The rich rural scenery of North Fife, Scotland, provides variety from the historic city of St Andrews and the quaint harbours of the East Neuk of Fife. A Royal Palace in Falkland, a Folk Museum in Ceres, a National Trust Mansion House near Cupar, Balmerino Abbey, Lindores Abbey, Newburgh, Dunbog, Glenduckie, Creich, Birkhill, Ballinbreich, Abdie, Upper Flisk and more in beautiful North East Fife. Also the occasional wander.
This morning, dank in the passing rain, not unpleasant as it is warm. Many people pass along this road and I'm sure they are as uplifted as myself.
This was this morning.
Each night as I drive home to Flisk from Newburgh North Fife I am always attracted to the views, sometimes the water other times my head in the clouds.
The River Tay Sky 9th Sept.
The River Tay at Newburgh 9th September.
The river Tay Sky 9th September.
Tay sky over Dundee 9th September. In the foreground a field of oilseed rape, cut and standing on the stalks ready to be combine harvested. In the distant bottom right an oil rig into Dundee Docks for maintenance.
Clouds over the house and the river Tay July 24th in north fife. I photograph this many times and indeed some will agree that, Yes I do have my head in the clouds.
An interesting variety of clouds over the Carse of Gowrie
Sunset over the River Tay and the Carse of Gowrie.
Cumulus cloud over the River Tay today 15th March. Overnight the wind shifted to the South West bringing warmer moist air. Cumulus clouds are a type of low-level cloud that can have noticeable vertical development and clearly defined edges. Cumulo- means "heap" or "pile" in Latin. They are often described as "puffy" or "cotton-like" in appearance, and generally have flat bases. Cumulus clouds, being low-stage clouds, are generally less than 6,500 feet (2,000 m) in altitude unless they are the more vertical cumulus congestus form. Cumulus clouds may appear by themselves, in lines, or in clusters and are often precursors of other types of cloud, such as cumulonimbus, when influenced by weather factors such as instability, moisture, and temperature gradient. Normally, cumulus clouds produce little or no precipitation, but they can grow into the precipitation-bearing congestus or cumulonimbus clouds. Cumulus clouds can be formed from water vapor, supercooled water droplets, or ice crystals, depending upon the ambient temperature. They come in many distinct subforms, and generally cool the earth by reflecting the incoming solar radiation. Cumulus clouds are part of the larger category of cumuliform clouds, which include stratocumulus clouds, cumulonimbus clouds, cirrocumulus clouds, and altocumulus clouds.
Cumulus clouds form via atmospheric convection as air warmed by the surface begins to rise. As the air rises, the temperature drops (following the lapse rate), causing the relative humidity (RH) to rise. If convection reaches a certain level the RH reaches one hundred percent, and the "wet-adiabatic" phase begins. At this point a positive feedback ensues: since the RH is above 100%, water vapour condenses, releasing latent heat, warming the air and spurring further convection.
In this phase, water vapour condenses on various nuclei present in the air, forming the cloud. This creates the characteristic flat-bottomed puffy shape associated with cumulus clouds. The size of the cloud depends on the temperature profile of the atmosphere and the presence of any inversions. During the convection, surrounding air is entrained (mixed) with the thermal and the total mass of the ascending air increases.
Should you gaze awhile the boiling motion becomes apparent displaying the tremendous energy at play.
These cloud formations never cease to amaze me, ever changing. Subsequent to this photo the formation created a different picture, in the space of a wee while all had changed.
Ominous foreboding clouds over the river Tay on the 5th.
Clouds. See the sky as you never have before. Using a series of his awe-inspiring images, photographer and scientist John Day - who has a Ph.D. in cloud physics and is known round the world as "The Cloudman" - introduces us to earth's great skyscape. His spectacular portfolio of pictures captures a variety of cloud forms and shapes, ranging from cottony-soft cumulus clouds to frightening, whirling funnels, as well as a number of optical effects, such as coronas and halos, seen in the heavens above. A magnificent cloud chart; an explanation of clouds formation; hints on forecasting, observing, and photographing clouds; and his "Ten Reasons to Look Up" teach us to use our inner eye to really perceive those familiar fleeting forms. The Book of Clouds. Tay View April North Fife. From my Home in Flisk North Fife the sky is enormous, here looking north across the river Tay with a northerly wind standing wave cloud forms are often present. Parts of the horizon show snow capped peaks of the highlands in Grampian.
River Tay Low Water today, some may get bored by my repeated shots of the River Tay but it really isn't the same twice. Imagine, it's tidal, the sandbanks become exposed, covered changing by the minute, different light etc. Today it was warm and without wind with fluffy clouds casting intermittent shadow, Ahhh.
Clouds over the River Tay North Fife, never the same twice, always quite beautiful, colour, density and shape. Thousands of tons, water vapour gathering, eventually to precipitate and we've had plenty of that this year.
Capping Dundee across the water from Flisk North Fife.
Shower over Newburgh North Fife. This weather has been going on for quite a while, dramatic skyscapes, heavy but short downpours countered with warm sunny interludes. Not unpleasant but frustrating for farmers with grain to be harvested.
August 12th. Wonderful cloud formations over Dundee and the River Tay, full of energy and on the boil.
The Book of Clouds. See the sky as you never have before. Using a series of his awe-inspiring images, photographer and scientist John Day - who has a Ph.D. in cloud physics and is known round the world as "The Cloudman" - introduces us to earth's great skyscape. His spectacular portfolio of pictures captures a variety of cloud forms and shapes, ranging from cottony-soft cumulus clouds to frightening, whirling funnels, as well as a number of optical effects, such as coronas and halos, seen in the heavens above. A magnificent cloud chart; an explanation of clouds formation; hints on forecasting, observing, and photographing clouds; and his "Ten Reasons to Look Up" teach us to use our inner eye to really perceive those familiar fleeting forms. RRP: £11.99 Price: £7.79 Buy Now. The Book of Clouds
The River Tay Estuary today from Flisk North Fife. Often clouds abound on the North side of the river, certainly we have had continuous sunshine though frost still lingers in the shadows.
Down by the riverside October 2nd Newburgh North Fife, always worth a visit for the sheer tranquil quality of the flowing River Tay.
Mugdrum Island and reed beds Newburgh, Shower rain clouds drifting over the Carse of Gowrie.
Flotsam on the tidal river Tay waters on the riverside, bits of litter, there seems to be no escaping the stuff where ever one goes, even in the Arctic waters there are millions of microscopic plastic particles per cubic metre of what we think is pure water. Apparently synthetic fibres from clothing via washing machines and getting into the food chain. As custodians of the planet we're not doing a very good job.
End of the rainbow, life jacket.
Now sing along................................................... Somewhere over the rainbow Skies are blue...
The River Tay on the evening of 27th March. This view is an ever changing wonder, as the clouds pass the sunbeams fall on different places, you may have seen similar posts before, different colour, different tides but the same view.
The moon on March 27th coming up to full in few days.
Candy floss clouds North Fife today August 4th. We've been used to a rather rainy wet time but today it really had a feel of summer.
Put them on a stick and you could eat it.
Across the River Tay one can clearly see the flat bottomed cloud dewpoint, and precipitation. The dewpoint temperature is the temperature at which the air can no longer hold all of its water vapour, and some of the water vapour must condense into liquid water. The dew point is always lower than (or equal to) the air temperature.
If the air temperature cools to the dew point, or if the dew point rises to equal the air temperature, then dew, fog or clouds begin to form. At this point where the dew point temperature equals the air temperature, the relative humidity is 100%.
If there is then further cooling of the air, more water vapour must condense out as even more dew, fog, or cloud, so that the dew point temperature then falls along with the air temperature.
While relative humidity is (as its name suggests) a relative measure of how humid the air is, the dewpoint temperature is an absolute measure of how much water vapour is in the air. In very warm, humid conditions, the dewpoint temperature often reaches 75 to 77 degrees F, and sometimes exceeds 80 degrees. No matter how hot the temperature gets, a dewpoint temperature of (say) 75 deg. F always represents the same amount of water vapour in the air.
During the summer, the dewpoint temperature -- not the relative humidity -- is usually a better measure of how humid it feels outside. It is also a good measure of how much "fuel" is available to showers and thunderstorms, with a higher dewpoint representing more water vapour available for conversion to rain.
Once when flying in a microlight I was amazed to see and feel the turbulent air currents boiling a few meters under the cloud base
East Lomond April 8th, snow capped just like much of the Highlands this year, it's April for goodness sake and yet winter prevails. Further East sits Falkland with its Palace and estate which is the venue to the Big Tent Festival.
West Lomond, to the West sits Loch Leven on which there is a tiny island where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned. Boat trips can be taken to the very spot where one can wander and muse on the historical facts.
Later same day at Newburgh, heavy intermittent clouds over the river Tay.
Lowish water exposing the sandbanks by Mugdrum Island.
I just love the clouds too catching the sun from the west.
The moon 3 nights ago with its halo in the clouds, to the left one can just see a star formation. ( if you click on the image.) Since Saturday we have been snowbound in the absence of local council plough and gritter, unusual and unexpected however today a local farmer Matthew Wilson, thankfully cleared the road enabling us an others to access Newburgh North Fife for messages.
The river Tay beginning to ice up, if it persists the ice because of the tidal nature of the river at this point flows out and flows back again building large noisy wee burgs.
Flisk view of home, as you can see nobody is passing or going anywhere.
This was this morning.
The River Tay Sky 9th Sept.
The River Tay at Newburgh 9th September.
The river Tay Sky 9th September.
Tay sky over Dundee 9th September. In the foreground a field of oilseed rape, cut and standing on the stalks ready to be combine harvested. In the distant bottom right an oil rig into Dundee Docks for maintenance.
Clouds over the house and the river Tay July 24th in north fife. I photograph this many times and indeed some will agree that, Yes I do have my head in the clouds.
An interesting variety of clouds over the Carse of Gowrie
Sunset over the River Tay and the Carse of Gowrie.
These cloud formations never cease to amaze me, ever changing. Subsequent to this photo the formation created a different picture, in the space of a wee while all had changed.
Ominous foreboding clouds over the river Tay on the 5th.
Clouds. See the sky as you never have before. Using a series of his awe-inspiring images, photographer and scientist John Day - who has a Ph.D. in cloud physics and is known round the world as "The Cloudman" - introduces us to earth's great skyscape. His spectacular portfolio of pictures captures a variety of cloud forms and shapes, ranging from cottony-soft cumulus clouds to frightening, whirling funnels, as well as a number of optical effects, such as coronas and halos, seen in the heavens above. A magnificent cloud chart; an explanation of clouds formation; hints on forecasting, observing, and photographing clouds; and his "Ten Reasons to Look Up" teach us to use our inner eye to really perceive those familiar fleeting forms. The Book of Clouds
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Shower over Newburgh North Fife. This weather has been going on for quite a while, dramatic skyscapes, heavy but short downpours countered with warm sunny interludes. Not unpleasant but frustrating for farmers with grain to be harvested.
August 12th. Wonderful cloud formations over Dundee and the River Tay, full of energy and on the boil.
The Book of Clouds.
The River Tay Estuary today from Flisk North Fife. Often clouds abound on the North side of the river, certainly we have had continuous sunshine though frost still lingers in the shadows.
The River Tay on the evening of 27th March. This view is an ever changing wonder, as the clouds pass the sunbeams fall on different places, you may have seen similar posts before, different colour, different tides but the same view.
The moon on March 27th coming up to full in few days.
Clouds and Weather. First Guide to Clouds and Weather (Peterson First Guides)
The moon 3 nights ago with its halo in the clouds, to the left one can just see a star formation. ( if you click on the image.) Since Saturday we have been snowbound in the absence of local council plough and gritter, unusual and unexpected however today a local farmer Matthew Wilson, thankfully cleared the road enabling us an others to access Newburgh North Fife for messages.
The river Tay beginning to ice up, if it persists the ice because of the tidal nature of the river at this point flows out and flows back again building large noisy wee burgs.
Flisk view of home, as you can see nobody is passing or going anywhere.
The sky from Flisk over the River Tay last night, an ever changing mixture of clouds.
These had an unusual energy, showering rain and hail.
