Occasional Ramblings with a Camera

This blog is my occasional ramblings on here, there and about, with and very occasionally without a camera. Photography, art, landscape (principally Scottish), heritage and wildlife are the things that interest me the most, so thats what I'll be writing about and of course showing pictures of. They say that a photograph is worth a thousand words, well I'm not so sure about that but if it is then great as it will save me a heap of typing, all power to the image.

The 21st century shieling

09-11-2025

Update: 8 August 2026

Unfortunately the youTube video has been removed that the text below refers but I have added another video showing a similar way of life, taking livestock to fresh grazing grounds.

This is a very interesting and excellent film (sadly no English subtitles) about moving cows up to graze the mountain meadows that mirrors in many ways how it would have been in 18th century Scotland, taking the cows to the shielings. Except then there was no electricity or wi-fi.
They are moving their cows from their village to the 3,100 meter high Tahpur plateau, North Eastern Turkey, surrounded by the Kaçkar Mountains. There the cows will graze while the women make cheese. An interesting life and the children certainly seem to be enjoying it even while putting in work duties of their own.