Seven Links Blog Challenge

I've been bequeathed a blog challenge from A Daft Scots Lass , a lovely blogger I follow.

Go visit but be prepared for strong language.Reading A Daft Scots Lass and Not So Simply Single inspired me to set up the Irreverent Glebe.


1.My most beautiful post.
This has to be one from 2009 when I went Island Hopping on Scotland's west coast.
In the last week of June heading into July in 2009 I headed off to explore a few of our west coast jewels.
I had the only two weeks in the year that were rain free.
My blog posts during the trip were probably a bit of a hotch potch, but I later put a string of the pictures together accompanied by music by Moby and created an eight and a half minute video.
 Westward Bound -A Pictorial Tour Of Western Scotland

2.My most popular post.
Generally speaking my walks with the Wigtownshire Ramblers are always the most viewed as my fellow walkers like to remember where they've been.
However it seems my most popular blog has nothing to do with my brilliant photography or filming.
It's an account of an operation I had in the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh in 2009.
My Depressive Lumbar Laminectomy 

3.My most controversial post.
I guess I don't do controversial so I'm not sure what I'll put in here.
I suppose I could have started a controversy with this post but no one took the bait.
It's doubtful whether many readers in other countries will have heard of this programme.
What it is, is a soap opera set in London revolving around a group of saddo's who frequent a pub known as the Queen Vic.
I've occasionally had to endure this being on the T.V .On these occasions I never saw a smile or heard a laugh.Surely the most dire thing ever on British TV, and the saddest of all is that it gets such high viewing figures.
East Enders

4.My most helpful post.
A lot of people and bloggers probably don't that there are various methods of viewing on Blogger.
Mosaic,Flipcard,Sidebar,Snapshot and Timeline.
If you're looking for a particular post, one or other of these methods could help you find it.
Blog Viewing Methods 

5. A post whose success surprised me.
I'm a fairly prolific poster of mainly photographs and video.
I haven't many followers which isn't a problem to me.Don't get me wrong I like to think that I'm entertaining some of you good people out there but to me my blog is also a diary and record.
I've been on blogs where the authors follow hundreds of other blogs.If I went along that path I'd be on this computer more than I am and that's already too much.That said my posts are usually in double figures rather than three.
On a vacation this post stood out on my viewing figures with hundreds more hits than other posts on the same trip.I had one comment on this post from 'anonymous' wishing to exchange links.I've a feeling he was stealing my pictures.  
 Tintern Abbey

6. A post I feel didn’t get the attention it deserved.
It's a video clip featuring my eldest daughter and my two eldest grandkids.Go on ! Have a laugh 
Fun and Frolics on Druchtag Motehill

7. The post that I am most proud of.

I'm proud that of a number of my posts have been linked because their content has had historic reference such as Cairngarroch Bay. I'm also pleased to see some of my stuff linked to wildlife sites like the Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park.

The majority of my posts though are my walks with the Wigtownshire Ramblers and the post I'm most proud of is a Ramblers post.

It was the first walk I'd devised myself and one that ended up on the Newton Stewart Walking Festival  

Wigtownshire Ramblers - Newton Stewart

I think I'm now supposed to ask another seven bloggers to take up this challenge.

Well I'm not sure if the following good folk will have the time to take up the challenge.I wont blame them if they don't.Some are very busy people. 

Here's a very prolific thirty something.

Better oot than in

Alex and Bob, Scotland's unofficial tourist board

Blue Sky Scotland

From the heart of Montana comes Tammie,an amazing photographer

Spirit Helpers

Sandy's from my part of the world.He's also a tea drinking folk musician.

Witterings

Another near neighbor is Ruthie, an exceptional craftperson, artist, weaver of myths and all things magical. 

5preciousthings

The travel adventures of one cool cat

Sinbad and I on the loose

I doubt you'll get the challenge taken up by Colin Campbell who administers this site,but you'll see some of the most beautiful pictures you've ever seen in your life.

Scotland in the Gloaming

Fun & Frolics on Druchtag Motehill

Filmed on the 17th of August 2010,
Callum & Erin find a novel way to descend the Druchtag Motehill near Mochrum in South West Scotland.

Mums got some washing to do now !

A couple of Machars hotspots.

Headed down to the Machars for a little exploration today.


My first stop was here at Druchtag Motte near Mochrum.I've passed it on numerous occasions,but never stopped till now.
See full size to read the information board.

Gazetteer:-A mediaeval earthwork in the Machars district of Dumfries and Galloway, the Druchtag Motte lies just north of Mochrum village. It forms a steep-sided mound and has a summit area 20m (65 feet) in diameter. Druchtag once formed part of the barony of Mochrum of Druchtag held for a time by the McCullochs of Druchtag.
There's a rope provided to get you up all of the 20 feet.
Next a look at these substantial ruins at Auchengallie.I'm not including 'Bully' in that statement though.
Now with walking boots on,I'm heading over the Fell of Carleton as I promised I would,to take a look from above.
I'm soon overlooking Carleton and the coast.On the OS map,there's a Machermore's Mill Stone,though I doubt whether this is it.

Now I'm overlooking Laggan Pond and Laggan Camp.
This is from Scotlands Places dot gov.

(NX 3976 3725) Laggan Camp (NR)
OS 6" map (1957).

Laggan Camp: Fort - This pear-shaped fort occupies a strong position on the summit of a steep-sided hillock, connected to Carleton Fell on the NW. It is defended by double ramparts and a medial ditch, drawn round the flanks of the hill. The ramparts were probably earth- works, now mostly reduced to terraces. The top of the hill has a well-defined margin which might be expected to have carried an inner rampart, though there was no trace of one in 1951. The entrance is on the W, where the terraces are 12' wide, one 8' below the other. At the E end, the ditch is 20' wide, 5' below the crest of the scarp, with the external rampart visible as a mound.
RCAHMS 1912, visited 1911; RCAHMS TS., visited 1951; R W Feachem 1956.

Generally as described. The enclosure area measures 76.0m NE-SW by 57.0m NW-SE. A slight stony scarp is suggestive of an inner rampart around the summit of the hill, whilst on the E is a possible internal quarry ditch. An old field bank crosses the site from N-S otherwise the interior is featureless.
Resurveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (DWR), 1 February 1973.
There's the thickest drystone wall I've seen going up the hill here.I wonder how many man hours went into the building of it.
The raptor in the middle was circling and I wasn't sure whether it was what I thought it was,but it's call was very distinctive.After looking at this page,Harrier Sounds I can confirm it was a Hen Harrier.
Now I'm heading back along the clifftop.Remember the flotsam and jetsam from the ramblers walk? This would be a great spot to watch for shoreline wildlife.I might do that in warmer weather,there's still a lot of features along this coast to explore.
The clouds and damp weather are moving in as I get back to my car at Craiglemine.Doesn't seem to bother this fella though.
More to come from this stretch of coastline.I'll be looking for a way over the clifftops to St Ninians Cave.