Grant Hutchison's Blog, page 42

Sun Dogs

Ever since the success of her Clatto Swan photograph, The Boon Companion has been intermittently getting out of her warm bed at some truly God-forsaken hours to photograph sunrises. She recently took some early morning photos on the beach at Saint Andrews. She’ll be a bit annoyed with me for having chosen a glary one … Continue reading Sun Dogs →

Lorn: Creach Bheinn

Creach Bheinn (NN 023422, 810m) 13 kilometres 980 metres of ascent The last time I climbed Creach Bheinn, it was in a sleet-storm that I imagined was going to pass over to reveal the fabled westward view from the summit. Instead, it clamped down and increased in intensity. When I finally dropped below the clouds … Continue reading Lorn: Creach Bheinn →

Fall streaks

At first glance, that’s just some nice sunset cloud over Juan-les-Pins in France. But there’s quite a lot going on in that picture, which you’ll see better if you click to enlarge it. (I’ll post some zoomed views of sections of the whole image below.) The sun has just set, off to the left of … Continue reading Fall streaks →

Côte d’Azur (November 2016)

So, back to the Côte d’Azur for one last blink of sunshine and warmth, before the long dreary descent into Scottish winter. Not much to add, really, to my previous report from the same area in the spring of this year. We stayed in Juan-les-Pins for a few days, a location that (for those of … Continue reading Côte d’Azur (November 2016) →

One Year On …

So, a year has now passed since this blog went live, in the sense that it became visible to Google and people found out about its existence. Which also means it’s now a year since I retired from work as a hospital doctor. Last night, the Boon Companion and I cracked a bottle of champagne … Continue reading One Year On … →

RealSpace Models 1/96 Apollo Block II Command/Service Module: Part 3

Go to Part 1 of this build log In the first two parts of this build log, I’ve been describing my experience with RealSpace Models‘ 1/96 Apollo Command/Service Module, which is intended to replace the CSM provided with Revell’s classic 1/96 Saturn V model kit. Revell unfortunately provides only a “Block I” CSM, which was never flown … Continue reading RealSpace Models 1/96 Apollo Block II Command/Service Module: Part 3 →

Names Of Trigonometric Functions

saɪn sine: Originally, the length of a straight line drawn from one end of a circular arc parallel to the tangent at the other end, and terminated by the radius; in modern use, the ratio of this line to the radius ˈsiːkənt secant: Originally, the length of a straight line drawn from the centre of …

Sidlaws: Auchterhouse Hill Circuit

Scotston Hill (NO 346400, 373m) Balkello Hill (NO 361394, 397m) 9.5 kilometres 370 metres of ascent This little circuit was an effort to connect together various paths I’d used in three previous, longer walks in this area. I parked at the Balkello Community Woodland and headed northwest, to pick up a path that runs westwards … Continue reading Sidlaws: Auchterhouse Hill Circuit →

Rodney Russ & Aleks Terauds: Galapagos Of The Antarctic

These islands not only play an important role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, they also have a rich human history—from their discovery around 200 years ago, through an era of exploitation, until finally today, when they are treasured for their intrinsic value as wild and beautiful places. I picked a copy of this book off … Continue reading Rodney Russ & Aleks Terauds: Galapagos Of The Antarctic →

Russian Far East: Part 3 – Chukchi Peninsula

In my first post about this trip, I described how we got to the Siberian port of Anadyr. In my second post, I described our stay at Wrangel Island, in the Russian Arctic. This post is about what we did between Anadyr and Wrangel (and between Wrangel and Anadyr), as we sailed along the coast … Continue reading Russian Far East: Part 3 – Chukchi Peninsula →