The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

My brother and his wife came for a four day visit to see us in Scotland in late October.  That meant a road trip, of course.  No visit north up the A96 would be complete without a stop at the Baxters simulated old village and store on the River Spey.  Unfortunately the Christmas Shop wasn't open yet.

A road trip in Scotland necessitates several stops at various castles.  Aberdeenshire has more castles (see list here) than any shire in the entire UK.  This is a back gate to Fyvie Castle, with claimed 13th century origins.

Magnificent Fyvie Castle.  Unfortunately were there before opening hours . . . be we combed the castle grounds and posed for numerous photos.

Finding castles often leads to discovering wonderful rural roads.

Scottish rural roads often lead to quaint villages.  It was fantastic day for landscape photography.

We stopped to poke around an old rural church cemetery . . . looking for our family name on grave stones.  We didn't find any here.

Our next stop was at the incredible ruins of Elgin Cathedral, which dates from 1224.

Elgin Cathedral must have been a magnificent structure in its day.

Wonderful scenes and vistas through the ruins.

A part of one vestibule was still standing . . . .

A long exposure shot of the medieval wooden ceiling of the vestibule at Elgin Castle.  Fantastic

What's left of a statue of an old Pope or Bishop at Elgin Castle ruins.

We stayed at the Melrose Villa B&B in Inverness.  It was nice.

The beautiful River Ness flows through Inverness.

We took an evening walk along the River Ness and enjoyed the evening light on Inverness Castle.

We crossed the River Ness on this iron Victorian pedestrian bridge.

No matter who comes to visit, they all want to take their pilgrimage to Loch Ness for a little monster spotting.

It's also good to stop off at Urquhart Castle, on the banks of Loch Ness.

We took a different, and longer route home through a gorgeous river valley.

We stopped periodically to enjoy the sights . . . and sounds of a wild Scottish salmon stream.

Old sturdy rural churches marked our way.  Struy Church.

Beautiful nature in Scotland.

After the road turned to gravel, we came upon a 'holy fountain' dedicated to a saint.  My sister-in-law gathered some of the water.

Saints used to wanter the forests and trails of the Scottish Highlands and river valleys.

It was a good, but short road trip . . . and it was good to see my brother and his wife again.

In mid July 2014 we loaded up the car and headed out for a two week road trip up to the Orkney Islands and returning along the top of Scotland and the northwest coast.  AMAZING BEAUTY!

The northernmost parts of Scotland were our objective.  From Aberdeen to Inverness and then on up to the ferry crossing at John O'Groats to the Orkney Islands, then back along the top of mainland Scotland and on down the North West coast to Ullapool before returning to Inverness and then home.

There are no large, divided highways in the North of Scotland.  As a result, the route luckily passes through many small villages.

I picked up my wonderful wife in McDuff, after her golf tournament.  We headed to Inverness for the first night.  The River Ness passes through Inverness.

Inverness is a city of church spires, old bridges, and castles.

Inverness Castle.

A scene along a sunny summer Inverness street.  Very pleasant.

If you know me, then you know I love the blues music.  This busker, the one-man Bang On Boogie Band, was fabulous.  He played several of my requests, and I rewarded him handsomely.

Of course, I couldn't pass up taking photos of old windows and doors . . . as is my custom.

We terried in the berg of John O'Groats before going out to the ferry terminal.  Here we have the Maritime Museum.

We enjoy poking around the craft shops in small Scottish towns.  This one was a cooperative . . . and we bought a few nice things here.

I milled around a crabbers' dock snapping away.  That's the ferry terminal and dock in the distance.

A heavy mist engulfed us as we neared the ferry terminal at John O'Groats, the furthest point North of the mainland UK.

We waited in line for the ferry boarding.  In the summer high tourist season, you have to book in advance for the Orkney Island ferry - we did months before.

I walked around the ferry staging area looking for nautical photos as we waited.

Looking back along the coast to John O'Groats.

At last our ferry to the Orkney Islands arrived.

We drove as far north as you can go and then boarded a ferry to the Orkney Islands.

The view on the ferry crossing was mystical.

Small islands in the Orkney chain appeared in the murky gloom . . . and disappeared.

Our first view of Orkney Island late in the late afternoon.  We drove across several smaller islands (South Ranaldsay and Burray Islands) before having a major drama finding the owner of our self-catering apartment in Kirkwall . . . to get the keys.  It took hours, but the silver lining was discovering a nice Chinese restaurant right across the street.  There is a Chinese restaurant in every single town in Scotland, no matter how small or remote!  The owner's daughter finally showed with the keys . . . but not until we had a nice Chinese meal.  We went to sleep early.

The next morning we followed the GPS to the little town (pop. 2,100) of Stromness for a walk and some lunch.

We spend most of the rest of the day snooping around in the narrow streets of this 16th century fishing village.

Stromness was extremely photogenic.

Stromness is not a tourist town . . . it is a living, active fishing community.

We had five perfect days of weather on beautiful Orkney . . . a rare occurrence we were told.

The many bays and inlets of Orkney Island offered stunning views.

Many wrecks litter the Orkney coast.

Stunning views everywhere.  Not only inlets of the North Sea, but freshwater lakes everywhere.

Orkney is the site of some of the most significant archeological sites in the world.  This is the 5000 year old Ring of Brodgar.

Prehistoric archeological monuments and sites abound on Orkney.  This is the Ring of Brodgar.

The Standing Stones of Stennes.

Powerful.

Remnants of pre-history litter Orkney.

On the Bay of Skaill, sit of the most complete neolithic human habitation ever found.

Skara Brae, a complete neolithic village left just as it was during a storm 6000 years when it was abandoned.  The cookery and utensils were still in place, as was the stone slab furniture . . . like a Flintstones house . . . but the real thing.

A beautiful manor house, Skaill House, near Skara Brae.

Orkney is crisscrossed by ancient stone walls which show the effects of wind and damp weather.

We woke early each day and drove the small country lanes. 

I was infatuated with the light and textures of this abandoned Orkney farmstead.

Old Orkney Homestead on a murky day.

Yummie color and textures on this Orkney abandoned farmstead.

One wall of the homestead was still damp from the morning's windblown dew.  I can't seem to get enough of these old walls.

Wonderful summer wild flowers beautified the Orkney countryside.

I stopped often to shoot these magnificently aged and weathered Orkney doors and windows.

There was always something interesting and beautiful to see on Orkney Island.

We loved our five days on Orkney, but we returned by ferry to the mainland of Scotland.  The tiny roads across the top of Scotland offered fantastic views.

Not far from the John O Groats ferry was the Castle of May.  We saw a castle sign on the road and just turned in the drive and discovered it!

The Castle of May had beautiful formal gardens. 

I could have stayed all day here photographing flowers . . . but we had to make our B&B.

Beautiful castle along the north coast of Scotland.

The beaches, mountains, and pastoral scenery were breathtaking.

One beautiful bay after another greeted us on our road journey.

We stayed in small village hotels . . . like this one in the little town of Tongue, Scotland.

We stayed the night at the Ben Loyal Hotel in Tongue, Scotland.

Our hotel room in Tongue was clean, cheap, and over the bar.

This part of Scotland has some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen . . . and I have seen a lot of this world.

Many rivers to cross.

The sea views came and went.

A fantastic road to drive.

The trip was made more interesting by historical and geographical information signs.  Thanks Scotland.

This is the Coldbeckie Shore referred to in the above sign.  The road was one continuous amazing view.

One does not usually associate Scotland with great beaches, but we saw some that would rival the best in the world.

The road would sweep inland past these beautiful lakes (lochs) and then turn back to the sea.

Just as I snapped the previous photo, a motor home with French license plates pulled up close to the guard rail and this guy popped out and snapped a couple of photos and sped off.  Gotta love the efficiency of the French tourist!

Ruins of old houses and castles litter the countryside.

Families were out playing on the beach . . . during a very short summer in this part of the world.  It rains almost constantly from October to May in this part of Scotland.

Fun scene.

The further west we drove across the top of Scotland, the wetter and more lush the scenery became.

The glens here were moist and green . . . vestiges of ice age glacial valleys.

The northwest coast of Scotland is famous for being wet, dank, and dark.  It was . . . as we neared Ullapool town along the Ullapool Loch it started to rain.

It was mid afternoon when we reached the town of Ullapool (founded in 1788 as a fishing community) . . .  gateway to the Outer Hebrides ferry services.

A darkened sky covered Ullapool Harbour.

The storm eventually lifted and the Ullapool quay, with its fishing fleet in port,  could be seen.

The quaint town of Ullapool lined one side of the quay.  We walked around and poked our noses into a few shops.

We bought a model fishing boat here to display in our front window back in Aberdeen (like everybody else does!).

I loved the moody, and ever-changing, light along the Ullapool quay.

In late June some of my best good buddies from my old school in Bangkok paid my wife and I a visit in Aberdeen, Scotland.  First we drove down to the hometown of one of them (Liverpool, England) and rendezvoused for a Beatles week-end and combined road trip back north.

Liverpool is famous for many things, but mostly it is known as the home of The Beatles.  Yes, I have to admit it, we took the Magical Mystery Tour bus ride to the famous sights of Beattle lore.  Number 12 here is George Harrison's childhood home.  His family were rather poor.  The bus tour was excellent.  The guide provided great commentary throughout.  Highly recommended.

No Beatles pilgrimage to Liverpool would be complete without a visit to The Cavern Club . . .  the music venue where The Beatles really got their first break as the house band.  It is very touristy now, and the location is under some dispute, but I was impressed.  I bought a mug and t-shirt around the corner (cheaper!).

My Liverpool friend (cranium foreground) is a HUGE Liverpool Football Club fan, as am I . . . so we took an Anfield tour as a part of our double pilgrimage (Beatles and LFC).  He had never been in the team rooms before, and so was moved to near tears at the experience.  Liverpool players touch this door sill as they enter the playing field, er, pitch . . . I think.

Anfield drips with history.

There was much to see in Liverpool.  I loved this stenciled graffiti.

Having a friend in Liverpool is a plus: he knew of the outdoor African Music Festival.  We spent a wonderful day with the festival-goers sitting on the park lawn and dancing about.  This group was from The Congo (DRC), where I spent 10 years of my life.  I pushed myself to the front of the crowd and yelled, "Mbote, O'zali Malamu?" I got a big thumbs up from the singer.  Made my day.

I loved the name of this tattoo shop in Liverpool.

We stayed in a hotel near the Mercy River and the canal boat basin.  The hotel was developed from abandoned 18th century warehouses.

A highlight of the Liverpool visit was the Liverpool Cathedral.

The Liverpool Cathedral is a magnificent structure, of course . . . but on this day the light was magical!!

The stained glass windows on the sunny side pf the cathedral caste a light show of color upon the interior.

Amazing light . . .from above.

We managed to fit in a cut-throat game of Crown Green Bowls or two before leaving Liverpool and the long drive back to Aberdeen.

We provided the usual tour of castles and gardens . . . and rural charm (seen in great detail in may entries to this photo blog).  I never tire of giving tours of our beautiful Aberdeenshire.  Here, on top of Dunnottar Castle in all its summer glory.

A view from one of Dunnottar Castle's windows over the North Sea.

At Crathes Castle I couldn't help taking many flower photos of the extensive gardens.

Castle residents throughout the UK loved to bring plant species from all over the world into their gardens and green houses.

The variety of flowers in the castle gardens is overwhelming!

A castle greenhouse tropical plant.

I do not know what these are called . . . but I want a yard full of them.  Amazing!  We were sorry to see our friends leave, but I know we will reconnect one day, somewhere on this big old planet of ours.

We had beautiful weather here in the northwest of Scotland last summer (2014).

Of course, having 'beautiful weather here' includes an occasional splash-and-dash thunder storm across the fields of Aberdeenshire.

Summer flowers were bountiful . .  so were the bees.

We enjoy having visitors.  In late June my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson visited.  Visits are a good time to visit castles here in the shire . . . and the beautiful formal gardens which surround them.

Grandson enjoying a fountain.

We take all of our visitors to Crathes Castle, a bout 10 miles from home.  The gardens there are extensive and well taken care of.

I could spend days in these formal castle gardens.  Fortunately, I did, as we had many visitors last summer.

I spent a good deal of time taking bee photos . . . they are always moving around from flower to flower, so it takes patience to get a photo like this.

Wonderful flowers at Carathes Castle.  But we moved on.

A castle garden offers much to look at . . . and photograph.

I need a new macro lens . . . .

I'm going to get a "Flowers of Scotland" book, that's for sure.

In mid-summer, some of the flowers had already dried into seeding buds.

The garden designer was some kind of genius: the right leaves and plants near the splashing fountains.  Marvelous.

Flies play their part in pollination as well.

Tiny bugs too are all a part of the garden ecosystem.

I don't know what these are called, but I want 100s of them all around my house.  They are fascinating.

I spent some time watching this furry little bee wend his way in and out of all the budding flowers on this stem.

Castle gardens are worth a visit if you are ever in the UK or Scotland.

The metallic quality and color of this dried flower was mesmerizing.

We take all of our visitors to Stonehaven harbour . .  it's beautiful and close to Dunnotar Castle.

Hey!  The Circus Is In Town!  Many circuses visit the small towns all over Scotland in the summer.  We got stuck behind a circus truck all through a mountain pass in far northern Scotland later in the summer.

We take everybody who  visits us to Dunnottar Castle, perhaps one of the most amazing castle ruins in the world.  Magnificent views too.

Wow!

Keep on truckin'.

My Grandson's World.

We stopped at a Farm Store that has a 4X4 training course . . . and this old APC.

The Marine Hotel in Stonehaven has an excellent selection of real ales.

When visitors come you spend a lot of time sitting around the house talking. . . and taking photos of your grandson . . . and the house plants.

I planted zucchini squash in large pots in the front yard of our pervious house . .  they thrived in the long days . . . but as soon as I moved them to the new house . . . some kind of bug ate the maturing zuchs!  NOOOOO!

Early Saturday morning . . . the journey begins at the Aberdeen Station.

Booked and bought months in advance. I was very excited about the coming week-end not only because of the Robert Cray concert we were going to see, but because it would be my first train trip from Aberdeen.

The train  follows the coast of the North Sea all the way to Edinburgh.  Beautiful views.

The rapeseed fields were in full yellow flower.

We made a quick turn onto and across the Tay Train Bridge.

A quaint part of Dundee is across the wide River Tay estuary.

There was always something of interest along our route.  Here we cross the Firth of Forth on the famous Forth Bridge, for many years the longest steel span bridge in the world and a marvel of Victorian engineering.  Below are the remains of WWI and WWII military emplacements.  New and old oil and gas platforms in the distance for, and from, the North Sea.

We booked our hotel within walking distance of the beautiful Edinburgh Station.

The walk from the train station to our hotel was, well, interesting.

The walk to our hotel was up a very steep cobbled street.  We stayed above this bistro, but never ate there.

Our hotel was clean, colorful, and quaint.

The original elevator was still operational.  I couldn't resist this selfie.

We dropped our overnight bags in the room and took off for a walk to the Edinburgh Castle through the early Spring streets.

Old Edinburgh near The Royal Mile is a wonderful place.

Among the wonders along the Royal Mile.

There were plenty of buskers and street performers, like this clever woman.  She seemed a bit hollow though.

All roads lead to the Edinburgh Castle.

We walked the Royal Mile to the Edinburgh Castle through the medieval cobbled streets.

We walked up the steep streets to the castle.

We entered the Edinburgh Castle through this gate.

Castle walls.

The castle guards seemed very, very young.

A young and serious castle guard.

The views of Edinburgh from the castle ramparts were spectacular.

Edinburgh is a beautiful and fun old city.

There are many views of the Firth of Forth in the distance.

We like to walk around the small streets and lanes of Edinburgh.

The castle is very organized for tourists.  There were many hundreds of tourists from around the world on the day we were there.

The Great Hall is surely the highlight of the castle visit.

There is a fine collection of coats of armor and weaponry from the across the history of Scotland and the UK.

Royal Hilts.

A nice display of Royal flintlock pistols.

Night's armor.

We spent many wonderful hours at the castle, but we needed to eat an early dinner and get on to the main event of the week-end . . . the Robert Cray concert that evening.

We had an early dinner at the Gardner's Cottage, a very cool organic restaurant where you eat communally.  The food was excellent . . . we flagged a taxi afterward for the trip across town.

We knew we found the right place when we spotted Robert Cray's tour bus parked in front of The Queen's Hall.

The Queen's Hall is actually an old Victorian era church, converted into a music venue.  The acoustics were excellent.

We sat in these colorful wooden pews for the concert. Wonderful.

The average age of the audience must have been 65 . . . so I fit right in.  Old guys like The Blues . . . and Robert Cray is among the very best bluesmen.

I was not disappointed: Robert Cray put on a great concert.  He is as good as he has ever been.  His band was tight, and his singing and guitar work were fantastic.

I had never seen Robert Cray live before.  It was a memorable show, to be sure.  He played old favorites and some off his new album (which I have ssince purchased - it's great!). As my daughter said, "That's one more item off your bucket list."

We wandered around Edinburgh on Sunday morning shopping and trying out a new seafood resturent (pretty good).  I heard music across a park and followed it to this city biker gathering.  Nice folks and very good music.

Nice Scottish Harleys . . . and properly dressed bikers!

We boarded the train in the late afternoon for the beautiful trip up the northeast coast of Scotland to our home in Aberdeen.

We arrived back at Aberdeen Station just before dark.