scotland Scotland Regional Discussion16th July 2013 onwards

[Hairy Celt]

A torrential downpour at 6.45pm this evening after a dry humid day with a temperature that reached 23c. This refreshed the neeps and grass again. Crop steadily ripening hopefully ready to combine before the end of August . However theer will be big shortage of grass based winter keep for livestock in this area after stocks run down last winter and spring and a  months grass growth lost in April which with the dry summer has never been made up. With the potential for cooler nights in the next few weeks hopes of later grass cuts are receeding. Currently 15.8c and cloudy.

Uncultivated grasses on the hills have really slowed down in the last week or so with the cooler nights. So has the bracken, thankfully - it's getting rather large in some places.

 

Apparently, at home the tomatoes are ripe to eat, the runner beans are big enough to eat and the earliest plums are getting closer...

[ARTDEMOLE]

Pleasant day.. Dry with sunshine and a breeze..19.3c. Humidity 64%

 

 

Never been to Scotland so will go back to my own patch.....

Edited August 9, 2013 by ARTDEMOLE

[Hairy Celt]

Pleasant day.. Dry with sunshine and a breeze..19.3c. Humidity 64%

 

 

Never been to Scotland so will go back to my own patch.....

Wtf??

[Big Innes Madori]

Uncultivated grasses on the hills have really slowed down in the last week or so with the cooler nights. So has the bracken, thankfully - it's getting rather large in some places.

 

Apparently, at home the tomatoes are ripe to eat, the runner beans are big enough to eat and the earliest plums are getting closer...

Gota mind your plums HC!!!

 

Do ah here some talk oan the MT o' possibly anither decent spell oan the horizon? 

Mmmm 

 

Big gettin interested Innes 

[Hairy Celt]

Most plums fine although a few are looking a bit wizened and/or squidgy and a very few are dropping  ff.

 

Hey BIM, don't get carried away - it's not long since the models were threatening an early start to a cold autumn....

 

(O the joy of being somewhere where you can wander outside without fear of persecution  )

[Hawesy]

Reached 21.2c yesterday despite there being almost no sunshine. The month continues dry thus far with only 3mm of rainfall. Off to Dundee, hopefully the sun will be out shortly.

[Hairy Celt]

I'm not sure where the warmer weather is coming from, I can't see it on the models. It looks like more of the same, neither here nor there.

 

GFS/ECM 8 to 10 day chart isn't budging much, here's a small collection from recent runs:

 

ECM GFS 8 to 10 Day 130808.gifECM GFS 8 to 10 Day 130809.gifECM GFS 8 to 10 Day 130810.gif

 

Maybe it's just Frosty trying to summon up some late summer enthusiasm?

 

Nice start to the day here, warm and some sunshine. We really are being spoilt this summer eh! 

 

Managed to rather spoil my mood by reading yet another piece about the dreaded methane hydrates release in Siberia. Scary 541t. Also ties in with the anomalous warmth they're getting there that you can pick up from the charts you've posted.

 

Think I'll research high-yield tropical food plants later...

Edited August 10, 2013 by Hairy Celt

[ARTDEMOLE]

Maybe it's just Frosty trying to summon up some late summer enthusiasm?

 

Nice start to the day here, warm and some sunshine. We really are being spoilt this summer eh! 

 

Managed to rather spoil my mood by reading yet another piece about the dreaded methane hydrates release in Siberia. Scary 541t. Also ties in with the anomalous warmth they're getting there that you can pick up from the charts you've posted.

 

Think I'll research high-yield tropical food plants later...

 Not posting on this area today.. Posted in wrong place yesterday.

[Hairy Celt]

 Not posting on this area today.. Posted in wrong place yesterday.

 

That's ok, would you like a piece of cake? We have lots of choc cake today, it's young HC's b'day ... He went out for a cycle earlier & got caught in the only shower of the day. Drenched, he was.

[GulberwickWeather]

Heavy, thundery rain today, 9.2mm so far. Temp 11.1C

[Hairy Celt]

Heavy, thundery rain today, 9.2mm so far. Temp 11.1C

 

Does that count as 'summerish' for you?

[Northernlights]

Showery today with superb visibility. Currently 14c. Must be a  sharp shower on Cairngorm summit as its currently  3.2c up there.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Northernlights

[Methuselah]

Most plums fine although a few are looking a bit wizened and/or squidgy and a very few are dropping  ff.

 

Hey BIM, don't get carried away - it's not long since the models were threatening an early start to a cold autumn....

 

(O the joy of being somewhere where you can wander outside without fear of persecution  )

I reckon the plums grow better up there than they do down here!

[Hawesy]

A much better day than forecast so far with sunny spells and it has stayed dry. 19c.

[Northernlights]

Showery today with superb visibility. Currently 14c. Must be a  sharp shower on Cairngorm summit as its currently  3.2c up there.

 

 

Slighty more continuous rain on now. Hope the model thread is correct about a more anticyclonic end to the month as a dry harvest would be a nice present. after the last few wet more ones

[chemikal]

Mixed day in Glasgow. Went from warm sunshine to heavy downpours and back again. Luckily myself and the wife dodged the showers and went for an afternoon refreshment. Has anyone else had the pleasure of West beer 'St. Mungo'? I work near the brewery but it seems to be spreading in pubs in Glasgow which I'm not complaining about!

 

Hoping to go camping next weekend in Portpatrick but the charts are not looking so good at the moment. Hopefully the forecast will improve as the weekend goes on or we might have to reconsider where we go.

 

Out of interest I'd love to know any recommendations of any campsites in Scotland. To start the ball rolling my favourites are Portnadoran near Arisaig.

http://www.arisaigcampsite.co.uk/

 

Also Sango Sands in Durness.

http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=9&c=18

 

Looking forward to hearing about some new places!

 

[Hairy Celt]

 

 

Looking forward to hearing about some new places!

 

Campsite at Applecross is (or was, not been for 3 years) one of the best with the usual Highland late summer disadvantage...

[chemikal]

We used to stock the bottled St Mungo lager in our off-licences when I worked in my last job, it's a cracking drink. I'm sure they still do tours & meals at the brewery, you should be able to find details online.

 

It's a chilly night tonight, almost down to single fingers ºC and cool enough to have the heater on in the living room. It's the reverse of those days we can get in February when you can feel a wee bit of spring warmth coming into the sun, you can feel the autumnal chill coming in at night at the moment. Mrs Catch was quite excited earlier when checking the forecast for the week ahead, "ooo it's going to be warm this week" she squeeked. I felt bad but I had to point out that the forecast was for the City of London, which is a few hundred miles away.

West is our default venue for meetings so we end up there quite often for food and drinks. I think the Templeton building where West is has offices for rent which would be a dangerous move! I see that they are opening up another venue in Port Dundas just off the mate.

[Northernlights]

Some sharp showers again today Currently 11c with superb visibility to the north .See Cairngorm summit is currently at 3c so feeling autumnal at the top of the mountain as well.Also noticed fresh snow on the mountains of Svabard on the panorama webcams and once the Nairn Games are over next Saturday winter will be on its way. I think also the swifts have gone today from the eaves of the house to warmer climes.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Northernlights

[Cheggers]

Just back from a weekend away in Forres and Findhorn. As NL said, a fair few sharp showers, and the Temp at Drumochter was aboot 6c.

 

Tried to catch a glimpse of Perseids Meteors last night while slumming it in a cottage on Findhorn Bay, but too much cloud kept rolling through, and 8 pints not good for the eyesight either. 

 

Had reports over weekend that Livingston had sleet???

 

PS, saw several surviving snaw patches in the gullies South East of Aviemore.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Cheggers

[Hairy Celt]

East Cairngorms, earlier today. 

 

Been raining at home now though...

 

Where's the weather heading? Every time I look at the ensembles, they've changed. Would be good to get another settled spell but extended warmth is unlikely now I guess.

[chemikal]

Thanks for the Applecross recommendation Hairy Celt. In 2002 I stayed in Lochcarron for a week and one day we went over the hill to Applecross and had lunch (which was very nice) at the Applecross Inn. Not long after we gained a bit of elevation we were in the clouds so I didn't really appreciate the scenery and the how precarious the journey was! Here is a speeded up video to give you an idea of what to expect.

 

The passage of time has not suppressed my wife's memories of that trip. When she clocked what I was watching she replied, and I'm quoting directly 'Not that swearing is not big or clevering road, never again, I'm not doing that so you are on your own'. Looks like a camping trip on the motorbike then.

 

Camping for the weekend in Portpatrick and pretty much anywhere in Scotland for Saturday has been knocked on the head. Since quite a few of us kept the weekend free the plans are now dinner at West Brewery followed by the greyhounds at Shawfield. Not what we hoped but I know we will have a great time!

 

[chemikal]

I see I have been filtered for bad language. I even blanked out some letters in case this happened. Below is the translation

 

'Not that swearing is not big or clevering road, never again, I'm not doing that so you are on your own'.

 

The above is not a direct quote. To sum up she swore a lot and vowed never to travel on that road again.

 

[Hairy Celt]

Gosh you got good weather!

 

The Bealach na Ba is one of my favourite roads despite (because?) killing my 1st car - a Maxi! I did it on a CX500 with no rear brake once too, then on a GPz750 which was good fun. Been camping there with just the missus , with babies   , more recently with older family and friends  ...

 

Looking forward to testing my latest toy on that road in the next few weeks...

[chemikal]

Sorry! That is not a video of mine.  I wish it was. My trip in 2002 was totally cloud laden in a Honda Civic which coped well with the incline and hairpin bends and wasn't killed. In a strange twist I did sell the car to a friend and it was killed in a ram raid on a designer shop in Glasgow.

 

After the missus response it looks like I will be tackling the Bealach na Ba on my Yamaha XT660X on my own. Just passed its MOT after I think my round trip from Glasgow to Elgin back in February on a few snowy roads ended up in a warped front disc. I hope to try out the campsite before the year is out. 

 

 

Gosh you got good weather!

 

The Bealach na Ba is one of my favourite roads despite (because?) killing my 1st car - a Maxi! I did it on a CX500 with no rear brake once too, then on a GPz750 which was good fun. Been camping there with just the missus , with babies   , more recently with older family and friends  ...

 

Looking forward to testing my latest toy on that road in the next few weeks...