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The A9 is one of Scotland's main roads - the longest trunk road, and with the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous. It runs from Polmont in the south through the Central Highlands to Inverness, and on up the long coastline to Thurso at the northern tip of Scotland. The danger lies in the fact that although it carries heavy traffic, only short stretches are dualled. For the rest of the way, it's a case of seizing the chance to overtake lorries, slow-moving cars, and in summer especially, caravans. Too often that chance is ill-judged, leading to serious and sometimes fatal collisions.
The Scottish Government plans to dual the whole stretch of road between Perth and Inverness by 2025, with work getting underway in 2017. On the map below, existing dual carriageway is shown in blue. Basically, not a lot.
So with a long time to wait until 2025, it was wonderful as we drove north recently to see a freight train taking several lorry loads off the road. Catchy slogan, isn't it? 'Less CO 2'...Lessco...Tesco... Even if you disagree with what is known as the 'Tesco-ification' of Britain, it's positive move.
Incidentally, on googling Tesco-ification, I came up with 25,100 results which covered in the first page architecture, the British Comedy Forums, 'A History of 20th Century Britain' by Andrew Marr, local council planning applications, and the headline 'Tesco boss slates schools'.
Time to return from Kosovo to Scotland, with wistful thoughts that while spring - or even summer - has come to Kosovo, it certainly hasn't arrived in Scotland. Along the banks of the Lumbardhi River in Prizren the pavement cafes will be busy. A quick check on the BBC weather site shows temperatures there in the mid 20s. Here in Scotland, the forecast is for a high of 8 degrees. It is almost May, and there are virtually no leaves on the trees. A few cautiously unfurling chestnut leaves in sheltered spots, but overall the trees still look as they did in February.
We drove north on Friday evening into sleet and snow, and a curious grey landscape around the Drumochter Pass. The shot above is taken heading towards Dalwhinnie and into an ominous blackness. The camera on the pole at the left of the shot is a traffic cam which feeds into the Traffic Scotland website. Looking at the feed today (it's the A9 Drumochter North cam at this link), the snow has disappeared, leaving a landscape of wintry brown.
Looking west along Loch Garry, below, a similar blackness.
The new snow cast a strange grey coating over the heather.
Now, after a morning of rain here on Speyside, the sun has come out. I'm about to go out for a walk to see what signs of this pent-up spring I can find.
These really will be the last glimpses, before I return to things Scottish. But Kosovo is not yet widely visited, and having experienced it I wanted to show something of its current-day reality.
Above, and the two pictures below, the Sinan Pasha mosque in the town centre. Built in 1615, it is in active use for worship today. My two female companions and I were welcomed inside, without the need to cover our heads. I thought the juxtaposition of the advertising sign and the mosque in the shot above was also notable in this respect. Prizren mingles mosques and churches, crammed in beside each other. We visited a cathedral under restoration (I am ashamed to say I can't remember its name), where we stood in the candle-lit interior listing to a nun having a singing lesson.
Below, the Gazi Mehmet Pasha Hamam, a turkish bath dating form 1575. It's in need of restoration - one call on funding among very many in this new nation.
A view down the Lumbardhi river, spanned by the 'stone bridge' dating from the 16th century. The bridge was washed away in 1979 - the river is tremendously fast-flowing even during the dry period we were there - and rebuilt in its current form.
The Turkish influence is evident in tea, nargile pipes, and many bakeries selling baklava.
The pesky hobbits turn up everywhere. As long as I don't have to sit through that film again...
The street on which our hotel was located, just out of sight at the bottom of the road.
A typical snack food - seeds and nuts in various coatings. Very tasty, and much healthier than Scottish snacks.
A small town we passed on the way south to Prizren. Note the futuristic mosque minaret.
And finally, leaving Prizren, with its backdrop of stunning mountains.
Kosovo is far too complex a country for me to try to sum it up on the basis of a week's stay. My overwhelming impression was of the people - welcoming, open, friendly, hopeful, striving for the future. It is a young nation in terms of age of population - there are various estimates, but around 46% are aged under 25. I'm involved in only a very tiny part of their building for the future, but I feel privileged to be contributing.
On my recent work trip to Kosovo I was in the capital, Pristina, for two tantalizingly short overnight stays. A jumble of impressions, mostly in twilight or darkness. However I did manage to capture two important landmarks in this newest of nations. Above is the 'Newborn' monument. It was unveiled on 17 February 2008, the day Kosovo declared independence. For the 17 February anniversary this year it was painted with the flags of the nations which recognise Kosovo as an independent nation. As of 16 March they number 101.
Below, the futuristic library of the University of Pristina.
I failed to capture the statue of Bill Clinton, on Bill Clinton Boulevard. Next time.
Now 15 years old, these Easter eggs are a reminder in our house of similarly bitterly cold Easter on Speyside. Our au pair that year, Lenka, was from the Czech Republic, and was determined that our Easter eggs would be properly decorated in the traditional Czech way. Having sent home for the necessary transfers and dyes, Lenka then organised an onion-skin gathering trip to the local Tesco for the dye that would give some of the eggs their lovely, mottled brown colouring. I remember that under her guidance we bought one onion and a lot of loose skins - why buy a pound of onions if it's only the skins you need? Very appealing to Scottish sensibilities.
The eggs were varnished once cool, and although we rolled the plain dyed ones, we kept those with the beautiful transfers and flower designs. Amazingly most of them have lasted. I like to display them in this Swedish dish, handmade from alder and ash.
This design was made by pressing a small flower against the surface of the egg and then tying on a piece of mesh from the sort of bags that oranges come in.
The rolling took place on the same hill that I rolled Easter eggs on as a child - a lovely continuity, and with the added scenic background of a castle dating from the 13th century. I wondered each year what the original inhabitants of the castle would have made of the egg rolling.
Below, my Easter 'branch' decorated with painted eggs, birds, birds' nests and rabbits.
And outside, brave crocuses and pansies. We are heading off to the allotment this afternoon despite the cold, to start the Spring Dig. I'm already looking forward to the hot cross buns we'll have earned when we come back.
Wishing you a Happy Easter from Scotland.
Stepping outside Scotland this week for a sunset over the town of Prizren, in the south of Kosovo. The shot above was taken from the shell of the castle overlooking the town.
Below, a shot taken in the moment after the sun had dipped below the mountain ridge. I have never seen a faster-setting sun, leaving me to wonder if the sun is slower in Scotland. Perhaps it's the cold with us that does it.
Prizren is a town of mosques and churches - notice the minaret of the mosque on the left, and the church belfrey on the right.
I was in Kosovo recently on a work trip - some more photos to come shortly in a brief deviation from things Scottish.
More skies from around the world are at Skywatch Friday.
...the frost strengthens, as the cheerful Scottish saying goes. And indeed it does. After a night of freezing temperatures and hail on Sunday I looked out to discover my early daffodils drooping with the frost. I'm waiting to see how resilient they're going to be.
The quad of Edinburgh University's Old College looks Christmas-cardish in the snow. And what's that little disturbance slightly to the left of centre?
A mini snow...Martian?
All in all, the snow is an excuse for that savoury Scottish morning pick-me-up - a bacon or sausage roll.
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