The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

Although I have left Scotland and am living back in Bangkok now, I am still going through photos I took on my many photographic rambles.  This entry is of a three day ramble (mostly the northeast of Scotland) I took when my good friend John Stiles visited me.  I took many, many photos on this ramble, so it will take some time for me to complete it. These are 'The Best of John's Visit.'  Enjoy.

A North Sea sunrise along the Aberdeen Esplanade. Just above freezing.

First Light.  North Sea.

A church along an Aberdeenshire rural road.

Stunning November weather for northeast Scotland.

I the middle of the Aberdeen city centre is a wonderful church and cemetery.

When an old friend visits that you haven't seen in a while, and it's Halloween, and you are in an old graveyard . . . you must play!

After that stunning sunrise at the Aberdeen Esplanade, our day one ramble took us up the coast to the little fishing berg of Baddam where the hulls of the beached trawlers provided extraordinary abstract studies in decay and color.

The lighthouse at Baddam.

Exposed rocks near Baddam harbour.

The austere old section of Baddam village.

All along our small road route, we were continually 'discovering' fantastically beautiful scenes.

The stunning Fyvie Castle.

Gorgeous autumn scenes all around the grounds of Fyvie Castle.

Superb Fall colors reflected in the castle goose pond.

For three glorious days we rambled about the small roads of northeast Scotland.  My AWD Juke NISMO was the perfect car for the narrow, winding, wet-leaf-covered country lanes.

Castles and castle ruins everywhere in Aberdeenshire.

The Aberdeenshire roads would alternately suddenly diving into the deep shade of small forests . . .

. . . and back out onto the bright, stone wall lined country roads.

We were always up for a quick stop at an old country cemetery.

There is so much to see in the old cemeteries: colors, textures, old surfaces . . . . and . . . .

. . .  and the occasional Class III freefloating spirit vapour.

Autumn in a Scottish cemetery can be very beautiful.

No trip to Aberdeenshire would be complete without a stop at New Slaines Castle . . . a photographer's paradise.

A stairwell in the ruins of New Slains Castle.

Some of the views from inside the castle ruins onto the North Sea were stunning.

North Sea view from New Slaines Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

John and I spent several hours wandering around inside the ruins of New Slaines Castle enjoying the play of light and shadow on the deserted halls and rooms . . . . . . as well as making portraits of each other among the ruins.

The castle on the North Sea cliffs, New Slaines.

The Benholme Kirke, built on the site of a 9th century hermitage.

Although we interrupted the Benholm Kirke bookkeeper . . . but he obliged with a tour and short history of this interesting place.

Benholm Kirke had a fine old 'kirkegaard' as well.

Moss and lichen-covered grave stone and ancient cottage slate roof . . .

We sometimes consulted the GPS as to any 'points of interest' . . . and discovered this old mill.

The sluice and water wheel were still there and still intact.

Down by the Old Mill Stream . . . A photographer's dream!

The opportunities for still life studies of mill paraphernalia was incredible.  I enter only a few of the many beautiful photographs I took here.

An old mill stone.

An old mill stone made of several stone segments.

The wood-shimed center bearing of an old mill stone.

One morning we drove south on the old coastal road to the fishing village of Johnshaven.

The Johnshaven townsfolk had quite the sense of humor!

Johnshaven was a grey and austere village (like many Scottish villages) but with a splash of color here and there.

The fine old stone harbour jetty of Johnshaven.

Johnshaven is a fishing village with many great nautical-themed photos to be had.

Old anchors in the boatyards.

Low tide along the Johnshaven sea wall.

The only bad weather we saw during three days.  A stormy North Sea.

Near Montrose there were signs of a recent flood of the River Esk.

Whenever we would see magic light on an old stone building we would stop and take photographs.

We stopped for coffee one late afternoon in the old market town of Montrose.

Yes, more ghoulish fun . . . in the Montrose Cemetery.

Montrose had some fine statues in the town square . . . here a good Samaritan was honored.

Montrose is typical of many Scottish towns.

OK, maybe Montrose is not so typical after all.

But what I will remember most about Montrose was the most incredible sunset of my life playing over us across the estuary bridge!

From beginning to end . . . we were completely enthralled.

Another day along the small country lanes above the North Sea.

Old farm houses along a strand of the North Sea.

A wild North Sea below the cliffs of Aberdeenshire.

North Sea hay bales.

We saw so much and did so much in those short three days . . . and this blog entry represents only a small part of it all.  I may elaborate more on this entry at a later date, but for now, that is all.

It's always great to have visitors come and stay . . . especially if they are a photographer.  We were up early every morning and out on the small roads of northeast Scotland on grand photo shoots.  Here, a sunrise along the North Sea at the Aberdeen Esplanade.

I love giving tours to visitors:  I get to explore my own town and pay attention to the visual richness.  Downtown Aberdeen church.

My friend John arrived on October 31, so we had to skulk the local graveyard for some Halloween fun!

We found some wonderful light and shadow in the graveyard.

Lovely Aberdeen architecture . . . Castle Street.

Union Street, Aberdeen.

Castle Square, Aberdeen.  Typical Aberdeen granite buildings.

There are many dark corners and mysterious scenes around Aberdeen at night.

Statue commemorating the Gordon Highlanders who hail from Aberdeenshire.

Robert The Bruce in front of the amazing Aberdeen City Hall.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION !

Check back for more entries.

It's Autumn in Scotland . . . and my garden is alive with color and wonder.

The days are getting shorter . .  and many of the birds have gone.

The leaves have gone red . . .

. . . or golden.

The apples are ready to harvest in the far end of the garden.

The garden is very old and the original planter created a garden that has continuous flowering . . . when one plant fades, another comes into bloom.  These are still flowering in late October.

These miniatures grow from the nooks an crannies of the garden wall.

The garden hedge sprouted these blossom buds recently . . . although they have not opened, they attract large numbers of bees, wasps, and flies.

There is a great variety of foliage throughout the garden.

The roses were among the first to bloom . . . and they are still producing amazing flowers.

And there are more roses yet to come.

These popped out a couple of weeks ago . . . right before I was going to pull them out, thinking they were weeds!  Close call.

Autumn weather can be wet and wild in Scotland . . . and occasionally throws up amazing rainbows.  I watched this one go through many phases . . .

This rainbow ended in this striking streaked image.

Fast moving clouds full of rain cross the landscape continuously.

Rain and shafts of light.  Beautiful.

Occasionally there is a  window in the storms and a glimpse of the sky appears.  Sometimes there is magical light that pours through the holes in the sky . . .

And when the sun pours through . . . .

These back-lit 'silver dollar' leaves . . .

So beautiful.

And when the garden stops flowering . . . I have house plants.

I always enjoy visitors to my little corner of Scotland.  It gives me an excuse to go out and see things I haven't already seen in this beautiful country.  I wanted to check out the Crathes Castle Rail Station for a couple of years, and a visit by my buddy from Liverpool provided the excuse.  This is the station master, not my visitor.

The Royal Deeside Railway runs a summer steam train from Crathes to Banchory, only a couple of miles away.

I love these old steam engines.  The British and Scottish are great restorers and maintainers of these old treasures.

All Aboard!

We spent a lot of time wandering around the country roads of Aberdeenshire.

Further up the River Dee are several Victorian-era suspension bridges . . . this one damaged by a huge flood last winter.

Abergeldie Castle was nearly lost to the raging River Dee this year.  (The castle is not actually leaning . . . it is a distortion caused by my 10mm lens.)

Finding a gate house along the road usually means there is either a castle of grand manor house nearby.

Not all country houses are grand . . . not every farmer 'makes it.'

Lovely, bucolic rural Scotland on a rare perfect day.

One of the sites I wanted to see was the Natural Burial Ground near Alford.  Cothiemuir Hill Natural Burial Ground was quite fascinating.  People had chosen to be buried not in church or public grounds, but in nature, under the trees.  Stones here and there, rocks, and a few plaques marked the burials. 

The burial grounds were in an especially beautiful forest.  I might like this as a burial option.

It was interesting to walk among the ferns looking for markers . . . an exercise in reflecting on our mortality.

It's also nice to have visitors so you can have a photograph of yourself once in awhile.

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The next day we headed south, along the old road along the North Sea to the famous fishing village of Arbroath.

We walked around the village, ate a fine seafood dinner quay-side, and walked around the old harbour.  The air was so still, the water so calm.

I have been to Arbroath many times.  I always make a point of taking visitors there . . . the sweet pastel buildings and harbour boats are extremely picturesque.

Yes, it is a fishing village and they do have fishing trawlers based here.  Those colors!  Yes, the colors that day were intense.

Never in my life have I seen such a dramatic sky reflected in the sea!  Astonishing!

The strong golden afternoon light played well on the moored fishing boats.

Arbroath Harbour is a living, working harbour.  We walked up to the harbour breakwater wall to see what was on the other side . . . .

The view from the top of the harbour wall was up the coast of the North Sea to the Angus headlands.  What magical light I had that day!

As it was getting late, we decided to drive back to Aberdeen . . . the late afternoon light on the Angus fields were spectacular.  We stopped many times to gape at the view and take photos.

Wild flowers lined the fields and roads.

Golden fields of grain fringed by clusters of wild flowers.  Ah!  Scotland!

Late afternoon golden light, deep shadows.

Lovely daises everywhere.

Angus field.

We drove past these scenes for an hour, completely in awe of the beauty.

MORE TO COME!

Under Construction

As I often do, I tag along with my wife when she goes somewhere interesting to play in golf tournaments.  This past week-end it was in the beautiful surrounds of central Scotland: Pitlochry and the tiny village of Moulin nearby.  This is a quaint cottage in Moulin.

The village of Mulin is build around a square with the church and graveyard on one side and the Moulin Hotel (c1665) facing it.

Built on the site of the 1165 chapel, in 1873 the original church was gutted by fire and the present building was constructed. In 1989 the church was closed and became a community center.

These old rural graveyards are very interesting to me.  I find the old 'furniture' and features sad and enlightening.

There are some fine, sweet cottage gardens in Moulin.

A lush garden in late summer.

The old hotel was dressed in beautiful flowers.

I left the village to explore the country above the town of Pitlochery.

Tree-lined country lanes . . . .

I walked along a trail at the base of Craigower Hill with an eye to walking to the top.  Some ladies at the golf course said there was a wonderful view from the summit.

The trail began adjacent to the Pitlochery Golf Club.

It was a perfect day for a trail walk - the warmest day of the year and clear sunshine!

The trail began at a gradual incline . . .

. . . and ran under varying stands of trees.

But the trail became much steeper the closer to the summit I came.  The trees thinned and the bugs increased.  Unfortunately, I forgot to put on any repellant (SkinSoSoft).  I got a number of midge bites here.  Itchy!

Nearing the top.

The view back down the Tummel Valley, and the town of Pitlochery, from the summit.

A panoramic view from the summit of Craigower Hill.

There were some big patches of purple heather on the top.

I walked back along a different trail to where I had parked the car, and drove up this avenue of trees to pick my wife up at the golf course.

The village of Moulin through the trees across the field.  After a delicious Sunday Carvery at the clubhouse, we took the long way home from Pitlochery to Aberdeen along the A93 up a Highlands pass on the Old Military Road.

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The road from the Spittle of Glenshee to Braemar is a stunner.

Fast moving clouds in the strong late afternoon light left constantly moving dark patches across the Highlands landscape.

The heather was in full purple bloom up in the Highland passes.

Sheep grazing in the summer light.  This pass is deep with snow all winter.

Scottish roads, a Wonder of Nature around every corner.

The deep shadows of late afternoon along a Highlands road.  Magnificent.

Coming down from the summit of the pass we came onto small crofters patches.

Picture perfect . . . a perfect day.