Yesterday, we set off from Bridge of Allan to try and find a good spot to watch the solar eclipse. My idea was to try and have Stirling Castle in the backdrop [recalling the wonderful view from Bannockburn Hospital – which has been demolished since I worked there as a doctor -and is now a crematorium]. This was not a successful idea, as the alignment was not right for the position of the sun in the sky. Furthermore, heavy clouds set in.
But we were happy to stop at Bannockburn House where I work as a volunteer gardener. We sat in the walled garden. It was so peaceful. I took a few photographs, including the one above, in which the sun just about appears through the clouds but the eclipse, at this stage was no more than partial .
Then, the beautiful garden went dark for a number of minutes and the swallows stopped flying. It felt special, almost other worldly.
