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I've only moved house a few times in my life, all within the city of Glasgow, but I've always been lucky to have lived close to a small but beautiful hill range. Often within walking distance or a short bus ride. It started out with the Brownside/Gleniffer Braes above Barrhead and Paisley... and it is ending with The Kilpatrick Hills above Clydebank/ Duntocher. Years ago I used to be keen on climbing the summits of these ranges but having done them all dozens of times it's the lower slopes that hold the greater appeal for me now...if I'm on my own, as that's where most of the nature can be found.
And in May, June and early July it's a cornucopia of life and colour.
A goldfinch enjoys the Spring sunshine.
A good contrast of sunlight and shade here highlighting the Kilpartick escarpment in May with white hawthorn bushes and yellow gorse dotting the slopes. It is the season I've always felt most alive and euphoric. And why wouldn't you with all this going on after the bleak leafless winter months.
This is the cream season in the UK. April, May, June and July.
So instead of going up to the summits I'll sometimes traverse across the slopes of the escarpment instead. No paths to follow here, only open ground, but not that hard. This time I was on the hunt for butterflies. For several years I've noticed hundreds of tiny thumbnail sized butterflies on these slopes and elsewhere. They start in May, probably just hatched, then grow over the weeks to just over 50 pence size. I've spotted them often and admired them but never caught them with the camera as they move fast in warm weather.
This time I had the luck and the patience to capture them. Just seeing them fly past I thought they were different species at first. Orange tip butterflies and a tiny cabbage white type...
Until I saw them close up in detail, attempting to mate, and realised it was male and female orange tips.
Also spotted a small heath butterfly so that was me happy...and it didn't end there.
This is my idea of heaven. A quiet path, spectacular views, lush landscapes.
And you don't need any money at all to enjoy it... just respect for nature. The Renfrewshire uplands viewed from the Kilpatrick Hills.
Beautiful flowers in a boggy section.
Old Kilpatrick and Erskine.
A cattle herd in the landscape.
The Erskine Bridge and the Inverclyde hills.
Micro Worlds. Tiny fly or fairy queen.
On the Kilpatrick Escarpment.
Mythago Wood.
The descent from Heaven...
The four white poles of the new Yoker to Renfew swing bridge across the River Clyde bringing an abrupt end to the Yoker- Renfrew ferry service. The last ferry across the River Clyde. A ferry service had existed near this point (Yoker- Renfrew) from the 1700s or even earlier until May 2025. The swing bridge is ok, and can be convenient driving across it but it is slightly downriver, further away from Renfrew town centre and it does close ( for 30 mins to an hour) almost every day for ships going upriver/ downriver so it's not always as reliable as the ferry was if you work either side of the river and need to be on time daily. I have been across it many times since it opened. Driving and on foot.
Descending the path.
July wildflower carpet.
Auchentoshan Distillery. Below the Kilpatrick hills.
Cemetery below the Kilpatrick Hills. Probably where I'll end my own journey in life. (turned to dust in the Clydebank Crematorium next door.... then scattered on the escarpment somewhere.) .... Or transformed into an orange tip butterfly. Who knows...
15 comments:
You’ve captured some wonderful wild flowers and butterflies. Hope you are recovered now.
Yes Anabel, almost back to normal again.
Well! I had no idea Auchentoshan was a lowland whisky from the central belt! I always thought it was a Highland one!
We have cabbage butterflies, Red Admirals, the occasional Peacock and lots of Tortoiseshell ones but not much else down here. I love butterflies though and have lots scattered about my home - clipped to curtains, pelmets, on the fridge etc. Of course they're not real ones - I wouldn't be cruel like that!
Annabel asks if you're recovered above - recovered from what?
Shame yet another ferry service bit the dust this year...
Hi Carol, recovered from Covid which I caught after only three short bus trips to local shops. 3rd time catching it since it arrived in the UK and I'm sure that was why so many elderly folk got it at the start- the ones without cars and not having much money for delivery door food drops who had little option but to take buses for essential food supplies over the various lock downs as I noticed a lot of old folk doing it then when I was working around all the local districts. Along with NHS staff, care homes, and bus drivers they'd be some of the first to get it I remember thinking at the time.
Yep, the last ferry on the river. Gone as soon as the swing bridge opened but the ferry was actually easier for me getting to Renfrew on foot. Further away now so I have to take a car over.
Really sorry to hear that! It doesn't make me popular to say and think it but I don't think people should be allowed on public transport unmasked myself - you're just sat too close together on a bus or a train. I think it's really dangerous!
Hi Carol, PS, As regards your hip problem and hills I used to go out to a different location all the time over many decades. Often 100-200 miles for a day or weekend walk. It was an addiction that I craved if I didn't get out every week to a new place but after a while of not doing it that faded away altogether and I'm perfectly happy now with my new less travelled existence... so you can change to doing other things and it does get easier. You could even get a television and sit in a chair now and again to watch it :o)
Main thing is to keep occupied in some way to take your mind off it by doing or starting something else that you like that's less energetic than mountain walking.
To be honest, I no longer have any indoor hobbies and, like I was saying to Richard (who is also having lots of mobility problems) - I can't remember how to be a tourist any more. We used to do it but now I've no idea how I'd occupy a whole day if I wasn't going out walking for most of it. Luckily, I seem to be taking quite well to cycling (on the flat) instead - but you can't really do that in winter - too windy, too salty and too slippery!
I have my DVD player and watch it for a couple of hours each evening but the amount of box sets I've got only last a year really and then I start again. I wouldn't want to watch them all more than once a year. TV is just tosh nowadays and I simply REFUSE to buy a TV licence - I wouldn't buy one for my mother either when they changed the age rules!
Hi Carol, If you have a DVD player then perfect. I get most of my box sets from charity shops, which I totally recommend going into in the Lakes. Got a book recently. 1001 walks around the world for £5. Full season box sets like 'The Tudors.' 'The Newsroom' ' Bates Motel' 'True Detective' ' The Killing' '24' ' Broadchurch' ' The Vikings' for £2 to £5 each. DVD films for either £1 each or £1 for 3 films. New Gortex jacket for £8. New walking trousers £5. Boots £5. Recently I've been watching romantic comedies like Game Night, The Good Girl, The Notebook, Wanderlust, Meet the Millers, Tamara Drewe etc which are all good films. Every charity shop in the Lakes should have a good selection of DVDs, books, clothes, trinkets, jewellery, (many brand new items) at really good prices.... so have a look in them. It is addictive. ( Best to run DVDs under cold tap then dry them on a T shirt so they play without any jumps. But 90% are good anyway.) Also type into blueskyscotland search box' Lake District' and you will find loads of great 5 star low level walks, enjoyable even in misty or wet winter conditions as I've been bagging them for years. (And if you see a DVD cleaning disc get that as well.) Get Richard into charity shops as well if he isn't already. I never go anywhere else now. Normal stores that is. Why would I? Full dress suit and trousers £8.
Your photos are absolutely stunning! I hope you are feeling better.
Never heard of a DVD cleaning disc - sounds like a good idea. I wipe my DVDs over sometimes if they start glitching (with a lint-free cloth obviously). I only go into charity shops to donate as I hate the thought of coming out with yet more 'stuff'. In fact, I pretty much object to buying anything - buying things depresses me! The DVDs would be a good idea but I'm super fussy and only tend to watch 70s/early 80s comedies and sitcoms - I'm not even that keen on stand-up comedians, except perhaps Peter Kay.
Thanks Linda. Yes, almost back to normal again.
Oh, what gorgeous photos! The orange tip butterfly is so pretty! We have either the same one or a similar one, we saw it on a guided hike at Panola Mountain one time, the guide was so excited when he spotted it! Must do a search on my blog to find that...isn't nature fascinating?
https://georgiagirlwithanenglishheart.blogspot.com/2014/04/panola-mountain-hike-perfect-day.html?m=1
There, I found my blog post with a photo of the orange tip!
Hi Kay, yes I found it on your blog. Same type of butterfly. I was trying to nudge you towards more recent bands as the band members we both grew up with are all going to be dying off, most being 10 to 20 years older. I watched a recent TV series with an actress I really fancied when I was young and watched three episodes of it before I realized it was her. So complete a change in her appearance I was taken aback. (mind you I probably look the same way 50 years later :o) Luckily I've always liked current new bands and film stars so I will pop off long before them. I only remember the day Elvis died because I was in a transport cafe and the owner kept playing 'hound dog' over and over again while sobbing in a corner. I remember when Princess Diana died as I was walking in the Lake District and, being up the hills all day, we were wondering why some locals were crying in the village we were in, coming back from the church. ( a book of condolence had been set up in it.) We just thought it had been a very popular local who died and only found out who it was back in our climbing hut. Same with Marc Bolan....up the hills all day. Found out later at night. Even Elvis Costello, 71 now, I remember as an angry young man type back in the punk era on TV in the mid 1970s. Time races on....
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