Ive been back in Scotland for a week visiting family. Decided to take the bike and get out and explore. Most are HDR and converted to monochrome because of the shit light at that time, with the excpetion of the Eglinton Park Castle shots.
Ive lived in this area most of my life, and its amazing how much you notice when you return with a fresh outlook and perspective on life. When I lived here it was all about going out and getting pissed up with my mates, but now im married and I have an appreciation for getting out and about more - the things you notice when you open your eyes are amazing. I truly love this area of Scotland, such stunning scenery. In some shots ive taken out construction signs, poles which were just an annoyance, and corrected a few glitches...
Here is a few of Kilwinning Abbey where my parents live literally a minutes walk from...
A shot of north beach near Seamill... (someone had wrote on this massive rock "Does Jesus Live" and someone wrote back saying "Yes" - which is the only part visible now
This next shot is of Portencross Castle
Rich in history, and with a magnificent scenic outlook, Portencross Castle is reputed to have been the last mainland resting place for the bodies of former Scottish kings from the times of Kenneth MacAlpine until the reign of Malcolm Canmore.
Situated overlooking the Firth of Clyde near West Kilbride town centre, it is a scheduled ancient monument, a recognition of its national importance. Portencross has been inhabited for thousands of years. An archaeological dig found evidence of an Iron Age settlement on Auldhill, just behind Portencross Castle.
Portencross Castle was constructed in three phases starting around 1360. The lands around Portencross were given to the Boyds of Kilmarnock by King Robert I as a reward for their help at the Battle of Bannockburn. A number of Royal Charters were signed at the castle and it had close links with King Robert II during that period.
After the 1600s, it was occupied by local fishermen. The roof was destroyed in a gale in January 1739. By the 20th century, the Adams of Auchenames owned the castle. It became a scheduled ancient monument in 1955.
A shot of the small "natural harbour" near the castle
And some shots of the pier, where I spent many a time fishing with my dad as a youngster. The last shot was taken with a nd8 filter on a 30 second exposure.
These next shots are off Eglinton Castle which is also near where my parents now stay...
Eglinton Castle is a ruined mansion just south of the town of Kilwinning and 1.5 miles north of Irvine in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton. The castle was built between 1797 and 1802 in Gothic castellated style with a central round keep and four outer towers. The Eglinton Tournament was held in 1839, a medieval tournament, attracting thousands of visitors. Eglinton Castle was abandoned when the family ran out of money building a harbour at Ardrossan. 4 Commando and the Royal Engineers used it for target practice during the second world war, destroying two of the towers, and it was also used for naval gunnery practice. In the 1950s further damage was done and the remains were finally demolished to the level they are today in 1973
I don't pretend to be any sort of professional photographer and this is purely a hobby which I love, so I realise there are a few graphical errors in some of the shots which need correct in PS. in due course :-)
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