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.

Rathen trees

Grey Granite and Rufus spent part of the morning in Rathen pottering round Rathen kirkyard, The light on the trees, particularly the beeches was beautiful. Grey Granite concludes that one of the reasons that she is attracted to Rathen is the number of mature trees which cluster round the village. 

Morning light on a lichen crusted Victorian gravestone

We walked up Sandy Lane and along the road to Rathen Station. From the top of Ardglassie Hill we saw that the heavy rain of the last two days has flooded the fields by Cairnbulg Castle. When we got to the Station we found that the Line was extremely wet and dubby. Rufus was concerned that the rabbits along Sandy Lane might have been flooded out, Grey Granite was pleased to that there are still a few heartsease pansies in flower along the lane.

Last rose of Summer.

A morning of gradually gathering clouds and rising blustery winds, Grey Granite and Rufus walked through Philorth woods, along the Line and over the Esplanade.

The pond in Philorth woods currently home to a large flock of mallards was blown into ripples by the wind. Rufus enjoyed chasing fallen leaves in the wood.

Mixed messages; a late flowering dog rose and scarlet hips on the line near Philorth Halt

Unusually, there were dozens of gannets plunge diving, in great white splashes  just out from the Kessock Burn outlet.

Oyster catchers roosting in the shelter of the rocks by the caravan site

Round the Horn: a cold walk

This morning was the first day this week when the weather has made  a real walk possible. The wind and rain of the last few days having departed, Grey Granite and Rufus walked 'Round the Horn' from Rosehearty. In contrast to the high temperatures of last week (17c in Rathen on Sunday) this morning was  a distinctly chilly 5.5c. As we walked there was the  constant sound of geese flying overhead, hundreds rose from the field behind Monthooly dookit as we passed, spooking dozens of ducks who rose from the seasonal, temporary lochan in the field and flew out to sea.


Relative calm after the storm, the 'white horses' in the bay the reminder of the gale force winds which have blown across Buchan for the past two days.



A bright splash of late flowering gorse at the dyke side, almost  a natural topiary peacock.

Rathen: autumnal afternoon sunlight

Twice recently Grey Granite and Rufus have  visited Rathen on sunny afternoons, the first visit was in the company of their friend, Dr Anne, who has family connections with the area. On both visits the afternoon light was superb, creating a subtly different ambience in St Ethernan's kirkyard from that of Grey Granite's more usual morning visits. Grey Granite and Dr. Anne spent some time in the kirkyard before walking over Gallows Hill to Rathen Station then looping round to re-enter the village by the school.

Dr Anne and Rufus by the graves of Dr. Anne's Hay relatives who farmed at nearby Lootingstone and Concraig in the 19th century.

The deserted grave yard is a remarkably tranquil place, the peace only disturbed by geese flying overhead.

The afternoon sunshine transformed the wall of the south aisle, highlighting the inscriptions. That above the door reads, 'Alexander Fraser of Philorth, patron.



A sandstone effigy of a human face on the gable of the aisle, the features are hardly visible when the sun is not casting shadows.  There is what appears to be a ram's head on the opposite gable.                      

The copper weather vane on the old church caught the sunlight and seemed to glow. Grey Granite has applied a glowing filter in this image.

The new Parish Church, designed by William Smith, replaced St Ethernan's in1868. The patterned stone Gothic church has a tower capped by a broach spire which forms a conspicuous landmark easily seen from the roads leading down into the village.

Golden bracken in the lane leading out of the village by the school; a reminder that despite the temperature of 17c on Grey Granite's second visit we are in mid October.

Both Grey Granite and Dr Anne were struck by the number of houses in the vicinity which fly saltires.

Grey Granite particularly like the light on this row of leafless beech trees close by the new kirk and the wide open aspect of the countryside beyond them.