View allAll Photos Tagged trappingtones
Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
I have a couple of local places, around a 3 mile walk after work. On this occasion it was a full on storm last week, howling wind and passing rain bursts. All happening at sunset. Well an hour before sunset, the sunset didn’t really happen, so it just goes to show all times of the day is a good time. I hope you like this shot, it’s one of my local favs, well one of my favs for this year.
Its taken me weeks of visiting this spot for the conditions to be what i wanted. Coupled with a few times when i just couldn't get out of bed - i know lazy! Got there this morning and it was perfect.
Lee .6 ND Grad
Spynie Palace was for 500 years the seat of the bishops of Moray. During that time, the palace stood on the edge of Spynie Loch, a sea loch with safe anchorage for fishing boats and merchant vessels. A thriving settlement developed nearby.
Today, nothing remains of either sea loch or medieval settlement. But the impressive ruin of Spynie Palace is the largest surviving medieval bishop’s house in Scotland.
Last light. North Berwick ... I have no brushes to paint colour in my life....
Trapped with nowhere to go, so many lives changing beyond their control,
Etching this deep pain in the bottom of one’s soul.
While the string pullers crack their whips,
and in doing so control the ebb and flow…
Could we somehow escape; eventually make our way out,
Us the conditioned, concerned, worried, those filled with doubt.
Most not able to express the way they even feel,
let alone see their loved ones for a hug or share a meal.
Tears not visible, silent screams that no one can hear.
They try to speak but there’s nobody to hear….
Emotional pain, grips during the day and through into night,
Leaving many depleted with no strength to fight.
It’s for our own good our masters chant every single day as our minds get darker just like just like the midnight tide as it slowly slips quietly away ….
…."Give me back my brushes"...I desperately say.....
Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
A perfect spring evening spent on the Dorset Coast. Brandy Bay is about a mile West of Kimmeridge and is accessible the the tide is out.
I had the opportunity to get away for a couple of days and explore areas that I had never taken images of before. This location is now easily one of my favourites. There wasn't much detail in the sky but it didn’t matter because nothing could have taken my focus off the textures of these amazing rock formations.
I hadn't visited this area for six years. Glad I finally made it back. Kinda tough spot to get to, but worth the effort, especially after rains create these great puddles for reflections.
Whenever Kay and I go out shooting, Kay usually runs around taking cool pictures with her cell phone, while I'm fussing over one particular shot.
On this day, while I was set up really low trying to get a reflection picture of this great mountain in a tiny puddle, Kay called for me to join her. I yelled back that I'd be there in a minute because I was trying to get a reflection in this puddle. Kay yelled back "Forget the puddle."
When I joined her she showed me this. Always listen to your wife.
This truly felt like a journey to another planet. The size of this crater was incredible. We were told you could fit all of Manhattan inside of it.
As we watched the sunrise a small group of native Hawaiians chanted. They told us the chant was a prayer meant to ask forgiveness from those we have harmed and release any grudges we've been holding. It was a spiritual experience.
Endurance - There were several great trees on Windy Ridge. This one was the most unique. I loved the bare, twisted trunk. I caught this just before all the color left the sky.
The Split Point lighthouse at Aireys Inlet is always a wonderful subject to photograph from different perspectives. This image was taken just before a storm hit the area, luckily made it back to the car just before it pelted down.
I haven't been able to post much lately, but today I had a little time to revisit some past adventures.
This is a beautiful walk day or night.
I love these moments at Garden of the Gods, when sunlight first shines through the opening between the spires. A very nice moment of tranquility during turbulent times.
American Basin was the most beautiful I've ever seen it this year. Every variety of wildflower seemed to be at the very peak of bloom while we were there.
We stayed for last light on the peaks, which resulted in having to drive a section of Cinnamon Pass in the dark, but it was worth it.
String Lake and Leigh Lake are both beautiful. One thing I really enjoyed were the completely different scenes offered by each small beach between the foliage. A walk of 100 yards gave me a feeling of being at a completely different lake.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
The ancestral seat of the earls of Moray
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
A new stronghold
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.
Every time I visit Oxbow Bend, I see a few pelicans in this same spot. First reaction is frustration, because they can mess up a perfect reflection, but they are beautiful, large birds, so in this case, I just switched my shooting mode, popped on a longer lens and captured one gracefully swimming across the scene.
This photo seemed appropriate today because we have begun talking about a path out of these challenging times. The path is narrow but defined by beams of light.
Part of my 'Duffus Castle through the seasons' project.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
The 4WD trail to Yankee Boy Basin was quite the challenge. I was kinda proud of myself and Wanda (my 4Runner) when we made it all the way to the top.
The payoff was the wildflowers were blooming and the light softened on and off for us. Overall, lots of fun.
The geology of Pembrokeshire provides amazing images. This was taken on the cliffs of the Army Training Area, not visited often it is a real treat to have to yourself.
Chapel in Fall - We had a fun time in Grand Teton National Park the past week. Fall colors were at peak, but there were a couple days of thick smoke from nearby fires. Sunset light lit up these autumn aspens and framed this little chapel beautifully. It was a nice surprise to see the little bird sitting atop the cross too.