[Leica] PESO: Taos in The Highlands?

[pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig)]

Justjoking!!:-)

Well, mostly,  but on a trip this summer to the tiny village of 
Portmahomack in Wester Ross, Scotland I was impressed by the solidity of 
some of the early building which, yes, did remind me *vaguely* of the 
massive buildings in the South West, hence the jokey title!.

The weather was sun and clouds so apologies for variations in brightness.

This butress formed the side of the building that really impressed me:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/Taos_in_the_Highlands_001/Chapel_Street_House_crow_step.jpg.html>

A wider view of the same building:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/Taos_in_the_Highlands_001/Chapel_street_House_End_1.jpg.html>

The massing of the block of houses:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/Taos_in_the_Highlands_001/Chapel_Street_House_End_2.jpg.html>

These steps reminded me of Greece more than Scotland. All we needed was 
a bit more sun and a child running up the steps between the houses and...

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/Taos_in_the_Highlands_001/Portmahomack_Steps.jpg.html>

The buildings from the reverse direction:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/Taos_in_the_Highlands_001/Chapel_Street_House_Reverse.jpg.html>

These buildings are known as "girnals" and were used to store grain and 
similar items coming into the harbour. These and the buildings above now 
form a single block with the stairs up the middle. They were built in 
the mid- to late-18th century and are now homes:

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/Taos_in_the_Highlands_001/Girnals.jpg.html>

This is the harbour, it was once a thriving importer of coal and export 
port for grains and so on. The harbour was built by Stephenson. It is 
close to unique in Scotland in that it faces west despite being on the 
East coast.

The view here looks out over the harbour towards Dornoch and The Roayal 
Dornoch course and beyond to the Highlands of Sutherland.

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/PeterDzwig/Taos_in_the_Highlands_001/Portmahomack_harbour.jpg.html>


Thanks for looking and as ever your C&Cs are much appreciated.

Peter
-- 

Dr. Peter Dzwig