The Scottish National Gallery

We were hoping to see some of the Scottish painter Henry Raeburn's works here and we were not disappointed.

One of Gek's commissions for the Upton House  'Made to Measure' project is Raeburn's The MacDonald Boys. Unfortunately, the original painting has yet to be cleaned and despite our best efforts we cannot make out the detail in the right-hand bottom corner of the work. Perhaps this image may help?

A painting that caught my eye was this by Wilem van Haecht, not just for the detailed images of other artists works in miniature but also,

because of this.  In the doorway you can see donkey-headed men, or are they dog-headed, smashing up art works.  Bit of a grouse?

Canaletto. You have to be impressed by the detail here, as on all his work.  A snap shot of his time.

Edinburgh

Our host and hostess, Dorothy and Colin, for our stay in the city. Some of Dorothy's art work on the wall behind.

First day, a visit to Holyrood Park to climb the escarpment,

for a castle view.

 And, of course, the house

The unfinished Parthenon, hence one of the city's nicknames, Athens of the North. Auld Reekie was another, but thankfully this does not apply today.

Along the Royal mile

 to see the sites etc associated with the Enlightenment,

with my uni friends Richard and Jackie.

Beauly Firth

 After a visit to Culloden Moor

J & M took us for a drive around the firth,

with a couple of photo opportunity stops on the way.

Here the bridge between the Beauly and the Moray Firths, Inverness on the right out of picture.

Inverness

John and Mary, our friends from our Mongolian days

Made me smile, this image.

Castle view.

Surprise, surprise.  In J & M's house two Queen Anne Chairs!!! John makes garden furniture from old whisky barrels, which in my excitement, I omitted to picture. Also, he has made a shed to his own design from 'scrapped' oak.

Aviemore

At  2,500 feet the weather was a bit changeable this day, with a cold wind,

so we decamped to the Findhorn Valley.

Over to Foyers

The drive parallel  to Loch Ness along the southern ridge.

Stunning views,

before dropping down towards the loch again and Foyers.

Fort Augustus

The end of Loch Ness and the beginning of the Caledonian Canal.

Just for confirmation.

It was quite peaceful

until this guy and his/her mate turned up. Boy was it loud. Literally hurt your ears. Why so low over a town?  Slap on wrist in order.

Quiet returns,

with a rainbow.

Farewell to Syke

Bare mountain tops.

A perfect backdrop for the Skye Bridge.

Plockton

Skye was amazingly beautiful but leave we must. On our way to Loch Ness we stopped off for lunch at this pretty place.

 After the tourists, this was all peace and quiet.

This is a sea loch.  How much longer before this is an island and then the sea floor I wonder

Spotted on the wall

of this Plockton house.  A very appropriate plaque

The Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls

 Seen at a distance. Because they resemble a kilt.

Turn 180 deg and this is what you see.

Uig and Sartle

 From the harbour wall,

and from the hill above.
 

The Quinaing.  

 Looking south down the range.

A happy booted Gek.

Armadale

 A view of Mallaig across the sound.

Well, Granddad Wilson was here --- at some time in the late 1920s. Camping.  The car is, I think, a Morris Cowley from that era. So, he and his friend J. B. drove 350 + miles to be here at Arisaig. quite a trip back then. I am guessing but J. B. must have been a friend from the Bolton Camera Club.

 Mallaig from where

 the friends took a ferry across the water to Armadale.  We didn't see this croft.

And yet another innovative selfie, here at Arisaig.