"Scottish Snippets"

"Colour Supplement"

29 September 2007

Each week the Rampant Scotland Newsletter includes a number of photographs which illustrate the weather and the seasons, plus the flora and fauna of the current week around Scotland. This separate "colour supplement" displays some more pictures, in a larger format. Here is this week's crop of Scottish views!


The QE2 made her last visit to the river Clyde last week, arriving at Greenock on the 40th anniversary of her launch further up the river, on September 20, 1967 at John Brown's shipyard at Clydebank. Large crowds made their way to the harbour at Greenock to see the famous ship - but the best views were to be obtained from Lyle Hill, far above Greenock.


King James IV gave the first Lord Drummond permission to build a stronghold on a rocky outcrop on the edge of Strathearn in 1490. As was usually the case, the original tower keep was modified and enlarged but the lower floors are those built by the first Lord Drummond. Towards the end of the 17th century, the 4th Earl of Perth built a mansion house which created an inner courtyard (see the building on the right of the picture above).


In 1605, King James VI (now king of England as well as Scotland), promoted the 4th Lord Drummond to be the first Earl of Perth. It was the first Earl who is credited with transforming the gardens and castle in the 1630s. Later Earls also added their mark and it is the formal garden design created in 1838 which is the basis for what is there today.





Outside of the formal gardens, filled with pink, white and yellow roses and antirrhinums, there is an area given over to growing masses of colourful dahlias (and roses - see below).


The beds of roses at Drummond Castle seemed to be particularly vibrant this year. In addition to lots of the usual shades, this multi-coloured variety was particularly striking.


Fuchias often seem to be like ballerinas, dancing in the wind. But although these attractive but somewhat large ones look as though they might not quite make the "corps de ballet".

If you want to look back at earlier editions of this Colour Supplement, there is an Index Page





Where else would you like to go in Scotland?








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