Sundial at Drummond Castle

The garden at Drummond castle was set out in the form of a Saint Andrews cross in the 17th century. Although the planting was restored in Victorian times this central feature a celestial Sundial still stands in the centre. Those of you who saw the film Rob Roy would have seen the garden in all its glory.
I am grateful to Evan Oxland for the photo . He visited the grounds during his study of the great gardens of Europe.

Deserted Village

This photo shows the remains of a deserted village in The Sma Glen in the highlands of Scotland. This highland township was typical of the groups of dry stone houses in Scotland before the clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries.In much of Scotland the land was taken from the people when landowners,empowered by legislation in London, brought in sheep as an attempt to make the countryside more profitable. Now in the 21st century the Tourist trade is the most important industry in the area. Bizarrely many of these tourists are descendants of the people who were driven to emigrate.

Extreme Walling

Tracey Blackwell sent this photo of stonework above an old quarry quite close to her home in Yorkshire. One can only wonder at the skill and dedication of the folk who built this retaining wall. Apparently there is a severe fault in the rock at the top of the quarry which could have led to part of the field sliding into the space.Even now in the 21st century a repair in this situation would have presented a major problem.