Thursday 12 August 2010

Craigmillar Castle Park


Yesterday we had a lovely walk round Craigmillar Castle Park. This is an area of open grassland and woodland round Craigmillar Castle, a ruin which has a long and interesting history including a close association with Mary Queen of Scots.

Although the weather was very mixed there were a lot of butterflies around. We saw a lot of Meadow Browns, a few Peacocks (see photo) and a couple of Red Admirals.

Plenty of bees too, including several common carders.

We had an excellent view of a buzzard as it swept low over the fields, no doubt hunting one of the many rabbits that live in the area.

10 comments:

bunnits said...

Beautiful photos. I'd love to visit your area one of these days.

Kelly said...

That looks like a wonderful walk to take. I think I am going to add the UK on my list for vacation spots.

Thanks for stopping by my blog, I will keep a hat close by in case another bat gets inside.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Mary Queen of Scots lived round here too Juliet, at Bolton Castle.
Nice pictures too. You are right about buzzards - rabbit is their favourite food!

Titus said...

Three wows to those photographs, and I need to get to that castle.

We are a little awash with buzzards, but I'm very excited by the sparrowhawk that's hunting regularly in my garden. Which is very sparrow-populus.

d. moll, l.ac. said...

What an amazing butterfly!

Gabrielle Bryden said...

Very impressed with your photos! Sounds like a lovely walk - we have a scarcity of castles in Australia, haha.

Jasmine said...

Beautiful pictures. Scotland has so much wonderful history.

Charlotte said...

Meadow Browns have always been my favourites, since I was a little girl. Fairly common, plain and unassuming, but the prettiest to me

Charlotte
xx

RG said...

Not much around here that is older than 120 years or so - and those are usually minmal log cabins from the first white settlers. MAybe some of the great carved cedar totem poles.

That apple picture looks to be taken in my back yard!!! Ours are about 6 weeks or so from picking!

James said...

What a beautiful butterfly!