Sunlight on the Forth

The sun shining through, between dark clouds, illuminates ships in the Forth.

Fog Bank Over the Forth

Looking towards Methil only the top of the large wind turbine can be seen above the fog bank. It looks quite eerie.

 Looking out to sea the fog bank seen from the Massney Braes ...

 ... and from the pier at Lower Largo.

From the old railway track looking over the roof tops across the Forth can just see the tops of the oil platforms.

December Sunset

 One of my favourite views - sunset over the Forth taken from the pier at Lower Largo.

Shouldn't complain because it was nothing compared to the devastating floods in the North of England but Boxing Day was miserable in Fife. It rained incessantly for about 24 hours and just to finish things off we had a power cut in the evening, so it was nice to see some brightness and a lovely sunset yesterday.

Another view from Lower Largo.

December Skies

From a dark glowering sky the sun began to appear from the edge of the cloud lighting up the Pentland Hills on the other side of the Forth.

The sun lighting up the sand in Lower Largo

Spectacular clouds.

Out in the Forth

 Three oil platforms out in the Forth at sunset.

One of the platforms brightly lit.

 The platforms viewed from Keil's Den

The platforms lit by the afternoon sun shining through the clouds. Perhaps they are parked because of the downturn in the oil industry, although this afternoon  I noticed that one of them had gone.

Three Bridges at Night

The floodlit Forth Bridge seen from South Queensferry and to the west the Forth Road Bridge.

The iconic Forth Bridge which was opened 125 years ago this month.

The Forth Road Bridge and just beyond it the towers which will support the new bridge which is under construction.

On the Move in the Forth

With Berwick Law in the background the barge carrying a giant sub-sea jacket for use in the oil industry being towed by the tug Toisa Elan. Its eventual destination will be the Solan field west of Shetland.
Can also just see a gannet flying in front of Berwick Law and a line of wind turbines on the hills beyond. (Click to enlarge)

A few days ago, final preparations for loading the jacket on to the barge were being made at the BiFab yard in Methil.

Can see the tug the Toisa Elan, that will be used to tow the barge, waiting off-shore.

The large wind-turbine at the same site.

Also off Largo Bay in the Firth of Forth this week, the world's largest semi-submersible heavy-lift ship Dockwise Vanguard carrying the Ocean Patriot drilling rig.

Across the Forth

Looking across the Forth from Lundin Links, Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh is lit up as the afternoon sun goes down with the Pentland Hills in the background.

Light on the Water

One of the compensations of the short winter days is the quality of the light in the afternoon as the sun goes down over the Forth.

 The view from Lower Largo Pier.

Looking westward across Largo Bay.

Geese Flying Over Largo Bay

Walking along the old railway track, heard the noise of the geese before I saw them and then they appeared against the clouds in a constantly changing formation. The geese are a common sight in Largo at this time of year but seeing them always gives me a thrill.

Seeing the geese brought to mind a favourite poem written in 1915 (in Scots Angus dialect) 'The Wild Geese' by Violet Jacob which was hauntingly set to music by the Angus folksinger the late Jim Reid and appears on his solo album 'I saw the Wild Geese Flee'.

The Wild Geese

'Oh, tell me what was on yer road, ye roarin' Norland wind
As ye cam' blawin' frae the land that's niver frae my mind?
My feet they trayvel England, but I'm deein' for the north—'
'My man, I heard the siller tides rin up the Firth o' Forth.'

'Aye, Wind, I ken them well eneuch, and fine they fa' and rise,
And fain I'd feel the creepin' mist on yonder shore that lies,
But tell me, ere ye passed them by, what saw ye on the way ?'
'My man, I rocked the rovin' gulls that sail abune the Tay.'

'But saw ye naethin', leein' Wind, afore ye cam' to Fife?
There's muckle lyin' yont the Tay that's mair to me nor life.'
'My man, I swept the Angus braes ye haena trod for years—'
'O Wind, forgie a hameless loon that canna see for tears!—'

'And far abune the Angus straths I saw the wild geese flee,
A lang, lang skein o' beatin' wings wi' their heids towards the sea,
And aye their cryin' voices trailed ahint them on the air—'
'O Wind, hae maircy, haud yer whisht, for I daurna listen mair!'

Violet Jacob (1863-1946)

Snow on the Hills

Snow on the Pentland Hills across the Forth

Tug boat pulling a barge on the Forth with snow on the hills beyond.

While the snow quickly disappeared at lower levels, still a little snow on Largo Law.

Swans at Lower Largo

Adult with juvenile swan at Lower Largo Harbour.

Adult swan.

 Sleeping juvenile swan. It still has some grey feathers.

Waking up!

Out in the Forth a long row of swans make their way along.

The Light Shines Through

 The sun shines through a break in the clouds lighting up Largo Bay.

A Sparkling Day

A very frosty morning, but once the sun was up, a beautiful day on the beach.

Oystercatchers working the tide-line.

I saw three swans......

The sun goes down over the Forth on the eve of a lovely day.