Daer Water Clyde

Here is the source of the Clyde, Daer Water in the Lowther Hills. The area was well known for the purity of its gold, some of which was used in the Scottish Crown Jewels. The area is being re-forested - but I like it the way it is. The local hamlet has 4 farm houses and one school which recently closed as it only had one pupil.

 I love remote places. This is the string of small islands on Lough Corrib, County Galway,  known as the Fudgies. Early May and 28 C. No jet vapour trails due to the Icelandic volcano eruption. This is a very special place to which I have been returning every year for the last 10 years. A place that has a real hold on me.

Snake's Head Fritillaries used to be fairly common in England, before the second world war. TE Lawrence, William Tyndale, Oscar Wilde and Erwin Schrodinger would all have stood where I was today, looking across Magdalen Meadows.

The day was heavy with rain and storms,

I had stood by many a forgotten grave.

Weathered stones and crosses, faded wreaths,

the names overgrown, scarcely to be read.

From a song by Brahms, from a poem by Liliencron - "Auf dem Kirchhofe"

Cat, Porto shop keeper and Graffiti

Porto is a scruffy city, but not without its charms.

Alpine mountaineer and moon

Took this shot as we trudged up the slopes towards Auguille de Sialouze in the Massif des Ecrins, Southern French Alps. It was a very cold night and magical.

fly fisher, river Bulll, Canada

Fly-fishing for Cutt-throat trout. No- one within miles except my fishing partner and me. Slept out and dined on barbecue trout and a bottle of Chablis. Perfect.