Sunday 15 April 2012

Dalkeith Country Park and Oak Woodland


Yesterday we visited the wonderful ancient oak woodland at Dalkeith Country Park. This is a beautiful, atmospheric place. You can really feel the age of things. Most of the oak trees are truly ancient and many of them are partially collapsing, making wonderful homes for invertebrates and wonderful subjects for photos!


There were a lot of spring flowers to see, though the bluebells weren't yet quite at their best (Next week perhaps?).

For Nature Notes

11 comments:

Aging Ophelia said...

They're so curly-- I had no idea, but it reminds of an old man's untended fingernails, just going their own way.

Cool!

theconstantwalker said...

It looks like a lovely place to visit.

Anji* said...

We just visited Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor today, which is another of our few remaining ancient oak woods. The trees are all old and twisted and all the trees and rocks are dripping in moss and lichen and tiny little succulent plants. It is one of my favourite places to visit.

Betty Manousos said...

such interesting and beautiful photos!
the trunks of those old trees are amazing!

than so much for sharing:)

wish you a great week ahead!

Carver said...

That looks like somewhere I'd love to walk. Thanks for taking us with you through these photographs.

shoreacres said...

Magnificent trees - particularly the second photo. Surely you've seen Disney's film "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". These remind me of the trees in that film - they frightened me as a child.

I went looking for a still photo from the original film. I couldn't find the Disney trees, but I found out I'm not alone. A lot of people have posted photos of gnarly old trees, saying "These remind me of the Disney trees that freaked me out as a kid!"

Cuby said...

I love ancient woodland the feeling that so many people have been and seen before is quite mind blowing.

Christina said...

What pretty shots and I can imagine I see the forest people hiding in there too.

Aging Ophelia said...

I wrote a short poem the other day, based on your pictures here; they're still in my mind.

Sallie (FullTime-Life.com said...

I love the ancient oaks! Beautiful and the bluebells -- all the pictures just make me feel as if I'm in Scotland (as I dream of it and picture it from what I've read).

Sleipnirs Master said...

I live about 1min from here.
This is about 100meters from where you were as the crow flies.
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/107140315
If you are interested just click the Dalkeith Country Park tag on the right of this page.