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The distinct architectural style of traditional half-timbered houses with slate facades is a defining characteristic of the "Bergisches Land" region in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) due to a compelling combination of local geology, climate, and historical building practices. This unique look, often referred to as the "Bergisch Triad" (black half-timbering, white plaster, and grey/black slate), emerged as an ingenious solution for constructing durable homes using readily available regional materials while battling the area's challenging weather conditions.
The prevalence of slate cladding is primarily a matter of geographical availability. The Bergisches Land lies near the Rhenish Slate Mountains (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge), a major geological formation that provided an abundant, high-quality, and easily accessible supply of slate. Historically, for centuries, transporting heavy, bulky building materials like slate over long distances was prohibitively expensive. This ensured that slate became the default local roofing and façade material. Its natural cleavage allows it to be split into thin, durable tiles, making it an economically sensible choice for builders in the region.
The decision to use slate not just for roofing but also for façade cladding - particularly on the weather-exposed sides, such as the gable ends or the side facing the prevailing winds - was a direct response to the "Bergisches Land"'s climate. The region is a low mountain range characterized by high precipitation and frequent strong winds. Traditional half-timbered construction relies on an infill (Gefache) often made of wattle and daub, or later brick, which is vulnerable to water penetration. Covering the structure with overlapping slate shingles provides an exceptionally robust, water-tight, and durable protective layer for the vulnerable timber frame and infill, significantly extending the life of the building.
The underlying half-timbered construction (Fachwerk) itself was the dominant structural method across large parts of Germany, including the "Bergisches Land", until the 19th century. This method was resource-efficient, using less wood than solid timber construction, and relied on locally sourced timber. The region's economy, which was historically driven by water-powered industries like iron forging and textiles, supported a concentration of settlements and a class of affluent artisans and merchants. Wealthier homeowners often clad their houses entirely in slate to display their status and ensure maximum weather protection, while those with less means might only cover the most exposed sections, illustrating a historical blend of practicality and social signaling.
Over time, the marriage of the common half-timbered structure and the protective slate skin evolved into the region's unique architectural identity. The contrast between the dark, often painted-black, timber beams and the smooth, grey/black slate, punctuated by the white plaster of the less-exposed infill panels and the characteristic "Bergisch Green" shutters, solidified a recognizable aesthetic. This combination of materials and colors - the Bergisch Triad - became a regional tradition, setting these houses apart from other German "Fachwerkhäuser" and becoming a source of local pride and conservation today.
Taken with the in-game photo mode on Forza Horizon 4 for the Xbox One.
Anyone growing up around the time I did was fascinated with the idea of having a Beach Buggy, even though the lack of practicality was lost on us back then.
Now 62, the Avatar only goes up to about 25, so this is supposed to have been me at 25. Not a bad likeness really.
If You're Going to Whitefish, Be Sure To Wear a Flower in Your Helmet… This strange adaption of a line from Scott McKenzie’s 1967 generational anthem about San Francisco could be applied to the 60th annual nordic themed Whitefish Montana’s Winter Carnival in 2019. This year the carnival salutes the 50th anniversary of Woodstock with the theme Woodstock Whitefish. It is a marrying of a nordic celebration with the hippie culture with some entertaining results like ladies with flowers in their Viking helmets. This lady posed as she was getting ready to march in the parade on Saturday afternoon.
I learned something new this weekend during the festivities. There is no evidence that Vikings ever wore the iconic horned helmets. According to the History Channel: “…despite years of searching, archaeologists have yet to uncover a Viking-era helmet embellished with horns. In fact, only one complete helmet that can definitively be called ‘Viking’ has turned up. Discovered in 1943 on Gjermundbu farm in Norway, the 10th-century artifact has a rounded iron cap, a guard around the eyes and nose, and no horns to speak of.
The popular image of the strapping Viking in a horned helmet dates back to the 1800s, when Scandinavian artists like Sweden’s Gustav Malmström included the headgear in their portrayals of the raiders. When Wagner staged his ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ opera cycle in the 1870s, costume designer Carl Emil Doepler created horned helmets for the Viking characters, and an enduring stereotype was born.
Malmström, Doepler and others may have been inspired by 19th-century discoveries of ancient horned helmets that later turned out to predate the Vikings. They may also have taken a cue from ancient Greek and Roman chroniclers, who described northern Europeans wearing helmets adorned with all manner of ornaments, including horns, wings and antlers. But not only did this headgear fall out of fashion at least a century before the Vikings appeared, it was likely only donned for ceremonial purposes by Norse and Germanic priests. After all, horns’ practicality in actual combat is dubious at best. Sure, they could help intimidate enemies and maybe even poke out a few eyes, but they would have been even more likely to get entangled in a tree branch or embedded in a shield.”
Reference: www.history.com/news/did-vikings-really-wear-horned-helmets
A treasured sight of many pilgrimages, both for practicality and superstition’s sake, the Aquam de Petra lies deep within the rocky crags of the North Hills, and is one of the main tributaries of the Great River. This seemingly bizarre phenomenon – a life-giving spring in the midst of a stony wasteland – has caused hundreds through the ages to revere this spot as a source of Life. Some even believe that a cup filled at this spring will give the drinker eternal life.
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Wow, it feels so good to be posting! This is a project I’ve been working on for the last months in between school and stuff, after scrapping some summer WIPs. Not really sure how much I like it…it really good from some angles irl, and not so good from others. It was pretty intense fun to build though! ;)
Now to begin work on some CCC entries! :D
Soli Deo Gloria!
200/365
If you asked me what I wanted to be, more than anything, despite talent and training and practicality and money, I would say a dancer. Specifically, a Broadway gypsy, somebody who goes from show to show for their entire life, dancing in the chorus.
I have wanted to be a dancer since I was a child. However, when I was 11, the girls in my dance class made fun of me for being overweight, and I quit the class. I didn't pick it up again until I was 18, and that's too late for somebody like me, who isn't oozing talent.
I still take dance classes whenever I can, and my most recent teacher said that I have a lot of talent; I just lack technique. And when she told me that, I let myself dream. I saw myself with a bag of dance shoes, running down streets in Midtown between classes and shows, dancing in the bright lights, being lifted and twirling and feeling my muscles strain to hold me perfectly still and graceful. And then I remembered that I'm pursuing something else now, something that I have a possibility of a future in, and that there isn't time in my full life to take the amount of training I would need to be a dancer.
But one day, I'll be one. Somehow.
"After the success of the 550 Maranello, the spiritual successor to Ferrari’s 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Ferrari realised that there would be a market for a convertible version of the car, much like the fabled Daytona Spider of the 1970s. The resulting car was the limited-edition 550 Barchetta Pininfarina. The Barchetta was mechanically identical to its hardtop sibling, and it was intended to be a pure roadster. For the convertible variant of the 550’s replacement, the 575 Maranello, the factory responded to requests for a more usable top in dramatic fashion and created a brand-new convertible top system which offered the freedom of the Barchetta with the practicality and security of the coupe..."
Source: RM Sotheby's
Photographed at beautiful scenery of Villa Erba during RM Sotheby's auction in 2019.
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The Suzuki Every Wagon is certainly not pretty. These cars tend to be more about practicality than looks, but it was a fun build with a lot of little details. Mine represents the "high roof" version, with extra headroom.
Everyone knows I’m all about sensibility, safety, and practicality. That is why when they posted this month’s LUGNuts challenge having to do with cars with place names, pretty much my only choice was the Chevy Monte Carlo SS. This is your average, every day mid-80’s family sedan with some very minor customizations you probably wouldn’t notice. They’re not even worth mentioning, really.
Because of the promise of moksha to every Hindu whose ashes are deposited in its waters, it is considered highly desirable to be cremated on the banks of the sacred river Ganges at one of Varanasi's two burning ghats. (A "ghat" is a set of steps.) Practicalities of time, distance and expense mean that most Hindus will not get the opportunity. Yet over a hundred cremations do occur here each day. Funeral pyres are visible at the burning ghats 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The process of arranging a cremation begins by visiting the Dom Raja, the "king" of the Doms. Doms are considered the lowest of the untouchables in the Hindu caste system yet only they can facilitate a cremation at either of the burning ghats. A cremation here is expensive; not everyone can afford it. The Dom Raja sets a price for access to the "eternal flame" based on the means of each particular family.
The price paid to the Dom Raja does not include the cost of the wood used in the funeral pyre. This requires a separate negotiation with a wood dealer. Ghee, herbs, incense sticks and flowers also represent additional expenses.
A body must be cremated within 24 hours of death so individuals wishing to insure their own cremation at the burning ghats often arrive early. They make their arrangements with the Dom Raja and then wait to die at one of the nearby hospice facilities. Persons with no means to pay for this service may be brought to Varanasi by a family member and left to beg for money to cover the cost of their own cremation.
©2017 Timothy Linn
All Rights Reserved
Bee Style's owner Ray Butcher always liked 'tinkering' and making things, including quite a few of his own minibus conversions. Also involved was his brother Cyril, who I think brought a much-needed degree of realism and practicality to these projects, in contrast to Ray's wild ideas ! But Cyril realised that he could do better on his own, without any interference, and he left to set up Olympus Conversions, who produced a large number of good quality bodies on minibuses for around 25 years.
Anyway, around 1981/2, Ray had bought a Mercedes Benz LP813 truck chassis (the same one used for the Imperial 'Windsor' bodies of the mid-1980s), and decided that he would build his own complete body on it, and over the next three years, it sat in its own dedicated workshop unit, while they worked on it, on an 'as and when we have time' basis. By the end of 1984, it was very nearly complete, but I think Ray was really waiting for 1984 to turn into 1985 before he registered it. The offer to bring it out for a sneak preview couldn't be refused, even without number plates. He called it the 'Mercury', and gave it body number 0001, but there was never to be an 0002 ! It finally hit the road in April 1985 as B333 PNF, and stayed with him for just three years, so he spent longer building it than running it ....
It went to Palmer's of Lemington, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in 1988, and then down to Mike's Coaches of Basildon in 1993 - I think I tried to get shots of it with both operators, but I have no recollection now of whether or not I succeeded ....
Bee Style depot, 2/10/84
I first visited Dunnottar Castle summer 2017, this magnificent castle sits high on a hill, last time I visited I captured my shots from the cliffs overlooking the site, though today I made the journey up the hill and entered the castle walls , wow what a magnificent experience, just perfect with loads of great photo opportunities to capture real Scottish history,after two hours wandering around and capturing as many shots that caught my eye , I made my way home, a magnificent experience indeed.
Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope" is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven.
The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse.
The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.
History
Early Middle Ages
A chapel at Dunnottar is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the 5th century, although it is not clear when the site was first fortified, but in any case the legend is late and highly implausible. Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is found in the Annals of Ulster which record two sieges of "Dún Foither" in 681 and 694.
The earlier event has been interpreted as an attack by Brude, the Pictish king of Fortriu, to extend his power over the north-east coast of Scotland. The Scottish Chronicle records that King Domnall II, the first ruler to be called rí Alban (King of Alba), was killed at Dunnottar during an attack by Vikings in 900. King Aethelstan of Wessex led a force into Scotland in 934, and raided as far north as Dunnottar according to the account of Symeon of Durham. W. D. Simpson speculated that a motte might lie under the present caste, but excavations in the 1980s failed to uncover substantive evidence of early medieval fortification.
The discovery of a group of Pictish stones at Dunnicaer, a nearby sea stack, has prompted speculation that "Dún Foither" was actually located on the adjacent headland of Bowduns, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the north.
Later Middle Ages
During the reign of King William the Lion (ruled 1165–1214) Dunnottar was a center of local administration for The Mearns. The castle is named in the Roman de Fergus, an early 13th-century Arthurian romance, in which the hero Fergus must travel to Dunnottar to retrieve a magic shield.
In May 1276 a church on the site was consecrated by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews. The poet Blind Harry relates that William Wallace captured Dunnottar from the English in 1297, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is said to have imprisoned 4,000 defeated English soldiers in the church and burned them alive.
In 1336 Edward III of England ordered William Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin, to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying the site as a forward resupply base for his northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters.
Edward himself visited in July, but the English efforts were undone before the end of the year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Murray led a force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar.
In the 14th century Dunnottar was granted to William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (d.1370), and in 1346 a licence to crenellate was issued by David II. Around 1359 William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, married Margaret Fraser, niece of Robert the Bruce, and was granted the barony of Dunnottar at this time. Keith then gave the lands of Dunnottar to his daughter Christian and son-in-law William Lindsay of Byres, but in 1392 an excambion (exchange) was agreed whereby Keith regained Dunnottar and Lindsay took lands in Fife.
William Keith completed construction of the tower house at Dunnottar, but was excommunicated for building on the consecrated ground associated with the parish church. Keith had provided a new parish church closer to Stonehaven, but was forced to write to the Pope, Benedict XIII, who issued a bull in 1395 lifting the excommunication.William Keith's descendents were created Earls Marischal in the mid 15th century, and they held Dunottar until the 18th century.
16th century rebuilding
Through the 16th century the Keiths improved and expanded their principal seats: at Dunnottar and also at Keith Marischal in East Lothian. James IV visited Dunnottar in 1504, and in 1531 James V exempted the Earl's men from military service on the grounds that Dunnottar was one of the "principall strenthis of our realme".
Mary, Queen of Scots, visited in 1562 after the Battle of Corrichie, and returned in 1564.
James VI stayed for 10 days in 1580, as part of a progress through Fife and Angus, during which a meeting of the Privy Council was convened at Dunnottar.
During a rebellion of Catholic nobles in 1592, Dunnottar was captured by a Captain Carr on behalf of the Earl of Huntly, but was restored to Lord Marischal just a few weeks later.
In 1581 George Keith succeeded as 5th Earl Marischal, and began a large scale reconstruction that saw the medieval fortress converted into a more comfortable home. The founder of Marischal College in Aberdeen, the 5th Earl valued Dunnottar as much for its dramatic situation as for its security.
A "palace" comprising a series of ranges around a quadrangle was built on the north-eastern cliffs, creating luxurious living quarters with sea views. The 13th-century chapel was restored and incorporated into the quadrangle.
An impressive stone gatehouse was constructed, now known as Benholm's Lodging, featuring numerous gun ports facing the approach. Although impressive, these are likely to have been fashionable embellishments rather than genuine defensive features.
Civil wars
Further information: Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
In 1639 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal, came out in support of the Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement who opposed the established Episcopal Church and the changes which Charles I was attempting to impose. With James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, he marched against the Catholic James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne, Earl of Huntly, and defeated an attempt by the Royalists to seize Stonehaven. However, when Montrose changed sides to the Royalists and marched north, Marischal remained in Dunnottar, even when given command of the area by Parliament, and even when Montrose burned Stonehaven.
Marischal then joined with the Engager faction, who had made a deal with the king, and led a troop of horse to the Battle of Preston (1648) in support of the royalists.
Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Engagers gave their allegiance to his son and heir: Charles II was proclaimed king, arriving in Scotland in June 1650. He visited Dunnottar in July 1650, but his presence in Scotland prompted Oliver Cromwell to lead a force into Scotland, defeating the Scots at Dunbar in September 1650.
The Honours of Scotland
Charles II was crowned at Scone Palace on 1 January 1651, at which the Honours of Scotland (the regalia of crown, sword and sceptre) were used. However, with Cromwell's troops in Lothian, the honours could not be returned to Edinburgh. The Earl Marischal, as Marischal of Scotland, had formal responsibility for the honours, and in June the Privy Council duly decided to place them at Dunnottar.
They were brought to the castle by Katherine Drummond, hidden in sacks of wool. Sir George Ogilvie (or Ogilvy) of Barras was appointed lieutenant-governor of the castle, and given responsibility for its defence.
In November 1651 Cromwell's troops called on Ogilvie to surrender, but he refused. During the subsequent blockade of the castle, the removal of the Honours of Scotland was planned by Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Sir George Ogilvie, and Christian Fletcher, wife of James Granger, minister of Kinneff Parish Church. The king's papers were first removed from the castle by Anne Lindsay, a kinswoman of Elizabeth Douglas, who walked through the besieging force with the papers sewn into her clothes.
Two stories exist regarding the removal of the honours themselves. Fletcher stated in 1664 that over the course of three visits to the castle in February and March 1652, she carried away the crown, sceptre, sword and sword-case hidden amongst sacks of goods. Another account, given in the 18th century by a tutor to the Earl Marischal, records that the honours were lowered from the castle onto the beach, where they were collected by Fletcher's servant and carried off in a creel (basket) of seaweed. Having smuggled the honours from the castle, Fletcher and her husband buried them under the floor of the Old Kirk at Kinneff.
Meanwhile, by May 1652 the commander of the blockade, Colonel Thomas Morgan, had taken delivery of the artillery necessary for the reduction of Dunnottar. Ogilvie surrendered on 24 May, on condition that the garrison could go free. Finding the honours gone, the Cromwellians imprisoned Ogilvie and his wife in the castle until the following year, when a false story was put about suggesting that the honours had been taken overseas.
Much of the castle property was removed, including twenty-one brass cannons,[28] and Marischal was required to sell further lands and possessions to pay fines imposed by Cromwell's government.
At the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the honours were removed from Kinneff Church and returned to the king. Ogilvie quarrelled with Marischal's mother over who would take credit for saving the honours, though he was eventually rewarded with a baronetcy. Fletcher was awarded 2,000 merks by Parliament but the sum was never paid.
Whigs and Jacobites
Religious and political conflicts continued to be played out at Dunnottar through the 17th and early 18th centuries. In 1685, during the rebellion of the Earl of Argyll against the new king James VII, 167 Covenanters were seized and held in a cellar at Dunnottar. The prisoners included 122 men and 45 women associated with the Whigs, an anti-Royalist group within the Covenanter movement, and had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the new king.
The Whigs were imprisoned from 24 May until late July. A group of 25 escaped, although two of these were killed in a fall from the cliffs, and another 15 were recaptured. Five prisoners died in the vault, and 37 of the Whigs were released after taking the oath of allegiance.
The remaining prisoners were transported to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as part of a colonisation scheme devised by George Scot of Pitlochie. Many, like Scot himself, died on the voyage.
The cellar, located beneath the "King's Bedroom" in the 16th-century castle buildings, has since become known as the "Whigs' Vault".
Both the Jacobites (supporters of the exiled Stuarts) and the Hanoverians (supporters of George I and his descendents) used Dunnottar Castle. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign in support of the deposed James VII, the castle was garrisoned for William and Mary with Lord Marischal appointed captain.
Seventeen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were seized and held in the fortress for around three weeks, including George Liddell, professor of mathematics at Marischal College.
In the Jacobite Rising of 1715 George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, took an active role with the rebels, leading cavalry at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. After the subsequent abandonment of the rising Lord Marischal fled to the Continent, eventually becoming French ambassador for Frederick the Great of Prussia. Meanwhile, in 1716, his titles and estates including Dunnottar were declared forfeit to the crown.
Later history
The seized estates of the Earl Marischal were purchased in 1720 for £41,172, by the York Buildings Company who dismantled much of the castle.
In 1761 the Earl briefly returned to Scotland and bought back Dunnottar only to sell it five years later to Alexander Keith, an Edinburgh lawyer who served as Knight Marischal of Scotland.
Dunnottar was inherited in 1852 by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray of Ochtertyre, who in turn sold it in July 1873 to Major Alexander Innes of Cowie and Raemoir for about £80,000.
It was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, in 1925 after which his wife embarked on a programme of repairs.
Since that time the castle has remained in the family, and has been open to the public, attracting 52,500 visitors in 2009.
Dunnottar Castle, and the headland on which is stands, was designated as a scheduled monument in 1970.In 1972 twelve of the structures at Dunnottar were listed.
Three buildings are listed at category A as being of "national importance": the keep; the entrance gateway; and Benholm's Lodging.
The remaining listings are at category B as being of "regional importance".[39] The Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the 210-square-kilometre (52,000-acre) Dunecht Estates.
Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were shot there.
Description
Dunnottar's strategic location allowed its owners to control the coastal terrace between the North Sea cliffs and the hills of the Mounth, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) inland, which enabled access to and from the north-east of Scotland.
The site is accessed via a steep, 800-metre (2,600 ft) footpath (with modern staircases) from a car park on the coastal road, or via a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) cliff-top path from Stonehaven. Dunnottar's several buildings, put up between the 13th and 17th centuries, are arranged across a headland covering around 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).
The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th-century keep or tower house. The other principal buildings are the gatehouse; the chapel; and the 16th-century "palace" which incorporates the "Whigs' Vault".
Defences
The approach to the castle is overlooked by outworks on the "Fiddle Head", a promontory on the western side of the headland. The entrance is through the well-defended main gate, set in a curtain wall which entirely blocks a cleft in the rocky cliffs.
The gate has a portcullis and has been partly blocked up. Alongside the main gate is the 16th-century Benholm's Lodging, a five-storey building cut into the rock, which incorporated a prison with apartments above.
Three tiers of gun ports face outwards from the lower floors of Benholm's Lodging, while inside the main gate, a group of four gun ports face the entrance. The entrance passage then turns sharply to the left, running underground through two tunnels to emerge near the tower house.
Simpson contends that these defences are "without exception the strongest in Scotland", although later writers have doubted the effectiveness of the gun ports. Cruden notes that the alignment of the gun ports in Benholm's Lodging, facing across the approach rather than along, means that they are of limited efficiency.
The practicality of the gun ports facing the entrance has also been questioned, though an inventory of 1612 records that four brass cannons were placed here.
A second access to the castle leads up from a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the northern side of the Dunnottar cliffs into which a small boat could be brought. From here a steep path leads to the well-fortified postern gate on the cliff top, which in turn offers access to the castle via the Water Gate in the palace.
Artillery defences, taking the form of earthworks, surround the north-west corner of the castle, facing inland, and the south-east, facing seaward. A small sentry box or guard house stands by the eastern battery, overlooking the coast.
Tower house and surrounding buildings
The tower house of Dunnottar, viewed from the west
The late 14th-century tower house has a stone-vaulted basement, and originally had three further storeys and a garret above.
Measuring 12 by 11 metres (39 by 36 ft), the tower house stood 15 metres (49 ft) high to its gable. The principal rooms included a great hall and a private chamber for the lord, with bedrooms upstairs.
Beside the tower house is a storehouse, and a blacksmith's forge with a large chimney. A stable block is ranged along the southern edge of the headland. Nearby is Waterton's Lodging, also known as the Priest's House, built around 1574, possibly for the use of William Keith (died 1580), son of the 4th Earl Marischal.
This small self-contained house includes a hall and kitchen at ground level, with private chambers above, and has a projecting spiral stair on the north side. It is named for Thomas Forbes of Waterton, an attendant of the 7th Earl.
The palace
The palace, to the north-east of the headland, was built in the late 16th century and early to mid-17th century. It comprises three main wings set out around a quadrangle, and for the most part is probably the work of the 5th Earl Marischal who succeeded in 1581.
It provided extensive and comfortable accommodation to replace the rooms in the tower house. In its long, low design it has been compared to contemporary English buildings, in contrast to the Scottish tradition of taller towers still prevalent in the 16th century.
Seven identical lodgings are arranged along the west range, each opening onto the quadrangle and including windows and fireplace. Above the lodgings the west range comprised a 35-metre (115 ft) gallery. Now roofless, the gallery originally had an elaborate oak ceiling, and on display was a Roman tablet taken from the Antonine Wall.
At the north end of the gallery was a drawing room linked to the north range. The gallery could also be accessed from the Silver House to the south, which incorporated a broad stairway with a treasury above.
The basement of the north range incorporates kitchens and stores, with a dining room and great chamber above. At ground floor level is the Water Gate, between the north and west ranges, which gives access to the postern on the northern cliffs.
The east and north ranges are linked via a rectangular stair. The east range has a larder, brewhouse and bakery at ground level, with a suite of apartments for the Countess above. A north-east wing contains the Earl's apartments, and includes the "King's Bedroom" in which Charles II stayed. In this room is a carved stone inscribed with the arms of the 7th Earl and his wife, and the date 1654. Below these rooms is the Whigs' Vault, a cellar measuring 16 by 4.5 metres (52 by 15 ft). This cellar, in which the Covenanters were held in 1685, has a large eastern window, as well as a lower vault accessed via a trap-door in the floor.
Of the chambers in the palace, only the dining room and the Silver House remain roofed, having been restored in the 1920s. The central area contains a circular cistern or fish pond, 16 metres (52 ft) across and 7.6 metres (25 ft) deep, and a bowling green is located to the west.
At the south-east corner of the quadrangle is the chapel, consecrated in 1276 and largely rebuilt in the 16th century. Medieval walling and two 13th-century windows remain, and there is a graveyard to the south.
..Once I ticked the basic ones off my list (i.e., the Vietnamese shirts and caps), I scoured Ben Thanh for my personal favorites. And these are my must-buys in Vietnam.
lacquerware. Who can resist the shiny and colorful practicality of tempered and melded wood? I can’t. For my wife, I chose 6 pairs of ruby red bowls with matching sleek black saucers, curled elegantly at the corners. Three large nesting flat trays completed the ensemble. Although the trays are supposed to be a set of a singular color, we were able to convince the vendor to get a different tray colors for our set. I chose a combination of 2 red trays and one black. The pieces come with a dainty pair of dragonfly design inlay.
prices, after some haggling: bowl and saucer for 80,000VND (4.7USD) a pair and a set of 3 nesting trays for 330,000VND (19.4USD)
check out my other must buys in Saigon, including sesame sprinkled peanut flatcakes, sesame-sprinkled candy squares, Vinamit peanut candies, sesame-sprinkled crispy wafers, rice papers with banana, in colloidfarl.blogspot.com/
First visit of 2019 for me to this stunning castle today Thursday 28th March 2019.
Dunnottar Castle.
The rock the Castle sits upon was forced to the surface 440 million years ago during the Silurian period. A red rock conglomerate with boulders up to 1m across known as Pudding Stone is incredibly durable.
The ancient Highland rock pebbles and cementing matter is so tough that faults or cracks pass through the pebbles themselves.
I first visited Dunnottar Castle summer 2017, this magnificent castle sits high on a hill, last time I visited I captured my shots from the cliffs overlooking the site, though today I made the journey up the hill and entered the castle walls , wow what a magnificent experience, just perfect with loads of great photo opportunities to capture real Scottish history,after two hours wandering around and capturing as many shots that caught my eye , I made my way home, a magnificent experience indeed.
Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope" is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven.
The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse.
The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.
History
Early Middle Ages
A chapel at Dunnottar is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the 5th century, although it is not clear when the site was first fortified, but in any case the legend is late and highly implausible. Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is found in the Annals of Ulster which record two sieges of "Dún Foither" in 681 and 694.
The earlier event has been interpreted as an attack by Brude, the Pictish king of Fortriu, to extend his power over the north-east coast of Scotland. The Scottish Chronicle records that King Domnall II, the first ruler to be called rí Alban (King of Alba), was killed at Dunnottar during an attack by Vikings in 900. King Aethelstan of Wessex led a force into Scotland in 934, and raided as far north as Dunnottar according to the account of Symeon of Durham. W. D. Simpson speculated that a motte might lie under the present caste, but excavations in the 1980s failed to uncover substantive evidence of early medieval fortification.
The discovery of a group of Pictish stones at Dunnicaer, a nearby sea stack, has prompted speculation that "Dún Foither" was actually located on the adjacent headland of Bowduns, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the north.
Later Middle Ages
During the reign of King William the Lion (ruled 1165–1214) Dunnottar was a center of local administration for The Mearns. The castle is named in the Roman de Fergus, an early 13th-century Arthurian romance, in which the hero Fergus must travel to Dunnottar to retrieve a magic shield.
In May 1276 a church on the site was consecrated by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews. The poet Blind Harry relates that William Wallace captured Dunnottar from the English in 1297, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is said to have imprisoned 4,000 defeated English soldiers in the church and burned them alive.
In 1336 Edward III of England ordered William Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin, to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying the site as a forward resupply base for his northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters.
Edward himself visited in July, but the English efforts were undone before the end of the year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Murray led a force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar.
In the 14th century Dunnottar was granted to William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (d.1370), and in 1346 a licence to crenellate was issued by David II. Around 1359 William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, married Margaret Fraser, niece of Robert the Bruce, and was granted the barony of Dunnottar at this time. Keith then gave the lands of Dunnottar to his daughter Christian and son-in-law William Lindsay of Byres, but in 1392 an excambion (exchange) was agreed whereby Keith regained Dunnottar and Lindsay took lands in Fife.
William Keith completed construction of the tower house at Dunnottar, but was excommunicated for building on the consecrated ground associated with the parish church. Keith had provided a new parish church closer to Stonehaven, but was forced to write to the Pope, Benedict XIII, who issued a bull in 1395 lifting the excommunication.William Keith's descendents were created Earls Marischal in the mid 15th century, and they held Dunottar until the 18th century.
16th century rebuilding
Through the 16th century the Keiths improved and expanded their principal seats: at Dunnottar and also at Keith Marischal in East Lothian. James IV visited Dunnottar in 1504, and in 1531 James V exempted the Earl's men from military service on the grounds that Dunnottar was one of the "principall strenthis of our realme".
Mary, Queen of Scots, visited in 1562 after the Battle of Corrichie, and returned in 1564.
James VI stayed for 10 days in 1580, as part of a progress through Fife and Angus, during which a meeting of the Privy Council was convened at Dunnottar.
During a rebellion of Catholic nobles in 1592, Dunnottar was captured by a Captain Carr on behalf of the Earl of Huntly, but was restored to Lord Marischal just a few weeks later.
In 1581 George Keith succeeded as 5th Earl Marischal, and began a large scale reconstruction that saw the medieval fortress converted into a more comfortable home. The founder of Marischal College in Aberdeen, the 5th Earl valued Dunnottar as much for its dramatic situation as for its security.
A "palace" comprising a series of ranges around a quadrangle was built on the north-eastern cliffs, creating luxurious living quarters with sea views. The 13th-century chapel was restored and incorporated into the quadrangle.
An impressive stone gatehouse was constructed, now known as Benholm's Lodging, featuring numerous gun ports facing the approach. Although impressive, these are likely to have been fashionable embellishments rather than genuine defensive features.
Civil wars
Further information: Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
In 1639 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal, came out in support of the Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement who opposed the established Episcopal Church and the changes which Charles I was attempting to impose. With James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, he marched against the Catholic James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne, Earl of Huntly, and defeated an attempt by the Royalists to seize Stonehaven. However, when Montrose changed sides to the Royalists and marched north, Marischal remained in Dunnottar, even when given command of the area by Parliament, and even when Montrose burned Stonehaven.
Marischal then joined with the Engager faction, who had made a deal with the king, and led a troop of horse to the Battle of Preston (1648) in support of the royalists.
Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Engagers gave their allegiance to his son and heir: Charles II was proclaimed king, arriving in Scotland in June 1650. He visited Dunnottar in July 1650, but his presence in Scotland prompted Oliver Cromwell to lead a force into Scotland, defeating the Scots at Dunbar in September 1650.
The Honours of Scotland
Charles II was crowned at Scone Palace on 1 January 1651, at which the Honours of Scotland (the regalia of crown, sword and sceptre) were used. However, with Cromwell's troops in Lothian, the honours could not be returned to Edinburgh. The Earl Marischal, as Marischal of Scotland, had formal responsibility for the honours, and in June the Privy Council duly decided to place them at Dunnottar.
They were brought to the castle by Katherine Drummond, hidden in sacks of wool. Sir George Ogilvie (or Ogilvy) of Barras was appointed lieutenant-governor of the castle, and given responsibility for its defence.
In November 1651 Cromwell's troops called on Ogilvie to surrender, but he refused. During the subsequent blockade of the castle, the removal of the Honours of Scotland was planned by Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Sir George Ogilvie, and Christian Fletcher, wife of James Granger, minister of Kinneff Parish Church. The king's papers were first removed from the castle by Anne Lindsay, a kinswoman of Elizabeth Douglas, who walked through the besieging force with the papers sewn into her clothes.
Two stories exist regarding the removal of the honours themselves. Fletcher stated in 1664 that over the course of three visits to the castle in February and March 1652, she carried away the crown, sceptre, sword and sword-case hidden amongst sacks of goods. Another account, given in the 18th century by a tutor to the Earl Marischal, records that the honours were lowered from the castle onto the beach, where they were collected by Fletcher's servant and carried off in a creel (basket) of seaweed. Having smuggled the honours from the castle, Fletcher and her husband buried them under the floor of the Old Kirk at Kinneff.
Meanwhile, by May 1652 the commander of the blockade, Colonel Thomas Morgan, had taken delivery of the artillery necessary for the reduction of Dunnottar. Ogilvie surrendered on 24 May, on condition that the garrison could go free. Finding the honours gone, the Cromwellians imprisoned Ogilvie and his wife in the castle until the following year, when a false story was put about suggesting that the honours had been taken overseas.
Much of the castle property was removed, including twenty-one brass cannons,[28] and Marischal was required to sell further lands and possessions to pay fines imposed by Cromwell's government.
At the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the honours were removed from Kinneff Church and returned to the king. Ogilvie quarrelled with Marischal's mother over who would take credit for saving the honours, though he was eventually rewarded with a baronetcy. Fletcher was awarded 2,000 merks by Parliament but the sum was never paid.
Whigs and Jacobites
Religious and political conflicts continued to be played out at Dunnottar through the 17th and early 18th centuries. In 1685, during the rebellion of the Earl of Argyll against the new king James VII, 167 Covenanters were seized and held in a cellar at Dunnottar. The prisoners included 122 men and 45 women associated with the Whigs, an anti-Royalist group within the Covenanter movement, and had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the new king.
The Whigs were imprisoned from 24 May until late July. A group of 25 escaped, although two of these were killed in a fall from the cliffs, and another 15 were recaptured. Five prisoners died in the vault, and 37 of the Whigs were released after taking the oath of allegiance.
The remaining prisoners were transported to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as part of a colonisation scheme devised by George Scot of Pitlochie. Many, like Scot himself, died on the voyage.
The cellar, located beneath the "King's Bedroom" in the 16th-century castle buildings, has since become known as the "Whigs' Vault".
Both the Jacobites (supporters of the exiled Stuarts) and the Hanoverians (supporters of George I and his descendents) used Dunnottar Castle. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign in support of the deposed James VII, the castle was garrisoned for William and Mary with Lord Marischal appointed captain.
Seventeen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were seized and held in the fortress for around three weeks, including George Liddell, professor of mathematics at Marischal College.
In the Jacobite Rising of 1715 George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, took an active role with the rebels, leading cavalry at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. After the subsequent abandonment of the rising Lord Marischal fled to the Continent, eventually becoming French ambassador for Frederick the Great of Prussia. Meanwhile, in 1716, his titles and estates including Dunnottar were declared forfeit to the crown.
Later history
The seized estates of the Earl Marischal were purchased in 1720 for £41,172, by the York Buildings Company who dismantled much of the castle.
In 1761 the Earl briefly returned to Scotland and bought back Dunnottar only to sell it five years later to Alexander Keith, an Edinburgh lawyer who served as Knight Marischal of Scotland.
Dunnottar was inherited in 1852 by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray of Ochtertyre, who in turn sold it in July 1873 to Major Alexander Innes of Cowie and Raemoir for about £80,000.
It was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, in 1925 after which his wife embarked on a programme of repairs.
Since that time the castle has remained in the family, and has been open to the public, attracting 52,500 visitors in 2009.
Dunnottar Castle, and the headland on which is stands, was designated as a scheduled monument in 1970.In 1972 twelve of the structures at Dunnottar were listed.
Three buildings are listed at category A as being of "national importance": the keep; the entrance gateway; and Benholm's Lodging.
The remaining listings are at category B as being of "regional importance".[39] The Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the 210-square-kilometre (52,000-acre) Dunecht Estates.
Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were shot there.
Description
Dunnottar's strategic location allowed its owners to control the coastal terrace between the North Sea cliffs and the hills of the Mounth, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) inland, which enabled access to and from the north-east of Scotland.
The site is accessed via a steep, 800-metre (2,600 ft) footpath (with modern staircases) from a car park on the coastal road, or via a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) cliff-top path from Stonehaven. Dunnottar's several buildings, put up between the 13th and 17th centuries, are arranged across a headland covering around 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).
The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th-century keep or tower house. The other principal buildings are the gatehouse; the chapel; and the 16th-century "palace" which incorporates the "Whigs' Vault".
Defences
The approach to the castle is overlooked by outworks on the "Fiddle Head", a promontory on the western side of the headland. The entrance is through the well-defended main gate, set in a curtain wall which entirely blocks a cleft in the rocky cliffs.
The gate has a portcullis and has been partly blocked up. Alongside the main gate is the 16th-century Benholm's Lodging, a five-storey building cut into the rock, which incorporated a prison with apartments above.
Three tiers of gun ports face outwards from the lower floors of Benholm's Lodging, while inside the main gate, a group of four gun ports face the entrance. The entrance passage then turns sharply to the left, running underground through two tunnels to emerge near the tower house.
Simpson contends that these defences are "without exception the strongest in Scotland", although later writers have doubted the effectiveness of the gun ports. Cruden notes that the alignment of the gun ports in Benholm's Lodging, facing across the approach rather than along, means that they are of limited efficiency.
The practicality of the gun ports facing the entrance has also been questioned, though an inventory of 1612 records that four brass cannons were placed here.
A second access to the castle leads up from a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the northern side of the Dunnottar cliffs into which a small boat could be brought. From here a steep path leads to the well-fortified postern gate on the cliff top, which in turn offers access to the castle via the Water Gate in the palace.
Artillery defences, taking the form of earthworks, surround the north-west corner of the castle, facing inland, and the south-east, facing seaward. A small sentry box or guard house stands by the eastern battery, overlooking the coast.
Tower house and surrounding buildings
The tower house of Dunnottar, viewed from the west
The late 14th-century tower house has a stone-vaulted basement, and originally had three further storeys and a garret above.
Measuring 12 by 11 metres (39 by 36 ft), the tower house stood 15 metres (49 ft) high to its gable. The principal rooms included a great hall and a private chamber for the lord, with bedrooms upstairs.
Beside the tower house is a storehouse, and a blacksmith's forge with a large chimney. A stable block is ranged along the southern edge of the headland. Nearby is Waterton's Lodging, also known as the Priest's House, built around 1574, possibly for the use of William Keith (died 1580), son of the 4th Earl Marischal.
This small self-contained house includes a hall and kitchen at ground level, with private chambers above, and has a projecting spiral stair on the north side. It is named for Thomas Forbes of Waterton, an attendant of the 7th Earl.
The palace
The palace, to the north-east of the headland, was built in the late 16th century and early to mid-17th century. It comprises three main wings set out around a quadrangle, and for the most part is probably the work of the 5th Earl Marischal who succeeded in 1581.
It provided extensive and comfortable accommodation to replace the rooms in the tower house. In its long, low design it has been compared to contemporary English buildings, in contrast to the Scottish tradition of taller towers still prevalent in the 16th century.
Seven identical lodgings are arranged along the west range, each opening onto the quadrangle and including windows and fireplace. Above the lodgings the west range comprised a 35-metre (115 ft) gallery. Now roofless, the gallery originally had an elaborate oak ceiling, and on display was a Roman tablet taken from the Antonine Wall.
At the north end of the gallery was a drawing room linked to the north range. The gallery could also be accessed from the Silver House to the south, which incorporated a broad stairway with a treasury above.
The basement of the north range incorporates kitchens and stores, with a dining room and great chamber above. At ground floor level is the Water Gate, between the north and west ranges, which gives access to the postern on the northern cliffs.
The east and north ranges are linked via a rectangular stair. The east range has a larder, brewhouse and bakery at ground level, with a suite of apartments for the Countess above. A north-east wing contains the Earl's apartments, and includes the "King's Bedroom" in which Charles II stayed. In this room is a carved stone inscribed with the arms of the 7th Earl and his wife, and the date 1654. Below these rooms is the Whigs' Vault, a cellar measuring 16 by 4.5 metres (52 by 15 ft). This cellar, in which the Covenanters were held in 1685, has a large eastern window, as well as a lower vault accessed via a trap-door in the floor.
Of the chambers in the palace, only the dining room and the Silver House remain roofed, having been restored in the 1920s. The central area contains a circular cistern or fish pond, 16 metres (52 ft) across and 7.6 metres (25 ft) deep, and a bowling green is located to the west.
At the south-east corner of the quadrangle is the chapel, consecrated in 1276 and largely rebuilt in the 16th century. Medieval walling and two 13th-century windows remain, and there is a graveyard to the south.
The Prophet is a concept ship designed more as a showpiece rather than for practicality. The ship is powered by a rotary anti-gravity engine with the ships-rims functioning as stylized radiators for the ships components, with heat pipes connecting it to the main frame.
The ship can carry 2 passengers and 2 pilots with a large viewing angle from the cockpit.
The ship also features a set of landing gear and an easy access lower-able ramp directly into the cockpit.
The SHIP is 138 studs (1.1m) metres long.
I first visited Dunnottar Castle summer 2017, this magnificent castle sits high on a hill, last time I visited I captured my shots from the cliffs overlooking the site, though today I made the journey up the hill and entered the castle walls , wow what a magnificent experience, just perfect with loads of great photo opportunities to capture real Scottish history,after two hours wandering around and capturing as many shots that caught my eye , I made my way home, a magnificent experience indeed.
Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope" is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven.
The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse.
The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.
History
Early Middle Ages
A chapel at Dunnottar is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the 5th century, although it is not clear when the site was first fortified, but in any case the legend is late and highly implausible. Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is found in the Annals of Ulster which record two sieges of "Dún Foither" in 681 and 694.
The earlier event has been interpreted as an attack by Brude, the Pictish king of Fortriu, to extend his power over the north-east coast of Scotland. The Scottish Chronicle records that King Domnall II, the first ruler to be called rí Alban (King of Alba), was killed at Dunnottar during an attack by Vikings in 900. King Aethelstan of Wessex led a force into Scotland in 934, and raided as far north as Dunnottar according to the account of Symeon of Durham. W. D. Simpson speculated that a motte might lie under the present caste, but excavations in the 1980s failed to uncover substantive evidence of early medieval fortification.
The discovery of a group of Pictish stones at Dunnicaer, a nearby sea stack, has prompted speculation that "Dún Foither" was actually located on the adjacent headland of Bowduns, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the north.
Later Middle Ages
During the reign of King William the Lion (ruled 1165–1214) Dunnottar was a center of local administration for The Mearns. The castle is named in the Roman de Fergus, an early 13th-century Arthurian romance, in which the hero Fergus must travel to Dunnottar to retrieve a magic shield.
In May 1276 a church on the site was consecrated by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews. The poet Blind Harry relates that William Wallace captured Dunnottar from the English in 1297, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is said to have imprisoned 4,000 defeated English soldiers in the church and burned them alive.
In 1336 Edward III of England ordered William Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin, to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying the site as a forward resupply base for his northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters.
Edward himself visited in July, but the English efforts were undone before the end of the year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Murray led a force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar.
In the 14th century Dunnottar was granted to William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (d.1370), and in 1346 a licence to crenellate was issued by David II. Around 1359 William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, married Margaret Fraser, niece of Robert the Bruce, and was granted the barony of Dunnottar at this time. Keith then gave the lands of Dunnottar to his daughter Christian and son-in-law William Lindsay of Byres, but in 1392 an excambion (exchange) was agreed whereby Keith regained Dunnottar and Lindsay took lands in Fife.
William Keith completed construction of the tower house at Dunnottar, but was excommunicated for building on the consecrated ground associated with the parish church. Keith had provided a new parish church closer to Stonehaven, but was forced to write to the Pope, Benedict XIII, who issued a bull in 1395 lifting the excommunication.William Keith's descendents were created Earls Marischal in the mid 15th century, and they held Dunottar until the 18th century.
16th century rebuilding
Through the 16th century the Keiths improved and expanded their principal seats: at Dunnottar and also at Keith Marischal in East Lothian. James IV visited Dunnottar in 1504, and in 1531 James V exempted the Earl's men from military service on the grounds that Dunnottar was one of the "principall strenthis of our realme".
Mary, Queen of Scots, visited in 1562 after the Battle of Corrichie, and returned in 1564.
James VI stayed for 10 days in 1580, as part of a progress through Fife and Angus, during which a meeting of the Privy Council was convened at Dunnottar.
During a rebellion of Catholic nobles in 1592, Dunnottar was captured by a Captain Carr on behalf of the Earl of Huntly, but was restored to Lord Marischal just a few weeks later.
In 1581 George Keith succeeded as 5th Earl Marischal, and began a large scale reconstruction that saw the medieval fortress converted into a more comfortable home. The founder of Marischal College in Aberdeen, the 5th Earl valued Dunnottar as much for its dramatic situation as for its security.
A "palace" comprising a series of ranges around a quadrangle was built on the north-eastern cliffs, creating luxurious living quarters with sea views. The 13th-century chapel was restored and incorporated into the quadrangle.
An impressive stone gatehouse was constructed, now known as Benholm's Lodging, featuring numerous gun ports facing the approach. Although impressive, these are likely to have been fashionable embellishments rather than genuine defensive features.
Civil wars
Further information: Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
In 1639 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal, came out in support of the Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement who opposed the established Episcopal Church and the changes which Charles I was attempting to impose. With James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, he marched against the Catholic James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne, Earl of Huntly, and defeated an attempt by the Royalists to seize Stonehaven. However, when Montrose changed sides to the Royalists and marched north, Marischal remained in Dunnottar, even when given command of the area by Parliament, and even when Montrose burned Stonehaven.
Marischal then joined with the Engager faction, who had made a deal with the king, and led a troop of horse to the Battle of Preston (1648) in support of the royalists.
Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Engagers gave their allegiance to his son and heir: Charles II was proclaimed king, arriving in Scotland in June 1650. He visited Dunnottar in July 1650, but his presence in Scotland prompted Oliver Cromwell to lead a force into Scotland, defeating the Scots at Dunbar in September 1650.
The Honours of Scotland
Charles II was crowned at Scone Palace on 1 January 1651, at which the Honours of Scotland (the regalia of crown, sword and sceptre) were used. However, with Cromwell's troops in Lothian, the honours could not be returned to Edinburgh. The Earl Marischal, as Marischal of Scotland, had formal responsibility for the honours, and in June the Privy Council duly decided to place them at Dunnottar.
They were brought to the castle by Katherine Drummond, hidden in sacks of wool. Sir George Ogilvie (or Ogilvy) of Barras was appointed lieutenant-governor of the castle, and given responsibility for its defence.
In November 1651 Cromwell's troops called on Ogilvie to surrender, but he refused. During the subsequent blockade of the castle, the removal of the Honours of Scotland was planned by Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Sir George Ogilvie, and Christian Fletcher, wife of James Granger, minister of Kinneff Parish Church. The king's papers were first removed from the castle by Anne Lindsay, a kinswoman of Elizabeth Douglas, who walked through the besieging force with the papers sewn into her clothes.
Two stories exist regarding the removal of the honours themselves. Fletcher stated in 1664 that over the course of three visits to the castle in February and March 1652, she carried away the crown, sceptre, sword and sword-case hidden amongst sacks of goods. Another account, given in the 18th century by a tutor to the Earl Marischal, records that the honours were lowered from the castle onto the beach, where they were collected by Fletcher's servant and carried off in a creel (basket) of seaweed. Having smuggled the honours from the castle, Fletcher and her husband buried them under the floor of the Old Kirk at Kinneff.
Meanwhile, by May 1652 the commander of the blockade, Colonel Thomas Morgan, had taken delivery of the artillery necessary for the reduction of Dunnottar. Ogilvie surrendered on 24 May, on condition that the garrison could go free. Finding the honours gone, the Cromwellians imprisoned Ogilvie and his wife in the castle until the following year, when a false story was put about suggesting that the honours had been taken overseas.
Much of the castle property was removed, including twenty-one brass cannons,[28] and Marischal was required to sell further lands and possessions to pay fines imposed by Cromwell's government.
At the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the honours were removed from Kinneff Church and returned to the king. Ogilvie quarrelled with Marischal's mother over who would take credit for saving the honours, though he was eventually rewarded with a baronetcy. Fletcher was awarded 2,000 merks by Parliament but the sum was never paid.
Whigs and Jacobites
Religious and political conflicts continued to be played out at Dunnottar through the 17th and early 18th centuries. In 1685, during the rebellion of the Earl of Argyll against the new king James VII, 167 Covenanters were seized and held in a cellar at Dunnottar. The prisoners included 122 men and 45 women associated with the Whigs, an anti-Royalist group within the Covenanter movement, and had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the new king.
The Whigs were imprisoned from 24 May until late July. A group of 25 escaped, although two of these were killed in a fall from the cliffs, and another 15 were recaptured. Five prisoners died in the vault, and 37 of the Whigs were released after taking the oath of allegiance.
The remaining prisoners were transported to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as part of a colonisation scheme devised by George Scot of Pitlochie. Many, like Scot himself, died on the voyage.
The cellar, located beneath the "King's Bedroom" in the 16th-century castle buildings, has since become known as the "Whigs' Vault".
Both the Jacobites (supporters of the exiled Stuarts) and the Hanoverians (supporters of George I and his descendents) used Dunnottar Castle. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign in support of the deposed James VII, the castle was garrisoned for William and Mary with Lord Marischal appointed captain.
Seventeen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were seized and held in the fortress for around three weeks, including George Liddell, professor of mathematics at Marischal College.
In the Jacobite Rising of 1715 George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, took an active role with the rebels, leading cavalry at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. After the subsequent abandonment of the rising Lord Marischal fled to the Continent, eventually becoming French ambassador for Frederick the Great of Prussia. Meanwhile, in 1716, his titles and estates including Dunnottar were declared forfeit to the crown.
Later history
The seized estates of the Earl Marischal were purchased in 1720 for £41,172, by the York Buildings Company who dismantled much of the castle.
In 1761 the Earl briefly returned to Scotland and bought back Dunnottar only to sell it five years later to Alexander Keith, an Edinburgh lawyer who served as Knight Marischal of Scotland.
Dunnottar was inherited in 1852 by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray of Ochtertyre, who in turn sold it in July 1873 to Major Alexander Innes of Cowie and Raemoir for about £80,000.
It was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, in 1925 after which his wife embarked on a programme of repairs.
Since that time the castle has remained in the family, and has been open to the public, attracting 52,500 visitors in 2009.
Dunnottar Castle, and the headland on which is stands, was designated as a scheduled monument in 1970.In 1972 twelve of the structures at Dunnottar were listed.
Three buildings are listed at category A as being of "national importance": the keep; the entrance gateway; and Benholm's Lodging.
The remaining listings are at category B as being of "regional importance".[39] The Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the 210-square-kilometre (52,000-acre) Dunecht Estates.
Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were shot there.
Description
Dunnottar's strategic location allowed its owners to control the coastal terrace between the North Sea cliffs and the hills of the Mounth, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) inland, which enabled access to and from the north-east of Scotland.
The site is accessed via a steep, 800-metre (2,600 ft) footpath (with modern staircases) from a car park on the coastal road, or via a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) cliff-top path from Stonehaven. Dunnottar's several buildings, put up between the 13th and 17th centuries, are arranged across a headland covering around 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).
The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th-century keep or tower house. The other principal buildings are the gatehouse; the chapel; and the 16th-century "palace" which incorporates the "Whigs' Vault".
Defences
The approach to the castle is overlooked by outworks on the "Fiddle Head", a promontory on the western side of the headland. The entrance is through the well-defended main gate, set in a curtain wall which entirely blocks a cleft in the rocky cliffs.
The gate has a portcullis and has been partly blocked up. Alongside the main gate is the 16th-century Benholm's Lodging, a five-storey building cut into the rock, which incorporated a prison with apartments above.
Three tiers of gun ports face outwards from the lower floors of Benholm's Lodging, while inside the main gate, a group of four gun ports face the entrance. The entrance passage then turns sharply to the left, running underground through two tunnels to emerge near the tower house.
Simpson contends that these defences are "without exception the strongest in Scotland", although later writers have doubted the effectiveness of the gun ports. Cruden notes that the alignment of the gun ports in Benholm's Lodging, facing across the approach rather than along, means that they are of limited efficiency.
The practicality of the gun ports facing the entrance has also been questioned, though an inventory of 1612 records that four brass cannons were placed here.
A second access to the castle leads up from a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the northern side of the Dunnottar cliffs into which a small boat could be brought. From here a steep path leads to the well-fortified postern gate on the cliff top, which in turn offers access to the castle via the Water Gate in the palace.
Artillery defences, taking the form of earthworks, surround the north-west corner of the castle, facing inland, and the south-east, facing seaward. A small sentry box or guard house stands by the eastern battery, overlooking the coast.
Tower house and surrounding buildings
The tower house of Dunnottar, viewed from the west
The late 14th-century tower house has a stone-vaulted basement, and originally had three further storeys and a garret above.
Measuring 12 by 11 metres (39 by 36 ft), the tower house stood 15 metres (49 ft) high to its gable. The principal rooms included a great hall and a private chamber for the lord, with bedrooms upstairs.
Beside the tower house is a storehouse, and a blacksmith's forge with a large chimney. A stable block is ranged along the southern edge of the headland. Nearby is Waterton's Lodging, also known as the Priest's House, built around 1574, possibly for the use of William Keith (died 1580), son of the 4th Earl Marischal.
This small self-contained house includes a hall and kitchen at ground level, with private chambers above, and has a projecting spiral stair on the north side. It is named for Thomas Forbes of Waterton, an attendant of the 7th Earl.
The palace
The palace, to the north-east of the headland, was built in the late 16th century and early to mid-17th century. It comprises three main wings set out around a quadrangle, and for the most part is probably the work of the 5th Earl Marischal who succeeded in 1581.
It provided extensive and comfortable accommodation to replace the rooms in the tower house. In its long, low design it has been compared to contemporary English buildings, in contrast to the Scottish tradition of taller towers still prevalent in the 16th century.
Seven identical lodgings are arranged along the west range, each opening onto the quadrangle and including windows and fireplace. Above the lodgings the west range comprised a 35-metre (115 ft) gallery. Now roofless, the gallery originally had an elaborate oak ceiling, and on display was a Roman tablet taken from the Antonine Wall.
At the north end of the gallery was a drawing room linked to the north range. The gallery could also be accessed from the Silver House to the south, which incorporated a broad stairway with a treasury above.
The basement of the north range incorporates kitchens and stores, with a dining room and great chamber above. At ground floor level is the Water Gate, between the north and west ranges, which gives access to the postern on the northern cliffs.
The east and north ranges are linked via a rectangular stair. The east range has a larder, brewhouse and bakery at ground level, with a suite of apartments for the Countess above. A north-east wing contains the Earl's apartments, and includes the "King's Bedroom" in which Charles II stayed. In this room is a carved stone inscribed with the arms of the 7th Earl and his wife, and the date 1654. Below these rooms is the Whigs' Vault, a cellar measuring 16 by 4.5 metres (52 by 15 ft). This cellar, in which the Covenanters were held in 1685, has a large eastern window, as well as a lower vault accessed via a trap-door in the floor.
Of the chambers in the palace, only the dining room and the Silver House remain roofed, having been restored in the 1920s. The central area contains a circular cistern or fish pond, 16 metres (52 ft) across and 7.6 metres (25 ft) deep, and a bowling green is located to the west.
At the south-east corner of the quadrangle is the chapel, consecrated in 1276 and largely rebuilt in the 16th century. Medieval walling and two 13th-century windows remain, and there is a graveyard to the south.
Philosophically, begging forces the passerby into a moral confrontation.
Do you give? If you don’t, what justifies that refusal—skepticism, practicality, self-preservation?
If you do, is it compassion or guilt?
The act of begging strips human interaction down to its rawest form: one person’s need, another’s choice.
There’s also the question of freedom. Some ascetics choose poverty as liberation from worldly ties, while countless others are trapped in it without choice.
Begging in this way reflects two extremes: voluntary renunciation and involuntary destitution. The same gesture of the outstretched hand can symbolize spiritual strength or social collapse.
trying to feed her belly and her family
in
Kolkata
Photography’s new conscience
This trio of German Bratwurst, mustard, and potato salad enjoys widespread popularity in Germany for a delightful mix of historical, cultural, and practical reasons:
Bratwurst: A Sausage with a Long History
Historical Roots: The bratwurst boasts a long and rich history in Germany, with the earliest documented evidence dating back to 1313 in Nuremberg. This long tradition has firmly embedded it in German culinary culture.
Regional Diversity: Over 40 different varieties of bratwurst exist across Germany, each with unique flavors and ingredients reflecting local traditions and available resources. This regional variation keeps the sausage exciting and caters to diverse palates.
Practicality: Historically, sausages were a way to preserve meat, utilizing all parts of the animal. They were also easily transportable and provided a hearty source of protein, which was particularly important during times of lower agricultural output.
Versatility: Bratwurst can be grilled, fried, or boiled and is enjoyed in various settings, from street food stands to restaurants and home barbecues. It's a staple at festivals and football games, highlighting its accessibility and broad appeal.
Mustard: A Flavorful and Functional Condiment
Long-Standing Tradition: Mustard has been popular in Germany since the Middle Ages. Initially used for medicinal purposes and to add flavor to blander food due to a lack of spices, it has evolved into a beloved condiment.
Regional Specialties: Germany offers a wide variety of mustards, with regional specialties like the sweet Bavarian mustard and the sweet-sour Düsseldorf mustard being particularly famous. These diverse flavors complement the various types of bratwurst.
Enhances Flavor: Mustard's tangy and sometimes spicy notes perfectly cut through the richness of the bratwurst, creating a balanced and satisfying taste experience.
Potato Salad: A Comforting and Adaptable Side
Introduction and Integration: Potatoes were introduced to Germany in the 17th century and quickly became a staple. By the 19th century, potato salad had become a common dish.
Regional Variations: Similar to bratwurst, German potato salad has significant regional variations. Northern Germany typically features a cold, mayonnaise-based salad with pickles and onions, while Southern Germany prefers a warm, vinegar-and-oil-based dressing often with bacon. Eastern Germany offers a mix of these styles. This adaptability makes it a versatile accompaniment.
Practicality and Heartiness: Potato salad is a filling and satisfying side dish that complements the protein in the bratwurst, making it a complete and comforting meal. It's also a dish that can be prepared in advance, making it ideal for gatherings.
The Combination: A Perfect Culinary Harmony
The popularity of this trio lies in how well the components complement each other:
The savory and often smoky flavor of the bratwurst is enhanced by the tang and spice of the mustard.
The hearty and comforting potato salad provides a balanced and satisfying side that complements the richness of the sausage.
This combination is deeply ingrained in German food culture, representing tradition, regional diversity, and practicality. It's a meal that is both satisfying and evokes a sense of Heimat (homeland).
Whether enjoyed at a bustling Christmas market or a summer barbecue, Bratwurst with mustard and potato salad remains a beloved classic in Germany for good reason.
UPDATE: HaloHUD will be out by Friday. Will support a 1680x1050 and other resolutions initially, with more to come later. Stay tuned...
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Q: How do I get this? Where do I get this? When do I get this?
A: End of June. Follow me on Twitter to get up to date information and to participate in development. As you can see, some features are still missing, the font isn't finalized, I haven't had the time to find a good screenshot, etc... If you do have the time and would like to help, read the update below.
Q: Why do this? This is completely impractical, Halo is teh suxxorz, etc...
A: I was inspired to do this when I was trying to figure out how to integrate my TweetScanner Rainmeter skin into my desktop. Starlight and HaloHUD are the results of this inquiry. Finally, after I discovered that the music progress and weather radar fit perfectly with the health bar and the enemy radar, I decided I had to do this. Thankfully, everything else just fell nicely into place.
As for practicality, I'll repeat what I said below: this is a personal challenge for myself and I am inclined to call this art more than a intuitive and productive desktop solution. Any appreciation of my work by anyone besides myself and my friends is just icing on the cake. Speaking of which, I must say thank you to everyone for the complements and praise. It means a lot.
Finally, I do enjoy some Halo 3 from time to time, yes I played Halo 1-3, and, yes, I actually read the books, but I didn't do this because I'm an obsessed Halo fanboy. No, I did this because I'm an obsessed Rainmeter fanboy.
Q: Do a TF2 version! Do a Metroid Prime version!
A: I'm a fan of both of those games, especially TF2, and I have thought about doing this for those titles and others, but I don't think I would find it as fulfilling. I've been working with Rainmeter for 4 months now, and I've had great results. At first, my focus was productivity, usability, and an overall better experience; Starlight Desktop is where I ended up. As is, it is perfect...for me, so I don't see the need for anymore major changes or to actively continue doing this type of work. If I am ever as inspired as I was for Halo HUD again, I will of course do more. After this, my only plans are to polish up what I've already done. Well, that and to use all this free time to instead go outside and enjoy my summer as much as possible!
Don't let that stop anyone else from doing other games, though, because I'd be glad to see more like this. Maybe I'll even help them out after I'm done. There's definitely potential for other games to get the desktop treatment. :)
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UPDATE: In order to make sure Halo HUD looks as good as possible when it's finished, I need some good screenshots! If you're interested in helping, I need shots that show 1-5 players of the same team on the screen and do not impede the visibility of the different HUD elements. The more the better!
I'm also interested in some actual game footage. Vista, and other windows versions, are capable of displaying animated backgrounds, either through .wmv or the proprietary .dream format. If anyone has the recording capabilities, I would prefer HD Halo 3 footage, specifically with a battle rifle in it. I do not have the necessary equipment - or the time - to do this on my own, so if you're interested in improving this desktop many times over, this is how.
Email links and images to halohud@gmail.com, and, of course, anyone that submits content that is distributed with HaloHUD will be properly credited. :)
Thanks everyone and keep your eye on my twitter account for more updates!
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UPDATE: If you want to stay current with Halo HUD's progress, just follow me on Twitter: Rykennedyan. I'll hash tag all Halo HUD updates with #HaloHUD. I plan on making a HaloHUD twitter account in the future, but that won't be until I actually release it.
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At long last, here is what I've been working on for the last few weeks:
Halo HUD
Everything you see here, apart from the in-game 3D art, is done entirely in Rainmeter using my own art and Rainmeter skins. It's very much a work in progress, but this screen shot showcases all the basic functionality that I wanted in Halo HUD.
Here's an overview of all the features:
Grenades - Each grenade launches a specific application. I currently have them set to, from left to right, Pidgin, Steam, Foobar, and Firefox. Yes, I've yet to do a Frag Grenade icon. ;)
Power Drainer - Opens a Shutdown menu. You can choose Shutdown, Restart, and Sleep
Health Bar - Displays current track progress, with artist and title above it.
Battle Rifle and Ammo Count - Displays current unread message count from Gmail and the Battlerifle opens Gmail.
Ammo Clip - Top clip is download traffic; bottom clip is upload traffic.
Radar - As of now, all this does is download and save an image for the local radar from Weather Underground. I'm currently editing a GIMP script which will automatically crop and edit the picture to display properly upon download. What you see here is the intended look. It also displays the current temperature.
Time and Game Type - Display current time and date.
Blue Score and Red Score - Display current CPU and RAM usage.
Player Callsigns - These behave just like my TweetScanner skin.
Battlerifle Ammo Display - Displays current battery status; it shows 0 in this picture because I'm using my desktop which is not on a battery.
Also, the visor outline is done in Rainmeter as well.
Like I said, this is still very much a work in progress. My goal is to finish by the end of this month, unless of course there's a huge demand for it. :) I'm currently in the midst of a second pass at art and code, while finishing the scripting for GIMP. I'm also trying to figure out a font to use that actually looks like the Halo 3 HUD's font; any ideas?
This has been a lot of work and there is still much left to do. In addition to this Rainmeter skin, I plan on making skins for RocketDock/ObjectDock (w/o icons) and Launchy.
I did this simply to see if I could. A personal challenge, so to speak. I can't argue that this is a productive or practical desktop solution, like Starlight Desktop. I would call this art, more than anything else, but I'm sure there are some people out there that would use this. This is for me, first and foremost, but also for anyone else who appreciates my work.
One more thing, you can set each skin to display on top at all times, for that ultimate Master Chief desktop experience. :D
Stay tuned and get your screen shots ready!
If you have a Bungie.net account, here's a link to the image I'm using:
For someone like me, who has set himself the task to visit and document photographically as many as possible of those wonderful Romanesque churches and monasteries, a trip to Normandy is both cause for despair and for enchanted amazement. Despair, because the Norman architect, at the time of the Romanesque which coincided with the conquest of Britain by Duke William in 1066 and the tremendous influx of power and riches that ensued, that architect is above all focused on efficiency in the projection of power and majesty. For that architect, the absolute must, the beginning and the end of church building, is the wall. Sculpture doesn’t matter. When it exists at all, it is often relegated to simple modillions under the cornice that supports the roof. The bare wall, perfectly aligned and appareled, reigns as the undisputed king of Norman Romanesque. He who likes to smile and wonder at the ingenuity and inventiveness of Mediæval sculptors, is most of the time sorely disappointed by the utter lack of adornment of those great and tall Norman churches, next to which the barest Cistercian sanctuaries look positively alive and overflowing under the comparatively unbridled abundance of rinceaux, human figures and assorted creatures.
No sculpture to speak of, then, is the norm in Normandy. But on the other hand, the masterfulness of the architects and masons turns the job of putting one stone on top of another into a veritable art: it is here, in Normandy, that was first experimented the very innovation that would bring about the end of the Romanesque: the voûte d’ogives, the rib vaulting from which the whole world of Gothic derives. It is in Normandy that it was first imagined and implemented, even as the 11th century hadn’t yet come to a close. We will see where, and how.
My photographic tour of Lower Normandy had to begin, of course, by the Abbaye aux Hommes and the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen. Now that we have covered those, I would like to show you a few other Romanesque churches, much less well-known, yet fully worthy of our interest.
The first documentary source I consulted when I was preparing this trip was, as usual, the Normandie romane book published by Zodiaque —both volumes, as Romanesque Normandy is so rich that two books were needed to properly cover it. Unfortunately, and owing to some of those unforeseen circumstances that so often intrude upon our lives, I do not have those books with me at the moment. Therefore, I am not able to use the valuable material they hold to compose my captions; still, I will do my best in their absence... with my apologies. I hope the books will be sent back to me by whoever I made the mistake to leave them with, so that I won’t have to buy new copies.
•• Contrary to abbey and priory churches, which were often built in quiet and peaceful (not to say lonely) locales, away from the hustle and bustle of villages and towns (even if such cores of human activity often ended up growing from scratch around them!), parochial churches were usually erected in a village or very close by.
Dedicated to Saint Peter and listed as a Historic Landmark on the very first list drawn up in 1840 by Minister Prosper Mérimée (which says a lot about its architectural and artistic value, even by 19th century standards), the church of Thaon was built in a lonely vale because the parish, at the time, did not include a village per se, but was rather a collection of scattered hamlets: the church was built more or less in the middle. Tradition has been upheld up to present day: the church is still alone, with only one mill built nearby to benefit from the driving force of the current of River Mue —although, if truth be told, I have to admit that, with the concept of practicality emerging in the 19th century, a new church was consecrated in 1840 smack in the center of what had in the meantime become the most important of those hamlets of old: Thaon. Saint Peter was henceforth known as “the Old Church”.
Archæological digs carried out between 1998 and 2011 have shown that the locale was used during the Antiquity as a fanum, probably in connection with a nearby ford that allowed for crossing the river. A small necropolis developed during the 300s and 400s, then a first paleo-Christian edifice was built during the 600s, replaced by a new one in the next century. A first Romanesque church was erected around 1050–80, of which only the bell tower remains today. It is the oldest part of the second Romanesque church, the one we can still admire today, which was built in 1130–50 as an extension of the older church in all directions: the nave was extended by two rows to the West, a wider and much deeper choir was built with a flat apse and aisles were added. It is surrounded by more than 400 tombs from the 7th to the 18th century, which have been excavated and studied by archæologists.
During the Romanesque Age, the land was owned by the powerful barons of Creully, who possessed large tracts of land in Lower Normandy; this probably accounts for the architectural quality of the old church, which was placed under the direct patronage of the chapter of canons of the Bayeux Cathedral. This monument has come to us practically intact, except for the aforementioned aisles that were razed around 1720, probably because the terrain had become marshier and threatened the stability of the entire building. Around the same time, the floor level was raised to help fight dampness, of which the inside still exhibits many traces.
The main (western) portal into the church. There is another one on the southern side, and the footprint of a porte des morts (“Door of the Dead”) in the northern wall.
You can zoom in to better assess the decoration, which remains sober but definitely Aquitaine-inspired.
The squarish holes in the wall are trous de boulin, which I believe are called “putlog holes” or “putlock holes” in English, i.e., anchoring holes for wood scaffolding installed when the wall was built.
Dear all, The holy month of Ramadan is beginning, I wish and pray, Allah Subhan ul Tallah grant us peace and happiness and allow us to spread teachings of Islam by love, respect, peace & practicality. Ameen
"...While traditional Koenigseggs have always had surprising levels of practicality, creature comforts and features, our primary focus has always been to make the fastest cars on the planet – around a racetrack or anywhere else. The Koenigsegg Regera continues this tradition, but with innovative technology that blends outrageous speed, supreme comfort, and a unique Direct Drive experience..."
Source: Koenigsegg
Photographed at TT Circuit Assen during 402automotive Supercar Sunday.
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Proving that tiny is mighty, this motor mote jams park-anywhere practicality and electric performance into a fashionably compact skin.
This is a revisiting of the very first car I ever shared on Flickr, 9 years ago.
More photos available in the build album.
©2022 Chris Elliott, All Rights Reserved.
Find me also on:
With the rumored development of space-equipped VCS by hostile organizations, the URE commissioned a variant of the Aardwolf to replace the heavily outdated Grouse I units that made up the majority of their orbital corps.
The new Aardwolf (dubbed "Spacewolf" by some pilots) features heavy modifications to grant it high amounts of speed and mobility in space. The backpack contains the extra power needed for the base Aardwolf, in addition to the fuel for the various vernier thrusters on the backpack, shoulders, and legs. The backpack also has two manipulator arms which can hold any of the unit's equipment if needed. The amount of fuel the system can hold is still rather limited, however, so they cannot operate far from a station. For new armament, the Spacewolf has a 120mm repeating flak cannon, which can be used against enemy units or to destroy smaller chunks of debris.
I had quite a bit of fun building this guy! Of course, it's heavily influenced by the Gundam Thunderbolt GM, but I threw in some of my own ideas as well. Throughout the build, I tried to keep in mind the practicality of everything, and what systems the mech would need for space operation, which was an interesting challenge. My favorite part is fiddling with the arms & thrusters on the backpack, they're really satisfying to mess around with! :P
Feb 2016: “A compact, c 1,000 sq ft Victorian chapel by the entrance to the former Our Lady’s Hospital, Cork is coming to market with a guide price for €250,000, via agent John O’Mahony of O’Mahony Walsh, Ballincollig”
Our Lady’s was wound down in the 1980s, and although Our Lady’s Hospital showed some interest it was sold with 50 acres in 1995 by the then-Southern Health Board for £910,000 to Dublin-based Lance Investments.
Some elements of the Our Lady’s complex have since been sold off, such as a number of apartments, town houses, mews houses and stables conversions and the old gate lodge by the Lee Road is now in commercial use, occupied by agriculture advisors the Brady Group.
My understanding is that there are two distinct sections to the main complex.
Our Lady's which was the Lee Road in Ireland. Locals are inclined to refer to the entire structure as St. Anne's and they and do not differentiate between the grey section, Our Lady's and the red section, St. Kevin's which is totally derelict.
A a section of Our Lady’s Hospital has been renovated as Lee Road.
Our Lady’s Hospital, formerly Eglinton Asylum [named after the Earl of Eglinton, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland], Cork was built to house 500 patients. It was the largest of seven district lunatic asylums commissioned by the Board of Public Works in the late 1840s to supplement the nine establishments erected by Johnston and Murray in 1820-35. Like the earlier buildings, the new institutions were ‘corridor asylums’, but with the emphasis on wards rather than cells. There was a change in style from Classical to Gothic.
Designed by local architect William Atkins, the Cork Asylum was one of the longest buildings in Ireland (almost 1000 feet), originally split into three blocks punctuated with towers and gables. Atkins made good use of polychromy, contrasting Glanmire sandstone with limestone dressings. The elevated site overlooking the River Lee, appears to have been chosen for dramatic effect rather than practicality, great difficulty being encountered in providing exercise yards on the steep slope.
One of the things that I both like and do not understand about Moscow is that it's like a fashion show on the street, in spite of any practicality considerations...
The original V70 XC was very unpopular, although the second and third generation cars sold reasonably well. I quite like these jacked up estate cars, as they offer all of the practicality of the standard estate with some of the off road capability of a SUV, without the slightly 'school run mam' appearance of the compact/large SUV class rivals. 126k on the clock as of last September.
youtu.be/8lqJyE-6-sg?si=YQpPDNrDhCZd9cAy
The Suttons Beach Pavilion, a historic and cultural landmark of the Redcliffe community for nearly nine decades, has been demolished, marking the end of a significant era in the bayside suburb’s history.
Read: ‘Liveability Fund’ Backs Suttons Beach Pavilion and Key Community Projects
Located at 50 Marine Parade, Redcliffe, the pavilion was originally constructed in 1937 as a bathing pavilion and has since hosted countless significant life events, from weddings to casual gatherings.
On 27 March 2024, the demolition was executed amidst a wet and sombre atmosphere. It came after the Moreton Bay City Council decided to rebuild the facility following a 2022 assessment by Covey Associates.
This assessment revealed that the pavilion suffered from structural issues and failed to meet contemporary building standards. Despite discussions about renovation, the council and community ultimately leaned towards reconstruction for practicality and cost-efficiency.
Tyne & Wear 123 was on loan to SYPTE for two months in 1984 to test the practicality of operating coach-seated double-deckers. Some of this time was spent at Doncaster depot and it is seen here between Warmsworth and Conisbrough, heading for Conanby on a short-working of the service to Sheffield. It is a Leyland Atlantean AN68C/2R with Alexander AL bodywork, new in 1980.
It is being overtaken by a clapped-out Ford Capri.
Proving that tiny is mighty, this motor mote jams park-anywhere practicality and electric performance into a fashionably compact skin.
This is a revisiting of the very first car I ever shared on Flickr, 9 years ago.
More photos available in the build album.
©2022 Chris Elliott, All Rights Reserved.
Find me also on:
The Scale of Decor Decisions
The homeowner has clearly rejected the tyranny of the garden gnome, opting instead for a piece that demands attention and maybe a little fear from the mail carrier. This enormous, imposing, and rather stern-looking bronze (or bronze-effect) dragon is perched upon a perfectly circular bed of grey, crushed aggregate, giving the distinct impression that it just landed from incinerating a neighboring suburb and decided this was a suitable spot to take a breather. It certainly establishes an unmistakable tone: "Welcome to my home. Also, I may be a wizard." The stark contrast between the ferocious, textured mythological beast and the utterly anodyne, beige and brown, semi-detached bungalow backdrop is the real triumph here. It's the visual equivalent of serving flaming Bananas Foster on a paper plate.
Architectural Ambivalence
The architecture itself seems to be actively trying to fade into the background, sporting large, bland windows and a color palette best described as "frequently overlooked." The house acts as the ultimate straight man to the dragon's theatrical performance. It’s as if the dragon insisted, "I need a minimalist, non-distracting canvas for my epicness," and the house dutifully replied, "Yes, my lord, how about more beige?" The entire setup suggests a homeowner with an incredibly imaginative inner life whose exterior taste only extends to the mythological. One has to admire the dedication—who needs hydrangeas when you can have a brooding, winged reptile guarding your PVC window frames?
Curb Appeal: The Dragon Clause
Regarding "curb appeal," this installation doesn't so much appeal as it issues a stern warning. While most people strive for a look that says "We have good schools and a healthy lawn," this garden screams, "We have a dragon, and possibly a horde of pilfered gold in the garage." It's a glorious act of homeowner defiance, a monumental "no, thank you" to tasteful landscaping magazines. The practicality is also impressive: imagine the conversations! "Oh, it's the third house past the turn, you can't miss it, it's the one guarded by the enormous, terrifying creature of legend." It’s low-maintenance, high-impact decor, and one can only hope that they have equally dramatic interior design choices.
The VW ID.3 is a fully electric hatchback offering a mix of practicality, decent range, and a comfortable driving experience. It's known for its spacious interior, making it feel more like a Passat than a Golf, despite its compact exterior. The ID.3 has gone through a mid-life refresh, improving interior quality and updating the infotainment system. It also replaced in the e-Golf and it is the first model in the ID series.
Depending on the battery size, the ID.3 offers a range of 261-369 miles, with the GTX model providing the longest range.
Volkswagen ID.3 may not be the best-selling car in the UK but in 2023, it was the sixth best-selling electric car, and not among the overall best-selling car models. On the other hand, Volkswagen Golf, for example, continued to be the best-selling Volkswagen model in the UK that year.
The ID.3 is a popular EV model and is a significant seller for Volkswagen.
The World Solar Challenge (WSC), or the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge since 2013, tied to the sponsorship of Bridgestone Corporation is the world's most well-known solar-powered car race event. A biennial road race covering 3,022 km (1,878 mi) through the Australian Outback, from Darwin, Northern Territory, to Adelaide, South Australia, created to foster the development of experimental, solar-powered vehicles.
The race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations, although some are fielded by high schools. The race has a 32-year history spanning fourteen races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987. Initially held once every three years, the event became biennial from the turn of the century.
Since 2001 the World Solar Challenge was won seven times out of nine efforts by the Nuna team and cars of the Delft University of Technology from the Netherlands, with only the Tokai Challenger, built by the Tokai University of Japan able to take the crown in 2009 and 2011.
Starting in 2007, the WSC has been raced in multiple classes. After the German team of Bochum University of Applied Sciences competed with a four-wheeled, multi-seat car, the BoCruiser (in 2009), in 2013 a radically new "Cruiser Class" was introduced, racing and stimulating the technological development of practically usable, and ideally road-legal, multi-seater solar vehicles. Since its inception, Solar Team Eindhoven's four- and five-seat Stella solar cars from Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) won the Cruiser Class in all three races so far.
Remarkable technological progress has been achieved since the GM led, highly experimental, single-seat Sunraycer prototype first won the WSC with an average speed of 66.9 km/h (41.6 mph). Once competing cars became steadily more capable to match or exceed legal maximum speeds on the Australian highway, the race rules were consistently made more demanding and challenging — for instance after Honda's Dream car first won the race with an average speed exceeding 55 mph (88.5 km/h) in 1996. In 2005 the Dutch Nuna team were the first to beat an average speed of 100 km/h (62 mph).
The 2017 Cruiser class winner, the five-seat Stella Vie vehicle, was able to carry an average of 3.4 occupants at an average speed of 69 km/h (43 mph). Like its two predecessors, the 2017 Stella Vie vehicle was successfully road registered by the Dutch team, further emphasizing the great progress in real world compliance and practicality that has been achieved.
The World Solar Challenge held its 30th anniversary event on October 8–15, 2017.
The 2019 World Solar Challenge will take place from 13 to 20 October. 53 teams from 24 countries have entered the competition. The same 3 classes, Challenger (30 teams), Cruiser (23 teams) and Adventure will be featured.
With the rumored development of space-equipped VCS by hostile organizations, the URE commissioned a variant of the Aardwolf to replace the heavily outdated Grouse I units that made up the majority of their orbital corps.
The new Aardwolf (dubbed "Spacewolf" by some pilots) features heavy modifications to grant it high amounts of speed and mobility in space. The backpack contains the extra power needed for the base Aardwolf, in addition to the fuel for the various vernier thrusters on the backpack, shoulders, and legs. The backpack also has two manipulator arms which can hold any of the unit's equipment if needed. The amount of fuel the system can hold is still rather limited, however, so they cannot operate far from a station. For new armament, the Spacewolf has a 120mm repeating flak cannon, which can be used against enemy units or to destroy smaller chunks of debris.
I had quite a bit of fun building this guy! Of course, it's heavily influenced by the Gundam Thunderbolt GM, but I threw in some of my own ideas as well. Throughout the build, I tried to keep in mind the practicality of everything, and what systems the mech would need for space operation, which was an interesting challenge. My favorite part is fiddling with the arms & thrusters on the backpack, they're really satisfying to mess around with! :P
Mercedes C63 AMG and SLS AMG
Engine: 6.2L V8
Drive: Rear wheel drive
Gearbox 7G-Tronic 7 speed Automatic
Weight: 1730 kilo / 3814 lbs
Power: 457 bhp @ 6800 rpm
Torque: 600 Nm / 443 ft lbs @ 5000 rpm
Top Speed: 250 km/h / 155 mph
0-60 mph / 0-100 kmh 4.4 s
In the German Touring Car Championships (DTM) the new AMG C-Class ensures exciting motor racing at the highest level, and now its roadgoing sister model is celebrating its debut: the new C 63 AMG. Its AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine develops a peak output of 336 kW/457 hp and a maximum torque of 600 newton metres - unrivalled figures in this segment. Accordingly the C 63 AMG accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, while its top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. In conjunction with an all-new front axle, speed-sensitive AMG sports steering and the new, 3-stage ESP Ã’, the AMG sports suspension ensures both outstanding driving enjoyment and exemplary handling dynamics. A combination of expressive design, a decidedly sporty interior and a high level of everyday practicality makes the C 63 AMG a unique high-performance car. The market launch will commence in early 2008. With the new C 63 AMG, Mercedes-AMG GmbH is making a confident statement to mark the 40th birthday of the company. The new V8 flagship model is now the fifth generation of the AMG C-Class, whose family tree goes back to the C 36 AMG of 1993 - the very first vehicle developed as a cooperative venture between Daimler-Benz and AMG.
Source: www.ultimatecarpage.com
'Unseen Flame'
oil on canvas
size 211cm x 188cm
2009
$5200
I never liked manifestos, because any truth stated always seemed immediately limited. But here's another one about money anyway:
(short explanation)
As of today I will be significantly lowering the prices of my paintings. The reason is that I believe in equality for all people and all kinds of work, so I have developed a new system to price my paintings which goes against the traditional way of valuing art in our society. It is based on a simple hourly rate for what I do, based on the average Australian wage. This goes completely against the mainstream art world and its way of artificially valuing art with abstract and indefinable processes.
You can read a longer explanation below.
To see available paintings and their new prices, visit my 'available paintings' album on my facebook pages here: www.facebook.com/Richard.Baxter.StudioBaxter/media_set?se...
(long explanation)
To properly explain how I feel about work and payment, it would require extensive writing about many different areas such as the environment, ego, value, love and systems. Because although it is a very simple philosophy, it is so vastly different to how our contemporary capitalistic world works, it's quite lengthy to explain how this seemingly simple idea could work. Some of you will already get it and will already live this way or want to live this way, and some will be interested and want to explore the idea more, like me.
Essentially I believe in equality of human work; that all work should be paid equally, as long as there is a demand for that work. One day, humanity will no longer need money as our motivations will no longer be fear or greed based, but love based. People will no longer desire the security of having MORE than others, but will desire equality for all people. I believe this will happen, but perhaps not for a very long time. Of course equal pay for all people essentially cancels out the entire concept of money anyway, and this is a level that we are nowhere near yet. Living completely beyond money will require entire societies that are emotionally very advanced, societies that no longer live with fear and greed.
In the meantime, as many people see the failure of capitalism for humans and the planet, some people are looking for ways to create simpler and more fair systems like bartering, or creating new currencies etc. It's complex, unknown, open to innovation and there is no one direction at this point. Ultimately what we will have to do, is to remove all greed and all fear from our societies, and that requires removing it from ourselves first. A very difficult task, probably. It may take hundreds, if not thousands of years. Or perhaps it could change much faster, history is very hard to predict.
We live within this vast established financial system which is so pervading on a physical AND psychological level and is extremely hard to live outside of for most people.
I certainly don't know how to do it, but I have decided to try and at least take a step and live in a way I believe is fair and equitable, in order to help bring about this change. In all practicality I can't give things away right now, as I have a mortgage, child, I have to eat and buy clothes, etc. I need SOME income to live within this system, like most people. But what I don't need, is to have more than others, just for the sake of it and I don't need to artificially inflate the price of what I create, in order to try and obtain as much as I possibly can because I feel in competition against the world. What I can do instead, is try and be ONE with the world, and share what I have in the spirit of equity, knowing that all work is important, all people are important, and we all have basic human needs.
So for now I am deciding to base the prices of my paintings as simply, fairly and practically as I can, using the average and/or median Australian wage which currently stands at around $30 per hour depending on which charts you look at. This in opposition to the traditional and common way of valuing art, (and many things) which is to gradually raise value over the years as your fame increases, to as much as the market will allow, based on abstract concepts like fame, importance, collectibility, etc. Traditionally, an artist will move to better galleries with richer clients, seek to win prizes that raise fame levels which in turn raises value, seek famous and wealthy clients that increase prestige and name, and the process continues for as long as the participants can keep it going. After time the art ceases to be as much about the art, but now becomes an investment. A buyer may purchase art simply as an investment, betting on the odds that in 10 years the value of the art may increase and a profit may be made. As this process continues, the art is available to less and less people that actually like it, and becomes available only to a minority in society, who are quite likely to no longer buy it just because they like it, but for their own prestige or investment. The art part of it, the inspiration and joy can get lost. It's like the stock market, or real estate. Something is worth something, as long as it is worth something, and if we can say it's worth even more and sell it, then it's worth even more and the market is artificially driven up. The wealthy then own more, the poor own less, and we all know that pattern. It's pure fiction, but it continues because so many want to keep playing the game, or even feel they have no choice.
In the past I had been trying to head down this traditional path, with some limited progress. But I have looked at the entire process and thought about what it means for humanity, how this kind of thinking affects us all, and how I feel about it personally. The ramifications are many and complex, and pervasive throughout our society on every level, not just art.
On the one hand, the temptation is strong, of course I would like to sell a work for as much as possible. But on the other hand, I never truly believed in my heart that art could be valued or judged at all, except by the lone observer themselves. A work of art may have an enormous value in the heart of an observer, even if in monetary terms it is worthless. Likewise an artwork in a museum valued at many millions may leave one empty and have no internal value for an observer at all. Who is there on the planet who can accurately and finally judge the worth of art? There is no-one, except every observer by themselves alone.
So in order to at least try and work toward a world where the worth of art is not valued strictly in monetary terms, and to try and work toward a world where ALL work is valued equally, (CEO's like clean toilets too) I've decided to take this step toward changing how I price what I do.
I don't clock on and off with my paintings, and given that I have many paintings going at once and I am doing other things during my days like mowing lawns, looking after a child, dishes etc, it's hard to precisely know how long each painting takes in hours. As of now, I will be keeping records, and for quite a few of my past paintings I have photos of the day I began them, so I have a rough idea. I intend to be as fair and honest as I can be, but some pricing is going to have to be my best guess, it's really quite hard.
I feel far more at peace with this way of pricing my work, as the traditional way always produced a conflict of ethics within me.
In a simplified world of equality, true worth would be the love in doing the work, or in the case of acquiring an object, the feelings it creates within you, or its usefulness. Competition is actually not the best motivator for growth, love is. Competition pits people against each other, so it is intrinsically destructive. Love is purely creative, it requires no motivation, it is its own motivation.
Many people will argue that if people just did whatever they wanted, perhaps no-one would be doing important work like growing food, or medicine, or building houses etc.
An important part of my philosophy here is that I am not advocating a basic wage where people can do whatever they want and still be paid. (although this in an interesting experiment with potentially positive results) The system I am talking about still revolves around demand. I can paint, charge an hourly rate and still perhaps no-one wants what I produce, that's fine. Then I naturally have to think about what I will do instead. But it does ensure that IF there is a demand for something, the distribution of wealth for the work required to produce the service or object, is equal.
I revisited Dunnottar Castle today Wednesday 24th April 2019, unfortunately a sea harr cloacked Stonehaven, blurring the view of the castle from the cliff top that leads down to the stairs accessing the castle, undeterred I decided enter the castle grounds, it was a good decision, posting a few of my shots from todays visit to this fine castle ruin.
Dunnottar Castle.
The rock the Castle sits upon was forced to the surface 440 million years ago during the Silurian period. A red rock conglomerate with boulders up to 1m across known as Pudding Stone is incredibly durable.
The ancient Highland rock pebbles and cementing matter is so tough that faults or cracks pass through the pebbles themselves.
I first visited Dunnottar Castle summer 2017, this magnificent castle sits high on a hill, last time I visited I captured my shots from the cliffs overlooking the site, though today I made the journey up the hill and entered the castle walls , wow what a magnificent experience, just perfect with loads of great photo opportunities to capture real Scottish history,after two hours wandering around and capturing as many shots that caught my eye , I made my way home, a magnificent experience indeed.
Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope" is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven.
The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse.
The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.
History
Early Middle Ages
A chapel at Dunnottar is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the 5th century, although it is not clear when the site was first fortified, but in any case the legend is late and highly implausible. Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is found in the Annals of Ulster which record two sieges of "Dún Foither" in 681 and 694.
The earlier event has been interpreted as an attack by Brude, the Pictish king of Fortriu, to extend his power over the north-east coast of Scotland. The Scottish Chronicle records that King Domnall II, the first ruler to be called rí Alban (King of Alba), was killed at Dunnottar during an attack by Vikings in 900. King Aethelstan of Wessex led a force into Scotland in 934, and raided as far north as Dunnottar according to the account of Symeon of Durham. W. D. Simpson speculated that a motte might lie under the present caste, but excavations in the 1980s failed to uncover substantive evidence of early medieval fortification.
The discovery of a group of Pictish stones at Dunnicaer, a nearby sea stack, has prompted speculation that "Dún Foither" was actually located on the adjacent headland of Bowduns, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the north.
Later Middle Ages
During the reign of King William the Lion (ruled 1165–1214) Dunnottar was a center of local administration for The Mearns. The castle is named in the Roman de Fergus, an early 13th-century Arthurian romance, in which the hero Fergus must travel to Dunnottar to retrieve a magic shield.
In May 1276 a church on the site was consecrated by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews. The poet Blind Harry relates that William Wallace captured Dunnottar from the English in 1297, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is said to have imprisoned 4,000 defeated English soldiers in the church and burned them alive.
In 1336 Edward III of England ordered William Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin, to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying the site as a forward resupply base for his northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters.
Edward himself visited in July, but the English efforts were undone before the end of the year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Murray led a force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar.
In the 14th century Dunnottar was granted to William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (d.1370), and in 1346 a licence to crenellate was issued by David II. Around 1359 William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, married Margaret Fraser, niece of Robert the Bruce, and was granted the barony of Dunnottar at this time. Keith then gave the lands of Dunnottar to his daughter Christian and son-in-law William Lindsay of Byres, but in 1392 an excambion (exchange) was agreed whereby Keith regained Dunnottar and Lindsay took lands in Fife.
William Keith completed construction of the tower house at Dunnottar, but was excommunicated for building on the consecrated ground associated with the parish church. Keith had provided a new parish church closer to Stonehaven, but was forced to write to the Pope, Benedict XIII, who issued a bull in 1395 lifting the excommunication.William Keith's descendents were created Earls Marischal in the mid 15th century, and they held Dunottar until the 18th century.
16th century rebuilding
Through the 16th century the Keiths improved and expanded their principal seats: at Dunnottar and also at Keith Marischal in East Lothian. James IV visited Dunnottar in 1504, and in 1531 James V exempted the Earl's men from military service on the grounds that Dunnottar was one of the "principall strenthis of our realme".
Mary, Queen of Scots, visited in 1562 after the Battle of Corrichie, and returned in 1564.
James VI stayed for 10 days in 1580, as part of a progress through Fife and Angus, during which a meeting of the Privy Council was convened at Dunnottar.
During a rebellion of Catholic nobles in 1592, Dunnottar was captured by a Captain Carr on behalf of the Earl of Huntly, but was restored to Lord Marischal just a few weeks later.
In 1581 George Keith succeeded as 5th Earl Marischal, and began a large scale reconstruction that saw the medieval fortress converted into a more comfortable home. The founder of Marischal College in Aberdeen, the 5th Earl valued Dunnottar as much for its dramatic situation as for its security.
A "palace" comprising a series of ranges around a quadrangle was built on the north-eastern cliffs, creating luxurious living quarters with sea views. The 13th-century chapel was restored and incorporated into the quadrangle.
An impressive stone gatehouse was constructed, now known as Benholm's Lodging, featuring numerous gun ports facing the approach. Although impressive, these are likely to have been fashionable embellishments rather than genuine defensive features.
Civil wars
Further information: Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
In 1639 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal, came out in support of the Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement who opposed the established Episcopal Church and the changes which Charles I was attempting to impose. With James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, he marched against the Catholic James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne, Earl of Huntly, and defeated an attempt by the Royalists to seize Stonehaven. However, when Montrose changed sides to the Royalists and marched north, Marischal remained in Dunnottar, even when given command of the area by Parliament, and even when Montrose burned Stonehaven.
Marischal then joined with the Engager faction, who had made a deal with the king, and led a troop of horse to the Battle of Preston (1648) in support of the royalists.
Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Engagers gave their allegiance to his son and heir: Charles II was proclaimed king, arriving in Scotland in June 1650. He visited Dunnottar in July 1650, but his presence in Scotland prompted Oliver Cromwell to lead a force into Scotland, defeating the Scots at Dunbar in September 1650.
The Honours of Scotland
Charles II was crowned at Scone Palace on 1 January 1651, at which the Honours of Scotland (the regalia of crown, sword and sceptre) were used. However, with Cromwell's troops in Lothian, the honours could not be returned to Edinburgh. The Earl Marischal, as Marischal of Scotland, had formal responsibility for the honours, and in June the Privy Council duly decided to place them at Dunnottar.
They were brought to the castle by Katherine Drummond, hidden in sacks of wool. Sir George Ogilvie (or Ogilvy) of Barras was appointed lieutenant-governor of the castle, and given responsibility for its defence.
In November 1651 Cromwell's troops called on Ogilvie to surrender, but he refused. During the subsequent blockade of the castle, the removal of the Honours of Scotland was planned by Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Sir George Ogilvie, and Christian Fletcher, wife of James Granger, minister of Kinneff Parish Church. The king's papers were first removed from the castle by Anne Lindsay, a kinswoman of Elizabeth Douglas, who walked through the besieging force with the papers sewn into her clothes.
Two stories exist regarding the removal of the honours themselves. Fletcher stated in 1664 that over the course of three visits to the castle in February and March 1652, she carried away the crown, sceptre, sword and sword-case hidden amongst sacks of goods. Another account, given in the 18th century by a tutor to the Earl Marischal, records that the honours were lowered from the castle onto the beach, where they were collected by Fletcher's servant and carried off in a creel (basket) of seaweed. Having smuggled the honours from the castle, Fletcher and her husband buried them under the floor of the Old Kirk at Kinneff.
Meanwhile, by May 1652 the commander of the blockade, Colonel Thomas Morgan, had taken delivery of the artillery necessary for the reduction of Dunnottar. Ogilvie surrendered on 24 May, on condition that the garrison could go free. Finding the honours gone, the Cromwellians imprisoned Ogilvie and his wife in the castle until the following year, when a false story was put about suggesting that the honours had been taken overseas.
Much of the castle property was removed, including twenty-one brass cannons,[28] and Marischal was required to sell further lands and possessions to pay fines imposed by Cromwell's government.
At the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the honours were removed from Kinneff Church and returned to the king. Ogilvie quarrelled with Marischal's mother over who would take credit for saving the honours, though he was eventually rewarded with a baronetcy. Fletcher was awarded 2,000 merks by Parliament but the sum was never paid.
Whigs and Jacobites
Religious and political conflicts continued to be played out at Dunnottar through the 17th and early 18th centuries. In 1685, during the rebellion of the Earl of Argyll against the new king James VII, 167 Covenanters were seized and held in a cellar at Dunnottar. The prisoners included 122 men and 45 women associated with the Whigs, an anti-Royalist group within the Covenanter movement, and had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the new king.
The Whigs were imprisoned from 24 May until late July. A group of 25 escaped, although two of these were killed in a fall from the cliffs, and another 15 were recaptured. Five prisoners died in the vault, and 37 of the Whigs were released after taking the oath of allegiance.
The remaining prisoners were transported to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as part of a colonisation scheme devised by George Scot of Pitlochie. Many, like Scot himself, died on the voyage.
The cellar, located beneath the "King's Bedroom" in the 16th-century castle buildings, has since become known as the "Whigs' Vault".
Both the Jacobites (supporters of the exiled Stuarts) and the Hanoverians (supporters of George I and his descendents) used Dunnottar Castle. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign in support of the deposed James VII, the castle was garrisoned for William and Mary with Lord Marischal appointed captain.
Seventeen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were seized and held in the fortress for around three weeks, including George Liddell, professor of mathematics at Marischal College.
In the Jacobite Rising of 1715 George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, took an active role with the rebels, leading cavalry at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. After the subsequent abandonment of the rising Lord Marischal fled to the Continent, eventually becoming French ambassador for Frederick the Great of Prussia. Meanwhile, in 1716, his titles and estates including Dunnottar were declared forfeit to the crown.
Later history
The seized estates of the Earl Marischal were purchased in 1720 for £41,172, by the York Buildings Company who dismantled much of the castle.
In 1761 the Earl briefly returned to Scotland and bought back Dunnottar only to sell it five years later to Alexander Keith, an Edinburgh lawyer who served as Knight Marischal of Scotland.
Dunnottar was inherited in 1852 by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray of Ochtertyre, who in turn sold it in July 1873 to Major Alexander Innes of Cowie and Raemoir for about £80,000.
It was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, in 1925 after which his wife embarked on a programme of repairs.
Since that time the castle has remained in the family, and has been open to the public, attracting 52,500 visitors in 2009.
Dunnottar Castle, and the headland on which is stands, was designated as a scheduled monument in 1970.In 1972 twelve of the structures at Dunnottar were listed.
Three buildings are listed at category A as being of "national importance": the keep; the entrance gateway; and Benholm's Lodging.
The remaining listings are at category B as being of "regional importance".[39] The Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the 210-square-kilometre (52,000-acre) Dunecht Estates.
Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were shot there.
Description
Dunnottar's strategic location allowed its owners to control the coastal terrace between the North Sea cliffs and the hills of the Mounth, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) inland, which enabled access to and from the north-east of Scotland.
The site is accessed via a steep, 800-metre (2,600 ft) footpath (with modern staircases) from a car park on the coastal road, or via a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) cliff-top path from Stonehaven. Dunnottar's several buildings, put up between the 13th and 17th centuries, are arranged across a headland covering around 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).
The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th-century keep or tower house. The other principal buildings are the gatehouse; the chapel; and the 16th-century "palace" which incorporates the "Whigs' Vault".
Defences
The approach to the castle is overlooked by outworks on the "Fiddle Head", a promontory on the western side of the headland. The entrance is through the well-defended main gate, set in a curtain wall which entirely blocks a cleft in the rocky cliffs.
The gate has a portcullis and has been partly blocked up. Alongside the main gate is the 16th-century Benholm's Lodging, a five-storey building cut into the rock, which incorporated a prison with apartments above.
Three tiers of gun ports face outwards from the lower floors of Benholm's Lodging, while inside the main gate, a group of four gun ports face the entrance. The entrance passage then turns sharply to the left, running underground through two tunnels to emerge near the tower house.
Simpson contends that these defences are "without exception the strongest in Scotland", although later writers have doubted the effectiveness of the gun ports. Cruden notes that the alignment of the gun ports in Benholm's Lodging, facing across the approach rather than along, means that they are of limited efficiency.
The practicality of the gun ports facing the entrance has also been questioned, though an inventory of 1612 records that four brass cannons were placed here.
A second access to the castle leads up from a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the northern side of the Dunnottar cliffs into which a small boat could be brought. From here a steep path leads to the well-fortified postern gate on the cliff top, which in turn offers access to the castle via the Water Gate in the palace.
Artillery defences, taking the form of earthworks, surround the north-west corner of the castle, facing inland, and the south-east, facing seaward. A small sentry box or guard house stands by the eastern battery, overlooking the coast.
Tower house and surrounding buildings
The tower house of Dunnottar, viewed from the west
The late 14th-century tower house has a stone-vaulted basement, and originally had three further storeys and a garret above.
Measuring 12 by 11 metres (39 by 36 ft), the tower house stood 15 metres (49 ft) high to its gable. The principal rooms included a great hall and a private chamber for the lord, with bedrooms upstairs.
Beside the tower house is a storehouse, and a blacksmith's forge with a large chimney. A stable block is ranged along the southern edge of the headland. Nearby is Waterton's Lodging, also known as the Priest's House, built around 1574, possibly for the use of William Keith (died 1580), son of the 4th Earl Marischal.
This small self-contained house includes a hall and kitchen at ground level, with private chambers above, and has a projecting spiral stair on the north side. It is named for Thomas Forbes of Waterton, an attendant of the 7th Earl.
The palace
The palace, to the north-east of the headland, was built in the late 16th century and early to mid-17th century. It comprises three main wings set out around a quadrangle, and for the most part is probably the work of the 5th Earl Marischal who succeeded in 1581.
It provided extensive and comfortable accommodation to replace the rooms in the tower house. In its long, low design it has been compared to contemporary English buildings, in contrast to the Scottish tradition of taller towers still prevalent in the 16th century.
Seven identical lodgings are arranged along the west range, each opening onto the quadrangle and including windows and fireplace. Above the lodgings the west range comprised a 35-metre (115 ft) gallery. Now roofless, the gallery originally had an elaborate oak ceiling, and on display was a Roman tablet taken from the Antonine Wall.
At the north end of the gallery was a drawing room linked to the north range. The gallery could also be accessed from the Silver House to the south, which incorporated a broad stairway with a treasury above.
The basement of the north range incorporates kitchens and stores, with a dining room and great chamber above. At ground floor level is the Water Gate, between the north and west ranges, which gives access to the postern on the northern cliffs.
The east and north ranges are linked via a rectangular stair. The east range has a larder, brewhouse and bakery at ground level, with a suite of apartments for the Countess above. A north-east wing contains the Earl's apartments, and includes the "King's Bedroom" in which Charles II stayed. In this room is a carved stone inscribed with the arms of the 7th Earl and his wife, and the date 1654. Below these rooms is the Whigs' Vault, a cellar measuring 16 by 4.5 metres (52 by 15 ft). This cellar, in which the Covenanters were held in 1685, has a large eastern window, as well as a lower vault accessed via a trap-door in the floor.
Of the chambers in the palace, only the dining room and the Silver House remain roofed, having been restored in the 1920s. The central area contains a circular cistern or fish pond, 16 metres (52 ft) across and 7.6 metres (25 ft) deep, and a bowling green is located to the west.
At the south-east corner of the quadrangle is the chapel, consecrated in 1276 and largely rebuilt in the 16th century. Medieval walling and two 13th-century windows remain, and there is a graveyard to the south.
I'm big on hot estates, but Audi's RS range of performance estates are some of the most scalding out there. The current RS4 and RS6 offer senile performance and technology with masses of load space and practicality.
The first hot Audi estate (and the first RS) was the rare RS2, although the Volvo 850 T5R was quicker and larger, the RS2 is miles prettier and still produced 315bhp. I'd never seen one before until seeing this stunning example, which has been in current ownership since April 1998. It probably cost a pretty penny then at 4 years old and the owner I'd imagine knows that they are sitting on a goldmine - these cars change hands for exceptional sums of money for what's essentially a 20-odd year old family car. The Porsche alloys bizarrely are factory fit, as the car was jointly development with the Stuttgart based firm.
Only 182 were sold in RHD, making this a rare beast indeed especially parked on the street, albeit a very wealthy and affluent street.
It's due a fresh MOT shortly, but last March it was showing 192k, which is mind-blowing for such a collectable car.
Albion FT3 Flat Bed (1939-54) Engine 2500cc (Petrol)
Decals T.R. Reading, Haulage Contactors, Broadfield, Aylesbury
Chassis number. 158023
Registration Number AVP 366 (Birmingham)
ALBION SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157625150827276...
Founded in 1899, Albion Motors was a Scottish automobile manufacturer that also specialised in commercial vehicles. Sadly the company and was sold under British Leyland, but it is notable for producing iconic vehicles such as the Albion Ventura double decker bus. In production from 1939 until 1954, the Albion FT3 was in fact the company's longest lived model, and was originally powered by six-cylinder petrol engines. However, out of practicality and rising fuel prices many were later converted to diesel.
This FT3 was originally restored in 1986 and has been a regular on the show and Historic Vehicle Rally seen. Now offered for sale at Bonhams forthcoming sale on the 20th March 1921 at Bicester Heritage Sale with an auction guide price of £ 8,000 - 12,000
Check out the Mark Knopfler track - Border Reiver on You Tube dedicated to the Albion lorry of the same name
Thankyou for a massive 58,703,454 views
Diolch am 58,703,454 gwych, golygfeydd, mwy na phoblogaeth y Lloegr honno yn y Gorllewin
Shot 21.05.2017 at Chiltern Hills Classic Sar Show, Weedon Hill, Aylesbury REF 126-005
NS's SD60E program was a disgusting way to ruin a perfectly good standard cab while making zero operational or practicality improvements. Whatever, I don't mind that they're captive out east these days. NS 7006 west enters the DME at Minnesota City on a clear November 2016 afternoon.
This F-106A Delta Dart, s/n 59-0130, c/n 8-31-19, last served as an interceptor with the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Minot AFB, North Dakota.
I took this photograph at AMARC, Davis-Monthan AFB, in January 2000.
(Scanned 35mm color negative)
According to online references,* 59-0130 first arrived for storage in April 1985. It was converted to QF-106A target drone configuration in 1991.
However, a few years later it was taken out of the drone program and modified for NASA's Eclipse Tow Launch Demonstration Project. This program investigated the practicality of towing a fighter into flight using an NC-141A Starlifter. Here's a brief video of one of those tests on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrDsI4c0xSQ
Eclipse Tow Launch Demonstration Project (NASA):
www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-049-DFR...
I photographed the aircraft at Mojave Air & Space Port in March 1997, before it received all of the modifications necessary for the towed take-off program. You can see that photo here:
59-0130 was returned to storage in May 1998, and various sources agree that it was stored with inventory code AXNE0002. After that, a number of sources have conflicting accounts of this aircraft's final disposition.
This Delta Dart was the subject of a Hasegawa 1/72 scale model, kit, which came with decals for two different units with which it served:
www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegawa-714-general-dynamics-con...
When I built that kit in the early 1990s, I applied the colors and markings of the 5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Minot AFB, North Dakota. Here's a photo of this aircraft in service with the 5th FIS at Red Flag in 1983:
www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Air-Force/Convair-F-106A-Delt...
F-106 Delta Dart (Wikipedia):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_F-106_Delta_Dart
*References:
Aberdeen City Council have invested hundreds of millions of pounds improving the infrastructure around and beyond the city, for the past few years we have endured all sorts of travel diversions delays etc while the construction of the AWPR progressed .
Early 2019 we enjoyed the completion of this vision and I can honestly say it has made a massive improvement for all, I can now visit Stonehaven and beyond easily , it takes me less than 25 minutes to drive to this magnificent location , it is a great site and always offers great photo opportunities, I highly recommend it .
Dunnottar Castle.
The rock the Castle sits upon was forced to the surface 440 million years ago during the Silurian period. A red rock conglomerate with boulders up to 1m across known as Pudding Stone is incredibly durable.
The ancient Highland rock pebbles and cementing matter is so tough that faults or cracks pass through the pebbles themselves.
I first visited Dunnottar Castle summer 2017, this magnificent castle sits high on a hill, last time I visited I captured my shots from the cliffs overlooking the site, though today I made the journey up the hill and entered the castle walls , wow what a magnificent experience, just perfect with loads of great photo opportunities to capture real Scottish history,after two hours wandering around and capturing as many shots that caught my eye , I made my way home, a magnificent experience indeed.
Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope" is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven.
The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse.
The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.
History
Early Middle Ages
A chapel at Dunnottar is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the 5th century, although it is not clear when the site was first fortified, but in any case the legend is late and highly implausible. Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is found in the Annals of Ulster which record two sieges of "Dún Foither" in 681 and 694.
The earlier event has been interpreted as an attack by Brude, the Pictish king of Fortriu, to extend his power over the north-east coast of Scotland. The Scottish Chronicle records that King Domnall II, the first ruler to be called rí Alban (King of Alba), was killed at Dunnottar during an attack by Vikings in 900. King Aethelstan of Wessex led a force into Scotland in 934, and raided as far north as Dunnottar according to the account of Symeon of Durham. W. D. Simpson speculated that a motte might lie under the present caste, but excavations in the 1980s failed to uncover substantive evidence of early medieval fortification.
The discovery of a group of Pictish stones at Dunnicaer, a nearby sea stack, has prompted speculation that "Dún Foither" was actually located on the adjacent headland of Bowduns, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the north.
Later Middle Ages
During the reign of King William the Lion (ruled 1165–1214) Dunnottar was a center of local administration for The Mearns. The castle is named in the Roman de Fergus, an early 13th-century Arthurian romance, in which the hero Fergus must travel to Dunnottar to retrieve a magic shield.
In May 1276 a church on the site was consecrated by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews. The poet Blind Harry relates that William Wallace captured Dunnottar from the English in 1297, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is said to have imprisoned 4,000 defeated English soldiers in the church and burned them alive.
In 1336 Edward III of England ordered William Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin, to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying the site as a forward resupply base for his northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters.
Edward himself visited in July, but the English efforts were undone before the end of the year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Murray led a force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar.
In the 14th century Dunnottar was granted to William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (d.1370), and in 1346 a licence to crenellate was issued by David II. Around 1359 William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, married Margaret Fraser, niece of Robert the Bruce, and was granted the barony of Dunnottar at this time. Keith then gave the lands of Dunnottar to his daughter Christian and son-in-law William Lindsay of Byres, but in 1392 an excambion (exchange) was agreed whereby Keith regained Dunnottar and Lindsay took lands in Fife.
William Keith completed construction of the tower house at Dunnottar, but was excommunicated for building on the consecrated ground associated with the parish church. Keith had provided a new parish church closer to Stonehaven, but was forced to write to the Pope, Benedict XIII, who issued a bull in 1395 lifting the excommunication.William Keith's descendents were created Earls Marischal in the mid 15th century, and they held Dunottar until the 18th century.
16th century rebuilding
Through the 16th century the Keiths improved and expanded their principal seats: at Dunnottar and also at Keith Marischal in East Lothian. James IV visited Dunnottar in 1504, and in 1531 James V exempted the Earl's men from military service on the grounds that Dunnottar was one of the "principall strenthis of our realme".
Mary, Queen of Scots, visited in 1562 after the Battle of Corrichie, and returned in 1564.
James VI stayed for 10 days in 1580, as part of a progress through Fife and Angus, during which a meeting of the Privy Council was convened at Dunnottar.
During a rebellion of Catholic nobles in 1592, Dunnottar was captured by a Captain Carr on behalf of the Earl of Huntly, but was restored to Lord Marischal just a few weeks later.
In 1581 George Keith succeeded as 5th Earl Marischal, and began a large scale reconstruction that saw the medieval fortress converted into a more comfortable home. The founder of Marischal College in Aberdeen, the 5th Earl valued Dunnottar as much for its dramatic situation as for its security.
A "palace" comprising a series of ranges around a quadrangle was built on the north-eastern cliffs, creating luxurious living quarters with sea views. The 13th-century chapel was restored and incorporated into the quadrangle.
An impressive stone gatehouse was constructed, now known as Benholm's Lodging, featuring numerous gun ports facing the approach. Although impressive, these are likely to have been fashionable embellishments rather than genuine defensive features.
Civil wars
Further information: Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
In 1639 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal, came out in support of the Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement who opposed the established Episcopal Church and the changes which Charles I was attempting to impose. With James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, he marched against the Catholic James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne, Earl of Huntly, and defeated an attempt by the Royalists to seize Stonehaven. However, when Montrose changed sides to the Royalists and marched north, Marischal remained in Dunnottar, even when given command of the area by Parliament, and even when Montrose burned Stonehaven.
Marischal then joined with the Engager faction, who had made a deal with the king, and led a troop of horse to the Battle of Preston (1648) in support of the royalists.
Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Engagers gave their allegiance to his son and heir: Charles II was proclaimed king, arriving in Scotland in June 1650. He visited Dunnottar in July 1650, but his presence in Scotland prompted Oliver Cromwell to lead a force into Scotland, defeating the Scots at Dunbar in September 1650.
The Honours of Scotland
Charles II was crowned at Scone Palace on 1 January 1651, at which the Honours of Scotland (the regalia of crown, sword and sceptre) were used. However, with Cromwell's troops in Lothian, the honours could not be returned to Edinburgh. The Earl Marischal, as Marischal of Scotland, had formal responsibility for the honours, and in June the Privy Council duly decided to place them at Dunnottar.
They were brought to the castle by Katherine Drummond, hidden in sacks of wool. Sir George Ogilvie (or Ogilvy) of Barras was appointed lieutenant-governor of the castle, and given responsibility for its defence.
In November 1651 Cromwell's troops called on Ogilvie to surrender, but he refused. During the subsequent blockade of the castle, the removal of the Honours of Scotland was planned by Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Sir George Ogilvie, and Christian Fletcher, wife of James Granger, minister of Kinneff Parish Church. The king's papers were first removed from the castle by Anne Lindsay, a kinswoman of Elizabeth Douglas, who walked through the besieging force with the papers sewn into her clothes.
Two stories exist regarding the removal of the honours themselves. Fletcher stated in 1664 that over the course of three visits to the castle in February and March 1652, she carried away the crown, sceptre, sword and sword-case hidden amongst sacks of goods. Another account, given in the 18th century by a tutor to the Earl Marischal, records that the honours were lowered from the castle onto the beach, where they were collected by Fletcher's servant and carried off in a creel (basket) of seaweed. Having smuggled the honours from the castle, Fletcher and her husband buried them under the floor of the Old Kirk at Kinneff.
Meanwhile, by May 1652 the commander of the blockade, Colonel Thomas Morgan, had taken delivery of the artillery necessary for the reduction of Dunnottar. Ogilvie surrendered on 24 May, on condition that the garrison could go free. Finding the honours gone, the Cromwellians imprisoned Ogilvie and his wife in the castle until the following year, when a false story was put about suggesting that the honours had been taken overseas.
Much of the castle property was removed, including twenty-one brass cannons,[28] and Marischal was required to sell further lands and possessions to pay fines imposed by Cromwell's government.
At the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the honours were removed from Kinneff Church and returned to the king. Ogilvie quarrelled with Marischal's mother over who would take credit for saving the honours, though he was eventually rewarded with a baronetcy. Fletcher was awarded 2,000 merks by Parliament but the sum was never paid.
Whigs and Jacobites
Religious and political conflicts continued to be played out at Dunnottar through the 17th and early 18th centuries. In 1685, during the rebellion of the Earl of Argyll against the new king James VII, 167 Covenanters were seized and held in a cellar at Dunnottar. The prisoners included 122 men and 45 women associated with the Whigs, an anti-Royalist group within the Covenanter movement, and had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the new king.
The Whigs were imprisoned from 24 May until late July. A group of 25 escaped, although two of these were killed in a fall from the cliffs, and another 15 were recaptured. Five prisoners died in the vault, and 37 of the Whigs were released after taking the oath of allegiance.
The remaining prisoners were transported to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as part of a colonisation scheme devised by George Scot of Pitlochie. Many, like Scot himself, died on the voyage.
The cellar, located beneath the "King's Bedroom" in the 16th-century castle buildings, has since become known as the "Whigs' Vault".
Both the Jacobites (supporters of the exiled Stuarts) and the Hanoverians (supporters of George I and his descendents) used Dunnottar Castle. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign in support of the deposed James VII, the castle was garrisoned for William and Mary with Lord Marischal appointed captain.
Seventeen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were seized and held in the fortress for around three weeks, including George Liddell, professor of mathematics at Marischal College.
In the Jacobite Rising of 1715 George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, took an active role with the rebels, leading cavalry at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. After the subsequent abandonment of the rising Lord Marischal fled to the Continent, eventually becoming French ambassador for Frederick the Great of Prussia. Meanwhile, in 1716, his titles and estates including Dunnottar were declared forfeit to the crown.
Later history
The seized estates of the Earl Marischal were purchased in 1720 for £41,172, by the York Buildings Company who dismantled much of the castle.
In 1761 the Earl briefly returned to Scotland and bought back Dunnottar only to sell it five years later to Alexander Keith, an Edinburgh lawyer who served as Knight Marischal of Scotland.
Dunnottar was inherited in 1852 by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray of Ochtertyre, who in turn sold it in July 1873 to Major Alexander Innes of Cowie and Raemoir for about £80,000.
It was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, in 1925 after which his wife embarked on a programme of repairs.
Since that time the castle has remained in the family, and has been open to the public, attracting 52,500 visitors in 2009.
Dunnottar Castle, and the headland on which is stands, was designated as a scheduled monument in 1970.In 1972 twelve of the structures at Dunnottar were listed.
Three buildings are listed at category A as being of "national importance": the keep; the entrance gateway; and Benholm's Lodging.
The remaining listings are at category B as being of "regional importance".[39] The Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the 210-square-kilometre (52,000-acre) Dunecht Estates.
Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were shot there.
Description
Dunnottar's strategic location allowed its owners to control the coastal terrace between the North Sea cliffs and the hills of the Mounth, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) inland, which enabled access to and from the north-east of Scotland.
The site is accessed via a steep, 800-metre (2,600 ft) footpath (with modern staircases) from a car park on the coastal road, or via a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) cliff-top path from Stonehaven. Dunnottar's several buildings, put up between the 13th and 17th centuries, are arranged across a headland covering around 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).
The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th-century keep or tower house. The other principal buildings are the gatehouse; the chapel; and the 16th-century "palace" which incorporates the "Whigs' Vault".
Defences
The approach to the castle is overlooked by outworks on the "Fiddle Head", a promontory on the western side of the headland. The entrance is through the well-defended main gate, set in a curtain wall which entirely blocks a cleft in the rocky cliffs.
The gate has a portcullis and has been partly blocked up. Alongside the main gate is the 16th-century Benholm's Lodging, a five-storey building cut into the rock, which incorporated a prison with apartments above.
Three tiers of gun ports face outwards from the lower floors of Benholm's Lodging, while inside the main gate, a group of four gun ports face the entrance. The entrance passage then turns sharply to the left, running underground through two tunnels to emerge near the tower house.
Simpson contends that these defences are "without exception the strongest in Scotland", although later writers have doubted the effectiveness of the gun ports. Cruden notes that the alignment of the gun ports in Benholm's Lodging, facing across the approach rather than along, means that they are of limited efficiency.
The practicality of the gun ports facing the entrance has also been questioned, though an inventory of 1612 records that four brass cannons were placed here.
A second access to the castle leads up from a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the northern side of the Dunnottar cliffs into which a small boat could be brought. From here a steep path leads to the well-fortified postern gate on the cliff top, which in turn offers access to the castle via the Water Gate in the palace.
Artillery defences, taking the form of earthworks, surround the north-west corner of the castle, facing inland, and the south-east, facing seaward. A small sentry box or guard house stands by the eastern battery, overlooking the coast.
Tower house and surrounding buildings
The tower house of Dunnottar, viewed from the west
The late 14th-century tower house has a stone-vaulted basement, and originally had three further storeys and a garret above.
Measuring 12 by 11 metres (39 by 36 ft), the tower house stood 15 metres (49 ft) high to its gable. The principal rooms included a great hall and a private chamber for the lord, with bedrooms upstairs.
Beside the tower house is a storehouse, and a blacksmith's forge with a large chimney. A stable block is ranged along the southern edge of the headland. Nearby is Waterton's Lodging, also known as the Priest's House, built around 1574, possibly for the use of William Keith (died 1580), son of the 4th Earl Marischal.
This small self-contained house includes a hall and kitchen at ground level, with private chambers above, and has a projecting spiral stair on the north side. It is named for Thomas Forbes of Waterton, an attendant of the 7th Earl.
The palace
The palace, to the north-east of the headland, was built in the late 16th century and early to mid-17th century. It comprises three main wings set out around a quadrangle, and for the most part is probably the work of the 5th Earl Marischal who succeeded in 1581.
It provided extensive and comfortable accommodation to replace the rooms in the tower house. In its long, low design it has been compared to contemporary English buildings, in contrast to the Scottish tradition of taller towers still prevalent in the 16th century.
Seven identical lodgings are arranged along the west range, each opening onto the quadrangle and including windows and fireplace. Above the lodgings the west range comprised a 35-metre (115 ft) gallery. Now roofless, the gallery originally had an elaborate oak ceiling, and on display was a Roman tablet taken from the Antonine Wall.
At the north end of the gallery was a drawing room linked to the north range. The gallery could also be accessed from the Silver House to the south, which incorporated a broad stairway with a treasury above.
The basement of the north range incorporates kitchens and stores, with a dining room and great chamber above. At ground floor level is the Water Gate, between the north and west ranges, which gives access to the postern on the northern cliffs.
The east and north ranges are linked via a rectangular stair. The east range has a larder, brewhouse and bakery at ground level, with a suite of apartments for the Countess above. A north-east wing contains the Earl's apartments, and includes the "King's Bedroom" in which Charles II stayed. In this room is a carved stone inscribed with the arms of the 7th Earl and his wife, and the date 1654. Below these rooms is the Whigs' Vault, a cellar measuring 16 by 4.5 metres (52 by 15 ft). This cellar, in which the Covenanters were held in 1685, has a large eastern window, as well as a lower vault accessed via a trap-door in the floor.
Of the chambers in the palace, only the dining room and the Silver House remain roofed, having been restored in the 1920s. The central area contains a circular cistern or fish pond, 16 metres (52 ft) across and 7.6 metres (25 ft) deep, and a bowling green is located to the west.
At the south-east corner of the quadrangle is the chapel, consecrated in 1276 and largely rebuilt in the 16th century. Medieval walling and two 13th-century windows remain, and there is a graveyard to the south.
**Robersonville Primitive Baptist Church** - National Register of Historic Places Ref # 05000322, date listed 2005-04-20
107 N. Outterbridge St.
Robersonville, NC (Martin County)
Robersonville Primitive Baptist Church (ca. 1910) stands at Academy and Outterbridge streets' southwest comer, its front elevation approximately thirty feet from Outterbridge Street's curb. Robersonville Primitive Baptist Church's two founding members, M. T. Lawrence and Stephen W. Outterbridge, were both active members of the Kehukee Association, northeastern North Carolina's consortium of Baptist meeting houses formed in 1765.
The Kehukee churches generally shared the Calvinistic views of their eighteenth-century predecessors, the Particular Baptists. By 1910, many of the Kehukee Association's confrontational issues-particularly, the 1820s-1830s schism that led to this branch being called Primitive Baptist-had been put to rest. Consequently, the Association and its satellite churches had enjoyed nearly eighty years of solidarity. Unlike Missionary Baptist churches or other variations of the Baptist persuasion, Primitive Baptists did not support mission societies, or Sunday schools, the latter of which became more powerful in the late nineteenth century and instigated many church design changes.
As few other denominations can claim, nineteenth- and early twentieth-century meeting houses established by Primitive Baptists throughout North Carolina, as well as other parts of the South and Midwest, convincingly connect form with function. Eschewing worldly things, a Primitive Baptist meeting house, with its plain, front-gable form and double entrances, is the outward and visible sign of an intrinsic practicality where, though loved for its connection to earlier generations and its place as a sanctuary, the building is, nevertheless, a means to an end. In the words of a Primitive Baptist, "This is a building: we are the church." (1)
References (1) NRHP Nomination Form files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/MT0012.pdf
The misty weather today was still hanging around a little by my lunch break, so I took this shot of the dew on the bush on my front drive. As soon as I took the first shot I was struck by how pretty the plant is when you look closely, and yet I am currently saving up to have this removed and a new drive put in - its amazing how little attention I pay to beautiful things around me when I am thinking of practicalities lol :-)
If your visiting Dunnottar Castle be aware there are hundreds of steps going down the steep cliff to access the site , I have captured them as best I could in this panorama I took on Friday 17th May 2019.
Dunnottar Castle.
The rock the Castle sits upon was forced to the surface 440 million years ago during the Silurian period. A red rock conglomerate with boulders up to 1m across known as Pudding Stone is incredibly durable.
The ancient Highland rock pebbles and cementing matter is so tough that faults or cracks pass through the pebbles themselves.
I first visited Dunnottar Castle summer 2017, this magnificent castle sits high on a hill, last time I visited I captured my shots from the cliffs overlooking the site, though today I made the journey up the hill and entered the castle walls , wow what a magnificent experience, just perfect with loads of great photo opportunities to capture real Scottish history,after two hours wandering around and capturing as many shots that caught my eye , I made my way home, a magnificent experience indeed.
Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, "fort on the shelving slope" is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Stonehaven.
The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength. Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell's invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715.
The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.
The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 50 metres (160 ft) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse.
The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site are listed buildings.
History
Early Middle Ages
A chapel at Dunnottar is said to have been founded by St Ninian in the 5th century, although it is not clear when the site was first fortified, but in any case the legend is late and highly implausible. Possibly the earliest written reference to the site is found in the Annals of Ulster which record two sieges of "Dún Foither" in 681 and 694.
The earlier event has been interpreted as an attack by Brude, the Pictish king of Fortriu, to extend his power over the north-east coast of Scotland. The Scottish Chronicle records that King Domnall II, the first ruler to be called rí Alban (King of Alba), was killed at Dunnottar during an attack by Vikings in 900. King Aethelstan of Wessex led a force into Scotland in 934, and raided as far north as Dunnottar according to the account of Symeon of Durham. W. D. Simpson speculated that a motte might lie under the present caste, but excavations in the 1980s failed to uncover substantive evidence of early medieval fortification.
The discovery of a group of Pictish stones at Dunnicaer, a nearby sea stack, has prompted speculation that "Dún Foither" was actually located on the adjacent headland of Bowduns, 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to the north.
Later Middle Ages
During the reign of King William the Lion (ruled 1165–1214) Dunnottar was a center of local administration for The Mearns. The castle is named in the Roman de Fergus, an early 13th-century Arthurian romance, in which the hero Fergus must travel to Dunnottar to retrieve a magic shield.
In May 1276 a church on the site was consecrated by William Wishart, Bishop of St Andrews. The poet Blind Harry relates that William Wallace captured Dunnottar from the English in 1297, during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He is said to have imprisoned 4,000 defeated English soldiers in the church and burned them alive.
In 1336 Edward III of England ordered William Sinclair, 8th Baron of Roslin, to sail eight ships to the partially ruined Dunnottar for the purpose of rebuilding and fortifying the site as a forward resupply base for his northern campaign. Sinclair took with him 160 soldiers, horses, and a corps of masons and carpenters.
Edward himself visited in July, but the English efforts were undone before the end of the year when the Scottish Regent Sir Andrew Murray led a force that captured and again destroyed the defences of Dunnottar.
In the 14th century Dunnottar was granted to William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland (d.1370), and in 1346 a licence to crenellate was issued by David II. Around 1359 William Keith, Marischal of Scotland, married Margaret Fraser, niece of Robert the Bruce, and was granted the barony of Dunnottar at this time. Keith then gave the lands of Dunnottar to his daughter Christian and son-in-law William Lindsay of Byres, but in 1392 an excambion (exchange) was agreed whereby Keith regained Dunnottar and Lindsay took lands in Fife.
William Keith completed construction of the tower house at Dunnottar, but was excommunicated for building on the consecrated ground associated with the parish church. Keith had provided a new parish church closer to Stonehaven, but was forced to write to the Pope, Benedict XIII, who issued a bull in 1395 lifting the excommunication.William Keith's descendents were created Earls Marischal in the mid 15th century, and they held Dunottar until the 18th century.
16th century rebuilding
Through the 16th century the Keiths improved and expanded their principal seats: at Dunnottar and also at Keith Marischal in East Lothian. James IV visited Dunnottar in 1504, and in 1531 James V exempted the Earl's men from military service on the grounds that Dunnottar was one of the "principall strenthis of our realme".
Mary, Queen of Scots, visited in 1562 after the Battle of Corrichie, and returned in 1564.
James VI stayed for 10 days in 1580, as part of a progress through Fife and Angus, during which a meeting of the Privy Council was convened at Dunnottar.
During a rebellion of Catholic nobles in 1592, Dunnottar was captured by a Captain Carr on behalf of the Earl of Huntly, but was restored to Lord Marischal just a few weeks later.
In 1581 George Keith succeeded as 5th Earl Marischal, and began a large scale reconstruction that saw the medieval fortress converted into a more comfortable home. The founder of Marischal College in Aberdeen, the 5th Earl valued Dunnottar as much for its dramatic situation as for its security.
A "palace" comprising a series of ranges around a quadrangle was built on the north-eastern cliffs, creating luxurious living quarters with sea views. The 13th-century chapel was restored and incorporated into the quadrangle.
An impressive stone gatehouse was constructed, now known as Benholm's Lodging, featuring numerous gun ports facing the approach. Although impressive, these are likely to have been fashionable embellishments rather than genuine defensive features.
Civil wars
Further information: Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
In 1639 William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal, came out in support of the Covenanters, a Presbyterian movement who opposed the established Episcopal Church and the changes which Charles I was attempting to impose. With James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, he marched against the Catholic James Gordon, 2nd Viscount Aboyne, Earl of Huntly, and defeated an attempt by the Royalists to seize Stonehaven. However, when Montrose changed sides to the Royalists and marched north, Marischal remained in Dunnottar, even when given command of the area by Parliament, and even when Montrose burned Stonehaven.
Marischal then joined with the Engager faction, who had made a deal with the king, and led a troop of horse to the Battle of Preston (1648) in support of the royalists.
Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Engagers gave their allegiance to his son and heir: Charles II was proclaimed king, arriving in Scotland in June 1650. He visited Dunnottar in July 1650, but his presence in Scotland prompted Oliver Cromwell to lead a force into Scotland, defeating the Scots at Dunbar in September 1650.
The Honours of Scotland
Charles II was crowned at Scone Palace on 1 January 1651, at which the Honours of Scotland (the regalia of crown, sword and sceptre) were used. However, with Cromwell's troops in Lothian, the honours could not be returned to Edinburgh. The Earl Marischal, as Marischal of Scotland, had formal responsibility for the honours, and in June the Privy Council duly decided to place them at Dunnottar.
They were brought to the castle by Katherine Drummond, hidden in sacks of wool. Sir George Ogilvie (or Ogilvy) of Barras was appointed lieutenant-governor of the castle, and given responsibility for its defence.
In November 1651 Cromwell's troops called on Ogilvie to surrender, but he refused. During the subsequent blockade of the castle, the removal of the Honours of Scotland was planned by Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Sir George Ogilvie, and Christian Fletcher, wife of James Granger, minister of Kinneff Parish Church. The king's papers were first removed from the castle by Anne Lindsay, a kinswoman of Elizabeth Douglas, who walked through the besieging force with the papers sewn into her clothes.
Two stories exist regarding the removal of the honours themselves. Fletcher stated in 1664 that over the course of three visits to the castle in February and March 1652, she carried away the crown, sceptre, sword and sword-case hidden amongst sacks of goods. Another account, given in the 18th century by a tutor to the Earl Marischal, records that the honours were lowered from the castle onto the beach, where they were collected by Fletcher's servant and carried off in a creel (basket) of seaweed. Having smuggled the honours from the castle, Fletcher and her husband buried them under the floor of the Old Kirk at Kinneff.
Meanwhile, by May 1652 the commander of the blockade, Colonel Thomas Morgan, had taken delivery of the artillery necessary for the reduction of Dunnottar. Ogilvie surrendered on 24 May, on condition that the garrison could go free. Finding the honours gone, the Cromwellians imprisoned Ogilvie and his wife in the castle until the following year, when a false story was put about suggesting that the honours had been taken overseas.
Much of the castle property was removed, including twenty-one brass cannons,[28] and Marischal was required to sell further lands and possessions to pay fines imposed by Cromwell's government.
At the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the honours were removed from Kinneff Church and returned to the king. Ogilvie quarrelled with Marischal's mother over who would take credit for saving the honours, though he was eventually rewarded with a baronetcy. Fletcher was awarded 2,000 merks by Parliament but the sum was never paid.
Whigs and Jacobites
Religious and political conflicts continued to be played out at Dunnottar through the 17th and early 18th centuries. In 1685, during the rebellion of the Earl of Argyll against the new king James VII, 167 Covenanters were seized and held in a cellar at Dunnottar. The prisoners included 122 men and 45 women associated with the Whigs, an anti-Royalist group within the Covenanter movement, and had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the new king.
The Whigs were imprisoned from 24 May until late July. A group of 25 escaped, although two of these were killed in a fall from the cliffs, and another 15 were recaptured. Five prisoners died in the vault, and 37 of the Whigs were released after taking the oath of allegiance.
The remaining prisoners were transported to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as part of a colonisation scheme devised by George Scot of Pitlochie. Many, like Scot himself, died on the voyage.
The cellar, located beneath the "King's Bedroom" in the 16th-century castle buildings, has since become known as the "Whigs' Vault".
Both the Jacobites (supporters of the exiled Stuarts) and the Hanoverians (supporters of George I and his descendents) used Dunnottar Castle. In 1689 during Viscount Dundee's campaign in support of the deposed James VII, the castle was garrisoned for William and Mary with Lord Marischal appointed captain.
Seventeen suspected Jacobites from Aberdeen were seized and held in the fortress for around three weeks, including George Liddell, professor of mathematics at Marischal College.
In the Jacobite Rising of 1715 George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, took an active role with the rebels, leading cavalry at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. After the subsequent abandonment of the rising Lord Marischal fled to the Continent, eventually becoming French ambassador for Frederick the Great of Prussia. Meanwhile, in 1716, his titles and estates including Dunnottar were declared forfeit to the crown.
Later history
The seized estates of the Earl Marischal were purchased in 1720 for £41,172, by the York Buildings Company who dismantled much of the castle.
In 1761 the Earl briefly returned to Scotland and bought back Dunnottar only to sell it five years later to Alexander Keith, an Edinburgh lawyer who served as Knight Marischal of Scotland.
Dunnottar was inherited in 1852 by Sir Patrick Keith-Murray of Ochtertyre, who in turn sold it in July 1873 to Major Alexander Innes of Cowie and Raemoir for about £80,000.
It was purchased by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray, in 1925 after which his wife embarked on a programme of repairs.
Since that time the castle has remained in the family, and has been open to the public, attracting 52,500 visitors in 2009.
Dunnottar Castle, and the headland on which is stands, was designated as a scheduled monument in 1970.In 1972 twelve of the structures at Dunnottar were listed.
Three buildings are listed at category A as being of "national importance": the keep; the entrance gateway; and Benholm's Lodging.
The remaining listings are at category B as being of "regional importance".[39] The Hon. Charles Anthony Pearson, the younger son of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray, currently owns and runs Dunnottar Castle which is part of the 210-square-kilometre (52,000-acre) Dunecht Estates.
Portions of the 1990 film Hamlet, starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close, were shot there.
Description
Dunnottar's strategic location allowed its owners to control the coastal terrace between the North Sea cliffs and the hills of the Mounth, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) inland, which enabled access to and from the north-east of Scotland.
The site is accessed via a steep, 800-metre (2,600 ft) footpath (with modern staircases) from a car park on the coastal road, or via a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) cliff-top path from Stonehaven. Dunnottar's several buildings, put up between the 13th and 17th centuries, are arranged across a headland covering around 1.4 hectares (3.5 acres).
The dominant building, viewed from the land approach, is the 14th-century keep or tower house. The other principal buildings are the gatehouse; the chapel; and the 16th-century "palace" which incorporates the "Whigs' Vault".
Defences
The approach to the castle is overlooked by outworks on the "Fiddle Head", a promontory on the western side of the headland. The entrance is through the well-defended main gate, set in a curtain wall which entirely blocks a cleft in the rocky cliffs.
The gate has a portcullis and has been partly blocked up. Alongside the main gate is the 16th-century Benholm's Lodging, a five-storey building cut into the rock, which incorporated a prison with apartments above.
Three tiers of gun ports face outwards from the lower floors of Benholm's Lodging, while inside the main gate, a group of four gun ports face the entrance. The entrance passage then turns sharply to the left, running underground through two tunnels to emerge near the tower house.
Simpson contends that these defences are "without exception the strongest in Scotland", although later writers have doubted the effectiveness of the gun ports. Cruden notes that the alignment of the gun ports in Benholm's Lodging, facing across the approach rather than along, means that they are of limited efficiency.
The practicality of the gun ports facing the entrance has also been questioned, though an inventory of 1612 records that four brass cannons were placed here.
A second access to the castle leads up from a rocky cove, the aperture to a marine cave on the northern side of the Dunnottar cliffs into which a small boat could be brought. From here a steep path leads to the well-fortified postern gate on the cliff top, which in turn offers access to the castle via the Water Gate in the palace.
Artillery defences, taking the form of earthworks, surround the north-west corner of the castle, facing inland, and the south-east, facing seaward. A small sentry box or guard house stands by the eastern battery, overlooking the coast.
Tower house and surrounding buildings
The tower house of Dunnottar, viewed from the west
The late 14th-century tower house has a stone-vaulted basement, and originally had three further storeys and a garret above.
Measuring 12 by 11 metres (39 by 36 ft), the tower house stood 15 metres (49 ft) high to its gable. The principal rooms included a great hall and a private chamber for the lord, with bedrooms upstairs.
Beside the tower house is a storehouse, and a blacksmith's forge with a large chimney. A stable block is ranged along the southern edge of the headland. Nearby is Waterton's Lodging, also known as the Priest's House, built around 1574, possibly for the use of William Keith (died 1580), son of the 4th Earl Marischal.
This small self-contained house includes a hall and kitchen at ground level, with private chambers above, and has a projecting spiral stair on the north side. It is named for Thomas Forbes of Waterton, an attendant of the 7th Earl.
The palace
The palace, to the north-east of the headland, was built in the late 16th century and early to mid-17th century. It comprises three main wings set out around a quadrangle, and for the most part is probably the work of the 5th Earl Marischal who succeeded in 1581.
It provided extensive and comfortable accommodation to replace the rooms in the tower house. In its long, low design it has been compared to contemporary English buildings, in contrast to the Scottish tradition of taller towers still prevalent in the 16th century.
Seven identical lodgings are arranged along the west range, each opening onto the quadrangle and including windows and fireplace. Above the lodgings the west range comprised a 35-metre (115 ft) gallery. Now roofless, the gallery originally had an elaborate oak ceiling, and on display was a Roman tablet taken from the Antonine Wall.
At the north end of the gallery was a drawing room linked to the north range. The gallery could also be accessed from the Silver House to the south, which incorporated a broad stairway with a treasury above.
The basement of the north range incorporates kitchens and stores, with a dining room and great chamber above. At ground floor level is the Water Gate, between the north and west ranges, which gives access to the postern on the northern cliffs.
The east and north ranges are linked via a rectangular stair. The east range has a larder, brewhouse and bakery at ground level, with a suite of apartments for the Countess above. A north-east wing contains the Earl's apartments, and includes the "King's Bedroom" in which Charles II stayed. In this room is a carved stone inscribed with the arms of the 7th Earl and his wife, and the date 1654. Below these rooms is the Whigs' Vault, a cellar measuring 16 by 4.5 metres (52 by 15 ft). This cellar, in which the Covenanters were held in 1685, has a large eastern window, as well as a lower vault accessed via a trap-door in the floor.
Of the chambers in the palace, only the dining room and the Silver House remain roofed, having been restored in the 1920s. The central area contains a circular cistern or fish pond, 16 metres (52 ft) across and 7.6 metres (25 ft) deep, and a bowling green is located to the west.
At the south-east corner of the quadrangle is the chapel, consecrated in 1276 and largely rebuilt in the 16th century. Medieval walling and two 13th-century windows remain, and there is a graveyard to the south.
clever title eh? well, sometimes ya got it and sometimes ya don't. these are the most comfy socks ever! and because they're sports socks they stay up amazingly well. beauty + practicality = love~
GOAL. :-)
WEEK 13 – Cordova Super Target Closing, Set VI
(cont.) Indeed, unless Target simply was being blindly optimistic or something, I can’t imagine that they ever thought the front end – or the 22 (!) registers – would ever actually catch the enormous crowd they seemed to have been designed for. Rather, my opinion is that they purposefully designed it to be huge for the reaction, not for practicality purposes. I mean, it does elicit a breathtaking reaction, doesn’t it? So there… goal achieved!
(c) 2020 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)
A month ago, Project Olga (my 2004 Lada 112 1.5 Li) was put on hold, due to a failed MOT involving some poor repair jobs done to the subframe/floor pan. For the time being, my Lada is now sitting at my aunt’s house temporarily whilst I figure out a way to deal with Olga.
In the meantime, I still fancied a secondary car which would be practical, interesting and a little bit quirky. Buying a car from an auction is always going to be fraught with dangers, however at the right price, you can get yourself something truly amazing. Me and my friend/business partner had been watching the online auction at Bridlington Motor Auction, where this car had been on the auction circuit for a while. After a few failed attempts at obtaining the car in prior weeks, just out of sheer curiosity, we managed to win the car, at the very respectable price of £350 (plus auction fees of course).
So what had we won?
Meet Cheddar, A 2000 Honda HR-V 3-door 1.6 4WD Auto, finished in Fresh Copper Metallic. My new second car, which I'll use as a bit of a fun and practical car, carting around our dog and shopping, whilst my Saab remains my more long-distance and comfy car.
I went to pick up the Honda the day after from the auction place, and it didn’t go off to a great start as the car immediately ran out of fuel. It however ran out of fuel rather conveniently 100m away from a petrol station, although I had to negotiate a double roundabout. Fortunately, some members of the public helped me push the car onto the petrol station forecourt. After a splash of fuel, he leaped back into life. The drive back to York was so much fun!
With anything in life, there are pros and cons, and with this Honda, despite the bulletproof reliability I hope to have with him, there are a few issues. Chief among which includes a blowing exhaust, which when paired with Honda’s Multimatic S CVT transmission, does make the car sound like a low-powered moped. Moreover, the driver-side window has come off its mounts, so I can’t lower the window. Most issues for this car are pretty easy fixes though.
However, the pros are plentiful with Cheddar. I simply love the colour and ‘Tonka Toy’ looks of the car, with the chunkier tyres, bright colour options and that spoiler with the 3rd brake-light integration that my example has. The interior features a lot of blue shades, including the seats, dashboard and instrument cluster dials. Visibility from the driver’s seat is also plentiful, plus the car is simply a doddle to drive, 21 years later. I also like the originality of this car, despite having zero service history, with the original dealer-inscripted plates and rear window sticker, suggesting the car was originally sold at Ash Honda of Dorchester, Dorset (JT is a code used in nearby Bournemouth). Although the rear plate is a later example, it’s still sourced from the same dealer, whilst the front plate is the original one, with the older plate font, and original Euroband.
I have always found this shape of HR-V very interesting. They were never common in the UK, despite the fact that the HR-V pretty much started the whole ‘crossover’-phase, which a decade later would completely take-over car sales here, with the likes of Nissan’s best-selling Qashqai/Juke. The 3-door HR-V was certainly my favourite of the offerings, despite it being somewhat less popular due to practicality (people preferred having the extra doors/longer wheelbase of the 5-door model, so much so that the 3-door was discontinued in 2003).
Honda marketed the HR-V as ‘The Joy Machine’, and everytime I’m behind the wheel of it, I can totally understand why!
Bridlington, East Yorkshire, United Kingdom
“SPS CONSTRUCTION: SECOND PASS”
No signature. Craig Kavafes?
Fortunately, the image is in Fig. 2 of the following, a 1980 paper entitled “SPECIFIC SPS CONSTRUCTION STUDIES: CONSTRUCTION TASKS-CONSTRUCTION BASE”, by Ronald W. McCaffrey, Grumman Aerospace Corporation, Bethpage, N.Y.
The scale & enormity of the proposed concept is mind boggling…no wonder it was never built, despite the envisioned utopian energy end state.
“ABSTRACT
This paper discusses a concept for building the 5000 MW reference Solar Power Satellite in earth orbit, based on recent work performed for NASA/JSC under contract to Boeing, on the SPS System Definition Study, and on related work performed under Grumman IRAD.
INTRODUCTION
Several concepts have been recently described on how to build the Solar Power Satellite (SPS) in space. These concepts entail fabrication and assembly of the entire satellite in geostationary earth orbit (GEO), at 35,800 km altitude, as well as partial construction at an intermediate low earth orbit (LEO) followed by final assembly in GEO. A concept for building the entire 5000 MW reference satellite in GEO is discussed below. Construction base operations needed to produce one SPS every six months are described and areas for near term technology development are identified.
GEO CONSTRUCTION BASE
The GEO Base concept shown in Fig. I was developed to build the 5000 MW reference SPS system, which uses silicon solar cells with no concentration. This 4 Bay End Builder construction base was selected for further definition in the Phase 2 study because it offered greater production capability than other concepts investigated in Phase I. The GEO construction base is configured to avoid free flying facilities and/or assembly methods. As a result, the base has contiguous facilities for concurrent assembly and subsequent mating of the satellite energy conversion system and its power transmission antenna.
The overall base is 3.44 km wide x 3.65 km long x 0.9 km deep. The base structure serves as an assembly jig which houses the required construction equipment and supports the emerging satellite during all phases of construction. The top deck of the GEO base, level J, provides facilities for cargo docking/unloading and distribution, crew quarters, command and control operations, orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) docking and servicing, and SPS maintenance support complex. Base electrical power and flight control subsystems are also provided so that all work facilities and crew support facilities can operate, as needed.
GEO CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS
The personnel needed to activate the 4 Bay End Builder Construction Base must travel first by means of the Shuttle to LEO and finally, by means of an orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) which operates from the LEO base.
The 4 Bay End Builder Base assembles the 5 GW reference Solar Power Satellite entirely in geosynchronous orbit, as shown by the construction sequence shown in Fig. 2.
[OF WHICH THE POSTED PHOTO IS A PART OF]
The 8 bay wide satellite energy conversion system is constructed in two successive passes on one side of the base, while the microwave antenna is assembled on the other side of the base. During the first construction pass, the GEO base builds one-half of the energy conversion system, a 4 bay wide strip by 16 bays long. When this part of the satellite has been constructed, the base is indexed back along the edge of the structure to the first end frame. During the second construction pass [THE POSTED PHOTO], the remaining 4 bay wide strip is attached directly to the assembled satellite systems. Throughout the construction operation, SPS construction materials and components will be delivered by large electrical orbital transfer vehicles (EOTV). These vehicles will station-keep at least 1 km away, while special cargo tugs transfer material pallets. GEO base crews will, of course, also be rotated as needed. At the end of the second pass, the base is then indexed sideward to mate the antenna with the center line of the energy conversion system. After final test and check out, the base separates from the satellite and is transferred to the next orbital position for SPS construction.
The reference scenario requires that one 5 GW satellite is to be constructed every six months for 30 years. In order to carry out this program, nearly 450 space workers would be needed on two daily shifts (10 hours each) to perform construction, base support, maintenance, safety and base management operations.
BASE CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM
The end builder construction system described above uses ten synchronized beam machines to automatically fabricate continuous longitudinal beams for the energy conversion system. Lateral and diagonal members of the structural assembly are fabricated with three mobile beam builder substations. The assembly sequence, as shown in Fig. 3, begins with assembly of the first end frame and its attachment to the longitudinal members. This frame is automatically indexed away as the synchronized beam builders fabricate the required length of longitudinal beam to complete the structural bay. During these operations, solar array blankets and power busses are installed in parallel. For example, Fig. 4 shows how the solar array blankets might be temporarily anchored to the base so that they can be automatically deployed during longitudinal beam building operations. The illustration also shows two cherry pickers prepared to handle and connect opposite ends of a 667.5 m solar array support beam to the SPS frame after it emerges from the 12.7 m beam builder.
NEAR TERM TECHNOLOGY EMPHASIS
Constructing the large skeletal structure of the energy conversion system (5.35 km x I0.78 km x 0.47 km), including the installation and check out of its subsystems, will not be an easy task. While plausible concepts have been derived and limited development work has been started on auto-fabrication, a great deal of additional analysis and technology development work needs to be done before we can have confidence in the practicality of this process. For example, future dynamic analysis of the satellite construction process may show that some techniques can impose stringent load conditions on the elements of the satellite, while other techniques do not. As the reference SPS concept matures, all aspects of the construction approach must be analyzed further and periodically re-examined by considering technology issues related to the satellite design, orbit construction location, base facilities, crew and operations. These efforts should also be supported by laboratory investigations of SPS construction issues related to structural fabrication and assembly, construction support and subsystems assembly methods. This effort should be focused on developing technology which can lead toward SPS beam builders, SPS beam handling, subsystem assembly, mating of large space structures and techniques for deploying/installing SPS non-structural subsystems. Subscale prototype demonstrations should be used, wherever practical.”
At:
ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19820014858
Additional pertinent reading, to include the image:
nss.org/wp-content/uploads/SSP-Boeing-CR160480-1979-Phase...
Credit: NSS website
"Practicality outdated and unfashionable has yielded to vanity . But Dang we will look good doin it " is a short excerpt from my blog bobgala.com/blog/ you can also follow on facebook here www.facebook.com/BobGalaPhotography ...Strobist SB800 fired by Nikon CLS through umbrella camera left