I was curious about this insect I spotted feeding on a flower in North Berwick. I had never seen this species before.

From this photo it looks like a moth of some sort:-

Edited to add (7/8/24): I have received a comment on my flickr account telling me it’s a hummingbird hawkmoth. Thanks, Keith.

Son of the Rock Acres overlooks what remains of the grounds of the former Balbirnie Estate, indeed it is built on part of it, though half the original estate is now a golf course.

A group of deer lives on and around the estate. Sometimes they even run across the access road.

A deer in a copse nearby. You can just spot its rump if you look carefully:-

I managed to get a bit closer. The deer are not easily startled unless someone comes along with a dog:-

Occasionally the modern world intrudes. There is main road to or so hundred yards away but the noise is muted by intervening houses. Not so the helicopters which have been known to land at the hotel to which the big house (Balbirnie) has been converted. Nor the odd gyrocopter/microlight:-

Scone Palace isn’t actually a palace but an old house, near the village of Scone itself near Perth, Perth and Kinross.

The name palace derives from the site being that of an Abbey with its accompanying Abbot’s Palace.

The Palace’s grounds contain the ancient coronation site of the Kings of Scotland where the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, was situated on Moot Hill.

Scone Palace from drive:-

Closer view:-

Old gates. These are not on the main drive but nevertheless a few years ago some delivery driver tried to get through them and knocked the central stones down. The arch has been well restored:-

Chapel on Moot Hill:-

Chapel and Stone of Destiny, Moot Hill. You have to look really hard from this angle to see the Stone:-

Stone of Scone replica (or is it?) There have always been rumours that the stone Edward I of England removed to Westminster Abbey and on which the monarchs of England and, from 1701, the UK have been crowned was not the original:-

Scone Palace is also renowned for its peacocks (and peahens):-

They are reasonably tame and will eat out of your hand:-

On the way back to the car park at Threave Castle we saw – and heard – some red kites but they weren’t making much noise when I took this video.

Caerlaverock Castle was moved about two nundred yards from its original location as that was deemed unhealthy.

Nothing remains of the original Caerlaverock Castle but its foundations.

This is Historic Scotland’s Information Board at the original site:-

Foundations:-

Just below the wooden bridge you can see in the first foundations photo I noticed a butterfly with yellow tips to its wings. Its at the top edge of the blue flower:-

I’ve been aware for a long time that though I have a category for Scottish Football Grounds in which I post pictures of those theatres of disappointment I’ve never actually featured what Sons fans know as The Rock.

Given that this season promises to be one of the most dismal in over twenty years for said fans what better sight to lighten the mood?

The stadium has had several sponsored names over its years since the club moved from the traditional Boghead: Strathclyde Homes Stadium, the Bet Butler Stadium, the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium,* the YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium, and now the C&G Systems Stadium reverting to Dumbarton Football Stadium in times between sponsorships.

It really is in a fantastic location.

Dumbarton Rock and Dumbarton Football Stadium from Castle Road:-

From car park and pedestrian access. The turnstiles here are for the home end:-

Stadium, Stand and Dumbarton Rock from main car park:-

Stadium and Dumbarton rock from western part of car park:-

Showing Stand seating:-

Stand from River Leven side:-

Stand from west car park:-

Main Entrance from car park entrance:-

From Home support end of Stand. Kilpatrick Hills (known locally as the Long Crags) in right background:-

Pitch panorama. Dumbarton town in background. The large red brick building, once part of Ballantine’s Distillery, has now been demolished:-

Away end of pitch:-

I caught this disinterested spectator before a game once:-

*When that one was first referred to by a BBC Radio Scotland reporter at a game I remember the programme’s presenter Richard Gordon wailing, “Noooo.” It was bit of a minter.

Ducks on pond:-

Fountain:-

Circumference path:-

The Kastellet (citadel) is a military bastion near Copenhagen harbour.

This view of the canal that surrounds it was taken from the Gefion Fountain (previous post.) The winged structure just to the left of upper centre was actually our ship’s funnel:-

The water and banked earth round the Kastellet reminded me of Naarden in The Netherlands.

This is a view of the moat from the exit bridge nearer the harbour:-

As is this, looking in the opposite direction:-

Right by that exit bridge bridge this bird was nesting. It refused to lift its head so that I could get a good photo:-

Since we moved to Son of the Rock Acres we have noticed a lot more wild life than in the old house. That’s not surprising. We back onto woodland now.

We did used to be near a park where there were swans and herons as well as geese and gulls of various sorts and – once – a deer seemingly trapped in the fenced-off tennis court.

What we didn’t hear were owls which we did here as soon as we moved into the new house but they seem to have gone quiet.

Three or so years ago we began to notice a buzzard flying about the adjacent estate. I took this – very amateur – video of it in February 2016. (Click on the picture to get to the video.):-

Last year about this time we noticed three of the birds circling almost over the house:-

They were making a distinctive cry. (Again, click on picture to get to video):-

Earlier this year one took to perching on a young tree just over the back fence:-

We stopped at Ellon both on the way up to Peterhead and on the way back down.

A scenic river passes just to the west of the town, the River Ythan.

It’s crossed by two bridges, the old one:-

And the newer:-

If you look closely at the above photo you’ll spot a single swan. Here it is in a closer shot:-