November: unseasonable contrasts

Dapper male eiders at Sandhaven Harbour

The mild weather of recent weeks, 16c a week ago, has brought the gorse back into extensive flower. This morning the path over the Cairnhill was lined with fragrant gorse. Stitch wort bloomed at the dykeside, alkanet flowers in the shelter of the gorse and, despite the gales of the weekend, a few frail campions are flowering in the ditch by Monthooly dookit. By Sandhaven Harbour and on Boothby Road we have seen new leaves of Lesser Celandine, there are already daffodil shoots several inches above ground.

Pink strawberry flowers, possibly a variety known as Pink Panda growing on the bank outside Hillhead of Pittulie Cottage

The Broch Beach yesterday, deserted and swept by winds topping 70 m.p.h, though the temperature was 14.5c. This morning it had fallen to 6.5c.

Deer Abbey:Autumn Sunshine

Grey Granite recently had time to kill in Mintlaw so decided to visit the ruins of nearby Deer Abbey. The abbey dates from 1219 when it was founded by William Comyn, Earl of Buchan.

A modern sculpture in the wall surrounding the abbey  commemorates  St Drostan, who brought Christianity to Buchan, St. Drostan established  a religious foundation close to this spot, a tranquil haugh on the north bank of the Ugie. The extraordinary Book of Deer was written here and records Drostan's landing at New Aberdour.

The abbey stonework was plundered by the mad Admiral Ferguson of Pitfour around 1854 to build, amongst other structures, the Ferguson Mausoleum. Up until that time the ruins were fairly substantial. The Abbey seemsto have been rather plain and unadorned by decoration. It never housed more than 15 monks.

One of the few remaining carvings above a doorway near the abbey kitchen.

One of several fan trained apples against the sunny south facing wall of the abbey grounds. There were a few apples, golden in the sunshine, still on the branches, many more lay on the ground, half eaten by assorted small creatures.The wall round the Abbey grounds, in places 5m high,  was was built in 1809, by James Ferguson, (The Member) 3rd Laird of Pitfour probably using stone from the Abbey. At the same time the Abbey grounds were planted as an orchard and kitchen garden. Alas some of the ruins were 'restored' at this point with an enthusiasm which probably exceeded accuracy.

Magnificent beech trees catching the low afternoon sun

Grey Granite wonders if any of the trees date back to the member's planting in 1809.

November

A still, chill November morning, near perfect reflections and mallards on the pond, strutting, foolish pheasants and leaf litter under the horse chestnuts in Philorth Woods.