Remnants of the old Caledonian forest, the oak trees at Dalkeith Country Park are 700 years old. They were coppiced and pollarded hundreds of years ago, and they’ve grown back stunted, gall-stricken, and twisted. Some resemble giant hydras. Like the Ents presiding over Fangorn, they’ve witnessed the rise of machines and the fall of kings. […]
Category Archives: Scotland
Cute but deadly
The Highland cattle at Dalkeith would almost be cuddle-worthy, were it not for those horns.
Highland holiday
In between teaching R.L. Stevenson and J.K. Rowling, I made a weekend trip to the Scottish Highlands, where I got to take a charming rail journey from Fort William to Mallaig. Here’s the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, used in the Harry Potter films, among others. And here is beautiful Loch Ness. I’m pretty sure I saw […]
The Orangery
My favorite building on the Dalkeith estate is the ruined orangery. Once topped with glass and filled with palms and figs and banana trees, the orangery required a ton of coal each day to keep it warm. The ovens beneath the structure sent heat up through vents in the floor. Built in the 1800’s, it […]
Scotland is lovely…
…even when it’s dark and foggy. I’m having a great time exploring the grounds on the Dalkeith estate.
Choi Sori at the Edinburgh Festival
I’ve continued to enjoy the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and I’m pretty sad that it’s all coming to an end. The best street performance by far, Choi Sori & Arirang’s fusion of riveting Korean percussion and “extreme martial arts” provided some great opportunities for photographs. They began with traditional dances, the men wearing masks and the […]
Edinburgh Festival
I’m in Edinburgh, where I’ve managed (despite sleep deprivation and jet lag) to enjoy the Edinburgh Fringe Festival: acapella groups, cathedral choral music, a Jekyll and Hyde play at the Scottish Storytelling Center, and a bit of street theater, including jugglers with a unicycle 3 meters high.
Welcome!
Welcome to my new home on the Web! City of Peace: I recently made a research trip to Bolivia, where I’ve been gathering material for a story set in La Paz. I’ll post some photos soon. Scottish Teaching Appointment: I’ve just been appointed to teach Creative Writing, Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Modern British Literature […]