By the Back Door

Yesterday the weather was perfect and I set out to visit friends in Kirkpatrick Durham with the intention of going out with our cameras. On the way I stopped off at Cumstoun Hall near Kirkcudbright with the intention of asking if I could take some shots of the ancient tower house that lies in ruins behind the Hall. The owner, Mrs Maitland was out, but a charming resident assured me that it was o.k. to go take a look.

The ruin was surrounded by dense trees, brambles and nettles and I had to force my way through the undergrowth. I suppose that a wintertime foray would be more sensible when the leaves have gone from the trees and the undergrowth has died down, then it would be possible to get a better view. Even so several exposures were made and then I moved back to the car and headed back down the drive.

On the way in there I had noticed a cottage with interesting outbuildings and so stopped to have a look. In the courtyard behind the cottage a boy was pulling apart the remains of a very dry Christmas tree which he put on a bonfire and set it alight. Soon the pleasant smell of burning pine needles was drifting around the yard. The lady of the house was sitting and reading in the sunshine and was easy about me taking a few snaps. I was about to leave when I spied this view through the open back door of the cottage. An everyday scene and easy to overlook.

I took this shot with permission and have slightly desaturated it. More of yesterday’s photos to follow.

 

 

Tags: Cottage Doorway, Cumstoun Hall, Dumfries & Galloway, Kirkcudbright, Photography, Scotland

• September 23, 2012
• Architecture, Close up or Detail Shot, Interior
• 12 Comments