Fly past



After our Boxing Day walk on the beach we stopped off at Duffus Castle.  For all that it lies just off the road between Hopeman and Elgin, I had never visited the castle.  The daylight was dying as we explored, so there was a lot of detail that wouldn't come out in photos.  But just to give you a quick historical sketch - the original wooden castle was built around 1140 in the Norman motte and bailey style by a Flemish merchant called Freskin.  It's presumed that he was given the land by King David 1.  The wooden structure was burned down in 1297 by Andrew Moray, who descended on the castle with 'a very large body of rogues' because it held a garrison of troops of King Edward 1 of England.   A stone castle was then built in the early 1300s, and was occupied until around 1705.  Latterly the castle's tower slid down into the motte, and this is the lump you can see on the right hand side of the shot above.

We experienced contrasting fly pasts while we walked about the castle and grounds.  The first was announced by approaching engine noise, followed by a yellow Sea King search and rescue helicopter emerging just behind the castle.  I wasn't quick enough with my camera to get a close-up - we stood and gaped at the close proximity of 12th century castle and 21st century flying machine - but here it is as it heads in to land at RAF Lossiemouth, just beyond the line of trees.


The second was quieter, but no less absorbing: skeins of wild geese heading towards the sunset. They were probably greylag geese, which overwinter from Iceland along the Moray coast.
 

Comments

  1. I like the sound of geese flying over. Our Canadian geese have adapted to Iowa so the stay year round now rather than fly south each fall. It is a neat hazy gray blue sky.

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  2. "Skeins of wild geese"... poetry!

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  3. Hi Linda,

    I love watching geese in formations. It always amazes me how they do that. It is very interesting that the Castle tower would slide down into lump! I've never heard of such a thing. :)

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  4. Such a moment of past and future! What a great life moment.

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  5. I have always wanted to visit Duffus Castle and I also enjoy hearing a flock of geese flying overhead.

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  6. Migrating birds on the fly are a stirring sight. Love to hear their honking overhead. Happy New Year.

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  7. Interesting contrast between the historical and the present!

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  8. Wish you a very happy New Year. A very peaceful picture to start the year, I like that.

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  9. Hello Linda.
    Thank you for visiting my blog, You live in a great country and I have visited Scotland once. It was Glaskow and Invernes. But that was many years ago now, but I would not mind another visit. Great pictures you show us, with a good description.
    Have a good time. Best regards, Olav.

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  10. I love that goose shot! Happy New Year, Linda!

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  11. Oooh you were up my neck of the woods....Duffus Castle is also a fab place to go sledging! :)

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  12. Also - when I first read this, I thought it said "Dufus castle", which made me laugh. Dufus = doofus 8-)

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