James Westland
Living in the Isle of Mull. Geologist, IT guy, Gaelic speaker, Keen on geology, landscape, placenames. A'fuireach ann am Muile. Geòlaiche, Ag obair ann an Teic-fios. Neach-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig. Uidh ann an geòlas, an tìr, ainmean-àite.
- Nice light over on Morvern
- Mull hills seen from the north side of Loch na Keal today
- Great wee stroll at Loch Buie this afternoon - down the SE side of the Loch past the beach at Laggan. Really nice weather
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- Croggan is great. We leave on the shore of Loch Spelve (near the Mussel Farm) and look over to Croggan. Its a slow 8 miles, but well worth it!
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- May is probably the best time to visit IMO. Weather tends to be good, but no guarantees! Midges havent really started, not desperately busy with tourists cf high summer. Also, trees have that fresh "spring green" feel. Also long hours of daylight. As long as the weather behaves, you cant beat May!
- When driving through Glen Bellart towards Dervaig the other day, I noticed that the sun was really catching the hills and showing the relief. The indvidual lava flows (trap featuring) really stand out. A light covering of snow would be even better!
- It's Seachdain na Gàidhlig. Seo, bho 40 bliadhna air ais, mo cheud chairt-bhalrachd son CNAG. Tha i agam fhathast! (from 40 years ago, my CNAG membership card - still got it!) @rachmaps.bsky.social
- Just thinking, this year is 100 years since 1925. when, the BGS published both map & the memoir for Western Mull , Staffa and Iona. Some seriously good material there for doing something for this years Scot Geo Fest. The area covered by that map and memoir! 👍 Time to start working up a project...
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- You know it would be good to do something like that... The area is ALIVE with good geo - Iona, Ardtun, Staffa, Ulva, Stac Mhic Mhurchaidh, the Wilderness, MacCullochs Tree. Just GOT to do something!
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- Callan - I've seen those pencils in other pics you have shown over the years.. Theyre great! I usually have (for a scale indicator) my boot, an ancient battered ruler or my trust 1978 Estwing!
- From last weeks stroll with Dr John Faithfull, some samples (loose boulders) of feldspar-phyric basalt (AKA big feldspar basalt) that we found near Loch Uisg. Its in situ up on the hillside somewhere! Look at the size of those feldspars!
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- Very true! Good to have another geo full time here in Mull. Feels like ploughing a lonely furrow at times! We had a great response to our roadshow celebrating 100 years of the Mull memoir last year. Current;ly looking for a project for this years Scottish Geology Festival!
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- I see him regularly as he now lives in Bunessan - we meet up often! I'll let him know - He's not on X any more although he does use Mastodon. Need to check if he is on Bluesky
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- "Feldsparphyric basalt" or "Big feldspar basalt" is a good one to add to a collection. The Memoir of the Mull geological survey (1924) mentions a location with feldspar crystals up to 10" long!!! I've been to that very spot but didnt find any that big!
- Glorious isnt it?
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- Pretty good example of this sort of stuff. Can vary a lot in its appearance
- Just a few pics from this afternoon's stroll across the salt flats and back by the main road.
- Great walk on Friday with Dr John Faithfull up onto Creach bheinn to look at some rocks. Grand views
- Since its Valentines Day, time to dig out the images of the "Iona Heart" a diorite enclave in an erratic boulder of Ross of Mull Granite. SE Iona
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- Ann am Muile, "Ath Dearg" & "Allt an Ath Dheirg", fasig air Griobun air a'chosta an iar dhen eilean. Sgrìobhte gun sràcan air mapaichaen an là an diugh. Sràcan air na seann 6" mapaichean ge-tà streetmap.co.uk/map?x=143917...
- I've been to a version of this talk before and it's a good'un. Dr Jake King from @ainmean-aite.bsky.social will give a talk on Gaelic place-names in Edinburgh at the @natlibscot.bsky.social www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-gaelic...
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- Used to live in Tobermory , where my wife is from. Funny story. Plumber was working at a neighbours house. Asked the owner "Do you know where your toby is?" The reply: "On the sofa behind you" Toby was the name of her dog! :)
- Out for a hill-walk with Dr John Faithfull this afternoon - we went up a hill called Sgùlan Beag above Glen More in Mull. Glorious weather and views. Muile nam Mor-bheann - Mull of the Mountains!
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- No, this is above Glen More. Mind you the loch above our place, Loch Bairneach would have looked great the other day too!
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- Its a great area for shooting a film. "Local Hero" springs to mind. The famous church is just along the road from Loch Eilt
- Eilean na Moine in Loch Eilt! And not far from the famous railway bridge
- Lussa River today. Nice and frosty!
- Ben Mote looked great yesterday
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- Typos eh? Ben More of course!
- Lussa River above the Pedlars Pool. Not too wild at the moment. 11:30
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- Taken from my front door! My wife and i have a bench seat there and its great just to sit and ponder!
- Madainn mhath! Good morning from Mull
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- Used to be that if you did a Google image search on Teschenite, it was a picture of Salisbury Crags that appeared very near the top of the list! Still an absolutely spectacular outcrop
- A milestone reached. Time for a service too! Truck (Mitsubishi L200) has done well over the past year. Very useful vehicle
- A few St Andrews pics from today
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- Just bsolutely love it there. So many fond memories from when I was a student - and the shore still lokks the same - that view back over to St A is one of the best on the east coast IMO
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- So the ,"Cloudbase" in Captain Scarlet could become a reality?
- Glen Coe today. The Three Sisters. Beinn Fhada, Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh
- Tobermory in the winter sun
- Lovely day yesterday in Argyll - travelling back to Oban via Ardfern (Gaelic: Aird Fheàrna - point or height of the alders). Stopped at the marina. Water like a mirror. Also for comparison, the Butterbridge in Glen Kinglas on Sunday
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- Its funny - you mentined Kerrera. Got the ferry past it hundreds of times. Never been there! Saw it up close a few months ago from our neighbours boat, but , nope, never set foot on it!
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- The Argyll area is particularly varied - all those islands, peninsulas and sea lochs. Lived here for over 26 years now (married a Mull girl!) and only scratched the surface of it
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- We now live right on the GGF. I should set up a seismometer!
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- Great place for fossil hunting!
- Not this one. We were away from Mull yesterday. I always miss these things!
- Video of Loch Bearnach
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- Its a nice spot - there are a few places in Mull away from the usual tourism hotspots that done see too many visitors - this is one of them
- Yesterday we went for a stroll roundd Loch Bearnach which is up the back of our house. Really nice views to the hills and out to sea
- Bliadhna Mhath Ur - Happy New Year!
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- Thanks Stu ! Kind words, appreciated - hopefully my geology and landscape posts are theraputic to others too! Happy New Year when it comes!
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- Yes, this is the one x.com/theiaincamer...
