Favorite photos of places we visited our first year

And now

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                                                                             here are my favorite photographs I've taken of places we have visited during our first year in the U.K. I'm pretty proud of several of these; they're not bad for a newbie photography enthusiast using old equipment. {Ed.'s note: If he does say so himself.}

They're not a compilation of my favorite places. For sure, some of these places are among my favorites, but definitely not all of them. I just think the photos turned out well.

Last week I posted photographs which nearly made it into this top tier, but I didn't think were quite up to snuff. And then I started to doubt a few of my choices. What about that picture of the Old Man of Storr? Or of Versailles? Or several others?

In some ways, I feel like the photos I select for this blog are as revealing as anything I write about. It feels personal, even in these shots of places or locations. Or maybe it's just a reluctance to expose my flaws as a beginner photog; my eye is drawn to all the flaws or missed opportunities in the photos.

But enough navel-gazing.

You can click on the photographs to see larger versions of them, and scroll through. However, you can't read the captions in that display mode.

Here are my favorites, in no particular order. I hope you enjoy them, too.

The romantic ruins of Dryburgh Abbey rest serenely amongst the trees. (Dryburgh, Scotland)

The amazing colors made us pull off the road on the Isle of Bute, looking toward Goatfell and the other mountains on the Isle of Arran. (Isle of Bute, Scotland)

In full disclosure, I airbrushed out a picnicking couple on the grass. Who did they think they were, ruining my photo?!? (Culzean Castle, Ayshire, Scotland)

John Knox rises above the hilltop Necropolis in Glasgow. (Glasgow, Scotland)

Kate took this photo in Glen Coe. Your eyes are drawn inexorably down to the house at the base of the hill. (Glen Coe, Scotland)

A hackneyed classic shot of the Eiffel Tower. It's a crisp and pretty photo that I couldn't resist. (Paris, France)

Eilean Donan castle is one of the most photographed sites in Scotland. But perhaps not often like this. (Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland)

When you see prehistoric monuments by yourself, in the right weather, it can be haunting. (Machrie Moor stone circle, Isle of Arran, Scotland)

{Ed.'s note: Wait . . . didn't he have this same photo of Notre Dame cathedral in his "nearly" favorites, but in black and white?} Yep. But I like this version even better. (Paris, France)

Hiking along the Quiraing on Skye is a bucket-list item for hikers. 'Twas awesome. (Trotternish Peninsula, Isle of Skye, Scotland)

The skyline of the upper half of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, castle at left and the tall spire of St. Giles' Cathedral at right. (Edinburgh, Scotland)

This shot of the Vicars' Close feels like it could be a still from a period movie. (Wells, England)

Want to see more? Here are the favorites from our first year in Scotland:




(Nearly) favorite photos of places we visited our first year






Favorite family photos of our first year in Scotland






(Nearly) favorite family photos of our first year in Scotland

(Nearly) favorite family photos of our first year in Scotland

I take a lot of photos. That's self-evident on this blog.

I have taken more than 10,000 photos in our first year in Scotland. Kate has snapped some, too. Lots of things are memorialized and captured for perusal later. Most of the photos are nice enough. Some are pretty good.

Here are a couple dozen of my favorite family photos from this past year. Whittling down from 10,000+ is a challenge. In a post next week I'll show you my very most favorite family photos, limiting myself to fewer than ten. But here are some of the other candidates which didn't quite make the cut.

When the museum doesn't interest you, make your own excitement. (St. Andrews, Scotland)

Communing with the old gods. (Machrie Moor stone circles, Isle of Arran, Scotland)

Kate's an expert selfie taker. (Hiking in Glen Coe, Scotland)

Racing a new friend in Park Güell. (Barcelona, Spain)

Kate's eldest sister, Tracy, and her husband John, claim the thrones. (Stirling Castle, Scotland)

Kate and Jackson can't quite muster as much dignity.

Grampa Bill and Nana take a breather while touring Paris.

Bucket. Shovel. Temptation.

Finishing a cookie before going into the castle. (Stirling, Scotland)

Finishing a pint in the sailors' lounge, the Verge Inn (get it?), on the Royal Yacht Britannia. (Edinburgh, Scotland)

My niece, Macie, plays on the beach. (St. Andrews, Scotland)

It looks like I superimposed Kate on this photo. I didn't. (Isle of Skye, Scotland)

Hiking is a lot harder with a butterball on your back. (Isle of Skye, Scotland)

Ennui, appropriately, in Paris.

Even the master selfie taker sometimes fails. (Versailles, France)

Group nap after sightseeing. (Our house in Glasgow, Scotland)

Jack's first shower was taken, ironically, in Bath. Because our room didn't have one. (Bath, England)

Skipping rocks. (Scalpsie Bay, Isle of Bute, Scotland)

Grammar exploring. (St. Conan's Kirk, Scotland)

Happiness. (Barcelona, Spain)

Cheerio-bag pruning of flowers. (Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran, Scotland)

Collecting the clippings. (The Crescent, Bath, England)

Note the tiny hand photobomb.

In the Hall of Mirrors. (Palace of Versailles, France)

Believe, you will. (York, England -- exactly where you'd expect to find Yoda)

A blustery May day in St. Andrews.

The imp has a lollipop. (On a Cal Mac ferry in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland)

It's what I do. (Glastonbury Abbey ruins, England)

Want to see more? Here are the favorites from our first year in Scotland:





Favorite photos of places we visited our first year






(Nearly) favorite photos of places we visited our first year






Favorite family photos of our first year in Scotland