#194 MIND THE GAP

While talking about the last blog (about the birds of Scotland) my friend Dave asked when I was going to do one about bridges. I want to thank Dave for making that suggestion. It’s been fun to put this together—looking through trip albums, selecting photos, gathering information, the whole process. With everything that’s been going on, it’s taken longer than it should have, but I’m finally ready to put the post together.

Being a country with over 900 offshore islands, numerous major rivers, and uncountable burns, the countryside is replete with bridges. Some are small and inconsequential, others are majestic and iconic (like the Forth Rail Bridge), but almost all are picturesque and many have interesting histories. I’m choosing to present those photos from our trips which I like the best and I think would be interesting to many of you.

I’ll start the show with a type of bridge that sells the best when I take my photos to Highland games or Scottish festivals.

PACKHORSE BRIDGES

Carrbridge Packhorse Bridge, Carrbridge, Highlands. The bridge across the River Dulnain is one of the most visited attractions in the Cairngorm mountains. Built in 1717, it’s purpose was to allow funeral processions to access Duthil Church when the river was in spate—the bridge became locally know as the “coffin bridge.” The parapets were washed away by floods in 1839.

The current road bridge is behind the packhorse bridge from this view.

The Glenlivet Packhorse Bridge, near the Glenlivet Distillery, Highlands. This bridge is the oldest surviving structure spanning the River Livet. It was originally a three arch bridge, but the southern arch was swept away in floods of 1829.

The Roman Bridge, Glen Lyon, Perthshire. The bridge just below Allt da Ghob waterfall in Scotland’s longest glen is not really Roman at all—the Romans left Britain just after the 4th century—and the bridge was built in the 1600s or 1700s.

The Wee Bridge near Crieff, central Scotland. This bridge is one of hundreds throughout Scotland built to serve the same function, this one is just more accessible than some others.

OTHER SCOTTISH BRIDGES

 

Craigellachie (craig-al-akey) Bridge is a cast iron arch bridge over the River Spey near Aberlour in the heart of whisky and castle country. Designed by Thomas Telford (famous for the Caledonian Canal), this bridge was built between 1812 and 1814 and is a span of 151 feet.

Telford Bridge (1813) spans the River Moriston near Invermoriston village in the west highlands. Designed and constructed by civil engineer Thomas Telford during a busy time in his career.

River Tay Bridge in Dunkeld at the southern edge of the Highlands. The Tay is the longest river in Scotland and is one of the best salmon rivers in the UK. Next to the bridge over the river and into the village is Dunkeld Cathedral, once the capital of Scotland.

Skye Bridge connects the village of Kyle of Lochalsh (the mainland) to Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye (Scotland’s largest island). Before the 1640 foot bridge was built in 1995, the only way to reach Skye was by ferry from Kyle of Lochalsh or Mallaig.

General Wade’s Bridge spans the River Tay at Aberfeldy. It ws built in 1733 by Lt General George Wade as part of the Highland Military Road meant to allow quick English troop movement to control rebellious Scottish Highlanders.

The Bridge to Nowhere, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. Also known as the Gerry Bridge, this bridge spans a deep gorge overlooking Gerry Beach—one of the loveliest in the Outer Hebrides—and is 50 ft high and 100 feet long. It does lead somewhere—a parking lot.

Glen Ogle extends seven miles from Lochearnhead to Glen Dochart. The Glen Ogle Viaduct, built in 1870, was closed by Scotsrail in 1965. The twelve arch, 139 foot bridge runs along the steep eastern side of Meall Reamher and Scorrch Nuadh.

The Fairy Bridge, Isle of Skye. This bridge by Sligachan on the Isle of Skye is one of many bridges said to be a portal of the wee folk (the fairy folk) who can trick you with magic spells or reward you by granting special wishes. This particular bridge was popularized by writer Sir Walter Scott and is a favorite of clan McLeod whose home castle, Duvevan Castle, is nearby.

A FEW OTHER SCOTTISH BRIDGES

A couple of the fourteen pedestrian bridges across the River Dee between Braemar and Aberdeen.

Footbridge in the Birds of Aberfeldy.

One of the most photographed bridges in Scotland is the bridge over to Eilean Donan Castle, seen in many movies and TV shows.

NEXT: Send me any suggestions, unless you want me to tell you about my favorite short golf courses in Scotland.

August 2016: Klamath Falls, Total Eclipse, Fall Trips

It’s been a busy time with some short trips, some golf, and lots of medical concerns and tests. Now, though, it is time to get back to some writing. In this post will be commentary about a trip to Klamath Falls, Oregon, and sharing of photos from the Great American Eclipse (August 21, 2017 in case you didn’t notice the traffic jams nationwide). Finally, I’ll share photos and notes on fall trips and going back to Scotland.

At the beginning of the month, Anne and I took a several day jaunt to the Klamath Falls area to visit with my sister and her husband, Dee and Chuck Foster, and visit their children, Nathan and Jennilee, and their grandchildren, Liam and Eleanor.

View of Mt Shasta and Shastina from the Foster's home in Shastina, CA.

We managed to do some hiking and play some golf as well. Besides visiting with family we don’t get to see too often, the highlights of the trip were birds and trees. 

Curly Mt Mahogany 

On a short hike in a Klamath City park Chuck spied a Great Horned Owl in a nearby tree. 

The owl let me get quite close before giving me the evil eye as only a bird of prey can. I got several good shots and then backed respectfully away. In that park we also saw smaller birds including woodpeckers, but it was on the Running Y Resort golf course that we had our next major encounter. We flushed a golden eagle out of the brush on one hole (no photo) and watched an osprey make a unsuccessful lunge for a grey squirrel (startling, no photo). 

A couple of holes later an osprey was perched on a dead tree near the tee box. It let me get a couple of quick shots before it took flight. Despite the smoke of nearby forest fires, it was a delightful trip. As an aside, congratulation to Jennilee and Nathan for the birth of their second daughter, Audrey Elizabeth Foster (8-25-17).

Salt creek Falls was a pleasant stop on the way home.

Two and a half weeks later we, along with millions of others, watched the Great American Eclipse. Oregon was the first state in the path of totality which went clear across the country. We had plans to go to central Oregon for the show, but after hearing predictions of massive traffic jams there we decided to stay more local. We set up at Anne’s sister’s house (Charleen and Dave Hoiland) in Salem almost in the center of the path of totality—the four of us had been together for the 1979 solar eclipse (near Biggs, OR). 

We got set up on their patio with grand views east before the eclipse started. Next door (300 or so yards away) was a party organized by a local brewery—at 9:30AM not too many were going to get too rowdy even though the kegs in the barn were complementary. 

The event was different than the 1979 event—not as long or as dark—but just as awe inspiring. My pictures turned out well, but nothing can match the image in my mind of the eclipsed sun and Venus in the cold morning sky. 

We also got to experience some of the traffic jams caused by the million or so tourists who visited Oregon for the eclipse—taking back roads off back roads from Salem to Canby, a trip that normally takes 45 minutes, took two hours. We’re already thinking about the next US solar eclipse in 2024 in Texas.

Last for this post is a discussion of our fall trips, including the trip to Scotland we weren’t planning to take. Our plan most of the year has been to take a trip to the American Southwest (Moab and Santa Fe) in September instead of a second trip to Scotland. That trip is planned (see the next blog post), but something happened to our plans in the early summer. As I was researching our route from Albuqueque to Moab to Durango to Santa Fe and back to Albuquerque and the various sites along the way (rocks, rock art, churches) I got more and more uneasy—why wasn’t I planning a fall trip to Scotland? It didn’t seem natural to not be planning for Scotland. After all, we’ve been taking two trips to Scotland every year (with only a couple of exceptions) since 2001. I looked at my photos and then checked prices of air tickets—they were cheaper than they’d been in years. When Anne got home from golf that afternoon I told her we were booked on flights to Scotland in October. It will be our 30th trip to Scotland since we retired in 2000. We are now scheduled for 10 days in our Crieff home base (Merlindale B&B), two nights in lighthouse on the east coast, five days of touring to and around the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, two days of golf at Dornoch, seven days in the Highland village of Aviemore, and three days back in the Crieff/Edinburgh area. 

Why couldn’t I stay away? First, we are going because we can. Secondly, we are going because…well just look at the photos….

Quaint seaside villages like Anstruther.

A forest path in Aberfeldy.

Colorful shed in Boat of Garten.

Pittenweem is just one of several photogenic harbors near St Andrews.

Even the smallest hamlet, like Bridge of Balgie, can host an interesting tea room.

The locals are friendly.

Castles, such as Eileen Donna, can be just around a corner.

Scotland is filled with blooming heather and mountain scenery. 

Waterfalls are plentiful in Scotland. They only use a small portion of the water for their whisky.

There's a photo to be taken everyplace you look.

Scotland has interesting stories to tell--Adrvreck Castle.

Fall Colors

Great Houses

You can stay in a Stevenson built lighthouse like the one at Buchan Ness. We will.

Maybe you can trace your family roots back to a castle like Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. 

Plenty of birdlife.

The landscape is uber-dramatic, like at the Quairang on the Isle of Skye.

Cities like Edinburgh grab your attention.

Even the smallest of villages is attractive (Leadhills).

The people are fascinating.

NEXT: A report or two from Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.