Tuesday 28 June 2011

Seacliff,Tantallon,Bass Rock - Part 2

Seacliff, East Lothian, further along the beach...........


Seabirds nesting on the cliffs.


Ruined 14th century Tantallon Castle.


Red sandstone rock.


This small bay opposite Bass Rock is known as Saint Baldred's Cradle.
In the 8th century the early Christian monk Saint Baldred is said to have landed on this shore.


Bass Rock,looking north over the Firth of Forth,to the coast of Fife.

Bass Rock was once the home of Saint Baldred,who built a hermitage and chapel here.
 Later  the island housed a castle and prison and has been featured in many works of fiction.
The lighthouse, built in 1902,was designed by David Stevenson,
uncle of the writer Robert Louis Stevenson.


Today Bass Rock is best known for it's large ganet population (around 150,000 birds).
Other species found here are guillemot,razorbill,cormorant,puffin,eider duck and many gulls.


A closer view.
I like the way the passing container ship mirrors the shape of the lighthouse.
The white spots on the rocks are seabirds, and their droppings.
 Bass Rock in the 19th century.
Image source  : Wikipedia.

15 comments:

biebkriebels said...

What a beautiful photo's. Such a great landscape with the bay, the rock and the birds.

snowwhite said...

Ruby,
What a vast and majestic scenery!!
The 14th century ruin over rocky seashore is incredibly beautiful.
Bass Rock covered with droppings looks whitish. When one priest landed on the shore in the 8th century, Todai-ji Temple of Great Buddha was built in Nara. I was moved how religious belief was firm and strong transcending nationality and time.
Thank you for sharing.
Have a great day.

Anonymous said...

Hello dear Ruby,

Very nice spots from beautiful landscapes. I have to go to the birds isles and rocks one of these months, so thanks for the information in this and ofcourse the great Photography!

Have a nice week and thanks for your comments on my Blog;)

Best wishes,

Henk.

Tomoko said...

Hello Ruby.
Theses are such gorgeous photos!
They took me back to a time I took a trip to the northern isle “Teuri” in the Sea of Japan when I was a teenager. I saw so many uria aagles( ororon in Japanese)flying over the cliff of the isle, from a small boat sailing to the isle. Since then the scene has been long burnt in my eyes. The cliff was white with their nests and drops. Oh, that was a long time ago! Unfortunately, recently I found a sad news that those birds
in the Teuri isle have faced with its extinction. It is so sad. I can not believe that, but it is true.

Ruby, Bass Rock with the blue water, the sky and the boat is splendid! I felt as if the Rock is floating over the sea!
Thank you for sharing, and reminding me of my good memory. Have a great day!
Tomoko

Lady Godiva said...

What an awesome tour you just gave! The pictures are wonderfully beautiful, as usual. I always love visiting your blog!

Blessings...
Kim

stardust said...

Spectacular views of Seacliff and its surroundings! I see some pools. Is that because of low tide? Since I don’t see any people, this place seems to be quite off the beaten track.

I have special feeling toward ruins in general and Tantallon. Only nature, the sea and the sky, and Bass Rock have witnessed many battles, prosperity, and decline.

Your photos are stunning, ruby, especially I like the third one for ruined Tantallon and pools reflecting blue skies and the fifth for its color tone and crinkly look of water.

Have a happy week ahead!
Yoko alias stardust

Charlotte said...

What a truly beautiful place.

cosmos said...

Magnificent view of nature!
Bass Rock isn't far from the seashore? It's incredible to have built a hermitage and chapel on the offshore gigantic rock.

Like stardust says, the forlorn, deserted ruins standing for centuries there evokes imagination of what might have been repeated in human history.
Thank you for sharing great pictures, Ruby.

cosmos

Suzanne McDermott said...

You know, in another time, in another life, yours was my neck of the woods. I'm partly thrilled with the familiar and dashed with an old homesickness. I LOVE seeing your surroundings through your eyes. Your visual format has a mighty stance! Thanks.

Sciarada said...

Ciao Ruby, in this wonderful place, we may to have a intense contact with the earth!

Lynne with an e said...

What gorgeous scenery. I'd love to wander along the beach and rocks there, but probably not amdist 150,000 ganets!
The Firth of Forth has been one of my favourite place names since I first learned of it in elementary school.
:-)

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

Ruby, I feel sensation overload with this incredible series of photos. I love the one of the castle in the distance and tide pools in the foreground rock and the one with the reflection just in front of the crashing waves is beautiful.

Thanks for telling us the stories and background as well with the lighthouse and "reflected" ship.

Bises,
Genie

Suzanne McDermott said...

Hi, Ruby!
To satisfy your intrigue, I meant past life AND ancestry (although, to be honest, probably farther north and west.) -Suzanne

Forest Dream Weaver said...

Tomoko,I think that dwindling fish supplies are causing problems for many seabirds.However it's lovely to have good memories.

Forest Dream Weaver said...

Thank you for your comments.

Enjoy your week!

Best wishes,
Ruby

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