Grey Squirrel On Spring Monday Visit To My Cottage Garden Scone Perth Perthshire Scotland

Tour Scotland short Spring 4K Monday wildlife nature camera travel video clip of the sight and sounds of a Grey Squirrel spotted eating on a morning visit and trip to my Scottish cottage garden in Scone by Perth, Perthshire, Britain, United Kingdom. While they are known for their agility and resourcefulness in finding food, providing them with supplementary nourishment can offer an exciting opportunity for observation and interaction. As its name suggests, this squirrel typically has a grey coat with white undersides, though the coat colour can also be quite brown at times. Grey squirrels are mainly herbivorous, eating acorns, hazel nuts, berries, fungi, buds and shoots, and even bark. The grey squirrel was introduced to Great Britain in the middle of the 19th century. There is now an estimated population of 2 million making them much more common than the native red squirrel. They arrived in England from North America and are now one of Britain's most well known and frequently seen mammals, with an estimated population of 2 million. It is a myth that grey squirrels chase red squirrels away. Greys are just more adaptable to new surroundings. Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing. Feeding grey squirrels provides a wonderful opportunity for observing their behaviours up close. You might witness their playful antics, social interactions, and even their impressive agility while navigating your garden. While squirrels may become accustomed to your presence, it's essential to remember that they are wild animals. Maintain a respectful distance, and never attempt to handle or approach them closely . Feeding grey squirrels in your garden can offer a unique connection to nature, fostering a sense of appreciation for the wildlife that coexists alongside us. By providing suitable and healthy food options, you can contribute to their well-being while enjoying the delightful charm these creatures bring to your outdoor space. The date for astronomical spring is Sunday 20th March, ending on Tuesday 21st June, while by the meteorological calendar, spring will start on Tuesday 1st March. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Young Blackbird On Spring Monday Visit To My Cottage Garden Scone Perth Perthshire Scotland

Tour Scotland short early Spring 4K Monday wildlife nature camera travel video clip of the sight and sounds of a young Blackbird spotted eating on a morning visit and trip to my Scottish cottage garden in Scone by Perth, Perthshire, Britain, United Kingdom. This widespread bird is a common visitor to United Kingdom gardens, and has adapted well to suburban areas, it’s often possible to get quite close. It can also be found in woodland and grassland areas, but you’re much less likely to see it on areas of higher ground and in some parts of Scotland, Common and widespread across Britain, the blackbird population is currently stable, although it has seen periods of decline in the past. One of the biggest threats is lack of food availability, particularly when the weather is dry. Leaving mealworms and ground feeder mix out on bird tables and planting bushes that attract caterpillars to your garden are great ways to help blackbirds. If you were to believe various myths and folktales, you’d find this solitary, territorial bird to be imbued with evil and supernatural powers. Welsh poet R. S. Thomas observed that there was “ a suggestion of dark Places ” about the blackbird that was at odds with its beautiful song. In the story of the life of Saint Benedict, the Devil was said to have come to tempt the saint in the form of a blackbird. The English nursery rhyme “ Sing a Song of Sixpence ” involves blackbirds “ baked in a pie ” which reanimate and sing when the pie is opened. Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing. The date for astronomical spring is Sunday 20th March, ending on Tuesday 21st June, while by the meteorological calendar, spring will start on Tuesday 1st March. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Road Trip Drive With Music From Bridgend Perth On History Visit To Scone Perthshire Scotland

Tour Scotland 4K Spring travel video of a road trip drive, with Scottish music, from Bridgend in Perth on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to where I live in Scone village in Eastern Perthshire, Britain, United Kingdom. The medieval village of Scone, which grew up around the monastery and royal residence, was abandoned in the early 19th century when the residents were removed and a new palace was built on the site by the Earl of Mansfield. Scottish botanist David Douglas was born on 25th of June 1799 in Scone. He was born to John Douglas, a stonemason, and Jean Drummond. He attended Kinnoull School and upon leaving found work as an apprentice to William Beattie, head gardener at Scone Palace, the seat of the Earl of Mansfield. He spent seven years in this position, completing his apprenticeship, and then spent a winter at a college in Perth to learn more of the scientific and mathematical aspects of plant culture. After a further spell of working at Valleyfield House in Fife, during which time he had access to a library of botanical and zoological books, he moved to the Botanical Gardens of Glasgow University and attended botany lectures. William Jackson Hooker, who was Garden Director and Professor of Botany, was greatly impressed with him and took him on an expedition to the Highlands before recommending him to the Royal Horticultural Society of London, England. Douglas made three separate trips from Britain to North America. His first trip, to eastern North America, began on 3 June 1823, with a return in the late autumn of 1823. The second was to the Pacific Northwest, from July 1824 returning October 1827. His third and final trip started in England in October 1829. On that last journey he went first to the Columbia River, then to San Francisco, then in August 1832, to Hawaii. In October 1832 he returned to the Columbia River region. A year later, in October 1833, he returned to Hawaii, arriving on 2 January 1834. The second expedition starting in 1824 was his most successful. The Royal Horticultural Society sent him back on a plant hunting expedition in the Pacific Northwest that ranks among the great botanical explorations. In the spring of 1826, David Douglas was compelled to climb a peak, Mount Brown, of the mythical pair Hooker and Brown, near Athabasca Pass to take in the view. In so doing, he became the first mountaineer in North America. He introduced the Douglas fir into cultivation in 1827. Other notable introductions include Sitka Spruce, Sugar Pine, Western White Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Monterey Pine, Grand Fir, Noble Fir and several other conifers that transformed the British landscape and timber industry, as well as numerous garden shrubs and herbs such as the Flowering currant, Salal, Lupin, Penstemon and California poppy. His success was well beyond expectations; in one of his letters to Hooker, he wrote " you will begin to think I manufacture pines at my pleasure ". Altogether he introduced about 240 species of plants to Britain. He first briefly visited Hawaii in 1830 on his way to the Pacific Northwest. He returned again in December 1833 intending to spend three months of winter there. He was only the second European to reach the summit of the Mauna Loa volcano. Douglas died under mysterious circumstances while climbing Mauna Kea in Hawaii at the age of 35 on 12th of July 1834. He was buried in an unmarked common grave near Mission House in Honolulu, Hawaii. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. When driving in Scotland slow down and enjoy the trip. The date for astronomical Spring is 20th March, ending on 21st June, while by the meteorological calendar, Spring starts on 1st March All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Spring Road Trip Drive With Music To Friarton Bridge On History Visit To Perth Perthshire Scotland

Tour Scotland 4K Spring travel video, with Scottish accordion music, of a road trip drive from Aberargie village then North up the M90 motorway cross the the Friarton Bridge on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to Perth, Perthshire, Britain, United Kingdom. The steel box girder bridge with a concrete deck, across the River Tay was constructed by the Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company with Miller Group as the foundation and concrete sub contractor, while it was designed by Freeman Fox & Partners, with the team being led by Dr Oleg Kerensky and the resident engineer H Binnie. The site manager for Cleveland was J Robinson and for Miller it was R Gormley. Oleg Aleksandrovich Kerensky, Оле́г Алекса́ндрович Ке́ренский; born 16 April 1905, died 25 June 1984, was a Russian civil engineer, one of the foremost bridge designers of his time. Kerensky was born in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire, the son of future Russian prime minister Alexander Kerensky, who survived the events of the Russian Civil War and emigrated to Paris in 1918. Both Oleg and his younger brother Gleb graduated as engineers in 1927, and both settled in the United Kingdom. As an associate of Dorman Long, Kerensky assisted on the landmark 1932 Sydney Harbour Bridge. As an associate, and then a partner, in the firm Freeman Fox & Partners, Kerensky designed many British road bridges and structures such as the 1951 temporary Dome of Discovery in London, the largest dome in the world. He was president of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 1970 and won their Gold Medal in 1977. After his death in London, the same institution began their Kerensky Memorial Conferences beginning in 1988. He was made a C.B.E. in 1964 and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1970. Kerensky was the father and namesake of dance critic Oleg Kerensky, Jr, born 1930, died 1993. Oleg Junior was in the 1981 film Reds portraying his grandfather when he was the head of the Russian Provisional Government. Friarton Bridge which spans the River Tay forms part of the important east coast road corridor from Edinburgh through to Dundee and Aberdeen. in the distance you can see Kinnoull Hill a popular walking area by Perth. The M90 motorway runs from junction 1a of the M9, at the south end of the Queensferry Crossing Road Bridge, to Perth, passing Dunfermline and Kinross on the way. It is the most northerly motorway in the United Kingdom. The first section of the M90 opened in 1964 to coincide with the opening of the original Forth Road Bridge. The date for astronomical spring is Sunday 20th March, ending on Tuesday 21st June, while by the meteorological calendar, spring will start on Tuesday 1st March. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. When driving on Scottish roads in Scotland slow down and enjoy the trip All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Spring Road Trip Drive With Music To Visit Pictish Round Tower In Abernethy Perthshire Scotland

Tour Scotland 4K Spring travel video of a road trip drive, with Scottish fiddle music, West on the A913 road from Fife, on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to the Pictish Round Tower in Abernethy in Perthshire, Britain, United Kingdom. The Scottish round tower dates from around the 9th or 10th century, with 11th century alterations. It was used by Celtic clergy as a steeple and watchtower, perhaps against Viking invaders. Abernethy Tower was built for defence and later it was used as a belfry and a beacon. The clock dates from 1868. Excavations to the tower in 1821 uncovered a skeleton and fragments of an urn. Below these were flagstones and many more human bones, including seven skulls. These burials pre-date the construction of the tower, but by how long is not certain. Abernethy village, Scottish Gaelic: Obar Neithich, was once the " capital " or at least a major religious and political centre of the kingdom of the Picts. The Treaty of Abernethy was signed in the village of Abernethy in 1072 where king Malcolm III of Scotland paid homage to William I, King of England, acknowledging William as his feudal overlord. William had started his conquest of England when he and his army landed in Sussex, defeating and killing the English king Harold, at the Battle of Hastings, in 1066. Most of the English nobility were also either killed at Hastings or replaced by Norman lords in the years following the battle. The battle of Hastings was not the end of the fighting, William's army had to suppress many rebellions to secure the kingdom. As a result of the unrest, some English nobles had sought sanctuary, in Scotland, at the court of King Malcolm III. One of these was Edgar Ætheling, a member of the house of Wessex and thus the last English claimant to the throne of England. Faced with a hostile Scotland, in alliance with disaffected English lords including Ætheling, William rode north with his Norman army and forced Malcolm to sign the Treaty of Abernethy. Although the specific details of the treaty are lost in history, it is known that in return for swearing allegiance to William, Malcolm was given estates in Cumbria and Edgar Ætheling was banned from the Scottish court. The peace secured by the treaty was an uneasy one. When negotiations over the disputed Cumbrian territories broke down with the new King of England, William Rufus, Malcolm invaded northern England again and besieged Alnwick Castle. Unexpectedly a relief column arrived, that was led by the Earl of Northumbria. Malcolm and his son were killed at the ensuing Battle of Alnwick in 1093. In 1173 William the Lion of Scotland supported a rebellion against Henry II of England. In 1174, William was captured at the Battle of Alnwick in 1174. He was transferred to Falaise in Normandy. There William signed the Treaty of Falaise effectively surrendering Scotland to Henry. Henry then handed Scotland back to William as a fief, in return for William's homage to Henry. However, after Henry II's death, William petitioned Richard I of England to be released from the terms imposed on Scotland by the treaty. Richard, needing to raise finance for the Third Crusade accepted William's offer of 10,000 marks, and at Canterbury on 5 December 1189 released him from all allegiance and subjection for the kingdom of Scotland, which remained an independent realm until Edward I's successful revival of English claims of overlordship in 1291. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Find things to see and do in Scotland where you are always welcome. When driving in Scotland slow down and enjoy the trip. The date for astronomical Spring is 20th March, ending on 21st June, while by the meteorological calendar, Spring starts on 1st March All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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