At the start of October, I spent a happy Saturday on a photo-walk organized by a friend around Inverary in Argyll, the group numbering nearly 20 folks.
It was quite a day – over 7 miles walked, folks socialized with, the town and surrounding landscapes investigated.
We started with a trip up the bell-tower and the adjacent All Saints’ Scottish Episcopal Church in the middle of town:
Semi-abstract lines and curves: wooden support structures in the bell tower, Inverary.
Semi-abstract lines and curves: wooden support structures in the bell tower, Inverary.
Semi-abstract lines and curves: wooden support structures in the bell tower, Inverary.
Detail of lettering on one of the bells in the bell tower.
Detail of lettering on one of the bells in the bell tower.
Looking south-west down Loch Fyne from Inverary.
Detail of votive candles in All Saints' Scottish Episcopal Church, Inverary.
Detail of votive candles in All Saints' Scottish Episcopal Church, Inverary.
After that, we visited Inverary Jail – quite interesting to get a glimpse of the conditions folks lived in. A friendly guard posed for us:
Looking south-west down Loch Fyne from Inverary.
One of the tour guards imprisoned in Inverary Jail
One of the cells in Inverary Jail.
Something about the appearance of white painted plaster in black+white is quite appealing.
Detail of one of the cell doors, Inverary Jail
Model food and kitchenware on a table, looking pleasantly olde-worlde faded through glass
As we were walking around to the castle for lunch, there was a burst of sunlight over the landscape. A few days prior to the excursion I had discovered an old Pentax film camera in a storage box, and loaded it with film and acquired an extra 50mm prime lens for it, along with an adapter to the Sony NEX-7. So this is Strone Point and the top of Glen Kinglas, on an old 50mm f/1.7 “nifty fifty” Pentax PK-fit lens:
Pure symmetrical reflections - Strone Point and the end of Glen Kinglas from Inverary
Symmetry - Strone Point and the head of Glen Kinglas reflecting in Loch Fyne.
We had lunch in the Inverary Castle tearooms:
Inverary Castle
The afternoon was spent climbing up Dun na Cuaiche. I was impressed to see what an effect the geology has on the area, as (igneous) felsite hills to the north of the town give way to psammite (partially metamorphosed sedimentary) bedrock along the shore of Loch Fyne. The watchtower is a folly – the only thing it looks out over is the castle itself, affording no real protection from anyone else feeling like invading!
Looking west from Dun na Cuaiche above Inverary
Decay in monochrome - the metal skeletal remains of an ancient vehicle rusting in a stone building ruin.
... but not so dull for a geologist. Inverary and its castle sit on partially metamorphosed psammite/semi-pelite, like much of the Highlands; the hills off to the right are semipelite and quartzite continuing to felsite, an igneous magma intrusion.
Things that don't belong in the woods - forestry commission fencing blocking part of Dun na Cuaiche.
The real reason for going visiting Inverary, obviously.
