Royal Botanical Gardens at Ventnor Isle of Wight

Here are some photos taken last Saturday at the Botanical Gardens - we were so lucky with the weather

a short break

Just come back from a short break at Sandown on the Isle of Wight.
Weather was good on the Saturday and Monday but very wet on the Sunday.
On the Sunday we went on the Steam Train and afterwards, we were supposed to be going on to Ryde but, weather was so bad we went straight back to the Hotel.Everyone was wet through.
Lovely hotel room overlooking the Sea and food was very good as was entertainment at night.Here is a view of Sandown Bay from our Bedroom when we arrived

it was a bit of a different view on the Sunday!

a few more photos around Sandown

looking towards Shanklin

We also visited West Cowes, Yarmouth, Ventnor and eventually Ryde.

Cluny House Gardens

If you are visiting Scotland and anywhere near Aberfeldy do go and visit Cluny House Himalayan Gardens, you won't regret it, it is a real delight.

There are 33 separate parts of the garden to see.  If it.s a wet day you may need the Wellies as it can get a bit wet underfoot in places.

 Some photos I took while there.

                               the Himalayan Lily that flowers in early July

                       you are usually sure of seeing a red squirrel or two

             a view above the treetops from the highest point in the gardens

                                                  an odd tree bark

Turks Head Lily

July

Catch up time again!      In July we went for our annual time share holiday and revisited the Kenmore Club on Loch Tay, which we love , this was our 4th visit and this time we had a cottage with a balcony directly overlooking the Loch.  The weather could have been a bit warmer, but only two days of heavy rain, so we couldn't grumble too much. The cottages are set inside what was originally the walled garden for Taymouth Castle, the castle itself, more of a stately home than the usual definition of a castle, is situated well over 1/2 mile away on the other side of the river Tay.    The photos 

 have taken me a while to sort, so hence delay in posting.    

                                    

                  

                                 the walls around the complex

                                                      the cottages

                              views from our Balcony across the Loch

                                        view of the Bridge at Kenmore

                           reflections in the water early morning

                              nearby are a riding stables and a golf course

                         this duckling is swimming in the very clear water

                                 an Oyster Catcher by the side of the Loch

                                   the Crannoch Centre on Loch Tay

we can never resist having one of these while at Kenmore from our favourite
                                            teashop in nearby Aberfeldy                      

May 2012 update

Been a bit lax, I'm afraid,  keeping blog up to date.
In May we had a week away and went on the Settle to Carlisle Railway.

                                   I loved the advertising for Yorkshire on the local trains there.

We stayed in Carlisle for a few days

While there we had a day trip to Edinburgh

a view of the side of the Castle from the open top bus

and they were busy erecting the scaffolding to take the seating for the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo

sides of the controversial new Scottish Parliament Building

an elegant rooftop   (rooftops in towns and cities really intrigue me)

one of the few remaining horse riding Police Officers (we were given to understand that these will soon be a thing of the past)