Sandhaven Harbour

The combination of high tides and strong winds caused storm damage at harbours along the East Coast and  Moray Firth. Locally this  included  extensive damage to the harbour wall at Lossiemouth, and  a car was swept off the harbour at Collieston  

Damaging  waves sweeping over the already crumbling harbour wall at Sandhaven

Fraserburgh gale

'Have you seen the mighty flail 

Of the roaring North East gale

Drive the billows to destruction

On the rocks off Buchan Ness?'

The ferocious seas which are aftermath of the yesterday's gale reminded Grey Granite of the lines quoted above. They are from Buchan Beauty by Peter Buchan.

The photographs were taken at Fraserburgh this morning, as the wind was starting to drop.This was described by the Meteorological Office as being 'the perfect storm' and has caused extensive damage down the East Coast.

 The lower photograph was taken at about the same point as the oystercatchers in the previous posting.

Oystercatchers and redshanks at the Broch

Oystercatchers and  a redshank (centre) on the shore near the outflow of the Kessock Burn on Fraserburgh beach. 

This particular spot is often  a popular feeding place for waders, especially when the tide is fairly high. This morning there was a large flock of oystercatchers,  at first sight standing still just above the highest wave point. Some birds were standing on one leg and it soon became apparent that they were actually alternating between jumping up and down on the spot, then standing still for several  seconds, presumably in the manner of blackbirds on  a lawn, trying to lure sand worms to the surface. Grey Granite has never observed this before. A small flock of redshanks ran about the shore, occasionally dashing through the oystercatchers, their feeding technique seemed to involve frenetic scurrying about combing a relatively large  area of beach expending far more energy than that of the oystercatchers.

There were no oystercatchers on the Links today.

Nacreous Cloud over the Broch

This extraordinary, bright cloud formation  appeared over Fraserburgh yesterday  afternoon at around 16:15, just as the last of the light was fading. It persisted for about 15 minutes before being obscured by dark clouds. According to  a report in the Press and Journal for Monday 10th December the cloud could be seen from across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire having formed at very low temperatures -85c high in the stratosphere.

This extraordinary and beautiful cloud has been identified as a nacreous cloud and despite the beautiful, rainbow colours it contains, it is not good news.The cloud consists of greenhouse gasses,  formed by excess methane released into the atmosphere reacting with the ozone to form chlorine clouds. The cloud reflects sunlight from below the horizon and so appears to shine brightest just after dusk. Such clouds are normally seen only in polar countries, global warming being responsible for them appearing over Scotland.

Similar clouds have been known to prompt reports of UFOs

Downtown, where all the lights are bright

Grey Granite went late night shopping in Aberdeen and, enjoyed the hustle and razzmatazz of the city, including the Salvation Army Band and young drummers outside Marks and Spencers. There was just enough snow remaining on the pavements to add to the atmosphere, all that was missing was a roast chestnut seller.

Union Street Lights 

The decorations along  Union Street were very impressive,  a total contrast to the abomination of tacky plastic snowmen, reindeer, penguins  and Santas which blight so many Fraserburgh gardens at present.Is it because we live so far north and mid winter days are so short that there is such an obsession with festive lights?

Strichen:The White Horse, whiter than white

 This morning there was a mere dusting of frozen hail on the roads in Fraserburgh, gradually thinning towards the sea so that the Links were green. 

It was a very different picture inland at Strichen.

Bridge Street, Strichen. The Hunters' Lodge on Mormond Hill stands out particularly clearly and the snow filled  horse is whiter than usual.

The frozen lake at the Lodge

Kew Gardens and Peathill: contrasting Sunday walks

Grey Granite spent the last weekend of November in London, travelling down on the sleeper on Friday, returning on Sunday. Between the train journeys was a busy, social weekend spent in Kew.

Grey Granite was pleased to escape the interminable traffic rush and noise of  London  by snatching a brief visit to Kew Gardens catching the last of the afternoon light to do so. In the Gardens it was relatively tranquil, despite the screeching of the green parakeets which are now a feature of this part of South London and the noise of Heathrow  air traffic. There were astonishing splashes of colour, Grey Granite thought that the rusty leaves on the tree in the background echoed the red brick of houses in the streets between Kew Gardens Station and the actual gardens. 

Quintus, standard poodle friend of Rufus, enjoying a romp in Westerley Ware a dog safe recreation ground between his house on Kew Green and the river.

Back home: a boat enters the Broch Harbour.
Returning to Fraserburgh on Monday morning , Grey granite was very aware of the crisp air quality, wide open skies  and sounds of the sea, all of which she missed in London.

Monthooly Dookit from Peathill.

This morning, in contrast to her Kew Gardens walk of a week ago, Grey Granite  and Rufus walked  from Peathill  along  one the most familiar and tranquil of all routes, the circuit , past Lochbuy to Coburty, round by Little Fisherbriggs, Craigiefold and Holland Park and back to Peathill. 

 The morning was cold, there had been showers of hail yesterday and wreaths of frozen hail still lay at the back of the dykes, Mormond Hill was thinly white as were occasional fields towards Tyrie and Boyndie. Walking up the Knoggan Hill road we were aware of the silence, so different from the perpetual traffic noise of Kew, broken only by lowing cattle and at one point to the chatter of a small flock of corn buntings on the telegraph wires near Lochbuy. There was a remarkable absence of geese today.

Bright flowers on a dykeside gorse bush.