On The Naze

The Naze, a headland on the east coast of England, lying just north of the Essex town Walton-on-the-Naze and jutting out into the North Sea.  "The Naze, as well as being a natural open space, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) famed for its fossils..." Walking on the shore, we found a left-handed whelk shell, Neptunia contraria,  a fossil from 3.6 to 2.6 million years ago.

Dark Wings over Loch Lomond

This is a shot of a crow taking off from the shore of Loch Lomond in Scotland.

I took this photo in 2010 while living and working on the Scottish west coast, on one of my holidays to see other parts of Scotland. Loch Lomond was a beautiful place to stop while on the way back from visiting Fort William. The lake is the largest in Great Britain, at least when looking at surface area (Loch Ness is the top when it comes to volume or depth).

This crow was one of the many natural sights that I have witnessed in Scotland, and although crows are somewhat commonplace my own affection for the corvids adds to my fondness of this photo. With the backdrop of water there is a simplistic elegance to the shot that makes it memorable for me even amongst the many photos from Scotland, and the exciting sightings and breathtaking views that I have encountered there in abundance.

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Rannoch

 

 This photo was taken last year up in Scotland, in possibly one of my favourite spots ever. 

I was walking the West Highland Way, a long distance footpath that runs almost 100 miles from the 'burbs of Glasgow to the foot of Ben Nevis. On such a long walk through such a stunning country there were of course many places which I remember fondly, but walking over Rannoch Moor the very wild beauty there touched my heart.

Rannoch Moor is hailed as "western Europe's largest remaining wilderness", and thought to be the largest uninhabited wilderness in Britain. Plodding across this landscape on foot (the only way to traverse the moor as no road crosses it), I loved every minute. The soul of the place is unreal.

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