Harlaw Reservoir, Pentland Hills – Watercolour
This was started, in November just before the snows came. Decided to finish it tonight to remind myself what grass etc looks like.
latest updates: Pentland Hills
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2011Jan 133
tags: edinburgh | Pentland Hills -
2010Dec 28
tags: Brrrr | Caerketton | edinburgh | Pentland Hills
Descending Caerketton Hill, Christmas Eve – Watercolour in a Watercolour Moleskine
Caerketton Hill is the most northerly of the Pentland Hills which overlook the south side of Edinburgh. Further along from this part is the Hillend Artificial Ski slope although, with all of our recent snow, there has been no need for “pretendy skiing”. This is my son, Andrew, who is holidaying at home from his work in New Zealand. A couple of friends and he went for a walk in these parts of Christmas Eve. He told me he got down the hill, just after the photo this is copied from was taken, by sliding on his backside. Poor guy! He got an earful from me as this is not recommended practice, being considered dangerous. What a shame. He comes halfway round the world and gets a row from his dad. Well, he is almost 30 years old.
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2010Dec 16
tags: Brrrr | Pentland Hills | Ratho | Scotland
East Pentland Hills from Ratho – Watercolour and Ink in a Watercolour Moleskine
I am amazed at how clear the winter weather is making things look. The left hand hills are a good 15 miles away but they looked really close when I captured this scene. The same is true when I look in the opposite direction and view the Ochill Hills over in Fife. They look very close. I believe its all to do with the aerial perspective being diminished by the dense cold air.
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2010Feb 1
tags: Brrrr | Pentland Hills | snow
“Missed!”- Watercolour in a Watercolour Moleskine
Trying to sketch the local hills a few days ago as the storm, widely forecast, swept in from the east across the summits. That’s as far as it came. Other areas bore the brunt of fresh snowfalls but, once again, the Pentlands sheltered us from Armageddon. Of course, if the wind was from the north, the hills would stop and contain the snow, depositing it on our side. At least we escaped – for the time being.
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2010Jan 22
tags: Brrrr | edinburgh | Pentland Hills | snow
Pentland Hills from the City Bypass – Watercolour in a Watercolour Moleskine
Edinburgh’s city bypass, a ring road, diverts much traffic around the south side of the city away from its centre. It runs between the city and the Pentland Hills which were designated a Regional Park in 1984. They rise almost 600m above sea level and are used for recreational purposes as well as hill farming. The hills form a natural barrier to adverse weather – it can be wild on one side while benign on the other. This scene shows the east end of the range as viewed this morning. Although most of the recent snow has gone there is still a fair bit higher up and more is forecast overnight. The lower areas, however, show the first sights of green as the days lengthen and spring begins. Its touch and go whether winter or spring will be the winner here.
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2009Jun 7
tags: edinburgh | Pentland Hills | Scotland
Moon setting over Threipmuir Reservoir, Pentland Hills – Indian Ink with white acrylic highlights in a Watercolour Moleskine
Threipmuir Reservoir was built in the 1840s to supply Edinburgh with clean water. It doesn’t fulfil this function today but, instead, is a haven for wild fowl and many different types of plants. The waters are stocked with brown trout and are fished regularly. The reservoir lies to the north of the Pentland Hills and one of its features is a very comfortable “hide” used by bird watchers. It is usually open to anyone who wishes to use it and this is where this scene is recently from, copied from a photograph taken around 2.00am just as the moon was setting. Dawn breaks very early at this time of year in our parts. In just over an hour the sun heralded another day of beautiful sunny weather. Mind you! Being so high up its not always as calm as this here.
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2008Oct 18
tags: edinburgh | ink | Pentland Hills | Scotland
Pentland Hills in winter, south of Balerno near Edinburgh. This was done on a watercolour Moleskine with three colours of ink (Black, blue and red) following a suggestion by sjguild October 16, 2008. Thanks sjguild for the idea of allowing ink to flood into a wet background, separating into different “base” colours. This seems to have worked for my clouds and I am grateful for the opportunity to try something new. Shame about the spine of the Moleskine being so prominent. It looks as if we Scots go about planting glass poles in the countryside.
