The Photography of Dr. Jeff Harper

There had been some very cold nights lately and I noticed on the Internet that there had also been some snow up in the hills around Aberdeen.  It was Saturday, so why not drive out and take a look.  I had no particular plan, just my trusty GPS to get me home.

It turned out to be a fabulous day: big, fast clouds racing across the sky . . . bright splashes of sunlight racing across the landscape, and a mix of light to give me a challenge with the big camera.

Patches of blue, patches of white, patches of brown and black.  Brown patches?

Right, the patches of brown were sheep!

Scotland road B9119 winds up through Aberdeenshire toward the highlands and the royal residence of the Queen, Balmoral.  As it climbs, the snow gets deeper, and as the road falls, the snow vanishes.

I made several detours when an interesting sign caught my attention. This road was suppose to lead to a tannery.  It  didn't, but it didn't matter.

The perfect countryside winter scene.  A patch of bright sunlight flashing cross the snow, near and far.

Stark white and stark black contrast . . . so wonderful to look at.

As I drove back out to the B9119, I stopped in the middle of the road in amazement.  Somehow I had not seen this castle on my way up the road the first time!

These are the ruins of Corse Castle (c. 1581).

There are so many castles in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire that you cannot but help running into one on any country road you might try.

There are over 300 castles in Aberdeen and the surrounding Aberdeenshire! [citation]  Corse Castle sits on a high bank overlooking Corse Burn.

The castle was, and is, owned by the Forbes family, whose son, Patrick, born in this castle, was named Archbishop of Aberdeen in 1618.

The inscription on the door lintel heralds the builder William Forbes ("WF") and the date of the founding of the current castle - 1581 (the previous house was sacked and plundered by robbers!).

Corse Castle must have been a fine castle in its day.  I drove on toward the village of Tarland.

It was a cold (34f or 1c), windy day with ever-changing light and shadow.

The road to Tarland and sky, and snow, and clouds combined in many conspiracies of evocative wonder.

I stood here for a good long while next to a sign pointing toward the 4000 year old Tomnaverie Stone Circle . . . . why I didn't follow That road, I will never know.  It's been there a while, it'll be there next month too.

Queen Victoria used this route to her private summer residence at Balmoral Castle.  This view site was constructed for her as a rest stop.  The sign is new.

On I drove toward Tarland . . . dropping in elevation as I went.

Tarland, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, population 540 (in 2004).

I walked up "Main Street" (actually Melgum Road) in Tarland and saw what one always sees in small towns throughout the UK: a World War I memorial.

The small village of Tarland (and it must have been smaller then) lost 24 young men in The Great War of 1914-1918.

I was hungry, so I went into the Commercial Hotel to see what was on the menu.

Like almost every restaurant in Scotland, the soup-of-the-day was potato-leak . . . my favorite.

When I came out of the Commercial Hotel 30 minutes later, Tarland was lit in a blaze of clear sunlight!  Fantastic.

Double Happiness INDEED!  Every, and I do mean EVERY, Scottish town and village, no matter how small, has a Chinese take-away.  Tarland was no exception.  Having just moved to Scotland from Asia, I find this fascinating.  Who are these people who spent their savings to come to this village in Scotland's back roads?

At the end of the main street were the ruins of an old church and graveyard.

The Francis Donaldson Boig Fountain in Tarland set in 1913.  It must have been a good one, because it still works.

The old Tarland Chapel and 'kirkegaard.'

Among the grave stones was this monument to Peter Milne, a local boy who made a name for himself in playing fiddle in Aberdeen (and beyond!) at the turn of the last century.  Peter Milne is NOT buried in Tarland, his ancestral home, but in Aberdeen.  This is just a monument to his accomplishments, including some much loved folk songs, including John McNeill's Reel (better known as Big John McNeill) and Gillan's Reel (often called Gillian's Reel).  I will see if I can find these songs on-line and pay old Peter Milne some respect these 108 years after his death.

I asked the waitress in the hotel if there was a short-cut to a main road so I could get back to Aberdeen faster.  This was the road she recommended.  Thanks.  It was getting late and, since it was quite cold, I was worried the wet road would freeze soon.

It was a wonderful drive home through the rolling countryside of Aberdeenshire.  As it began to grow dark, a fantastic sunset began to develop, as it often does here.

I pulled over next to a flooded field to enjoy the reflections . . . and just watched . . . .

. . . . and snapped away . . . I was awestruck.

I made it home well after dark . . . with this picture still in my mind.