Glenshee Traffic

After leaving Braemar yesterday, I stuck with Plan A, and headed up to Glenshee intending to get some action shots of the ski-ing and 'boarding. Heading south, every car park was packed, people were stopping in the road to look at the herds of deer in the glen. We pushed on through to the ski centre where it was even worse.

With no place to turn back, and just space for a single car to pass, we had to pass by The Cairnwell, and Glas Maol before eventually passing to The Spittal, turning round and passing through the tight squeeze again. Complete chaos with cars left haphazardly in car parks and at the side of the road.

An hour to 90 minutes later, we were back at Braemar, with no photos taken and a hope that the MRT vehicles that I'd seen (about 3) weren't needed. I can't imagine any hikers being so selfish to just abandon their car in the road so that they can go and enjoy themselves. I'll never bother heading that way when it is snowing. This sort of thing isn't for me.

Maplink

Drink Driving Figures

Police have released the figures for the first week of their seasonal anti-drink driving campaign.

Grampian Police are disappointed to report that despite their advice and warnings, 18 motorists have been detected driving under the influence of drink or drugs during the first week of the Grampian Festive Drink Drive Campaign. Source 

The report goes on to mention that one person caught was five times over the limit, and another person was four time over the limit. As Chief Inspector Forrester says, they are risking "not only their own lives but the lives of other innocent members of the public." That means you and me folks.

Launch report.

Police Launch Festive Campaign

From the Grampian Police RSS feed and website:

Motorists across the north of Scotland are being given the stark message this festive season – Don't Drink and Drive.

"Our message is again very simple and very real," said Chief Inspector Tom Forrester, Head of Roads Policing in Grampian.

"Research indicates that drinking and driving or driving under the influence of drugs greatly increases your risk of being involved in a collision," he continued.
"Those people who choose to drink and drive or drive whilst under the influence of drugs are at a significantly higher risk of being involved in a collision than those who don't - a collision that could result in serious injury or death to themselves, the death of someone close to them or the death of an innocent member of the community.  Ask yourselves this - could you live for the rest of your life with the death of another human being on your conscience?"

Chief Inspector Forrester added:  "This year we are launching a text service where members of the public can report anyone they suspect to be drinking and driving.  You will see posters displaying the text number 07739934444 throughout the Force area and I would encourage anyone with any information about drink /drug drivers to use this facility, or 'Crimestoppers' to report anyone they know to be drinking and driving.  I guarantee your information will be treated in the strictest confidence.
"During this campaign we will be deploying additional resources in all areas of the Force to deter and detect offenders. 

You will be breathalysed for committing any moving road traffic offence, whether that's exceeding the speed limit, failing to wear a seat belt or driving your vehicle with a defective light.  Don't ruin someone else's Christmas this year.  Don't risk it – Don't drink and drive!"

Drinking and driving or taking drugs and driving have an obvious effect on drivers' abilities and this effect can last for several hours afterwards – even after a night's sleep.  Over indulgence at the office party or Christmas night out can mean motorists are still unfit to drive the following day and no amount of fresh air, food or coffee can change that - only time will.

Chief Inspector Forrester concluded:  "If you have to ask yourself whether you are fit to drive the 'morning after', there is every likelihood you are not.  So don't risk it! Don't ruin this festive season – or those for years to come...Don't drink and drive."

Other media from the "Think! Road Safety Website"

Balmedie Beach

At Balmedie Beach. More details later.

It was frosty, duckboards frozen. I wore my lined Craghopper trousers, fleece mid-layer, and fleece-lined Montane Verso windproof jacket. And a hat. Same gear as I wore last weekend. Toasty.

Same shot below, but cropped in to a panorama.

Light, clouds, sea and sand, all from one viewpoint at Balmedie beach, just north of Aberdeen.

I turned back to see my footprints in the sand, but it was so cold, that there weren't any.

After the shots down the beach, I walked in to the dunes. Things got interesting. Remains of WW2 anti-invasion defences.

A frozen pond and frost-crusted dunes woke me up, as they formed sleek lines.

And then I wondered how many hundreds of years ago would this tidemark have last touched the sea?

And from the long view, I realised that micro-scapes were being formed at my feet.

I turned away from the inshore dunes, and returned to the sea. Wondering at what I had seen, and how it was formed.  I need to find out more myself.

Returning to the seashore, the light has changed again. And then I went into sports mode, clicking off shots of Sanderlings at ISO800, filling up the remains of the 2gig CF card.

Described in my copy of the BBC's "The Birdwatcher's Handbook": small loose groups twinkle along at great speed on sandy shores next to the sea like clockwork toys, heads darting from side to side, chasing after retreating waves to snap up morsels left by tide. No other wader moves so fast or with such energy.

This needs an "Our Tune" playing in the background. Romantic Balmedie Beach.

Finishing off the walk with a robin back at the carpark. If it was more festive I could have saved a fortune on Christmas cards.

Bridge of Feugh

Bridge of Feugh, west of Banchory (maplink). It turned into an experiment with camera settings, and a secondary aim of trying to convey how much water roars through these falls.

f32, 1/2 sec, ISO 100.

f11, 1/15 sec, ISO 100.

f4, 1/1600 sec, ISO 1600.

f4, 1/1000 sec, ISO 800.

f4, 1/500 sec, ISO 400.

f22, 1/2 sec, ISO 400.

f22, 1/5 sec, ISO 400. RAW image manipulated to emphasise water volume.

Cairngormia

Out with camera in the Cairngorm National Park. Sadly, sun being mugged by clouds again. Bah. Still, more fun than fighting through unhappy shoppers. Opportunity to shop at Braemar gear shop and Hungry Highlander later. Huzzah.

I was loaned a sturdy Slik tripod. It is more supportive than my beginner's Velbon.

Out of Boddam

This useful site has the sunrise/sunset times, but the sunrise was mugged today by a North Sea cloudbank as I waited south of Boddam. Warm clothing and a thermos in the car was essential.

The rain stopped as the sun came up over the horizon, just a red glow behind the clouds. Eventually, the sun clears the thick clouds and rises into the gap.

8:33am

8:50am

8:58am

9:00am

9:07am. ISO 100. F/32. 1/10 sec. Filter: ND8. Horizon straightened and cropped.

Scotland's Music

There's a fine programme on BBC2 called "Scotland's Music with Phil Cunningham", with Phil Cunningham presenting a programme about music from Scotland. He delves into Scotland's past, meets people, and discusses the tunes and who wrote them.

In this week's episode he covered work. Which meant that he looked into waulking songs, with Anne Lorne Gillies and Capercaillie; shepherds (with a trip to Tibbie Shiel's Inn in Ettrick); fishing in Stonehaven and whaling in Peterhead; jute in Dundee, and travellers and Doric balladeers, "fit fit fits fit fit?"

So you get a better idea of aspects of Scottish people, history, the environment, oh, and some music too.

Being a modern media company, the BBC have a website where you can watch (and listen to) clips from the shows so far.

Safe Drive, Stay Alive

Sadly, I missed this display last week. Hopefully some of you didn't. Having driven the road to Peterhead Academy and back successfully for about 7 years, a good day was one in which I wasn't almost killed by speeding, dangerous or inconsiderate drivers. Hitting a patch of black ice on the dual carriageway at Balmedie doesn't count, 5 other cars weren't so 'lucky' that day.

In 2006, 62 people died on Grampian's roads. 25 of those who died were under the age of 25. A further 217 were seriously injured. Almost half of the fatal collisions involved drivers under 25 years old.

Figures from the Safe Drive, Stay Alive information poster. They also have a Grampian-specific micro-site.

Anti-Social Networking

The Law is not blind:

An teenager who set up a website urging school pupils to "kick the hell" out of a teacher has been fined £700.

Neil Cameron, 17, from Daviot, Aberdeenshire, made offensive remarks about Meldrum Academy's depute head Alan Horberry on the Bebo site.

Full story from BBC News.

More criminal news from the world of the Web can be found at http://mycrimespace.com/ - warning: it may give you nightmares, but is that a bad thing?

Skill: Finding a Wild Camping Pitch

The exercise was to teach someone a skill that they might not have. The scenario is that you are hiking somewhere, and are looking to pitch your tent.

Map skills: you should have planned the pitch as part of your route-planning. Somewhere sheltered, within reach of water (unless you are willing to carry it in), not on marshy ground, you might even have to consider midges and other insects (e.g. low lying, stagnant water, no breeze).

A wild camp must comply with the law of the land. If you light fires where you shouldn't, cause damage, etc, then you are no longer wild camping, and open yourself up to legal action. Scotland has an excellent Access Code, and hikers worldwide are envious of us here.

This pitch at Lochan Odhar to the north of the Braeriach, was quite rocky. I dropped my rucksack and wandered around with my walking poles to find a suitable site.

I also want a good view from the door, which is normally over my left shoulder as I'm lying down, with my feet into the wind.

Walking over the ground, I can use the poles to prod the ground, also to measure out approximate areas (2 poles long, 1 pole wide) if there's any doubt. Finally, I can lock the poles together with loops and leave them in the ground to mark where I've decided to camp while I go back and get my rucksack. In this area, I found only 2 suitable pitches, and chose the one nearest my rucksack.

All plans have failings, and finding a hidden projection beneath the tent can mean you have to move. I've done that, and it's better than chancing a torn groundsheet. Other items to watch for are sharp heather branches and cones from conifers.

Key points: using available shelter.

Consider your supply of water.

Leave no trace.

Relax and enjoy the view. Makes it all worth it.

Essentials: knowledge of outdoors navigation, knowledge of weather forecast, knowledge of own ability; suitable kit, gear and mental ability to survive off the beaten track. Recommended reading: "The Backpacker's Handbook" by Chris Townsend.