Lookdownlookout 25.05.12

Enjoying the warm and sunny (and breezy!) start of summer in Edinburgh with a cheeky trip to the botanics after work. What a lovely way to spend a Friday afternoon.







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Hello again

It's been way too long so I thought I'd get my act together and start posting again. I'm trying out a new app to see if it'll be easy to blog on the move. Here goes!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

lookdownlookout 1.1.12

These photos were taken on the Mar Lodge Estate on our New Year's Day walk. It was a great way to start off the new year (start as you mean to go on and all that...) and the countryside was beautiful. 

lookdownlookout 31.12.11

I spent Hogmanay at Craig Bhalg in the Mar Lodge Estate,  Braemar, with 11 really good friends. We had been threatening to rent a cottage for a couple of years now and thanks to our friend Adam, this year we finally did it, renting a National Trust property in the Highlands which was really amazing (stags heads, open fires and everything!) 

These photos were not taken in Braemar however. These were taken at the Bridge of Calley the morning after we attempted to get to Braemar but were stopped by the snow on Glenshee. Luckily we found a great wee hotel with a lovely restaurant and crackling fire to stay for the night. We whiled the night away with red wine and scrabble, a great start to our long weekend.

lookdownlookout 28.12.11

After a hectic christmas we escaped to the bowling alley for a game and some non-turkey-based eating. I've always loved coming here and you can't beat a game of bowls to get some competition going between the cousins.

lookdownlookout 26.12.11

Finishing off the year as it began with a walk on the beach in Donegal. Got some new shoes for Christmas so I might have something new to photograph instead of always wearing my Converse!

lookdownlookout 18.12.11

These photos were taken in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery which just reopened at the end of November after 2 years of restoration and renovation. When I used to work at the Galleries this was my always my favourite site and I think that they've done a really great job of renewing it. From what I've heard and seen it has been really busy and seems to be a great success so far.

The top photos were taken in the library which used to be closed to the public but has now been moved to a different room and opened up. It is a lovely room and I really like the big round lampshades and the bookcases showing off the collection.

This is the entrance hall of the SNPG looking particularly lovely at Christmas. The paintings and the gilding have been carefully restored and the space has been modernised with some computer information points sensitively put at one side. This is definitely somewhere I intend to visit lots in 2012.