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New Picture Album - From scenes like these...

As I said in my previous post today, I have just returned from a 'wee trip' up to Gairloch in Wester Ross, here in Scotland.

Sunday was indeed a 'day of rest', spent in the village and visiting Inverewe Gardens. However, the rest of the time was spent touring around a much larger area. Over the five days in excess of 800 pictures were snapped, a sampler of which can be found under the Photo Album section on this page (see "From Scenes like these..." under 'Photo Albums', at lower left.)

For those who didn't manage to 'get away' this year, perhaps the pics will make you feel like a wee visit to Bonnie Scotland.

Just remember where we are if you do visit!

From scenes like these, old Scotia's grandeur springs 
That makes her lov'd at home, rever'd abroad: 
Princes and lords are but the breath of kings, 
'An honest man's the noblest work of God'; 

from 'The Cotter's Saturday Night" - Robert Burns.

Peace be with you!

"... a time to every purpose under the heaven".

Well, What a summer that was. Where have the days gone?

The Olympics were absolutely wonderful and even had those of us who like to take life at a more leisurely pace on the edge of our seats as people from every corner of the world tried to force the limit of what we, mere mortals, can do with what we have been given. Truly amazing!

I personally have just tried to push the frontiers of how much of Scotland I can see in five days. We managed to cover 1005 miles in that time and still take over 800 photographs in some of the most wonderful scenery in the world and most of them enhanced by glorious sunshine.
Just a pity about the midge bites suffered in getting them!!!

Again, as we travelled those miles, it was fantastic to see and hear so many visitors from places all over the world.

However, an encounter that shows just how small the world has become, happened at the top of  the Bealach na Bà (Pass of the Cattle), the old drovers road that runs between Kishorn and Applecross in Wester Ross, reaching a height of over 2000 feet in the process (click on pic for larger view). I was just returning to our car at the very small car park at the summit, when I noticed a chap getting out of his. It looked very much like someone who I had worked with on several projects over the the years, but, who works out of our office in Crawley, England.

"John?" I enquired.

No answer.

John Smith? I tried again.

To my pleasant surprise he turned round and immediately said,

"Tom! What are you doing here?"

Add to that, other meetings over the years...
Another colleague from my office who I met in a deserted car park in a small village in the west of France, while on a touring holiday.
People we knew from Clydebank and met on the observation deck at the top of the Twin Towers in New York (just 9 months before they came down!).

With our World 'shrinking' to the stage where we can meet each other so easily, what a pity that we cannot get on with those around us and simply 'live and let live', without all the fussing and fighting.