Late afternoons in early autumn, when the skies are blue and the sun is low in the sky, the views of the Borders Hills become alive. They are totally amazing. The sun picks out all those wonderful hummocks and hollows formed by the passing of the last glacier.
The Scottish Border Hills Looking North From The Three Brethren – 10 October 2012 (Copyright Carol Jones)
As today was so beautiful, with blue skies and sunshine, before the coming of the next storm (forecast for tomorrow), we took a late afternoon walk up the Three Brethren, heading from Yair Bridge, up through forestry land to the open moors above. Following several sharp frosts over the previous couple of nights, the countryside has hastened to turn the greens of late summer to the rich yellows, oranges, and reds of autumn. The nights of frost have also hasten the fall of leaves, leaving a number of trees suddenly barren and stark in the brightness of the day’s sunshine, where as for others it has now brought on the beauty of autumns oranges and yellows, highlighting the remaining greens.
Looking South, with Foulshiels Hill to the West and Peat Law to the East – 10 October 2012 (Copyright Carol Jones)
Above the perennial greens of the conifer plantations, the Heather moor has lost the rich purples of late summer, and faded to the purple brown of autumn, however, with a little observation the remnants of summer can still be found. Searching amongst the now dead and faded white papery Heather flowers, were the odd pale purple flower still in full bloom and occasionally the rich purple of a Bell Heather flower. In damper areas, amongst the fading Rushes there remained a few mauve heads of the Devil’s Bit Scabious, reminding me of the late summer days just passed.
The Three Brethren – 10 October 2012 (Copyright Carol Jones)
lostnaturalist 