Favorite photos of places we visited our second year

Although it has been a long time coming, I'm finally wrapping up my photos from our second year living abroad. You can see some of the previous posts from the links at the bottom. These are of places, not people, though a couple shots have folks in them. Also, shots of domestic and wild animals caught my fancy this year, so I've thrown in a few. (If only you knew how many photos of puffins I have . . . )

As always, I agonize over selecting my "favorites" when some of the nearly favorites woulda coulda shoulda been chosen instead. But I'm stuck now, so I need to stop whimpering and get on with it.

These photos aren't all from 2015, mind you. Rather, these are photos from June 2014 to June 2015. Yes, I'm that far behind. {shrug}

As a final word, I'll note that the places depicted aren't necessarily my favorites of the year. Instead, they're the favorite photos, not the favorite spots or buildings or vistas. That said, some of the places are pretty damn awesome.

Enjoy!

The Kelpies are the largest equine statues in the world. (Falkirk, Scotland)

Inverary Castle, the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll (and a filming location for episodes of Downton Abbey). (Inverary, Scotland)

You'll find nowhere in the world with better access to puffins and other seabirds than the Isle of Lunga, part of the Treshnish Isles on the west coast of Scotland. (Lunga, Scotland)

One of those elusive pots of gold can be found in Castle Trim, Ireland. (Castle Trim, Ireland)

A fantastic hike of the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye ends with a view of the "Table." That's my bro-in-law, David, at top right. (Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland)

I love the juxtaposition of tiny Jackson with the monumental Temple of Olympian Zeus. (Athens, Greece)

Another great hike on Skye is to the deserted Neist Point Lighthouse. (Isle of Skye, Scotland)

In nearly three years abroad, we've only returned to the U.S. once. We love the snow in Colorado, where Grammar and one of Kate's sisters live. (Mesa, Colorado, U.S.A.)

I try to snap a pic of the ceilings in all the churches, abbeys, and cathedrals we visit. Sometimes, the best ceiling is no ceiling at all. (Jedburgh Abbey, Scotland)

This exhibit, Floating Heads, greets visitors at the U.K.'s most visited museum outside of London, the Kelvingrove Museum. (Glasgow, Scotland)

The Jacobite steam train, also known as the Hogwarts Express, huffs and puffs across the Glenfinnan Viaduct. (Glenfinnan, Scotland)

People aren't the only ones who enjoy the beauty of the Crossraguel Abbey ruins. (Maybole, Scotland)

What can I say? I lurv me some ruins. This tower fragment stands in a village outside Dublin. (Trim, Ireland)

The most scenic lake in Scotland, as viewed from the summit of one of its islands, Inchcailloch. (Loch Lomond, Scotland)

Did you enjoy those? Here are more favorite pics of our second year in Scotland:


 

(Nearly) favorite photos of places we visited our second year in Scotland






Favorite family photos of our second year in Scotland







(Nearly) favorite photos of our second year in Scotland





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





Favorite photos of places we visited in our first year







(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

Favorite family photos of our second year in Scotland

Here's a baker's dozen of my favorite family photos from our second year in Scotland.

Like last year, many of these were selected because of their composition, or colors, or mood, though a couple were just simply cute and I couldn't resist. Unlike last year, I've expanded my subjects beyond just family to include other folks, though that's a bit more apparent in the earlier post of my nearly favorite family photos of our second year in Scotland.

Remember, you can click on the photos to scroll through them in larger size, though you won't get the captions that way.

A couple of the pics below make me giggle. Every time.

A mid-hike break to play in the sand on the island of Inchcailloch, in the middle of Loch Lomond.

The changing of the guard at Athen's Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers involves a lot of high-kicking and theatrical stances. I admit this pose cracks me up. It has a Monty Python-esque quality, especially with those faces.

My niece, Rosalie, in her Burberry rain coat.

Kate and I explored The Lighthouse, by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, in Glasgow. Our friend and fellow expat, Katy, came along, too.

Grampa Bill hefts Jackson during our visit back to North Carolina.

Kate gazing at the Crinan Canal in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

Caught this shot on my ancient iPhone while skiing in Colorado.

Kate snacked on some digestives and enjoyed the view of the Trossachs in Scotland.

Jackson delves, and then emerges, from a tunnel on the grounds of Pollock House in Glasgow.

Almost a tackle during a rugby sevens match at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Credit for the snapshot goes to Kate during our hike in the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye. This one gives me the giggles.

An impromptu family pic at our B&B on the Isle of Iona, before heading out to explore.

An amazing day on Lunga, part of the Treshnish Isles archipelago. This is one of my all-time favorite family photos.

It took a great deal of deliberation to decide which photos made the cut for this baker's dozen, and which ones were only nearly favorite family photos of our second year in Scotland. Oh, the agony. And now I'm second-guessing one or two.

How'd I do? Did I pick the right ones? Or were some of the nearly favorites better than these?



Here are the nigh on, almost, nearly favorite family pics of our second year in Scotland:


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







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






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

Scenes in the snow

Do you remember the joy of snow?

When you were genuinely excited by the stuff? The untouched canvas of white? The prospect of no school, sledding, building forts, the warmth of hot cocoa after hours outside? Of learning how to throw a snowball? When even the job of shoveling was fun instead of a chore?

Jackson begins his barrage.

Glasgow doesn't get much snow. Although it sits at a latitude slightly north of Moscow, Glasgow's winters are roughly twice as warm. Its relative warmth, and lack of snow, stems primarily from the wonders of the Gulf Stream.

Over the last several years, we've had only rare chances to enjoy snow. Our previous home, in Raleigh, got very little snow. {Ed.'s note: Although now that you've left, they've gotten a ton of snow this winter.} And our first winter in Glasgow had a few snow showers but no accumulation on the ground. Our three year old, Jackson, saw snow when he was an infant but had no memory of it.

Sledding with cousins Macie and Garrick.

Le sigh.

Consequently, during our Colorado trip, we were excited for his first chance to play in the snow. We made sure he spent ample time outdoors, whether sledding, skiing (his first lessons), or simply playing and making snowmen. Jackson's excitement for snow rekindled some of my own.

Jackson's first ski lesson.

And then, upon our return to Glasgow, we lucked into not one but two snowfalls. Just an inch or two of accumulation each time, but enough to keep the wee one happy and occupied.

Our first real snow in Glasgow!

The joy for snow has captured our hearts this winter. Here are some of our snowy images:

Snow in the hills around Loch Lomond in western Scotland.

Hiking to top of Auchineden Hill for the view shown in the photo above.

This doe, a Rocky Mountain mule deer, wandered past the backyard of Grammar's house in Colorado.

Not only Jackson had fun playing in the snow.

Anybody know what kind of bird this is? I don't. But we spent several minutes examining each other.

A selfie by Kate as we skied in Powderhorn, Colorado.

Jackson on the slopes with Kate.

Cows in the snow.

Trucks in the snow.

Rocky Mountain sunset.

Winter colors.