Favorite Fotos: Happy Trails

I did a lot of walking during my time in the Old World, but most of it was on city streets, not hiking trails. However, there was some of the latter activity, mostly in Wales and Scotland, and I thought I'd share some of my "unpublished" photos from these pleasing walks.

The picture at the left was taken from near the top of Arthur's Seat, just outside of Edinburgh, the lovely city laid out before you here. The body of water in the distance is, if I'm not mistaken, the Firth of Forth, which I'd love to have seen closer up, but we just didn't have time on this trip.

Geologically remarkably similar-looking, but 'way across on the other side of the island, the photo at the right was taken on our hike up Pen y Fan, the highest point in southern Britain, specifically in Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) National Park in Wales. The trail up here was well maintained, as were all the trails we hiked. Although not having to worry too much about vegetation encroaching on the path would make trail maintenance easier in some respects. Guarding against erosion from rainwater, however, is a problem not too many Texas trail managers have to contend with. Note the stream-like characteristics of the trail in the background of this photo:


In fact, pretty much all the trails I encountered bore evidence of the wet summer, even by their standards, that the UK had just experienced. And there were wonderful rushing streams everywhere. On the left is a glimpse of the steep, but lovely, trail down to Foyers Falls in Scotland, near Loch Ness. It was one of our serendipitous finds as we drove around the Loch (partly in a futile attempt at a Nessie sighting, but also to take in as much fabulous highland scenery as we could).

And below is a view from the trail we hiked in another area of Bannau Brycheiniog, a completely different hiking experience from the bare summits of Pen y Fan and its fellow Beacons.


This hike in the Park was the most strenuous walking I undertook during my whole trip, as we clambered over shelves and steps of Welsh slate, like you can see at the right here. But we loved seeing the four gorgeous waterfalls along the trail (called, appropriately enough, Wood of the Waterfalls, or Coed y Rhaeadr). Not to mention that the good exercise was both needed and welcome!

One real advantage UK hiking has over its Rockies counterparts, though, is that you don't have to deal with the thin air of extremely high altitude. It's great to have views of fabulous-looking mountains that don't require being at near-stratospheric heights to enjoy.

Another charming sidelight of UK hiking is the occasional random ruin, adding to the picturesque quality of the scenery immensely. Here's an example from the Arthur's Seat hike in Edinburgh:


The fabulous trees nourished by all that moisture are another distinction that I enjoyed. Don't get me wrong, I love walking in the Rockies and would have to pick them as a preferred location over the mountains of the UK—if I had to choose a favorite. But the trees I saw all over the UK were a real treat. At the left is a particularly scenic specimen along the Coed y Rhaeadr hike.

And below is one of the extraordinary trees we saw during an enjoyable, but completely different type of hike. This was in the artificial countryside of the Blenheim Palace grounds. A profoundly weird place, with its artificial lake and manicured, designed landscaping. But, you have to give them this: they planted some really amazing trees there....


I believe I was taken enough with British trees that I have enough pictures to make a separate post on the subject, so that will be my next Favorite Foto collection.