More Spring Sunshine

Rushed out this morning and headed for Aberlour and just had to find a place to stop and take this photo looking down on the River Spey and Aberlour. Every time I go out at the moment, I just stop and take photos as all the colours are so fresh and vibrant. I had not remembered how many colours of green there are in spring in Speyside. I was lucky enough to get close to a lapwing on the moor in Glenlivet. I think they are beautifully coloured birds and it is great to see them nesting in Speyside as is the fact that curlews are also nesting here. The weather looks set to continue for several more days. Pre-digital cameras, I would have worried about running out of film, but this is not the case now!

Aberlour in sunshine

It was such a beautiful sunny morning that I had to rush out to take more photos of spring. This is an iconic spot on the river Spey at Aberlour by the Penny bridge. It looks wonderful with the blue sky reflected in the river. After a little while some fishermen came along to add to the excitement of the river. I wish I had seen them catch a fish! The river Spey is a a famous river for fishing salmon and people pay lots of money to do this. The light had changed with more cloud in the sky and more wind, by the time the fishermen started which was better for them as if there is too much sun the fish can see the fishermen and avoid being caught!

As you go down to the woods today, you are in for a big surprise

While driving around Glenlivet, I passed this lovely tree and glimpsed the ruined Blairfindy castle in the background. I then drove on to the Tombae area and found banks and fields covered in violets, primroses, celandine and wood anemone. This is on the Glenlivet Estate part of the Cairngorms National Park. There are a wonderful selection of walks on the Glenlivet estate.

Ballindalloch Castle, Speyside

Ballindalloch castle has been home to the Macpherson-Grants for 500 years. The castle and gardens are open to the public from Easter to 30 Sep every year. I went along to their open day on 5 Apr and found that the daffodils were looking wonderful. I take out an annual gardens membership so that I can visit the gardens in all different seasons. The rose garden is beautiful in summer and the rhododendron path to it shows fantastic colours during May and June. The rock garden has excellent colour in spring with azaleas and rhodendrons. There is a play area for children and a dog walking area as well as walks beside the river Spey.

Oystercatchers choosing a nest in Glenlivet

Since early April, the oystercatchers have moved inland looking for places to nest. They often choose unlikely places to nest and particularly like piles of stones by the roadside. I am waiting to see where they nest this year and hopefully get photos of their young.

Peacock Butterfly & Ben Rinnes Glenlivet, Speyside

The peacock butterfly colonised the Cairngorms in the early 1990's. I was delighted to see it on 14 April which is the earliest that I have ever seen a butterfly in Glenlivet. I was even more amazed as I saw several peacock butterflies in different parts of Glenlivet that day. The hill is Ben Rinnes and is a Corbett which means that it is over 2000 ft but is less than 3000 ft. This hill can be viewed from many angles as you drive around Speyside. This view is from the road to Bluefolds Holiday Cottages in Glenlivet.

Spring in Aberlour, Scotland

The young leaves are very fresh and a very vivid green. This is a fantastic time to holiday in Speyside with changes to the landscape on a daily basis as the blossom, trees and gorse add colour after the winter months.

Speyside in Springtime

Spring arrived early in Speyside this year. The daffodils have been in bloom since early April and looked great when I walked beside the River Spey on the Speyside Way at Aberlour on 15 April. It was lovely to see the cherry blossom and the early leaves emerging as well. The Alice Littler Park beside the River Spey is a delightful walk, through all the seasons as there is a lovely range of trees beside the river which go from dramatically bare in winter all the way through to gorgeous autumn tints. The walk through the park is on the Speyside Way which stretches from Aviemore to Spey Bay.