#citiesvisited – Making Picture-Perfect Memories for life

Winter wonderland

February 6, 2023February 6, 2023Posted in Texas, TXTagged #2023, #capetownbasedphotographer, #citiesvisited, #galaxyS22, #landscapephotographer, #landscapephotography, #Texas, #Texasadventures, #travelphotographer, cameraphone3 Comments

I tried capturing photos with my Canon and telephoto lens while driving but most of the photos came out blurry. Not due to the speed we traveled but the way the truck shook. I could not keep the camera steady enough.

Christo bought me a phone so that I can stay in touch with my loved ones at home. I am very happy with it and the camera is fantastic and I am enjoying playing around with all the settings.

Taken on 25 January 2023 with my Galaxy S22

Thank you for taking the time to look at my post.

Greetings from somewhere in Texas.

Coreen

PS. I am busy saving for a few upcoming Landscape Photography Trips to Namibia and a few local National Parks here in South Africa. The most important trip is honoring my promise to Dad to go back to Scotland and capture the beautiful landscapes and Puffins. Your help to make these trips a reality would be much appreciated in today’s economy.

Please support me on Ko-Fi

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 12 Dunnottar Castle

December 8, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in Dunnottar CastleTagged #canon, #capetownbasedphotographer, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #fortheloveoftravel, #grandtourofscotland, #placesofinterest, #scotlandthroughmylens, #southafrica, #travelphotography3 Comments

Good day friends,

Today we continue our Grand Tour of Scotland. Our next stop was the Dunnottar Castle. I got the following information for Wikipedia.

“Dunnottar Castle “fort on the shelving slope” is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the northeastern coast of Scotland, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are from the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages. Dunnottar has played a prominent role in the history of Scotland through to the 18th-century Jacobite risings because of its strategic location and defensive strength.

Dunnottar is best known as the place where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden from Oliver Cromwell’s invading army in the 17th century. The property of the Keiths from the 14th century, and the seat of the Earl Marischal, Dunnottar declined after the last Earl forfeited his titles by taking part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. The castle was restored in the 20th century and is now open to the public.

The ruins of the castle are spread over 1.4 hectares (3 1⁄2 acres), surrounded by steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea, 160 feet (50 meters) below. A narrow strip of land joins the headland to the mainland, along which a steep path leads up to the gatehouse. The various buildings within the castle include the 14th-century tower house as well as the 16th-century palace. Dunnottar Castle is a scheduled monument, and twelve structures on the site were listed buildings.”

“Stop dreaming about your bucket list and start living it.” ~Annette White

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 11 – Arbroath

November 30, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in ArbroathTagged #canon, #capetownbasedphotographer, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #fortheloveoftravel, #grandtourofscotland, #placesofinterest, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #travelphotography2 Comments

We left Dundee on our way to Arbroath. We spend so much time in Dundee that time was running out and, we had to start making decisions about what places of interest on our list we were going to skip. The roads were busy and, I took the wrong turn off. Had to get someplace to turn around to at least take a photo of the Declaration of Arbroath.

Arbroath was the location of the Battle of Arbroath in 1446. A series of disagreements between the Chief Justiciary of Arbroath, Alexander Lindsay, third Earl of Crawford, and Bishop James Kennedy of St Andrews resulted in Lindsay sacking the bishop’s lands and burning his properties. Lindsay was excommunicated for his troubles and, it was felt that this was incompatible with his role as Chief Justiciary. The monks of Arbroath Abbey selected Alexander Ogilvy of Inverquharity as his replacement and, the insult led to a pitched battle in the town, leaving 500 dead, including Lindsay and Ogilvy. Large parts of Arbroath were destroyed in the aftermath by the Lindsay family.

Arbroath Abbey was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceased Saint Thomas Becket, whom the king had met at the English court. It was William’s only foundation — he was buried before the high altar of the church in 1214.

The last Abbot was Cardinal David Beaton, who in 1522 succeeded his uncle James to become Archbishop of St Andrews. The Abbey is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland and is open to the public throughout the year. The distinctive red sandstone ruins stand at the top of the High Street in Arbroath. Unfortunately, dad and I ran out of time and, the Abbey had already closed. I took some photos through the fence.

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

“Stop dreaming about your bucket list and start living it.” ~Annette White

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 10 – Dundee

November 24, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in DundeeTagged #canon, #capetownbasedphotographer, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #fortheloveoftravel, #placesofinterest, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #travelphotographyLeave a comment

Good day everyone,

Hope you are all having a great day so far. I decided to share the last part of our visit to Dundee with you today. I know 2 days in a row…. We drove around Dundee trying to check off the different places of interest on our list.

Dudhope Castle

Dudhope Castle is an extended late medieval tower house located on the southern face of Dundee Law in Dundee.
It was built in the late 13th century by the Scrymgeour family, with the original castle being a smaller tower house.
In 1792 the castle was rented in an attempt to use it as a woolen factory, although the plan never came to fruition. In 1795 the park and the grounds were leased to the Board of Ordnance. They used Dudhope as a barracks for 95 years, from 1796 to 1879. Additional buildings were constructed, including a hospital, officer’s quarters, stables, and guard-rooms. The castle itself was used to accommodate 400 soldiers. The Board of Ordnance finally abandoned it in 1881.

Steeple Church

The Tower is the oldest part of the structure, dating from the 15th century. Over centuries several church buildings have been erected and have fallen on the site. The present Steeple Church dates from 1789. The other parts of the building on the east side, the Mary Slessor Centre and Dundee Parish Church (St. Mary’s ), were built in 1840 after a fire.

Adam Duncan Statue

Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan (1 July 1731 – 4 August 1804) was a British admiral who defeated the Dutch fleet off Camperdown on 11 October 1797. This victory is considered one of the most significant actions in naval history.

Adam Duncan was born and schooled in Dundee. He joined the Royal Navy, following in the footsteps of his uncle, Captain Robert Haldane. He went on to serve under him on HMS Trial and HMS Shoreham. In 1755 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, then in 1759 to a commander.

In 1763 Duncan returned home on half-pay. Despite his repeated efforts to gain another naval command, he spent much of the next fifteen years on the family estate at Lundie or in Dundee. On 6 June 1777, he married Henrietta. His father-in-law pulled some strings and, in late 1778, he was given command of HMS Suffolk and then of HMS Monarch.

Duncan remained in command of the North Sea fleet until he retired in 1801. He died three years later at the age of 73 and was buried in Lundie.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

St. Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Dundee, Scotland. It is the cathedral and administrative center of the Diocese of Brechin in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

In 1847, Alexander Penrose Forbes was elected new Bishop of Brechin and chose to make Dundee his permanent residence.

The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid on 21 July 1853 and, it was completed in 1855. It was designed by George Gilbert Scott and is in the style of the Middle or Decorated period of Gothic architecture. There is a peal of 8 bells; the tenor bell weighs 23 cwt.

The total cost of the building exceeded £14,000, and ten years passed before the congregation could pay off all the debts incurred. The church was dedicated on All Saints Day, 1 November 1865. In 1905 St.Paul’s status was raised to cathedral.

Mains Castle

Mains Castle (also known as Claverhouse Castle or Fintry Castle) is a 16th-century castle in Dundee, Scotland. It consists of several buildings surrounding a courtyard, although several of the original western buildings no longer exist. The family lived in the northern and eastern buildings, with the servants occupying the southern quarters. The castle also has a large, six-floor, square tower house with dressed cornerstones, which is typical of 16th-century construction.

Claypotts Castle

Claypotts Castle is a late medieval castle in the suburban West Ferry area of Dundee, Scotland. It is one of the best-preserved examples of a 16th-century Z-plan tower house in Scotland. Now surrounded by modern housing, the castle is maintained as an Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland.

It was built by John Strachan around 1569–1588 according to dates inscribed on stones that make up parts of the castle, which make its construction longer than usual for such a small building. The Strachan family leased the land from the Tironensian Abbey of Lindores starting in the early 16th century.

The legend has it that the castle was once home to an industrious brownie who helped the servants with their work, but that he left in disgust because of a lazy kitchen maid.

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~Saint Augustine

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 9 – Dundee

November 23, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in DundeeTagged #canon, #capetownbasedphotographer, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #fortheloveoftravel, #grandtourofscotland, #placesofinterest, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #southafrica, #travelphotographyLeave a comment

Good day friends,

It’s been a while since I shared a post on our Grand Tour of Scotland. I think today is the day.

We continue our visit in Dundee. We headed up to Dundee Law. The views was breathtaking.

The Dundee Law is a hill in the center of Dundee. It is what remains of a volcanic sill and, it is the highest point in the center of Dundee. With a large war memorial at its summit, it is the most prominent feature on the local skyline.

Dundee Law comes from the Gaelic word for the mound. Lava was forced through fissures in old red sandstone from a volcanic area miles to the west. Actions by subsequent rain, wind, and ice movements eroded the sandstone. The glaciers of the ice ages deposited more debris around the base creating a crag and tail. The shallow gradient of the slopes on the north and eastern sides of it suggest a northeasterly movement of ice flows. The hill’s summit is over 500 feet above sea level.

On 16 May 1925, a war memorial for the fallen in both World War 1 and 2 was unveiled on Dundee Law.

Views of Tay Rail Bridge from Dundee Law

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” ~Saint Augustine

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 7 – Dundee

October 8, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in DundeeTagged #August2019, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #capetownbasedphotographer, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #grandtourofscotland, #nordicvisitor, #placesofinterest, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #travelphotography2 Comments

Good day,

Today I am sharing some of the photo’s taken while exploring Dundee. We visited a few places of interest in Dundee and, I will break it up in different posts.

The Tay Road Bridge is one of the longest road bridges in Europe. It was opened in 1966 when it replaced the old Tay Ferry. The 2,250m bridge carries the A92 road across the Firth of Tay from Newport-on-Tay in FIFE to Dundee in Scotland.

View from Seaplane Mercury Commemoration

The V&A design museum in Dundee was built in the form of a ship and was design by Kengo Kuma. The V&A Dundee is the first design museum in Scotland and the first Victoria and Albert museum outside London.

The Royal Research Ship (RRS), Discovery is moored at Discovery Point in Dundee. It was built in the city in 1900, RRS Discovery was the ship, which carried Captain Scott on his first expedition across the Antarctic. For more information on the RRS Discovery please visit their Website.

Thank you very much for taking the time to have a look at my work.
Have a fabulous day. Till next time, please stay safe and healthy.

Coreen

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 6 – Dairsie Area

September 23, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in DairsieTagged #August2019, #canon18to200mm, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #grandtourofscotland, #placesofinterest, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotographyLeave a comment

Good day everyone.

Todays post is not going to be too long.

We left St Andrews and headed towards Dairsie. I wanted to go see Dairsie Old Parish Church and then Dairsie Castle.

After walking around at the Old Parish Church I got into the car to get the directions to Dairsie Castle. Google maps said I have arrived at my destination. The castle was next to the church.

Dairsie Castle is a restored tower house that is situated next to the River Eden. They started building the first castle on the property around 1298. The Scottish parliament was held in the castle in early 1335. The castle was rebuilt in the 16th century by the Learmonth family.

In the 17th century it was sold to John Spottiswoode (1565–1639), Archbishop of St Andrews, who built Dairsie Old Church next to the castle in 1621.

For more information on Dairsie Castle please visit their website. Today it is being rented out as a Self Catering Castle.

I asked the grounds keeper if I could take some photos of the Castle and she said it was okay I could take a quick walk around the garden.

Our next stop was Pittormie Fruit Farm. What I had in mind when I planned this stop was a big farm with fruit trees with a restaurant and farmstall. I drove past twice looking for the entrance to the farm. Dad spotted the sign when we drove past. It was a small little shop with handmade goodies. We bought some strawberries and something to drink and got back on the road to our next stop.

Our next stop was Thai Teak. I scheduled this as a tea break. When we arrived we walked around a bit and then headed inside for a lovely cup of tea.

Thank you for joining us on our Grand Tour of Scotland.

Our next stop is the beautiful Dundee.

Till next time, stay safe and healthy.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 2 – St Andrews

July 31, 2020February 26, 2023Posted in St AndrewsTagged #2019, #alba, #August2019, #beautifulbuildings, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #canongirlforlife, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #fatheranddaughtertime, #flowersofscotland, #grandtourofscotland, #lovemyjob, #lovetotravel, #nordicvisitor, #outdoors, #placesofinterest, #placesvisited, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #summerinScotland, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotography, #UK, #unitedkingdomLeave a comment

Good day everyone,

Hope you are all still healthy. This week was very busy with my studies and finishing up editing work for clients.

For the next few days, I can concentrate on editing our Scotland vacation.
Let’s continue our Grand Tour of Scotland. Today I am sharing with you the photos I took while exploring St Andrews.

Dad was still not feeling up to walking, and he stayed in the car while I explored and took some photos of the surroundings.

My first stop was St Leonard’s Parish Church. On my next visit to Scotland, I am definitely going to make a point of it to go inside the churches to capture the interiors as well.

While I was exploring, I noticed the different types of stone and brick walls. It really stood out to me.

Up next are some random photos of the buildings and houses.

My next stop was the Victory Memorial Hall. The blue door and entry of the hall caught my eye immediately. I searched online for more information about the Victory Memorial Hall, but shockingly, I could not find any.

**Beautiful blue door of the Victory Memorial Hall**

St Andrews has so many beautiful churches, and I only walked down one street.

The Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church have a spectacular exterior, I can just imagine how the interior must be. The beautiful flower baskets in front of the windows really caught my eye.

**Stunning Window of Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church**

**Beautiful Hanging flower baskets of the Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church**

**Stunning Blue door of the Hope Park and Martyrs Parish Church**

Thank you for exploring St Andrews with me. In my next post we will continue exploring.

Keep safe and healthy.

Till next time.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney

14 August 2019: Day 4 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 1 Knockhill Farm B&B

July 24, 2020February 26, 2023Posted in St AndrewsTagged #2019, #alba, #August2019, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #fatheranddaughtertime, #flowersofscotland, #flowersthroughmylens, #grandtourofscotland, #knockhillfarm, #landscapephotography, #lovemycanon, #lovemyjob, #lovetotravel, #nature, #nordicvisitor, #outdoors, #pinkflowers, #placesofinterest, #placesvisited, #purpleflowers, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #summerinScotland, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotography, #UK, #unitedkingdomLeave a comment

Good day everybody,

I am feeling much better today. I hope you are all still healthy and enjoying life to the fullest.

WOW day two on the road, but first a little of our stay and warm reception at Knockhill Farm just outside St Andrews.

Linda Wood, the owner of Knockhill Farm B&B, made us feel right at home with her friendly reception. We ran late, and she was worried that something happened to us on the way there. She even went as far and contacted Nordic Visitor, our tour agent, to find out if they had heard something.

Linda showed us to our accommodation for the evening, and we talked a bit about our day. She then told us that breakfast will be served at 8:00 AM and showed us where we must go.

Our accommodation had a spacious lounge, with 2 comfortable couches, a television, and enough reading material to keep us busy for the night.
In the kitchen area, we had a variety of coffee and teas to choose from.

The bathroom was also very spacious and had a beautiful big walk-in shower. There were fresh bath sheets, face towels, shampoo, shower gel, and cream.

The spacious bedroom had two twin beds, cupboards and, a dressing table.

After a long warm shower, I put on my PJ’s and made myself and dad a nice cup of coffee. We sat down in the lounge, dad grabbed a book and started reading and I started writing a quick blog with photos I took on the road with my phone.
When I first anticipated writing a blog every evening, I did not factor in how tired I would be after a long day on the road.

We went to bed around 10:30 PM for a well-deserved rest.

At around 5:00 AM, I woke up refreshed. I got out of bed, got dressed, and gathered all my things. I grabbed my camera and headed outside to take some photos of the farm and its surroundings.
I made dad and myself a cup of coffee then I woke him up just after 6:30 AM, giving him ample time to get ready.

Dad finished with time to spare, and we decided to take a walk down the road.

Thank you for joining us at Knockhill Farm B&B. Hope you enjoyed your stay just as much as we did. Our next stop St Andrews.

Till next time. Stay safe.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 5

July 3, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in LargoTagged #alba, #August2019, #beautifulbuildings, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #grandtourofscotland, #landscapephotography, #lovemyjob, #lovetotravel, #Lower Largo, #malagan sculpture, #mywork, #nature, #nordicvisitor, #outdoors, #placesofinterest, #placesvisited, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #summerinScotland, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotography, #UK, #unitedkingdomLeave a comment

Good day everyone,

I hope you are still healthy and safe.

Today’s post is not going to be that long. We did not spend much time at our next stop, Lower Largo, on our Grand Tour of Scotland. I would have liked to explore this little coastal town more, but time was not on our side.

While driving along the coastal road, we spotted this beautiful sculpture. At first, I thought it was the Robinson Crusoe Statue, but while I was doing my research for today’s blog post, I found out that it is actually The Malagan Sculpture. Well, now I know… I love the detail on the Sculpture and the entrance gate. I am law-abiding, but it took all my strength not to enter and take up-close photos of the statue.

**Entry to Malagan Sculpture in Lower Largo**

The views from here were also beautiful.

Across the road, I spotted a house with the most beautiful gate. It looked like a scene out of a storybook.

Once again I just can’t pass the opportunity to capture the house with the blue door and flower baskets on the windowsills.

I had to look twice before I realized that it was a toy skeleton of a prehistoric animal.

Thank you for joining us on our short visit to Lower Largo. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Our next stop is Ruby Bay…

Till next time, please stay safe.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland : Part 6

June 23, 2020May 7, 2023Posted in Leven Lethan Glen ParkTagged #alba, #August2019, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #canongirl, #canongirlforlife, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #fatheranddaughtertime, #fife, #golfcourse, #grandtourofscotland, #landscapephotography, #Leven, #linksgolfcourse, #lovemycanon, #lovemyjob, #lovetotravel, #Lundin, #mywork, #nature, #naturephotography, #nordicvisitor, #outdoors, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #standingstonesoflundin, #summerinScotland, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotography, #UK, #unitedkingdomLeave a comment

Good day everyone,

Oh my word this morning I am freezing. Hope you are all still healthy and staying safe.

Okay let’s continue our Grand Tour of Scotland.

Our next stop was Letham Glen. It was not even on my places of interest. In 2010 dad had his colon removed due to cancer. So if dad has to go there are not much time you must get him to a bathroom as soon as possible. This was also a reason why all our stops are so close together just in case.

I wondered around and took a few photo’s while waiting for dad.

The Sunken Garden at Letham Glen was the towns former swimmingpool in the 1930’s. They have turned it into a beautiful garden. I was impressed.

Our next stop was the standing stones of Lundin. But oh my hat did we struggle to get to it. First of all the GPS says your destination is on your left side, you have reached your destination. When we look around all we see is houses on the left and a golf club on the right hand side.

We drove past our destination at least 4 times when I told my dad that’s it I am not going to search anymore… Then I spotted it through one of the houses gates opening up on the golf course. Okay now we know where it is. Now how to get to it. So we followed a dirt road and there it was. But I had to go through someones backyard to get to the golf course. The groundskeeper told me the man get’s very difficult when he spots tourists in his backyard. But that’s the only way to get there….

I did not come this far just to give up. So dad waited in the car while I invaded the poor man’s privacy. Luckily he was not there so I climbed over the wall onto the golf course, took a few photo’s and climbed back again.

I got to the car and just as I pulled away the owner arrived…. That’s what I call timing…..

“On the second hole of the Lundin Links Ladies Golf Course (which incidentally is the oldest women’s golf course in the world), stands a trio of prehistoric stones, looking wonderfully out of place against the manicured landscape.
The huge megaliths stand between 14 to 17 feet tall. Crookedly shaped and made of sandstone, the pillars are believed to date back to the Bronze age, around the 2nd millennium BCE. Legend holds that the site was used by the Druids for ancient rituals.
Druidic rituals or not, it is likely that the three standing stones are the remains of an ancient stone circle. There used to be at least four pillars, but one stone went missing in the 18th century.”
Borrowed from Atlas Obscura

That’s all for now friends. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you are still enjoying our Grand Tour of Scotland with us.

Till Next time. Stay safe.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 4

June 22, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in KirkcaldyTagged #alba, #August2019, #beautifulbuildings, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #canongirl, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #fatheranddaughtertime, #grandtourofscotland, #Kirkcaldy, #kirks, #landscapephotography, #lovemycanon, #lovemyjob, #lovetotravel, #mypassion, #mywork, #nature, #naturephotography, #nordicvisitor, #onthebeach, #outdoors, #placesofinterest, #placesvisited, #raining, #Ravenscraig Castle, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #St Bryce Kirk, #summerinScotland, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotographyLeave a comment

Good day everyone,

My fiancée’s daughter is visiting, and instead of planning and writing my blog, I spend my time playing teacher… I normally post on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I have time, so here I am.

It started raining when we left Aberdour, and we skipped a few of the items on our list, and when we got to Kirkcaldy, it was coming down really hard.

I struggled to get to the park, and when I finally got a spot and got out of the car, it came down extra hard. I jumped back into the car, and we sat and waited. Dad still asked me what I was going to do. I told him Well, if I have to, I’ll take some photos through the window, but we can’t keep skipping places just because it is raining. We will have to skip more than 50% of our tour at that rate.

I spent many hours planning our vacation and researching the places we would like to visit and the places I would like to photograph.

The rain stopped for a while, and I exited the car and took photos of St. Bryce Kirk.

**St Bryce Kirk** **from across the road.**

As you can see, I just loved the church tower. I also took photos of the houses in the street we parked in.

We then headed to Ravenscraig Castle, but I only took photos from the parking lot. Time was running away with us, and due to the rain, it was really wet.

Crow on the beach at **Ravenscraig Castle**

Well, that is all for now. Thank you for stopping by.

Till next time, stay safe.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland : Part 3

June 11, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in AberdourTagged #alba, #August2019, #beautifulbuildings, #blueskies, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #canongirl, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #fife, #flowersofscotland, #flowersthroughmylens, #grandtourofscotland, #graveyard, #historicscotland, #kirkyard, #landscapephotography, #lovemycanon, #lovemyjob, #lovetotravel, #mypassion, #mywork, #nature, #nordicvisitor, #outdoors, #pinkflowers, #placesofinterest, #placesvisited, #purpleflowers, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #stfillanschurch, #summerinScotland, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotography, #UK, #unitedkingdom, #walledgarden2 Comments

Good day everyone,

Hope you are all still safe and healthy. Here in Cape Town, we are freezing our buds off. My hands feel like two ice cubes.

Our next stop was Aberdour Castle and Gardens. It was spectacular, and this was the first castle we visited on our Grand Tour of Scotland. Nordic Visitor arranged for explorer passes with Historic Scotland. This enables us to visit a wide range of places without standing in queues at ticket counters.

After getting our pass activated, we could go and explore. The only thing Dad wanted to explore was the shop and restaurant… But I got him to walk with me through the garden and grounds.

We had to walk through the Walled Garden to get to St. Fillan’s Church. It took me a while to get to St Fillan’s Church there were just too many beautiful flowers to capture…

I borrowed some information from the St. Fillans Churches website.

“St Fillan’s Church is one of Scotland’s finest examples of simple Norman architecture. To the south, it overlooks Aberdour Harbour; to the north and west, it is sheltered by the high wall of Aberdour Castle Garden; to the east, what was the Castle kitchen garden as early as 1390 St Fillan is mentioned as the church’s patron saint.

The entrance to the church and its old cemetery is from Hawkcraig Road along Kirk Wynd. On the right, the top of the Wynd is a door to the Castle grounds, above which the monogram of William, Earl of Morton, and his wife, Lady Anne, dated 1632. Further down the Wynd, on the left, is a collection of badly weathered old gravestones, some dating from the seventeenth century.

Initially, St Fillan’s consisted simply of a nave and the chancel, lit by deeply splayed windows, and remains much as it was in the 12th century. Sockets for the rood screen can still be seen.

The dedication to St Fillan probably came about through the influence of Robert I (the Bruce), who gave Aberdour to his close friend and supporter Thomas Randolph Earl of Moray. St Fillan was the king’s favorite saint and is credited with helping the Scots win the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

In the 15th century, the church was enlarged by adding the south aisle. This involved an arcade supported by the three pseudo-Norman pillars and lowering the floor to its present level.

St. Fillan’s Church will celebrate its 900th Anniversary in 2023.”

For more information, please go to St Fillans Church.

Entry to **St Fillans Church and Churchyard**

**View of Aberdour Castle from** **St Fillans Church and Churchyard**

Next, we walked around and came across the Terraced Garden.

**View of Aberdour Castle from Terrace Garden**

**View over Terrace Garden. Patterns on grass.**

Up next, we had a peek into the stables and then went for a nice cup of tea.

Teatime with a nice cup of English Breakfast tea…

After our tea break, I explored some more, and Dad went to the gift shop to look for fridge magnets for his collection.

Thank you for joining us on our walk through Aberdour Castle and the gardens. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Our next stop is Kirkcaldy.

Till next time… Stay safe.

Coreen

"If you can dream it, you can do it." Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland : Part 3

June 9, 2020May 7, 2023Posted in AberdourTagged #alba, #August2019, #beautifulbuildings, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #canon7dmk2, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #canongirl, #canongirlforlife, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #fatheranddaughtertime, #fife, #flowersofscotland, #flowersthroughmylens, #grandtourofscotland, #lovemycanon, #lovemyjob, #lovetotravel, #mypassion, #mywork, #nature, #nordicvisitor, #outdoors, #pinkflowers, #placesofinterest, #placesvisited, #purpleflowers, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #stcolumbaschurch, #summerinScotland, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotography, #UK, #unitedkingdom1 Comment

Good day everyone,

Our next stop was a beautiful little town called Aberdour. Just as we entered the town I was taken with all the flowers and beautiful houses and their hanging basket gardens…. The streets are not really wide and the houses are on the street only a narrow sidewalk that separate them from the street. I saw only a few houses with nice front yards and the most beautiful gardens.

We stopped at a parking area near a garden and I took my camera and walked up the road to where we entered Aberdour.

I just love Hydrangea’s and the colors are to die for. I grew up with light pink and blue/purple Hydrangea’s. I just could not get enough of these pretty plants.

As you know by now I loved capturing Churches and Cathedrals even if they are closed. The architecture is just amazing. I love the colorful doors and the beautiful windows. I just wish we had enough time to go into every single one we visited. Also I know I missed a few too.

**St. Columba’s Scottish Episcopal Church**

Here are some photos taken on my walk back to the car.

Thank you for joining us on this short visit at Aberdour. Next up Aberdour Castle and Gardens.

Stay safe and have a Blessed day.

Till next time…..

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland : Part 2

May 25, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in Dalgetty BayTagged #alba, #August2019, #beautifulbuildings, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #CanonEOS7DMark II, #canongirlforlife, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #flowersofscotland, #grandtourofscotland, #kirkyard, #landscapephotography, #lovemycanon, #lovetotravel, #mypassion, #nature, #naturephotography, #nordicvisitor, #outdoors, #placesofinterest, #placesvisited, #redbridge, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #summerinScotland, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotography, #UK, #unitedkingdom, #wildflowers3 Comments

Good day everyone,

Hope all of you are still in good health…

Without further delay, let’s continue our road trip to St Andrews and Knockhill Farm, where we will spend the night.

Our next stop was Dalgety Bay. The 8th largest town in Fife. We did not spend much time exploring Dalgety Bay due to a very long list of places to see. Also, at this stage, I struggled with the Tom Tom trying to get to the places of interest on our list… We were trying to find Donibristle Stable Block but ended up with a view of the Fourth Road Railway Bridge instead. Not that I am complaining. The views and flowers were stunning.

Our next stop on our list was Cornerstone Full Gospel Church. I got the names on my Google Maps when I planned our trip. What I did come to realize on our Grand Tour of Scotland was that the names on Google Maps and the names on the signboards are not always the same…

Dad and I saw the church on our way to Dalgety Bay, and on our way back, we took the turnoff to the church. Next to the church, I found this beautiful cottage with fields and sheep.

I walked up to the gate to see if I could enter, and it was open, so I walked inside and took a few photos. Now this is what I call a peaceful place. Normally I don’t like walking in graveyards, but one thing that stood out for me was how peaceful it was here. Maybe it is the surrounding pastures with sheep and horses grazing. One doesn’t even hear the cars passing on the road to and from Dalgety Bay.

***Cornerstone Church from the turnoff***

Thank you for visiting Dalgety Bay with us. Our next stop is Aberdour, and I look forward to sharing some of the photos taken in this beautiful town.

Please keep safe till next time.

Coreen

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

13 August 2019: Day 3 of our Grand Tour of Scotland: Part 1

May 11, 2020April 12, 2023Posted in InverkeithingTagged #August2019, #beautifulbuildings, #bucketlist, #canon18to200mm, #canon7dmkii, #capetownbasedphotographer, #capturingmemories, #capturingscotland, #citiesvisited, #coreenkuhnphotography, #countriesvisited, #dadandme, #discoveringScotland, #discoverscotland, #explorescotland, #fatheranddaughtertime, #flowersofscotland, #grandtourofscotland, #inverkeithing, #kirkyard, #landscapephotography, #lovemycanon, #lovemyjob, #lovetotravel, #mercatcross, #monuments, #mypassion, #naturephotography, #nordicvisitor, #outdoors, #placesofinterest, #placesvisited, #queenshotel, #scotland, #scotlandthroughmylens, #Scotlandvacation, #speedlimit, #spendingtimewithlovedones, #summerinScotland, #thechurchofscotland, #theoldhospitiumofthegreyfriars, #townsivisited, #travel, #travelingtheworld, #travelphotography, #UK, #unitedkingdom, #windows5 Comments

Good day everyone,

At long last, we can start the next phase of our Grand Tour of Scotland. We will drive to St Andrew’s along the coast and spend the night at Knockhill Farm. I must admit I was very nervous on that Cloudy Tuesday morning. This would be my first time driving in Scotland, and I did not know what to expect. The only comfort for me was that I was used to driving on the left side of the road.

The driver that picked us up at the airport on Sunday gave me a few tips and told me to avoid the bus lanes and never to park in parking places for taxis. He also explained to me how the passing place works.

The people at Arnold Clark were very friendly, and before I knew it, we were on our way to Inverkeithing, our first stop.

We stopped in the first parking lot we could find, and from there we walked and explored for a while. While touring through Scotland, I fell in love with the buildings, the decor and details on the buildings, the shapes and sizes of the windows, the colorful and detailed doors, and lastly, the bright colors used to paint the houses and shops. I we could, I think we would have stayed much longer in the different towns, and I would have taken building by building, street by street, to make sure I captured every little detail… But we had to cover around 100 to 180 miles per day depending on our route, and we had to be at our final destination for the day at a certain time… This was one of the reasons we decided that our next tour of Scotland we will do in a campervan and we will stay in Scotland for about 76 days.

The Church of Scotland **/Inverkeithing Parish Church** **Kirkyard**

**The Church of Scotland/Inverkeithing Parish Church**

It took me a while to get used to driving 20 miles per hour. But I made sure that I kept below the speed limit just to make sure I did not get a ticket. Now let me explain why the speed difference was so difficult. Here in South Africa, the speed limit in our towns is 60 Kilometers per hour which equals around 37 miles per hour. The most confusing part while driving is you get a sign that says 40 Miles per hour, then about 2 meters after that, it is either 30 or 20 miles per hour. For someone who is driving in Scotland for the first time, it is very nerve-wracking, but by the end of the day, I figured out the pattern…

In our rental car, we had a Tom Tom, and oh my word, did it frustrate the living daylights out of me. First, when I typed in a castle name or Church name, it kept saying not found. Before we came to Scotland, I mapped out our tour in Google Maps and saved it to my phone. All the places on our list were on google maps, but for some reason, I could not find it on the Tom Tom, not even when I typed in Street addresses. So, when I saw that some streets have more than one name, it started to make sense. I switched to google maps on my phone and only used the Tom Tom as a guide to the flow of the road ahead.

**2 Street names next to each other. No wonder the Tom Tom got confused**

**The Old Hospitium of the Grey Friars**

**View from the garden at The Old Hospitium of the Grey Friars**

**Garden at The Old Hospitium of the Grey Friars**

**Shed at** **The Old Hospitium of the Grey Friars**

**Beautiful door at The Old Hospitium of the Grey Friars**

**Wall and window at The Old Hospitium of the Grey Friars**

**The Old Hospitium of the Grey Friars Garden entry**

After exploring, we remembered the sign at the church that offered Tea, coffee, and home baking. Dad and I decided we still had time for a nice cup of tea before leaving for our next stop.

We were welcomed with open arms and felt right at home. We sat down at a table, and it was not even a few seconds when the first man came to greet us. He and Dad hit it off and talked about Scotland and South Africa. He was a retired doctor and came to visit a few times here in South Africa around 15 years back. Dad explained to him how everything has changed and that nowadays, one can’t just go out at night and walk as one pleases; it is too dangerous.

While Dad and the retired doctor talked, I excused myself and took photos of the church’s beautiful windows.