scenic walking trail beside the Eas Mòr stream (Gaelic for "big waterfall"). In 2020 the glen and adjoining trails were closed temporarily due to issues of stability of the gorge, and felling of trees infected by larch disease.
It comes under Forestry and Land Scotland which has highlighted it as a feature of the Argyll Forest Park (itself within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park), and described it as "One of the most magical forests in Scotland, with a delightful trail along a rocky gorge."
The stream tumbles down a series of waterfalls and rapids, joining the River Eachaig about 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) south of the entrance to the Benmore Botanic Garden. A car park off the A815 road (about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Dunoon on the road to Loch Eck) gives access by a track to the foot of the glen path, as well as forest paths giving an alternative route to the top of the glen.
The Benmore Estate, previously hunting grounds of the Campbells of Ballochyle, was improved by a succession of owners in the 19th century. Forestry plantation began in the 1820s, and extensive garden improvements were made from 1862 by James Piers Patrick. The Ordnance Survey from 1865 shows the Eas Mòr gorge extending uphill through a small area of woodland into open moorland with some trees in the ravine.
In 1870 the Greenock sugar refiner and philanthropist James Duncan bought the estate, and added the adjacent Kilmun and Bernice Estates. He arranged extensive plantings, including more than six million trees around the estate, and added paths leading up the Eas Mòr gorge for his visitors to enjoy the magical atmosphere of the glen, reminiscent of the mythological Puck, the character Puck in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Henry Younger of the Edinburgh brewer Younger's bought the estate in 1889, and with his son Harry George Younger made many improvements to the woods and gardens.
Two strips of Japanese larch planted at Puck's Glen around 1903 were successfully established by 1912, though European larch had failed in the locality. In 1918, the Anchor Line Staff Magazine noted that Benmore House was celebrated for "Puck's Glen with its amber stream cutting a channel through moss-draped schistose rock, and tumbling from one silver rock-chalice to another."
In 1924, Harry George Younger presented the estates to the Forestry Commissioners. The Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society made a visit in July 1925, and described Puck's Glen as "a striking example of how man, working hand in hand with nature, has made what was once a bare hillside ravine into one of the most lovely walks imaginable." Starting near the sixth milestone from Dunoon on the old main road to Arrochar, the bridle-path "by the stream which the Ordnance Survey map calls the Eas Mor, but which is better known as Puck's Burn" was soon hemmed in by steep banks, "while growing on their slopes are conifers of a dozen or more varieties, rhododendrons, and many of the rarer species of ferns. The path follows the stream through the whole course of the ravine".
In commemoration of the improvements James Duncan had made to the estate, Younger provided the Bayley Balfour Memorial Hut above the glen, dedicated to the memory of the botanist Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour. The hut was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with wood panelling featuring all the varieties of timber grown at Benmore, and positioned above the tree-tops. The dedication ceremony in September 1928 enjoyed fine weather; The Gardeners' Chronicle described its site as commanding "beautiful views above a gorge where 'the singing waters fall to the Eachaig River from lofty heights' " amidst towering woods, with Beinn Mhòr visible through a faint blue haze.
In 1929 the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh opened the Younger Botanic Garden in the Benmore estate as its first outstation, and in the 1930s the Forestry Commission established Kilmun Arboretum to the south of Puck's Glen, planting large groups of tree species rather than individual specimens
The Forestry Commission's Scottish National Forest Park Guide, issued in 1947, calls Puck's Glen "a rocky cleft beside a rushing stream, leading up to a fine viewpoint, which may be visited without charge or formality", and describes access by Clyde steamer and bus services.
In 1948, the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal noted regular visits to Puck's Glen, "attractive at all seasons but at its best in the Rhododendron month of June", and praised the view "from the Rest Hut, exquisitely designed by Robert Lorimer".
The Bayley Balfour Memorial Hut, Puck's Hut, was moved in 1968 to the walled garden in the Botanic Garden. It originally had a fireplace and chimney, but these were not reconstructed, and were replaced by an additional window. In 1992 the hut was listed as a Grade C listed building.[15] The Puck's Glen path needed repair, and was restored in May 1986, with renewed bridges.
The high rainfall, with an average annual precipitation of around 200 to 230 cm (79 to 91 in), is suited to temperate rainforest and associated undergrowth. The acid soil makes the area particularly suitable for conifers. The Forestry Commission has planted coniferous trees at the sides of Puck's Glen, which runs through Uig Wood. The lower slopes of this woodland feature some of the earliest tree plantations on the estate.
The wood forms part of Benmore forest, which features waymarked trails leading visitors among trees including giant Californian redwoods, Douglas fir and Western hemlock. Puck's Glen itself is part of the Puck's Glen Gorge Trail, leading from the car park, and the Black Gates Trail which starts at the entrance to Benmore Botanic Garden, and goes past extensive mature conifers on the hillside of Benmore forest before connecting to the top of the Upper Puck's Glen loop.
A signpost at the forestry track crossing Puck's Glen points south along the track to Kilmun Arboretum and north along the track to Benmore Botanic Garden. It also points to the Upper Puck's Glen Loop path which continues further uphill beside the stream before connecting to the top of the Black Gates Trail. Some detailed routes are available online at Walkhighlands.
Argyll Forest Park is a forest park located on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. Established in 1935, it was the first forest park to be created in the United Kingdom.[2] The park is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, and covers 211 km2 in total.
From the Holy Loch in the south to the Arrochar Alps in the north, the park includes a variety of landscapes, from high peaks to freshwater and seawater lochs.
Much of the forest park lies within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was established in 2002, however the forests at Corlarach and Ardyne in Cowal are outwith the national park boundary but within the forest park.
Forestry and Land Scotland highlight trails at the following places:
Glenbranter, bike trails and walks, featuring ancient oaks
Puck's Glen, trail up rocky gorge among woodlands
Benmore, forest around Benmore Botanic Garden, with giant trees
Kilmun Arboretum, collection of tree species in woodland groves
Ardentinny, easy trails and beach walk
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (Scottish Gaelic: Pàirc Nàiseanta Loch Laomainn is nan Tròisichean) is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond and the hills and glens of the Trossachs, along with several other ranges of hills. It was the first of the two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament in 2002, the second being the Cairngorms National Park. The park extends to cover much of the western part of the southern highlands, lying to the north of the Glasgow conurbation, and contains many mountains and lochs. It is the fourth-largest national park in the British Isles, with a total area of 1,865 km2 (720 sq mi) and a boundary of some 350 km (220 mi) in length. It features 21 Munros (including Ben Lomond, Ben Lui, Beinn Challuim, Ben More and two peaks called Ben Vorlich) and 20 Corbetts.
The park straddles the Highland Boundary Fault, which divides it into two distinct regions - lowland and highland - that differ in underlying geology, soil types and topography. The change in rock type can most clearly be seen at Loch Lomond itself, as the fault runs across the islands of Inchmurrin, Creinch, Torrinch and Inchcailloch and over the ridge of Conic Hill. To the south lie green fields and cultivated land; to the north, mountains.
The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park lies close to Scotland's heavily populated Central Belt, and the area has long been popular with visitors. Principal attractions are viewing scenery and wildlife, walking, climbing, water sports, and other outdoor activities. In 2017, there were 2.9 million visits to the park, of which 2.1 million were day visits and 783,000 were made by visitors staying overnight within the park.
Argyll and Bute is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020). The administrative centre for the council area is in Lochgilphead at Kilmory Castle, a 19th-century Gothic Revival building and estate. The current council leader is Robin Currie, a councillor for Kintyre and the Islands.
Argyll and Bute covers the second-largest administrative area of any Scottish council. The council area adjoins those of Highland, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire.
History
Buteshire and Argyll were two of the historic counties of Scotland, having originated as shires (the area controlled by a sheriff) in the Middle Ages. From 1890 until 1975 both counties had an elected county council.
In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts were abolished and replaced with upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. The Strathclyde region was created covering a large part of western Scotland. Strathclyde was divided into nineteen districts, one of which the 1973 Act called "Argyll", covering most of the former county of Argyll, but also including the Isle of Bute from Buteshire. The shadow authority elected in 1974 requested a change of name to "Argyll and Bute", which was agreed by the government before the new district came into being on 16 May 1975.
As created in 1975 the Argyll and Bute district covered the whole area of fourteen of Argyll's sixteen districts and part of a fifteenth, plus two of Buteshire's five districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
From Argyll:
Campbeltown Burgh
Cowal District
Dunoon Burgh
Inveraray Burgh
Islay District
Jura and Colonsay District
Kintyre District
Lochgilphead Burgh
Mid Argyll District
Mull District
North Lorn District: the Lismore and Appin, and Ardchattan electoral divisions only, rest (Ballachulish and Kinlochleven electoral divisions) went to Lochaber district of Highland
Oban Burgh
South Lorn District
Tiree and Coll District
Tobermory Burgh
From Buteshire:
Bute District
Rothesay Burgh
The two Buteshire districts together corresponded to the whole Isle of Bute. The rest of Buteshire, being the Isle of Arran and The Cumbraes went to Cunninghame district. The Ardnamurchan district from Argyll went to the Lochaber district of Highland. The new district was made a single Argyll and Bute lieutenancy area.
Local government was reformed again in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary council areas. Argyll and Bute became one of the new council areas, but had its territory enlarged to include the town of Helensburgh and surrounding rural areas which had been in the Dumbarton district prior to 1996, and had formed part of the county of Dunbartonshire prior to 1975. The Helensburgh area had voted in a referendum in 1994 to join Argyll and Bute rather than stay with Dumbarton.
Transport
Railways
The main railway line in Argyll and Bute is the West Highland Line, which links Oban to Glasgow, passing through much of the eastern and northern parts of the area. From the south the line enters Argyll and Bute just to the west of Dumbarton, continuing north via Helensburgh Upper to the eastern shores of the Gare Loch and Loch Long. The line comes inland at Arrochar and Tarbet to meet the western shore of Loch Lomond. At the northern end of the loch the lines leaves Argyll and Bute to enter Stirling council area. The Oban branch of the West Highland Line re-enters the area just west of Tyndrum, and heads west to Oban: stations on this section of the line include Dalmally and Taynuilt railway station. The majority of services on the line are operated by ScotRail: as of 2019 the summer service has six trains a day to Oban, with four on Sundays. In addition to the ScotRail service is the nightly Caledonian Sleeper, although this does not run on the Oban branch.
Helensburgh also has a much more frequent service into Glasgow and beyond via the North Clyde Line, which has its western terminus at the town's central railway station.
Roads
The main trunk roads in Argyll and Bute are:
The A82, which runs along the western shore of Loch Lomond, providing the main route between Glasgow and Fort William.
The A83, which leaves the A82 at Tarbet, heading west and then south to eventually reach Campbeltown by way of Inveraray and Lochgilphead.
The A85, which leaves the A82 at Tyndrum (just outside Argyll and Bute) and heads west to Oban via Dalmally.
The A828, which leaves the A85 at Connel and north through Appin to join the A82 at Ballachulish.
The A815, which leaves the A83 in Glen Kinglas near Cairndow, heading south through Strachur and Dunoon and ends at Toward 40 miles later, on the southern tip of the Cowal peninsula. The A815 is the main road through Cowal.
The A886, which leaves the A815 at Strachur, passing through Glendaruel, the route includes a ferry link to the Isle of Bute, Colintraive - Rhubodach terminating at Port Bannatyne to the north of Rothesay.
Ferry services
Due to its heavily indented coastline and many islands, ferries form an important part of the council area's transport system. The main ferry operator in Argyll and Bute is Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which operates services from the mainland to most of the inhabited islands. Several other routes are operated by commercial operators, usually on contract to the council, although the Western Ferries service across the Firth of Clyde is run on a commercial basis.
Bute is served by a route across the Kyles of Bute between Rhubodach and Colintraive in Cowal, as well as a route between Rothesay to Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde. Both routes are operated by CalMac.
Coll and Tiree are each served from Oban, via a CalMac service that also provides links between the two islands, and a once-weekly link to Barra.
Gigha is served by a CalMac route from Tayinloan in Kintyre.
Islay is served by a CalMac route from Kennacraig in Kintyre. The service is timetabled to utilise either one of two ports on the island, with both Port Askaig and Port Ellen having a service to the mainland.
Feolin on Jura is linked to Port Askaig on Islay via a vehicle ferry run by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council. There is also a passenger-only service between the island's main centre, Craighouse, and Tayvallich on the mainland that is operated by Islay Sea Safaris.
Kerrera is linked to Gallanach (about 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of Oban) by a passenger-only service operated by CalMac.
Lismore is served by two ferries, a vehicle and passenger service operated by CalMac that runs from Oban, and a passenger-only service from Port Appin that is operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.
Mull is served by a route between Oban and Craignure on the island's east coast, as well as routes across the Sound of Mull (between Lochaline and Fishnish, and Tobermory and Kilchoan). All three routes are operated by CalMac.
Iona is linked to Mull via a CalMac service from Fionnphort at Mull's southwest tip.
The island of Seil, which itself is linked to the mainland via the Clachan Bridge, has links to two further islands: Easdale and Luing. Both services are operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.
There are also routes connecting some mainland locations in Argyll and Bute to other parts of the mainland:
There is a CalMac service across Loch Fyne which provides a link between Portavadie in Cowal and Tarbert in Kintyre.
The Cowal peninsula route is a passenger-only service from the Dunoon Breakwater to Gourock pier, giving easy access to ScotRail services at Gourock railway station with onward transport to Glasgow Central station. This route was for a period run by a CalMac subsidiary company, Argyll Ferries, but has since January 2019 been operated directly by CalMac.
CalMac provide a limited (3 ferry each way per week) service between Cambeltown in Kintyre and Ardrosssan in North Aryshire during the summer months.
Western Ferries, a commercial operator, runs a vehicle and passenger service between Hunters Quay to McInroy's Point that also provides a link between Cowal and Inverclyde in (partial) competition with the subsidised CalMac service.
A service operated by Clyde Marine Services on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport runs between Kilcreggan and Gourock pier, providing a link from the Rosneath peninsula to the rail network at Gourock.
Argyll and Bute also has ferry services linking it to islands in neighbouring council areas:
Oban is the mainland terminal for services to Barra in Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Outer Hebrides).
Lochranza on Arran, in North Ayrshire, has a year-round service to Kintyre: during the summer the mainland port used is Claonaig, however in winter the service is reduced to a single daily return crossing from Tarbert.
There is also a passenger-only ferry service linking Campbeltown and Port Ellen on Islay with Ballycastle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, running seasonally from April to September, operated by West Coast Tours as the Kintyre Express.
Cultural references
The later scenes of the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love were filmed around the lochs and hills of Argyll and Bute.
The area has also been indirectly immortalised in popular culture by the 1977 hit song "Mull of Kintyre" by Kintyre resident Paul McCartney's band of the time, Wings.
A crucial testing day to investigate the dynamic stability of the newest solar car in the winter sun, developed by CUER - Featuring Amy Livingstone (Drivers), Sean True and Gary Doctors (CUER Alumni)
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Helwan Aircraft HA-410 (Arabic: حلوان ٤٠٠) was an indigenous supersonic jet fighter aircraft developed in Egypt during the late 1960s. Its design took place in the wake of the less successful lightweight HA-300 interceptor, designed by famous German aircraft engineer Willy Messerschmitt. Like its smaller stable mate, the HA-410 was an ambitious project for Egypt, at the time seeking to expand both its aerial civilian and defence industry.
Compared to the HA-300, the HA-400, how the project was initially called, was a much bigger aircraft, comparable to the North American F-100 ‘Super Sabre’ and similar in operational and political respects to the Indian Hindustan Industries ‘Marut’ fighter. The aircraft was planned as a home-grown alternative to the Soviet Su-7 fighter bomber, which had been acquired by the Egyptian Air Force (EAF; Arabic: القوات الجوية المصرية, Al-Qūwāt al-Gawwīyä al-Miṣrīyä) and employed in the Six Day War in 1967. This event uncovered certain deficiencies of the type, like the Su-7’s relatively poor ordnance load and range, as well as its high landing speed.
Under the influence of the ensuing War of Attrition with Israel, the HA-400 prototype was designed around the same Lyulka AL-7 turbojet engine as the Su-7, inheriting its power but also the poor reliability – even though the engine’s high resilience against FOD, sand and dust was a vital aspect for the EAF.
The HA-400’s design was conventional, with a barrel-shaped (non-area-ruled) fuselage, reminiscent of the US-American North American F-100 Super Sabre or the French Dassault Super Mystère B2. But the HA-400 incorporated different features like a translating centerbody, a movable cone in the air intake for managing airflow to the engine at supersonic speeds. It also featured clipped delta mid-wings with a 60° sweep, not unlike those of the MiG-21 and a one-piece, all-moving tailplane.
The main landing gear retracted inwards, partly into the lower fuselage, the twin-wheeled front landing gear retracted forward. The landing gear was rigid and suitable for operations on semi-prepared airfields. The pilot sat in a pressurized cockpit, offering better for- and downward vision than the Su-7.
The Armament comprised two 30mm cannons in the lower forward fuselage, plus sevem ordnance hardpoints for a total external weapon load of about 3 tons.
The first prototype flew on August 6th 1968, two additional airframes followed. The EAF’s operational evaluation from November 1968 to December 1996 found the new fighter to have superior performance but declared it not ready for wide-scale deployment due to various deficiencies. These findings were subsequently confirmed during operational suitability tests. Particularly troubling was the poor directional instability in certain regimes of flight. The aircraft could develop a sudden yaw and roll which would happen too fast for the pilot to correct and would eventually overstress the aircraft structure to disintegration. As a remedy, the fin was enlarged and a ventral fin for better longitudinal stability added. Another critical point was field performance: the initially pure delta-winged HA-400 showed poor take-off and landing characteristics, offering almost no improvement in comparison with the Su-7.
Helwan Aircraft investigated a new wing design with extended wingtips for an increased wing area and boundary layer control. The result was a new "cranked" wing, with wingtips at a shallower sweep of only 45° just outboard of the wing fence. The new wing also featured a boundary-layer control (BLC, "blown flaps") system, with engine air bleed blown over the flaps to keep them effective at lower speeds. These improvements made takeoffs and landings less ‘hot’ and intimidating. Unfortunately, the Lyulka AL-7F-1 didn't provide enough bleed air to make the BLC system very effective, but the new wing alone improved slow speed flying characteristics enough to justify its use. An additional brake parachute, housed in a fairing at the fin’s base, reduced landing distance even further.
Under the lingering tense atmosphere with Israel, serial production of the modified aircraft, which had been re-designated HA-410 by November 1969, started in early 1970. Soon the new aircraft saw their baptism in fire in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. Success was limited, though, due to teething troubles with the hydraulic and BLC system, general engine unreliability and the lack of a powerful radar which would allow true all-weather/night attack capability - the HA-410 only featured a RP-21 ‘Sapfir’ radar system, the same as used in export versions of the MiG-21. Consequently, the HA-410 was almost exclusively used in the daylight ground attack role, even though some machines were, equipped with up to four IR-guided K-13 AAMs, used for point defence around air bases. EAF HA-410 were later also actively deployed in the Egyptian-Libyan War, a border skirmish in July 1977.
A total of 75 aircraft were built, including 13 two-seated trainers, equipping three EAF squadrons, made exclusively up from this type. The EAF was the only user of the HA-410. Yugoslavia showed interest in the type in the late 70ies, as well as India, but no plane was ever exported. The HA-410, as an aircraft, proved to be tough and capable, despite its reliability shortcomings and stability problems which called for an alert pilot. No aircraft were ever lost in air-to-air combat. However, twelve were lost due to accidents and technical failures, six were lost to ground fire and three were lost due to friendly AA fire, since the HA-410’s silhouette was easily mistaken for an Israeli Super Mystère B2.
The last examples were withdrawn from service in 1988 and consequently scrapped, being replaced by Su-20/22 and F-16.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length (fuselage only): 50 ft. 8 in (15.48m),
Length incl. pitot: 57 ft 8½ in (17.57 m)
Wingspan: 28 ft 7¼ in (8.71 m)
Wing area: 394 ft² (36.6 m²)
Wing loading: 77.4 lb/ft² (379 kg/m²)
Height: 16 ft 9 in (5.11 m)
Empty weight: 21,000 lb (9,500 kg)
Loaded weight: 28,847 lb (13,085 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Lyulka AL-7F-1 turbojet with 66.6 kN (14,980 lbs) of dry thrust of and 94.1 kN (22,150 lbs) with afterburner
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1.025 mph (895 knots/1.650 km/h/Mach 1.52) at 36,000 ft (11,000 m)
Cruise speed: 570 mph (495 knots/915 km/h)
Service ceiling: 59.000 ft (18.000 m)
Range: 1.580 km (981 miles)
Ferry range: 3.200 km (2.000 mi) with drop tanks
Rate of climb: 31,950 ft/min (162.3 m/s)
Armament:
2× 30 mm Nudelmann-Richter NR-30 cannons (120 rounds per gun) in the lower front fuselage.
Seven hardpoints (3× under-fuselage, 4× under-wing, outer pair “wet” for drop tanks) for a total of 7,040 lbs (3,190 kg) of ordnance, including drop tanks, unguided missiles, iron bombs, napalm tanks and K-13 AAMs.
The kit and its assembly
If you recognize what’s behind the fictional HA-410, you are well-informed about aircraft history indeed! Believe it or not, this model was derived from a real-life, Cold War era cruise missile! Sick idea? Maybe, but a nice challenge!
The HA-410 is actually a Raduga/OKB MiG Kh-20M (AS-3 “Kangaroo”) nuclear warhead missile, which had been developed from the unsuccessful MiG I-7 jet fighter from the late 50ies. The mighty Kh-20 had exclusively been carried by Tu-95K (“Bear B”) bombers until the late 70ies. The basis for this model is A Model’s 1:72 scale Kh-20M kit, which includes the massive ground handling trolley for this huge weapon - the kit is about 21cm long!
I had hoped that just changing the vertical fin would be enough, but all wing areas are much too small for a plane that actually takes off of the ground by its own power. At first I considered wings from an A-7 and the tail fin of an F-16, but when I recently was given a Su-15 from PM Models from a friend – a rather crude and basic kit – I just found what I needed to create a complete aircraft.
Bashing both kits was an efficient solution, since the Su-15 not only provided wings and stabilizer parts, but also a complete landing gear with wells, as well as a clear canopy that would fit well onto the bare Kh-20M. As a side note, I decided to attribute this plane to Helwan Aircraft as a kind of tribute - calling it a MiG or Suchoj design would have been too obvious, and using Egypt as part of the whif game made the contsruction of the background easier.
But back to the subject: Biggest challenge was to outfit the bulgy missile with anything an operational, manned aircraft would need: a cockpit plus canopy, a complete landing gear including their respective wells, and accessories like weapon hardpoints.
Any such “extras” were collected from the scrap box:
● All tail areas come from the PM Model Su-15
● Wings and lower fuselage also come from the Su-15, but had to be modified (see below)
● Main landing gear struts and wheels were taken 100% from the PM Su-15, too
● The double front wheel was also taken from the Su-15, the well is from an Italeri IAI Kfir
● Cockpit canopy comes from the Su-15
● Cockpit tub is also a part of an Italeri Kfir, with some extensions
● The dashboard comes from a Heller Alpha Jet
● Not certain where the seat comes from, the pilot figure is from a vintage Matchbox kit
● All weapon hardpoints come from the scrap box
● Ordnance is a collection of spare parts:
- Drop tanks come from a KP Su-25 kit
- Bombs are modified Matchbox 1.000 lbs bombs, with clipped fins and an added balistic rings
Lots of work, despite the plane’s rather simple look. Especially the integration of the lower fuselage was a tough job, since it is one piece with the wings. Not only the part's width had to be trimmed, stability also had to be guaranteed, and fitting this part with a square diameter into the circular Kh-20M's body was not a simple task! had to fit a basically square part into the round Kh-20 fuselage… But the result looks IMHO good.
Many surface details like air scoops, antennae, the two guns and weapon stations were added, and the Su-15 canopy needed a matching fairing on the Kh-20's hull, which was built with polystyrene strips.
Painting
I settled for an indigenous Egyptian camouflage paint scheme for the HA-410, which is called "Nile" or “Nile Valley”. This scheme has been used by the EAF on various planes like MiG-17 and -21, as well as Su-7, -17/20 and even Tu-16 bombers. With its wavy lines and strong color contrast, "nile Valley" is very unique and attractive, IMHO, and even authentic for the model’s era. There seems to be no defined pattern or even color paradigm, just that sand is involved, a dark contrast color which ranges from dark brown to drak grey, and a demarkation line between these colors which ranges from light green through slate grey to blue-grey. AFAIK, any available paint was used in Egypt, even car paint, so choice of color is a true 'free for all'.
The basic colours I chose are Humbrol 74 (Linen), 78 (Cockpit Green) and 98 (Chocolate), but that was only the beginning. Some layers of dry painting with lighter shades like Humbrol 103 (Cream), 121 (Light Sand) and 71 (Beige), RLM 02 on the green areas and a mix of 98 and 64 as well as pure 168 (Hemp) on the brown areas, lightened everything up. Lower sides were painted in Humbrol 65, a light blue with a greenish hue, and treated with FS 36320. Overall, the kit received a light black ink wash and a weathering touch with dry-brushed light grey (Humbrol 64) and Hemp (Humbrol 168).
EAF markings come from a vintage Matchbox MiG-21MF (PK-41). The arabic number comes from a Su-24 aftermarket decal sheets. Stencils and warning signs come from the vast OOB decal sheet for the Kh-20M.
Overall, the fictious HA-410 looks either like a fat MiG-21 or a short Su-7, but features details uncommon to both! Very Soviet, but unlike anything that rolled off of Cold War fabrication lines. Really subtle... o.-
Part of a 2010 street photography series. Start from the beginning:
www.flickr.com/photos/throughpaintedeyes/5112232691/in/se...
Digging through the archives. This photo has always made me laugh, so decided to share it! :)
Had to remove this from the 2011 Street Photography series seeing how it was taken in 2010. Instead tried to think of a clever title :P
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 10, 2020) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Michael Aguda, left, from Artesia, Calif., and Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Joan Revilla, from San Diego, withstand strong downwash to direct the launch of a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 on the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18). New Orleans, part of the America Amphibious Ready Group assigned to Amphibious Squadron 11, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kelby Sanders)
A U.S. Soldier fires a star cluster pyrotechnic into the sky to make their location visible to Turkish military forces on the other side of the demarcation line outside Manbij, Syria, July 16, 2018. The U.S. and Turkish militaries conduct these patrols to reinforce the safety and security of the region. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy R. Koster) www.dvidshub.net
WATERS EAST OF JAPAN (July 22, 2020) Damage Controlman Anthony Fabbo, from Boston, left, and Damage Controlman Bradley Gambil, from Plainfield, Ill., right, search for hot spots during a damage control training exercise aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67). Shiloh is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaac Maxwell)
The inner portion of a torus. I've folded one like this before, but this one uses alternating kaki self-locks, which lend it a nice stability.
EAST CHINA SEA (August 03, 2020) Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Matthew Pugliese, from Knoxville, Tenn., handles Mark 38 25mm machine gun ammunition for a live-fire exercise aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67). Shiloh is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Isaac Maxwell)
Puck's Glen is a river-formed ravine on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, with a popular scenic walking trail beside the Eas Mòr stream (Gaelic for "big waterfall"). In 2020 the glen and adjoining trails were closed temporarily due to issues of stability of the gorge, and felling of trees infected by larch disease.
It comes under Forestry and Land Scotland which has highlighted it as a feature of the Argyll Forest Park (itself within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park), and described it as "One of the most magical forests in Scotland, with a delightful trail along a rocky gorge."
The stream tumbles down a series of waterfalls and rapids, joining the River Eachaig about 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) south of the entrance to the Benmore Botanic Garden. A car park off the A815 road (about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Dunoon on the road to Loch Eck) gives access by a track to the foot of the glen path, as well as forest paths giving an alternative route to the top of the glen.
The Benmore Estate, previously hunting grounds of the Campbells of Ballochyle, was improved by a succession of owners in the 19th century. Forestry plantation began in the 1820s, and extensive garden improvements were made from 1862 by James Piers Patrick. The Ordnance Survey from 1865 shows the Eas Mòr gorge extending uphill through a small area of woodland into open moorland with some trees in the ravine.
In 1870 the Greenock sugar refiner and philanthropist James Duncan bought the estate, and added the adjacent Kilmun and Bernice Estates. He arranged extensive plantings, including more than six million trees around the estate, and added paths leading up the Eas Mòr gorge for his visitors to enjoy the magical atmosphere of the glen, reminiscent of the mythological Puck, the character Puck in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Henry Younger of the Edinburgh brewer Younger's bought the estate in 1889, and with his son Harry George Younger made many improvements to the woods and gardens.
Two strips of Japanese larch planted at Puck's Glen around 1903 were successfully established by 1912, though European larch had failed in the locality. In 1918, the Anchor Line Staff Magazine noted that Benmore House was celebrated for "Puck's Glen with its amber stream cutting a channel through moss-draped schistose rock, and tumbling from one silver rock-chalice to another."
In 1924, Harry George Younger presented the estates to the Forestry Commissioners. The Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society made a visit in July 1925, and described Puck's Glen as "a striking example of how man, working hand in hand with nature, has made what was once a bare hillside ravine into one of the most lovely walks imaginable." Starting near the sixth milestone from Dunoon on the old main road to Arrochar, the bridle-path "by the stream which the Ordnance Survey map calls the Eas Mor, but which is better known as Puck's Burn" was soon hemmed in by steep banks, "while growing on their slopes are conifers of a dozen or more varieties, rhododendrons, and many of the rarer species of ferns. The path follows the stream through the whole course of the ravine".
In commemoration of the improvements James Duncan had made to the estate, Younger provided the Bayley Balfour Memorial Hut above the glen, dedicated to the memory of the botanist Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour. The hut was designed by Sir Robert Lorimer with wood panelling featuring all the varieties of timber grown at Benmore, and positioned above the tree-tops. The dedication ceremony in September 1928 enjoyed fine weather; The Gardeners' Chronicle described its site as commanding "beautiful views above a gorge where 'the singing waters fall to the Eachaig River from lofty heights' " amidst towering woods, with Beinn Mhòr visible through a faint blue haze.
In 1929 the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh opened the Younger Botanic Garden in the Benmore estate as its first outstation, and in the 1930s the Forestry Commission established Kilmun Arboretum to the south of Puck's Glen, planting large groups of tree species rather than individual specimens
The Forestry Commission's Scottish National Forest Park Guide, issued in 1947, calls Puck's Glen "a rocky cleft beside a rushing stream, leading up to a fine viewpoint, which may be visited without charge or formality", and describes access by Clyde steamer and bus services.
In 1948, the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal noted regular visits to Puck's Glen, "attractive at all seasons but at its best in the Rhododendron month of June", and praised the view "from the Rest Hut, exquisitely designed by Robert Lorimer".
The Bayley Balfour Memorial Hut, Puck's Hut, was moved in 1968 to the walled garden in the Botanic Garden. It originally had a fireplace and chimney, but these were not reconstructed, and were replaced by an additional window. In 1992 the hut was listed as a Grade C listed building.[15] The Puck's Glen path needed repair, and was restored in May 1986, with renewed bridges.
The high rainfall, with an average annual precipitation of around 200 to 230 cm (79 to 91 in), is suited to temperate rainforest and associated undergrowth. The acid soil makes the area particularly suitable for conifers. The Forestry Commission has planted coniferous trees at the sides of Puck's Glen, which runs through Uig Wood. The lower slopes of this woodland feature some of the earliest tree plantations on the estate.
The wood forms part of Benmore forest, which features waymarked trails leading visitors among trees including giant Californian redwoods, Douglas fir and Western hemlock. Puck's Glen itself is part of the Puck's Glen Gorge Trail, leading from the car park, and the Black Gates Trail which starts at the entrance to Benmore Botanic Garden, and goes past extensive mature conifers on the hillside of Benmore forest before connecting to the top of the Upper Puck's Glen loop.
A signpost at the forestry track crossing Puck's Glen points south along the track to Kilmun Arboretum and north along the track to Benmore Botanic Garden. It also points to the Upper Puck's Glen Loop path which continues further uphill beside the stream before connecting to the top of the Black Gates Trail. Some detailed routes are available online at Walkhighlands.
Argyll Forest Park is a forest park located on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. Established in 1935, it was the first forest park to be created in the United Kingdom.[2] The park is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, and covers 211 km2 in total.
From the Holy Loch in the south to the Arrochar Alps in the north, the park includes a variety of landscapes, from high peaks to freshwater and seawater lochs.
Much of the forest park lies within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was established in 2002, however the forests at Corlarach and Ardyne in Cowal are outwith the national park boundary but within the forest park.
Forestry and Land Scotland highlight trails at the following places:
Glenbranter, bike trails and walks, featuring ancient oaks
Puck's Glen, trail up rocky gorge among woodlands
Benmore, forest around Benmore Botanic Garden, with giant trees
Kilmun Arboretum, collection of tree species in woodland groves
Ardentinny, easy trails and beach walk
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (Scottish Gaelic: Pàirc Nàiseanta Loch Laomainn is nan Tròisichean) is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond and the hills and glens of the Trossachs, along with several other ranges of hills. It was the first of the two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament in 2002, the second being the Cairngorms National Park. The park extends to cover much of the western part of the southern highlands, lying to the north of the Glasgow conurbation, and contains many mountains and lochs. It is the fourth-largest national park in the British Isles, with a total area of 1,865 km2 (720 sq mi) and a boundary of some 350 km (220 mi) in length. It features 21 Munros (including Ben Lomond, Ben Lui, Beinn Challuim, Ben More and two peaks called Ben Vorlich) and 20 Corbetts.
The park straddles the Highland Boundary Fault, which divides it into two distinct regions - lowland and highland - that differ in underlying geology, soil types and topography. The change in rock type can most clearly be seen at Loch Lomond itself, as the fault runs across the islands of Inchmurrin, Creinch, Torrinch and Inchcailloch and over the ridge of Conic Hill. To the south lie green fields and cultivated land; to the north, mountains.
The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park lies close to Scotland's heavily populated Central Belt, and the area has long been popular with visitors. Principal attractions are viewing scenery and wildlife, walking, climbing, water sports, and other outdoor activities. In 2017, there were 2.9 million visits to the park, of which 2.1 million were day visits and 783,000 were made by visitors staying overnight within the park.
Argyll and Bute is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020). The administrative centre for the council area is in Lochgilphead at Kilmory Castle, a 19th-century Gothic Revival building and estate. The current council leader is Robin Currie, a councillor for Kintyre and the Islands.
Argyll and Bute covers the second-largest administrative area of any Scottish council. The council area adjoins those of Highland, Perth and Kinross, Stirling and West Dunbartonshire.
History
Buteshire and Argyll were two of the historic counties of Scotland, having originated as shires (the area controlled by a sheriff) in the Middle Ages. From 1890 until 1975 both counties had an elected county council.
In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts were abolished and replaced with upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. The Strathclyde region was created covering a large part of western Scotland. Strathclyde was divided into nineteen districts, one of which the 1973 Act called "Argyll", covering most of the former county of Argyll, but also including the Isle of Bute from Buteshire. The shadow authority elected in 1974 requested a change of name to "Argyll and Bute", which was agreed by the government before the new district came into being on 16 May 1975.
As created in 1975 the Argyll and Bute district covered the whole area of fourteen of Argyll's sixteen districts and part of a fifteenth, plus two of Buteshire's five districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
From Argyll:
Campbeltown Burgh
Cowal District
Dunoon Burgh
Inveraray Burgh
Islay District
Jura and Colonsay District
Kintyre District
Lochgilphead Burgh
Mid Argyll District
Mull District
North Lorn District: the Lismore and Appin, and Ardchattan electoral divisions only, rest (Ballachulish and Kinlochleven electoral divisions) went to Lochaber district of Highland
Oban Burgh
South Lorn District
Tiree and Coll District
Tobermory Burgh
From Buteshire:
Bute District
Rothesay Burgh
The two Buteshire districts together corresponded to the whole Isle of Bute. The rest of Buteshire, being the Isle of Arran and The Cumbraes went to Cunninghame district. The Ardnamurchan district from Argyll went to the Lochaber district of Highland. The new district was made a single Argyll and Bute lieutenancy area.
Local government was reformed again in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary council areas. Argyll and Bute became one of the new council areas, but had its territory enlarged to include the town of Helensburgh and surrounding rural areas which had been in the Dumbarton district prior to 1996, and had formed part of the county of Dunbartonshire prior to 1975. The Helensburgh area had voted in a referendum in 1994 to join Argyll and Bute rather than stay with Dumbarton.
Transport
Railways
The main railway line in Argyll and Bute is the West Highland Line, which links Oban to Glasgow, passing through much of the eastern and northern parts of the area. From the south the line enters Argyll and Bute just to the west of Dumbarton, continuing north via Helensburgh Upper to the eastern shores of the Gare Loch and Loch Long. The line comes inland at Arrochar and Tarbet to meet the western shore of Loch Lomond. At the northern end of the loch the lines leaves Argyll and Bute to enter Stirling council area. The Oban branch of the West Highland Line re-enters the area just west of Tyndrum, and heads west to Oban: stations on this section of the line include Dalmally and Taynuilt railway station. The majority of services on the line are operated by ScotRail: as of 2019 the summer service has six trains a day to Oban, with four on Sundays. In addition to the ScotRail service is the nightly Caledonian Sleeper, although this does not run on the Oban branch.
Helensburgh also has a much more frequent service into Glasgow and beyond via the North Clyde Line, which has its western terminus at the town's central railway station.
Roads
The main trunk roads in Argyll and Bute are:
The A82, which runs along the western shore of Loch Lomond, providing the main route between Glasgow and Fort William.
The A83, which leaves the A82 at Tarbet, heading west and then south to eventually reach Campbeltown by way of Inveraray and Lochgilphead.
The A85, which leaves the A82 at Tyndrum (just outside Argyll and Bute) and heads west to Oban via Dalmally.
The A828, which leaves the A85 at Connel and north through Appin to join the A82 at Ballachulish.
The A815, which leaves the A83 in Glen Kinglas near Cairndow, heading south through Strachur and Dunoon and ends at Toward 40 miles later, on the southern tip of the Cowal peninsula. The A815 is the main road through Cowal.
The A886, which leaves the A815 at Strachur, passing through Glendaruel, the route includes a ferry link to the Isle of Bute, Colintraive - Rhubodach terminating at Port Bannatyne to the north of Rothesay.
Ferry services
Due to its heavily indented coastline and many islands, ferries form an important part of the council area's transport system. The main ferry operator in Argyll and Bute is Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which operates services from the mainland to most of the inhabited islands. Several other routes are operated by commercial operators, usually on contract to the council, although the Western Ferries service across the Firth of Clyde is run on a commercial basis.
Bute is served by a route across the Kyles of Bute between Rhubodach and Colintraive in Cowal, as well as a route between Rothesay to Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde. Both routes are operated by CalMac.
Coll and Tiree are each served from Oban, via a CalMac service that also provides links between the two islands, and a once-weekly link to Barra.
Gigha is served by a CalMac route from Tayinloan in Kintyre.
Islay is served by a CalMac route from Kennacraig in Kintyre. The service is timetabled to utilise either one of two ports on the island, with both Port Askaig and Port Ellen having a service to the mainland.
Feolin on Jura is linked to Port Askaig on Islay via a vehicle ferry run by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council. There is also a passenger-only service between the island's main centre, Craighouse, and Tayvallich on the mainland that is operated by Islay Sea Safaris.
Kerrera is linked to Gallanach (about 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of Oban) by a passenger-only service operated by CalMac.
Lismore is served by two ferries, a vehicle and passenger service operated by CalMac that runs from Oban, and a passenger-only service from Port Appin that is operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.
Mull is served by a route between Oban and Craignure on the island's east coast, as well as routes across the Sound of Mull (between Lochaline and Fishnish, and Tobermory and Kilchoan). All three routes are operated by CalMac.
Iona is linked to Mull via a CalMac service from Fionnphort at Mull's southwest tip.
The island of Seil, which itself is linked to the mainland via the Clachan Bridge, has links to two further islands: Easdale and Luing. Both services are operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.
There are also routes connecting some mainland locations in Argyll and Bute to other parts of the mainland:
There is a CalMac service across Loch Fyne which provides a link between Portavadie in Cowal and Tarbert in Kintyre.
The Cowal peninsula route is a passenger-only service from the Dunoon Breakwater to Gourock pier, giving easy access to ScotRail services at Gourock railway station with onward transport to Glasgow Central station. This route was for a period run by a CalMac subsidiary company, Argyll Ferries, but has since January 2019 been operated directly by CalMac.
CalMac provide a limited (3 ferry each way per week) service between Cambeltown in Kintyre and Ardrosssan in North Aryshire during the summer months.
Western Ferries, a commercial operator, runs a vehicle and passenger service between Hunters Quay to McInroy's Point that also provides a link between Cowal and Inverclyde in (partial) competition with the subsidised CalMac service.
A service operated by Clyde Marine Services on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport runs between Kilcreggan and Gourock pier, providing a link from the Rosneath peninsula to the rail network at Gourock.
Argyll and Bute also has ferry services linking it to islands in neighbouring council areas:
Oban is the mainland terminal for services to Barra in Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Outer Hebrides).
Lochranza on Arran, in North Ayrshire, has a year-round service to Kintyre: during the summer the mainland port used is Claonaig, however in winter the service is reduced to a single daily return crossing from Tarbert.
There is also a passenger-only ferry service linking Campbeltown and Port Ellen on Islay with Ballycastle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, running seasonally from April to September, operated by West Coast Tours as the Kintyre Express.
Cultural references
The later scenes of the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love were filmed around the lochs and hills of Argyll and Bute.
The area has also been indirectly immortalised in popular culture by the 1977 hit song "Mull of Kintyre" by Kintyre resident Paul McCartney's band of the time, Wings.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Aug. 25, 2020) Ensign Wiliam Gilchrist, from Salida, Colo., uses a laser range finder to determine the distance between the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) and the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), right, as the ships sail in formation. Germantown, part of America Expeditionary Strike Group, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit team, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serves as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Taylor DiMartino)
PHILIPPINE SEA (Oct. 13, 2022) An MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 (Reinforced), takes off from the flight deck aboard amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7). Tripoli operates in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Burghart)
A Latvian soldier takes cover during exercise Saber Junction 15 at the U.S. Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 23, 2015. Saber Junction 15 prepares NATO and partner nation forces for offensive, defensive, and stability operations and promotes interoperability among participants. Saber Junction 15 has more than 4,700 participants from 17 countries, to include: Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Markus Rauchenberger/Released)