Slides — 1984 - ’85

The Gatecrasher — undated

Various locations in South and East Scotland — Early 1984

Waverley to Ardrishaig — Saturday, 21 April 1984

Waverley to Oban — from Friday, 4 May 1984

Barra & South Uist — Monday, 7 May 1984 and Tuesday

Balloch to Crianlarich — June 1984 - possibly

A trip to the North — from Wednesday, 11 July 1984

Waverley to Campbeltown — A Wednesday in 1984

A dull evening in Aberdeen — August 1984, probably

Waverley to Rothesay — A Saturday in August 1984

An evening on Bennachie — October 1984, maybe

SRPS "The Suburban Centenarian" — Saturday, 1 December 1984

An Aberdeen Interlude — Spring, 1985

Waverley to Brodick — Easter Monday, 8 April 1985

Waverley to Stranraer — Thursday, 11 April 1985

Perth Station Open Day — Saturday, 20 April 1985

SRPS "The Carnegie 150" — Saturday, 27 April 1985

Waverley in the Western Isles — from Friday, 3 May 1985

Crianlarich & a helicopter — May, June or July 1985

"The Forth Bridge Flyer" — June or July 1985

Fort William & Crianlarich — Thursday, 27 June 1985 & ?

ScotRail "The Jacobite" — Tuesday, 30 July 1985

Steaming round the North of England — from Friday, 23 August 1985

SRPS "The Nithsdale Express" — Saturday, 31 August 1985

Linlithgow Palace — Thursday, 24 October 1985

SRPS “Santa Specials” — Sunday, 15 December 1985

The Gatecrasher

Exeter St. David's

I sent off a film for processing and when it came back I had a quick look, all much as expected, and put it aside. Some months later, I looked again and realised that the first slide was not mine. I've taken many photographs of trains and stations but I have never been to Exeter. By this time I had lost the processing reference and couldn't do much about it.

South and East Scotland — Early 1984

These appear to be Ben More from just east of Crianlarich. The nearest I have for a date is a cryptic diary entry "Crianlarich" for Sunday, 26 February.

Stirling Castle from the west, 1984	30 August 2014

Arthur's Seat and Craigmillar Castle. I'm sure it was a Sunday.

Edinburgh. I don't know if it was the same day as the four above.

The gates of the Palace of Holyrood	Calton Hill from Jeffrey Street	Calton Hill from the North Bridge

The Grey Mare's Tail and Loch Skeen above it, probably on a Sunday. I drove down on my own.

Upper part of the Grey Mare's Tail	Loch Skeen	Loch Skeen below the crags of Lochcraig Head

Loch Skeen below the crags of Lochcraig Head.	Loch Skeen	Upper part of the Grey Mare's Tail

The Grey Mare's Tail

The Forth Bridges. I remember I parked the car approximately under the Bridge and walked up to the Road Bridge.

	The Road Bridge

North Queensferry from the Road Bridge	Inch Garvie

The Tay Bridges. I parked the car just south of the Road Bridge and walked out to the viewing platform in the middle of the Bridge where I took most of the photographs. Possibly the same day as above, maybe not.

Dundee	The Tay Bridge from the Road Bridge

Downstream from the Road Bridge	Upstream from the Road Bridge	Dundee between the Bridges

Newport-on-Tay from the Road Bridge	Dundee between the Bridges	Downstream from the Road Bridge

Dundee docks downstream of the Road Bridge	Broughty Ferry and Buddon Ness	Road Bridge from the shore at Newport-on-Tay

Dundee and the Tay Road Bridge	The Tay Road Bridge	something (a power station?)

Waverley to Ardrishaig — Saturday, 21 April 1984

Waverley to Oban — Friday 4 to Sunday, 6 May 1984

Barra & South Uist — Monday – Wednesday, May 7 et seq.

Having spent the weekend sailing out of Oban on Waverley, I sailed overnight on Claymore to Barra and went for a wee walk. I had planned to spend the night at Eoligarry at the north end of Barra but on arriving there I found there was an extra ferry run to bring folk back from a Feis in Daliburgh. So I crossed to South Uist and spent the evening in the Pollachar Inn and the night camped on the machair across the road. It was almost half past ten when I woke so I quickly broke camp and moved on before I was tempted to return to the pub. Another night on the machair somewhere up the west coast of South Uist and a late lunch at Iochdar Community Hall before crossing the causeway to Creagorry where I had to wait half an hour for the pub to open. I phoned home and decided to go home so set off across Benbecula. I had crossed the first part of the causeway to North Uist when it started to rain and a passing policeman gave me a lift into Lochmaddy where I had a good sleep on the ferry. We had sailed before I was awake and the purser was none too pleased to have to sell me a ticket. It seems I should have bought my ticket before boarding but the ticket office had not been open at one in the morning, whereas the boat was.

Castlebay below Heaval from the "Claymore"	mv "Claymore" leaving Castlebay	Castlebay from in front of the Craigard Hotel

Castlebay and the islands to the south from the side of Heaval	Our lady, Star of the Sea	Looking north over the Uists and Benbecula

Looking west from Heaval towards America	Castlebay and the islands to the south from the top of Heaval	A beach on the west coast of South Uist, possibly looking towards Rubha Ardvule

The statue of Our Lady of the Isles (Hew Lorimer, 1958) on the side of Rueval on the west coast of South Uist is 9 metres high. Carved on site from Creetown granite, the statue was commissioned by Fr John Morrison and paid for by the islanders.

A sail on Loch Lomond on Countess Fiona — June - possibly

Last year, I started the West Highland Way from Milngavie and was slaughtered by midgies at Cashel campsite (just north of Balmaha). Even after a short day and a comfortable night at Rowardennan Youth Hostel, I was not in a good mood when I reached Inversnaid. The Countess Fiona was sitting at the pier and I could not resist the temptation to forget the WHW and just sail back to Balloch. This year, I decided to retrace my steps to Inversnaid and walk on to Crianlarich.

"Countess Fiona" lying outside "Maid of the Loch"	Stern view of a dilapidated "Maid of the Loch" at Balloch Pier

Luss and its pier from mv "Countess Fiona"	Inversnaid Hotel from mv "Countess Fiona"	"Countess Fiona" at Inversnaid Pier

"Countess Fiona" at Inversnaid Pier	Loch Dochart, Crianlarich and Strathfillan from the side of Ben More	Probably the top of Ben More

37xxx shunting at the site of Crianlarich Lower station

A trip round the north of Scotland

Day 1 - Wednesday, 11 July — Edinburgh to Invershin with a rest stop at Drumochter

On my way north, I stopped for a break just north of Drumochter Pass, I think at Balsporran Cottages (425m), and, judging by the photographs, took a quick run up Geal Charn (917m) and A'Mharconaich (975m).

NE towards Leacainn and Carn na Caim (941m)	NW across Loch Ericht to Loch Pattack from somewhere on Geal Charn	The A9 south past the Sow of Atholl from A'Mharconaich

Possibly Coire Creagach below Sgairneach Mhor (991m)	Loch Ericht with Ben Alder on the other side	?

Day 2 - Thursday, 12 July — Invershin to Tongue via Ben Klibreck

I'd got the length of Lairg before I realised I'd left my pack at the YH and had to repeat that part of the journey. Then on to park the car at Altnaharra, catch the postbus up the road a bit for a more gentle ascent of Ben Klibreck, descending back into Altnaharra. Then on to the YH at Tongue.

Carbisdale Castle Youth Hostel - courtyard - entrance - from a distance

		Methinks Ben Loyal (764m) from the side of Ben Klibreck (961m) with Loch Naver showing on the right
The Loch Shin dam from Lairg

Day 3 - Friday, 13 July — Tongue to Durness via Ben Hope

Looking north up Strath More past what remains of Dun Dornaigil	The entrance to Dun Dornaigil broch	The inside of the entrance to Dun Dornaigil broch

North up Strath More from Dun Dornaigil broch with Ben Hope on the right	South down Strath More from the side of Ben Hope	Waterfall on the way up Ben Hope

The summit[?] of Ben Hope (927m)	A hill beyond a loch from a roadside

RN frigate passing Eilean Choraidh in Loch Eriboll and continuing to sea past Ard Neakie

A headland somewhere on the north coast east of Durness. (Possibly Whiten Head on the east side of Loch Eriboll.)	The view from above Smoo Cave	Smoo Cave

Day 4 - Saturday, 14th — Cape Wrath and south to Achmelvich

A sticky-oot bit at Cape Wrath	The foghorn at Cape Wrath	Cape Wrath lighthouse

A sundial at Cape Wrath lighthouse	A cliff at Cape Wrath	Cape Wrath lighthouse

The north coast east of Cape Wrath	A sticky-oot bit at Cape Wrath	Cape Wrath lighthouse on top of a cliff

Fishing boats in the harbour at Kinlochbervie	Quinag beyond the almost-completed Kylesku Bridge	A pretty bay somewhere (Achmelvich?)

Day 5 - Sunday, 15 July — Achmelvich to Ullapool

Stac Polaidh, Cul Mor, Suilven and Canisp from somewhere on the road north of Ullapool	Lochinver (I think)

Day 6 - Monday, 16 July — Ullapool to Edinburgh via Aviemore

I met Barbara off the ferry and we drove to Edinburgh with a brief stop at Aviemore when I spotted smoke rising above the railway station. The engine is an Austerity 0-6-0 saddle tank. Based on a Hunslet (Leeds) design, many of these were built by various companies during WW2 for the War Office. About 70 were later acquired by LNER and passed into British Railways as the J94 class. This one, No. 60, was built by Hunslet (works number 3686) in 1949 for the National Coal Board. It is currently (2014) dismantled awaiting major overhaul.

Strathspey Railway saddle tank No.60 on a train for Boat of Garten

The train departs for Boat of Garten

Waverley — Ayr to Campbeltown — A Wednesday

Hills somewhere sometime

One evening in Aberdeen

A dull evening in Aberdeen, I drove down through Fittie to take these photos.

The mouth of the Dee	Looking over the mouth of the Dee to the Beach	Looking into Aberdeen Harbour

A couple of moles (sewage outfalls?) just south of the mouth of Dee	and on a brighter morning, the Beach

Waverley from Glasgow to Rothesay — A Saturday in August

An evening on Bennachie — October, maybe

September or October

Fertile lowlands from Bennachie	Mither Tap (1698ft) from the west

Another top to the west of Mither Tap	Mither Tap (1698ft) from the west

SRPS - "The Suburban Centenarian" — Saturday, 1 December 1984

An Aberdeen Interlude — Spring, 1985

Marischal College frontage	Main entrance	East end - Greyfriars Church

Waverley from Glasgow to Brodick — Easter Monday, 8 April 1985

Waverley from Ayr to Stranraer — Thursday, 11 April 1985

Perth Station Open Day — Saturday, 20 April 1985

SRPS - "The Carnegie 150" — Saturday, 27 April 1985

Waverley in the Western Isles

Friday 3 to Tuesday, 7 May 1985

On the Wednesday, Dave & I returned to Edinburgh by train, but not before taking a few snaps at Oban station. The "Mexican Bean" as it was colloquially known, was a DMU (104325) sponsored by the Tourist Board to provide additional services between Oban and Crianlarich to meet the Fort William train. I don't know how popular it was but it lasted only a few years.

		A Type 37 at the head of the Glasgow train

Intermission — 1985

Looking east over Crianlarich to Ben More from the West Highland Way	A helicopter somewhere

SRPS? - "The Forth Bridge Flyer" leaving Dundee

May or June

Fort William & Crianlarich — Thursday, 27 June & ?

What was I doing in Fort William? Why did I go for a look round the station? Why did I take no other photos of rail or anything else? I can only put a date on this from a cryptic note for this date in an old diary - "Glen Nevis YH".

The overnight accommodation part of the "Royal Scotsman" in a siding while the rest of the train went to Mallaig.

And did we go from Fort William to Crianlarich or was there a longer interval between the two above and the two below?

		A Type 37 hauls a northbound train into Crianlarich with an Ethel behind the loco which, together with the light and direction of the shadows, suggests the Fort William sleeper.
Val & Dave on the West Highland Way

ScotRail - "The Jacobite" — Tuesday 30 July & Wednesday

Steaming round the North of England

Friday 23 to Thursday, 29 August

SRPS - "The Nithsdale Express" — Saturday 31 August

Linlithgow Palace — Thursday, 24 October

Having walked part of the Union Canal towpath from Fountainbridge to Winchburgh earlier in the summer, I took the bus back to Winchburgh and walked on to Linlithgow where I spent some time looking at the Palace, before returning to Edinburgh by bus[?]

On arrival at the Palace, I had a print film in my camera which I finished before reloading with a slide film. Herewith I present a mix of prints & slides in a logical, rather than chronological, sequence. Not much imagination in the choice of subject.

The Palace Gatehouse	South wall exterior featuring the "new" doorway

The King's Fountain (c1538) and the north-west and north-east (BFT043) corners of the courtyard

East wall interior featuring the "old" doorway	Old door, inside (BFT041)	The Great Hall (BFT042)

Linlithgow Loch (BFT044)	The Palace from the north-west

East wall exterior featuring the "old" doorway	East face (BFT040)	Old door, outside (BFT039)

SRPS - "Santa Specials" on the Edinburgh Sub — Sunday, 15 December

In January ’86, I went off to work in Auckland for two years, the slides from New Zealand and Australia are elsewhere, but if you wish to continue with UK slides, click here.

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