Ding doun Tantallon,-
Mak` a brig to the Bass
Old Scottish saying for something impossible (origin unknown but assumed in the 16th c.)
Travelling the south-east coast of Scotland you can’t miss Bass Rock. It’s a 351 f. high and steep rock in the outer Firth of Forth – a highly visible landmark a little bit more than a mile off the coast. In our brilliant B&B – next to a nuclear power station – we could even see Bass Rock from our beds. It reminded our dear Master on J.G. Schnabels “Insel Felsenburg” (island of the rock castle), an influencial German utopian novel written in the 18th c. Well, that’s typical for our beloved Master, isn’t it? Dear Dina was fascinated by Bass Rock. She felt drawn to it like the Scottish philosopher Boethius 500 years earlier. But not only she and Boethius were captivated by this island. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel “Catriona” one of the protagonists was captivated on Bass Rock and parts of Stevenson’s novel “The Wreckers” is placed there. Already as a child R.L. Stevenson was under the spell of Bass Rock. And it was his cousin David A. Stevenson who built the lighthouse on Bass Rock in 1902. Bass Rock inspired many Scottish authors like James Robertson (“The Fantastic”) and the political thriller “The Lion is Rampant” by Ross Laidlow.
Bass Rock ist unübersehbar. Wer an der Ostküste im Süden Schottlands reist sieht diesen 107 m steil aufragenden Fels im äußeren Firth of Forth immer wieder. Und stellt euch vor, in unserem wunderschönem B&B neben Kernkraftwerk und Zementfabrik konnten wir sogar vom Bett aus Bass Rock sehen.
Masterchen erinnerte er sofort an Johann Gottfried Schnabels Roman “Insel Felsenburg”, an diese steile Klippe dort, auf der sich der schiffbrüchige Alberti Julii retten kann. Naja, so ist eben unser liebes Masterchen … Dina war völlig von Bass Rock fasziniert, er zog sie geradezu magnetisch an, sie empfand ihn als mystisch wie schon etwa 500 Jahre zuvor der einflussreiche schottische Philosoph Boethius.
Aber nicht nur unsere geliebte Dina faszinierte Bass Rock. In Robert Louis Stevensons Roman “Catriona” wird auf Bass Rock A.B. Steward, eine der Hauptpersonen, gefangen gehalten. R.L. Stevenson war schon als Kind von Bass Rock fasziniert gewesen und sein Cousin David Stevenson baute 1902 den Leuchtturm dort, so ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass Bass Rock auch in seinem Roman “Die Ausschlachter” auftaucht. Bass Rock inspirierte u.a. James Robertsons Roman “The Fantastic” und Ross Laidlows politischen Thriller “The Lion is Rampant” (beide liegen nicht in dtsch. Übersetzung vor; “The Lion is Rampant” ist eine Anspielung auf das kgl. Banner von Schottland, “Lion Rampant” genannt).
Bass Rock in all it’s splendour. That white stuff is not guano it is in fact approx 150,000 Gannets, described by Sir David Attenborough as “One of the Twelve Wildlife Wonders of the World”.
We could hardly believe that this distinctive landmark is owned privately. Well, we Bookfayries would so much like to own a little island as well, where we could live in the lighthouse and fly around with the birds. We will ask our beloved Master and dear Dina if they could give us such an island for Christmas – okay, let’s say for Christmas and birthday. We are not fussy …
Wir konnten es kaum glauben, aber dieser charakteristische Felsen ist im Privatbesitz. Ehrlich, wir Buchfeen würden auch gern solch eine kleine Insel besitzen, im Leuchtturm wohnen und mit den Tölpeln umherflattern. Wir werden die liebe Dina und Masterchen fragen, ob sie uns eine solche Insel zu Weihnachten schenken können, okay, sagen wir zu Weihnachten und Geburtstag zusammen. Wir sind da nicht kleinlich.
Bath Rock is an old volcanic rock from the lower carboniferous age, about 250 million years old. This discovered “the father of modern geology”, the Scottish geologist James Hutton. Wow, that’s even for Bookfayries dizzying old. In its long history Bass Rock was used as a kind of holiday home of an unknown saint – at least to us – St. Baldred of Lindisfarne and his collaegues in the 7th and 8th c. to live their Christian utopia there. It’s said that Baldred died there in March 606. “Without such islands no utopian literature” our Master explained. It was also used as a penal colony in the 15th century, a kind of a Scottish Alcatraz, where king James I, the influential preacher John Blackadder and many members of the McKay clan were imprisoned. Nearly all prisoners between 1673 and 1687 were covenanters refusing to change from the presbyterian to the roman-catholic rites. Furthermore the Bass was the last part of Scotland held by the Jacobites against the forces of William of Orange in the 1690s. Today you find there a ruined castle (which was this prison) and a lighthouse which we would love to use as our holiday home. But the Bass is part of a bird sanctury and a no go area except for ornithologists but we hope for a special permit for Bookfayries.
Bass Rock ist ein Vulkanpfropfen aus dem Karbon, also etwa 250 Mio. Jahre alt, was als erster der schottische Geologe James Hutton herausfand, der als “Vater der modernen Geologie” bekannt wurde. Puh, das ist selbst für Buchfeen schwindelerregend alt. In seiner langen Geschichte diente er im siebten und achten Jh. als Meditationsort und Ferienhaus in feinster Lage eines uns völlig unbekannten Heiligen, St. Baldred von Lindisfarne (der dort angeblich im März 606 starb), und einigen anderen noch unbekannteren Mönchskollegen, die dort ihre Utopie zu leben suchten. Felseninseln inspirieren ja stets Utopien. Aber er wurde auch ab dem 15. Jh. als Gefängnis benutzt, so ein Alcatraz Schottlands, in dem u.a. der Stuart-König James I., der einflussreiche Prediger John Blackadder und fast der gesamte MacKay-Clan gefangen gehalten wurde. Es waren die sogenannten Covenanters, die dort zwischen 1673 und 1687 dort eingekerkert wurden, Schotten, die es ablehnten, den römisch-katholischen Ritus zu übernehmen. Bass Rock war zudem das letzte schottische Gebiet, das gegen Wilhelm von Oranien am Ende des 17. Jh. gehalten werden konnte. Es gibt eine Burgruine (das spätere Gefängnis) und einen Leuchtturm dort, in dem wir gerne einziehen würden – so als Ferienwohnung. Aber Bass Rock gehört zu einem Natur- und Vogelschutzgebiet, das nicht außer von Wissenschaftlern betreten werden darf. Für Feen gibt es jedoch Ausnahmeregelungen, so hoffen wir.
What do you think about Hotel Gannet, where the sights, sounds and smells are just out of this world!
As you see the Bass is bird kingdom. Ten percent of all gannets shared our idea to live on Bass Rock between February and October. It’s quite crowded, isn’t it? Well, it’s the world’s most populated bird island. From Tantallon castle we watched a constant white cloud of birds flying around the Bass. We saw similar bird rocks only in the High Arctic but there it were the diving petrels. It took us quite a while to recognize that the gannet’s plumage made the Bass seem to be white.
Sir David Attenborough once famously described Bass Rock as “one of the wildlife wonders of the world”.
Wie ihr seht, ist Bass Rock das Reich der Vögel. 10% des Weltbestandes der Tölpel hatten die gleiche Idee wie wir und wohnen auf dem kleinen Felsen ziemlich gedrängt vom Februar bis zum Oktober, womit sie Bass Rock zum meist bevölkerten Vogelfelsen in der Welt machen. Von Tantallon Castle aus, wo wir sehr nah an Bass Rock kamen – er lag etwa 2 km von uns entfernt im Meer – sieht man ständig eine weiße Wolke von Vögel diesen Fels umschwirren. Es war fast wie in der Hocharktis, wo wir ebensolche Vogelfelsen sahen, die jedoch von Dickschnabellummen vom Dichtesten besiedelt sind. Es hat einige Zeit gedauert, bis wir vom Land aus sahen, dass das weiße Gefieder der Tölpel Bass Rock weiß erscheinen lässt.
Sir David Attenborough beschrieb Bass Rock als “one of the wildlife wonders of the world”.
The colony consumes 200 tons of fish every day and the birds can travel up to 540 kilometres or 330 miles in search of food. Gannets from the Bass have been satellite-tracked as far as Norwegian waters on hunting expeditions. One of the pairs has to remain on the nest while the other is searching for food. If the nest site is abandoned even for a short period another gannet will occupy their spot. It is not unusual for the bird to remain on the nest for 30 hours while their mate is searching for fish.
“Islands like the Bass”, explained our dear Master, “produce ideas of isolation. Therefore they are an ideal screen of projections for phantasies of happyness.” He quoted Claude Lévi-Strauss’ notion of the levitating or free flowing significant and continues: “This means one needs concepts to make this bearable which one cannot express in words. Islands like the Bass are such levitating significants which appease the sea’s emptiness. A. von Humboldt saw such islands as the trick of the carthographers to fill the sea’s emptyness to overcome the horror vacui.” We Bookfayries rather agree with Umberto Eco who sees such an island as a kind of non-place because you cannot reach it. And here we are at Bass Rock again where it is really hard to disembark because of the strong currents.
“Inseln wie Bass Rock”, erklärt unser geliebtes Masterchen, “produzieren Vorstellungen von Abgeschiedenheit und Isolation. Sie sind deswegen die idealen Projektionsflächen für Glücksphantasien.” Er zitiert Claude Lévi-Strauss, der den Begriff des freischwebenden Signifikanten prägte und fährt fort: “Das bedeutet, dass man Konzepte benötigt, das erträglich zu machen, was schwer in Worten erfasst werden kann. Solche mystischen Felsen im Meer sind solch freischwebende Signifikaten, die die beängstigende Leere der Ozeane mildern. Alexander von Humboldt sah diese Felseninseln als Kniff der Kartografen, die Leere des Ozeans aufzufüllen, um die Angst vor der Leere zu überwinden.” Wir Buchfeen meinen, man kann wie Umberto Eco die Insel auch als den unerreichbaren Nicht-Ort ansehen und da sind wir wieder bei Bass Rock, an dem es wegen der Strömungen sauschwer anzulanden ist.
That’s it about the Bass. As we wrote, you are not allowed to disembark there except you are a scientist with a permit of the Scottish Seabird Centre (contact 01620-890-202), but you can go around by boat. This did our friend Richard, who kindly distributed two of his photographs. Dear Dina shot her photos of Bass Rock from Tantallon castle.
Das war’s von Bass Rock, den man nicht betreten darf (außer Ornithologen mit einem Permit des Scottish Seabird Centers, 01620-890-202), aber mit einem Ausflugsboot umrunden und ziehmlich nahe kommen kann. Das tat unser Freund Richard, der uns freundlicherweise zwei seiner Fotos überließ. Dina fotografierte Bass Rock von Tantallon Castle aus.
Love
Liebe Grüße
Siri and Selma, who would like to own such an island. Can you help?
Siri und Selma, die auch gern solch eine Insel besitzen würden.
🙂 🙂
© Text: Klausbernd Vollmar, Fotos 1 & 4 Hanne Siebers, Fotos 2 & 3 Richard Kelham
FabFourBlog 
Tolle Aufnahmen ! Ich habe den Felsen auch bewundert im Urlaub, er ist wirklich sehr eindrücklich !
Schön, dass ich bei euch die Vögel von nahem ansehen kann 🙂
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Ja, dieser Bass Rock kurz vor der schottischen Grenze hat irgendwie eine magische Ausstrahlung, so wie er unübersehbar im Firth of Forth liegt. Wir fanden, er zieht einen magnetisch an.
Leider ist vom Land aus die große Vogelkolonie nur mit dem Fernglas gut sichtbar, sonst sieht man nur Weiß und diese Wolke von Vögeln den Fels umflattern. Vom Schiff aus kommt man so nahe heran, dass die dichtgedrängten Vögel dort gut sichtbar sind.
Herzlichen Dank fürs Kommentieren. Wir wünschen dir ein wunderschönes Wochenende
the Fab Four of Cley
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Vielen herzlichen Dank ! Wünsche auch euch ein tolles Wochenende ! liebe Grüsse K.
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Was für faszinierende Fotos und die Masse Vögel, ganz herrlich.
LG Matilda ☼ ☼
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Guten Morgen, liebe Mathilda,
diese dichtgedrängten Vögel, die den Bass Felsen eingenommen haben, faszinierten uns auch. Ich kannte so etwas nur aus Spitzbergen und Jan Mayen. Leider kann man das nicht so gut im Foto einfangen, aber über Bass Rock sieht man eine Art weiße Wolke, die sich beim näheren Hinsehen als Tölpel entpuppt, die nicht nur dichtgedrängt auf Bass Rock sitzen, sondern ihn auch dicht gedrängt umfliegen.
Danke fürs Kommentieren 🙂
Liebe Grüße aus dem heute stürmischen Cley
Klausbernd
Grüße von Dina, Siri und Selma
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Awesome post. Great photos as always! What a place to og to! Perfect!
Imponerende bilder av “havsula” (Northern gannet), Utrolig at den lå i ro.
RH må ha brukt ei telelinse her?
Værmeldinga for helga er “STORM”. Nå er høsten her for alvor!
God helg til dere 4!
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Good morning, dear Hans,
thanks a lot for your comment.
To take photographs from land to Bass Rock one needs a powerful telelens. The photo of the birds was taken by a friend of ours who took the boat going around Bass Rock. Bass Rock is a little bit more than 2 km from mainland and Tantallon castle there.
Have a happy weekend
Klausbernd
I suppose Dina answer later.
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Dear Hans,
I just asked Richard. The picture was taken with a basic 18-70 AF-S (DX) Nikkor zoom set at 70mm and he told me the boat got frightening near the rock.
Love from
Klausbernd
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Jeg håper dere har ikke tar av med stormen, Hans og at den har løyet noe nå. Si meg en ting, har du vært på eller rundt Runde?
Ha en fin søndag!
❤ lig hilsen fra oss fire
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Fascinating and beautiful. As so many things in Scotland – where the nature itself is history.
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Yes, dear Leya, nature is a mirror of history, we agree, and landscape even more.
Thanks for your comment.
Enjoy the weekend
the Fab Four of Cley
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Putzig wirkt der Leuchtturm auf diesem “Vulkanpfropfen”….
Könnte ein geeigneter Schauplatz für ” 5 Freunde” und Harry Potter gewesen sein.
Als Lande- und Nistplatz für Vögel ideal, für Menschen schwer zu erreichen, klingt doch alles wieder faszinierend.
Siri und Selma, wenn ihr dort hinfliegt, könntet ihr mich im Huckepack nicht mitnehmen, Granatapfelkerne habe ich schon gerichtet….
Dann machen wir auch ein Foto von der Gegenseite auf das AKW und die Fabrik….
Wegen des Perspektivenwechsels.
Herzliche Grüße und ein dreifach “Volltollgemacht” ihr 4!!!!
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Liebe Pia, guten Morgen,
ja, wir geben zu, dass wir da auf die anderen Seite hinüber geflattert sind, so was wie “the dark side of the moon”. Auf der landabgekehrten Seite ist der Bass nicht ganz so steil. Und du hast recht, das Kernkraftwerk und die Zementfabrik sind vom Bass deutlich sichtbar. Wir waren erstaunt, dass so etwas an einer derart schönen Küste möglich ist. Bis zum Kernkraftwerk feinste Natur und nach der Zementfabrik auch. Sie sind wie so ein massiver Fremdkörper in der Landschaft – übrigens wie Bass Rock auch weithin sichtbar.
Hmmm, du hast ja recht, wir Buchfeen präsentieren auf unserem Blog ein romantisches Bild von Schottland, zugegeben es ist unsere touristische Perspektive, die Slums in Glasgow, dunkle Viertel Edinburghs wie das Zementwerk und das Nuclear Power Station ausblendet, wir Feen pflegen so etwas zu verdrängen. Wir werden auch nicht die militärischen Anlagen am Loch Long zeigen, wo UKs nukleare U-Boote mit dem Trident System liegen. Irgendwie fanden wir das auch gruselig. Aber wir haben uns das alles interessiert betrachtet, besonders ich, die liebe Selma, wurde fast zur Detektivin und wollte alles ganz genau sehen. Das hat ja auch einen Thrill!
Habe ganz lieben Dank für deinen Kommentar
Siri und Selma, die liebklugen Buchfeen
🙂 🙂
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all that beauty!!!
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Great, isn’t it!
Have a happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
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Thanks for checking my blog!
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You are very welcome and thanks for visiting us.
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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your are wonderful, is a pleasure!
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🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you
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That’s one heck of a bird colony, packed to the gills!! Talk about density of living, and an amazing dietary requirement….200 tons of fish daily!!! WOW! It’s great to know that it is still a thriving colony. Interesting human history too; enjoyed this fascinating post 🙂 Best wishes to you both.
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Thanks for your commentary.
Bass Rock is very special and connected with such a history but on the Farne Islands, we will blog about next week, you find such bird colonies as well.
Have a relaxing weekend.
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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I do wish I could help Siri and Selma but, alas, like you, I have to dream and hope.
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Dear Gallivanta,
we have to practise fairy-magic, we suppose. Shall we try? An island for you and one for us …
Lots of love
Siri and Selma
🙂 🙂
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Yes, please.
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Stunning photos as ever, and illuminating thoughts about the reason for islands! Created to avoid utter emptiness. There has to be a story in that, Book Fayries.
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Hi, dear Tish,
we learned in our Fairy School that mostly fictitious islands played an important role in utopian literature. And we are very much interested in islands that don’t exist. In our Master’s National Geographic magazine we read that some fictitious islands survived on maps until the 20th c. Of course, such islands are ideal to place a novel there. Umberto Eco did something like this in his novel “The Island of the Day Before” and in a way Golding in “Lord of the Flies” as well. Maybe we can inspire our dear Master to place his next novel on such an island – we will see and work on it.
Thanks for your kind words and have a great weekend
Siri and Selma
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Dear Tish,
I agree the horror vacui is an interesting theme for a novel. Aristotle, who coined this expression, thought that nature works in a way avoiding the horror vacui by filling empty spaces. Nothingness creats a deep fear, the fear of death or Thanatos as Freud called it. But it’s not a fear only but a fascination as well because nothingsness is beyond our imagination.
There were times in history when many people suffered hysterically of this horror vacui.
Enjoy the weekend
Love
Klausbernd
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Die Fotos sind wunderschön und der Beitrag, auch wenn er so lang ist, macht richtig Freude zu lesen. Hier ist und bleibt es immer interessant. Oh ja, eine eigene Insel – das wär auch mein Traum!
Liebe grüße an euch alle.
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Liebe Tanja,
Daumen halten, dass wir zu unserer eigenen Insel kommen. Siri und Selma wollen das unbedingt und sitzen gerade auf ihren Kuschelbettchen und praktizieren Feenzauber. Ob’s klappt?
Habe Dank für deine lieben Worte, über die wir uns sehr freuten.
Schönes Wochenende, liebe Grüße
Klausbernd und Dina
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I”m impressed! Like Hans I know the “havsula” the Northern gannet, but I have never seen anything like this gannetry. Great captures both from Richard K. and Dina. I wonder how Richard got so close to them? Now I have to ask like Hans, did he have a 800mm?
Ha en god helg alle fire!
Per Magnus
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My dear friend Per Magnus,
we only know that Richard took a boat to go around Bass Rock. On a boat you get quite near. But we will ask him what kind a telelense he used. Bass Rock is about 2 km off the coast but with a boat you can get as near as 50 meters if you are lucky and brave and the sea is calm.
Have a great weekend
Klausbernd from Cley and the other three from Bonn
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Dear Per Magnus,
Richard just told me he used a basic 18-70 AF-S (DX) Nikkor zoom set at 70mm. The boat got frightening near the rock however he I was cursing himself for not having taken a longer lens.
Love
from
Klausbernd 🙂
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Herrliche Aufnahmen!!
Ein schönes Wochenende an alle,
Ursel
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Liebe Ursel,
dir und Herbert auch ein tolles Wochenende.
Ganz liebe Grüße nach Frankfurt
the Fab Four of Cley
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Remarkable place and truly a wildlife wonder! What determination must have gone into building that lighthouse. A peaceful home to so many!
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Dear GPCox,
on one hand it would be great to live in such a lighthouse which is ideally positioned on this rock, on the other hand you can only walk outside with a helmet and a cape otherwise the birds shit on your head and clothes and getting entangled in your hair. And, of course, it’s noisy. Our dear Bookfayries oversaw this in their enthusiastic mood.
Thanks for commenting and many greetings to the other side of the big waters
the Fab Four of Cley
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As always, a captivating mix of words and pictures from the premier blogging team. I once saw a BBC documentary about the building of that lighthouse, and it was a fascinating programme. You bring this far-off place to us, with the same warmth and appreciation we have come to expect from your travels.
Marvellous stuff! Love from Beetley, Pete and Ollie. X http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y6hym
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I think it was the Bell Rock lighthouse, perhaps not Bass Rock, but the same builders.
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Hi, dear Pete,
thank you very much for this link. If you are interested in lighthouses there is a book full of illustrations and photos of lighthouses
International Association of Marine Aids “Lighthouses of the World”, Conneticut 1998
(but unfortunately they didn’t include Bass Rock Lighthouse)
And thank you for your kind words we are very happy about 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
If you see such a lighthouse as on Bass Rock you immediately wonder how it was build. Even with a boat you can’t easily enter Bass Rock because of strong tidal currents there. Sir Attenborough described how it took him more than two hours to land on Bass Rock.
Enjoy the weekend, the weather is great – at least here on the coast
Love
Klausbernd, Dina, Siri and Selma
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Looking forward to the Bookfairy Island this Xmas.
Dont make “being married” a requirement like the birds do.
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Dear AuAu,
no, we would never do! Fairies don’t get married as they are free spirits.
Thanks for your commentary and see you on our island soon 🙂
Siri and Selma, Klausbernd and Dina
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“a constant white cloud of birds flying around the Bass” – this is easy to understand: there is NO ROOM for them to land ! 😀
Lovely post, as always. Particularly appealing to me as I’m deep in a whole series of books about people who were involved in the second Jacobite rising.
Goodonyer, team !
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Dear MR,
thanks a lot 🙂 Your comment made us happy!
These gannets are quite vicious. If both of them leaving the nest (what they hardly ever do) it is immedialy taken over by others.
Bass Rock is very much connected with the Jacobite rising. The dungeons in the castle-prison were so horrible that’s a wonder that some survived.
Which book would you recommend about the second Jacobite rising? Unfortunately we don’t know very much about it but we would like to.
Can we exspect a historical novel written by you placed in time of this Jacobite rising?
We like your new gravatar 🙂
Love from
the Fab Four of Cley
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Hi, team ! The series of historical novels I’m reading was researched very thoroughly by its author, an American, Diana Gabaldon. It’s known as the “Outlander” series, and starts a little before the 45. It’s almost impossible to tell you much about it without giving away the plot/s ! There are either 8 or 9 of the novels, and I’m listening to them as audio books because I can’t READ any more (as posted about). I’m up to no. 5 !
As for writing from me – there won’t be any more. It transpires that I am indeed a one-trick pony.
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Thank you.
We will look out for the “Outlander” series.
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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Thank you for sharing this with us! I do not feel as drawn to the Rock as Dina, but I enjoyed learning about it. The Stevenson history is very interesting.
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Dear Cathy,
thanks for your commentary.
The Stevenson’s family was a dynasty of lighthouse engeneers in the 19th c. It were all Stevensons building lighthouses on the rough coast of Scotland – and they were all related to Robert Louis Stevenson.
All the best, happy weekend
the Fab Four of Cley
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Oh wow! It’s truly so beautiful there and I would love an island like that as well for my birthday. 😛 What a sight indeed and the birds are so beautiful. Thanks for sharing. 😀
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Dear Sonel,
we will keep our fingers and wings crossed that your wish come true. Sonel, the island queen, wouldn’t that be great?! And we will start a union of Siri-and-Selma-Island and yours. Siri and Selma are already trying to practise their strongest fairy magic – but “you have to believe!” as they say.
Happy dreams of Sonel-Island and tanks for commenting
the Fab Four of Cley
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I will keep my fingers crossed as well and that sounds like the perfect names for our islands indeed. The Siri-and-Selma Island sounds so romantic and magical, just like the two of you. We need lots of strong fairy magic indeed and I do believe for sure. 😀
Thanks, I will and the same to you as well. 😀
♥ Hugs ♥
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Thank you 🙂
Great!
We will have an island soon 🙂
Siri and Selma
🙂 🙂
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Goodie! Yah! 😀 😀
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Beautiful story. Since I live among gulls and doves, there would be too many birds for me. Great photos
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Dear John,
you are right, for me as well. One gets frightened of all the birds, a bit like in Hitchcocks “The Birds”.
Thank you for commenting 🙂
We wish you a relaxed weekend
the Fab Four of Cley
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Love this post. I had no idea so many birds inhabited Bass Rock. And I’m not sure I would want to stay there. But it really intrigues me. Thanks for sharing the info.
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Dear Bert and Rusha,
as we just answered above: We would feel like in Hitchcocks “The Birds”. So many birds are frightening – okay, so we change our wish: We want some island like Bass Rock but with less birds but with a lighthouse – oh dear, that annoys all the birdwatchers reading this. Sorry!
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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I’m in agreement with you — great place but too many birds for a peaceful stay!!! Happy weekend.
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What a delightful post! Old lighthouse, castle ruins, and all the guests of “Hotel Gannet” — what more could you ask for! Thanks for sharing!
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Dear Mary,
you are very welcome 🙂
It’s a highly romantic place, isn’t it?
Enjoy the weekend and thanks for commentig
the Fab Four of Cley
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Thanks for sharing – lovely post. The gannets caught my eye and reminded me of my own trip in the west of Irelasnd
See my posting on – I wish I was a gannet http://wp.me/pkPgX-Oc
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Dear Donna,
we just visited your fine blog and say “thank you very much!” for giving us this link.
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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Großartige Fotos und sehr hübsche Geschichten! Ich drücke die Daumen für euer Inselprojekt, liebe Siri und Selma. 😉
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Guten Tag, liebe Maren,
also du glaubst es kaum, Siri und Selma glauben fest daran, bald Königinnen von den Siri-and-Selma-Inseln zu sein. Wir hörten sie auch schon vom “Siri-Selma-Archipel” sprechen. Jedenfalls sagen Sie dir “gaaaaanz lieben Feendank” fürs Daumendrücken 🙂 Jetzt hast du bei ihnen einen Stein im Brett!
Danke dir für deinen lieben Kommentar, frohes Wochenende
Klausbernd und Dina
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Klasse Fotos. Da kommen wir nie hin. Danke für das Zeigen. LG. Wolfgang
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Lieber Wolgang,
wie sagt der Volksmund so treffend paradox “man sollte nie nie sagen.” Übrigens ist Schottland ein Tummelplatz deutscher Touristen.
Liebe Grüße
the Fab Four of Cley
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Danke, das ist schon OK. Wir haben uns viele Jahre die Hörner abgestoßen in der Karibik. LG. Wolfgang
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What a find, Dina. I love this resting place.
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Dear Jacqui,
thanks a lot 🙂
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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Hallo Ihr Fabulous Four,
und ganz herzlichen Dank für den höchst interessanten Bericht und die fantastischen Fotos. Leider haben Mary und ich den Bass Rock bei unserem Schottlandaufenthalt nicht gesehen. Aber es ist ja noch nicht aller Tage Abend und wir wollen ja auf jeden Fall wieder nach Schottland. Mal sehen, was wird. In der vergangenen Woche waren wir ja auch einmal wieder an der Küste [mit unseren deutschen Freunden, die zur Zeit hier auf Besuch sind] und haben das sehr genossen. Eine gänzlich andere Kueste natürlich [http://pitsfritztownnews.wordpress.com/category/cities/port-aransas/] aber sie hat auch ihren ganz eigenen Reiz. Und für mich gilt sowieso: “Meer ist Meer”. 😉
Liebe Grüße ins kleine Dorf am großen Meer,
Pit
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Guten Abend, lieber Pit,
Bass Rock liegt gegenüber von Tantallon Castle, das auch einen Besuch lohnt. Es ist doch schön, dass du für eine weitere Schottlandreise noch Ziele hast. Das Meer ist hier in Cley völlig anderes als an dieser rauen schottischen Felsenküste, aber ich gebe dir recht, “Meer ist Meer”, und es zieht uns 4 immer wieder an.
Ganz liebe Grüße an dich und Mary im fernen Texas
the Fab Four of Cley
Feine Bilder von Port Arenas, das wir wiederum nicht kennen. Danke fürs Zeigen.
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Lieber Klausbernd,
andere Ziele für Schottland sind das Edinburgh Festival & Military Tattoo sowie die Highland Games in Braemar. Da beides kurz nacheinander stattfindet, könnte man das prima kombinieren. Und dann ist da natürlich noch ganz einfach “Gegend” – jede Menge. Plus die Hebriden. Wenn ich daran denke, und an die vielen anderen Gegenden in Europa und hier in den USA, dann reicht sogar die Zeit, die Pensionäre haben, nicht aus. 😉
Zur Küste hier: die ist ja auch wieder anders als Eure. Sie hat ihren eigenen Reiz. Ihr könnt sie Euch ja gerne mal anschauen. Wir machen dann den Fremdenführer. Aber wenn ich so bedenke, an welches Klima Ihr gewöhnt seid, dann müsstet Ihr eigentlich im tiefsten Winter [so ein paar Tage Winter soll es den Gerüchten nach hier im südlichen Texas ja geben] kommen.
Liebe Grüße, auch an Dina und die beuden Buchfeen [die ja im Augenblick wohl in Bonn herumschwirren],
von Pit & Mary
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Guten Abend, lieber Pit,
wie blöd, gerade habe ich dir lange geantwortet und weg war’s 😦
Das ist doch schön, dass du bei deiner nächsten Schottlandreise noch neue Ziele hast. Tantallon Castle mit besten Ausblick auf Bass Rock lohnt sich auch besucht zu werden. Es wird dir und Mary gefallen.
Die Küste ist hier ja auch völlig anders als dort in Schottland, wo es rau und felsig ist. Aber wir meinen auch, “Meer ist Meer”. Und Port Arenas ist wieder anders. Dort waren wir noch nie und freuten uns, es durch deine Augen zu sehen. Danke für die Fotos!
Ganz liebe Grüße an dich und Mary
the Fab Four von Cley
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Lieber Pit,
vom Edinburgh Fetival können wir dir abraten. Es ist abartig, wie viele Touristen dann dort herumlaufen. Auf der Royal Mile gehst du dichtgedrängt, fast so dicht wie die Tölpel auf Bass Rock 😉 Ich glaube, die Clanmother Rebecca war bei dem Highland Festival dieses Jahr. Ich stelle mir das auch fürchterlich touristisch vor. Ein Schotte sagte mir mal, meinst du, uns macht es Spaß, Baumstämme zu werfen? Das tun wir nur für die Touristen.
Danke für die Einladung. Ja, wir sind wirklich keine Hitzefans 😮 😮 😮
Du hast recht, Siri und Selma flattern in Bonn herum, sie müssen etwas auf die arme Dina aufpassen, die gerade krank danieder liegt. Aber es scheint ihr endlich etwas besser zu gehen. Sie hatte eine leichte Lungenentzündung gleich bei der Rückkehr nach Bonn bekommen. Wir haben uns große Sorgen gemacht, aber jetzt ist sie wohl über dem Berg.
Ganz liebe Grüße aus dem spätsommerlichen Cley – jetzt herrscht unser Lieblingsklima: Sonne, Wind und 17 Grad, für euch wahrscheinlich eiskalt, obwohl ich bei Michener las, dass es in Texas auch bisweilen echt kalt werden kann
Klausbernd
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I can just imagine the smell of ammonia! But what a sight to see. Fantastic photos. Great post.
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Dear Anneli,
thank you very much for your kind comment 🙂
Fortunately we have been too far away to smell it 🙂
Have a happy weekend
the Fab Four of Cley
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Klasse Fotos und ein toller Bericht! Warum bevorzugen Vögel eigentlich diese Art zu Leben, auf SO engem Raum? Gibt’s keinen anderer Geschützen Felsen in der Nähe? Welch eine Ausdauer, SO weit (und weiter als die vielen Mitbewohner wahrscheinlich) für einen Fischfang zu fliegen! 200 Tonnen Fisch täglich, das ist ja unfassbar. Bei uns wird gemeckert, dass die Seehunde so viel Fisch verzehrt…
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Lieber Daniel,
hier haben früher die Fischer die Seehunde abgeschossen, weil sie sie als Konkurrenz sahen. Heute gibt’s bei uns vor der Haustüre mehr Seehunde denn je zuvor. Sie sind eine Touristenattraktion.
Warum Vögel so eng nisten, ist mir auch nicht klar. Es gibt übrigens andere geschützte Inseln in der Nähe, nämlich die Farne Islands, über die wir im nächsten Blog berichten werden. Allerdings dort nisten die Vögel auch sehr eng. Vielleicht ein alter Schutzmechanismus? Wir haben keine Ahnung.
Schönes Wochenende und Dank für deinen Kommentar
the Fab Four of Cley
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Masterchen,
hier schreiben deine herzallerliebsten Siri und Selma aus dem Rheinland. Wie viel Fisch essen wohl unsere Freunde am Blakeney Point jeden Tag? In Norwegen, in der Nähe von Dinas Sommerhaus, gibt es eine Seehundkolonie die den Fischern alles wegfrisst. Das behaupten sie, wenigstens.
Schau mal, was wir gerade gelernt haben zu machen: 😮
Cool oder? 😮 Weißt du wie das geht?
Also, du musst tippen : und dann o ohne Leerraum. 😮 Kannst du das auch?
Liebe Grüße, Küsse und überhaupt
Siri und Selma und Dina grüßt auch ganz lieb
😮 😮 😮
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Hi, ihr Lieben,
eure Freunde die Seehunde fressen pro Tier 5 kg Fisch tgl. Bei 1000 Seehunden ist das auch eine große Menge.
😮 ich befürchte, das klappt leider mit dem PC nicht, auf dem ich gerade schreibe.
Ganz liebe Grüße aus Cley und schlaft fein
euer Masterchen 🙂 xxx
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Doch, es hat geklappt. SUPER!
Viele Küsse auch an Dina 😮
Euer Masterchen xxxxx
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Cooool, Masterchen! 🙂
Hmmmm…5 Kg Fisch am Tag per Seehund, das ist eine große Nummer, oh je. 😮
Schau mal, wir können noch mehr:
Wie findest du das?
Deine Zwei
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Great post, as ever, fascinating detail. And, of course, some great images too! Have a great weekend 🙂
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Dear Sue,
… and you as well 🙂
Now the summer has gone, it’s quite cold. In the morning I got my boat in which marks the summer’s end.
Thanks for commenting and all the best
Klausbernd
Greetings from Dina, Siri and Selma
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Fabulous photos!
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Thank you very much 🙂
Enjoy the weekend
the Fab Four of Cley
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Two things immediately came to mind as I read this piece – noise and smell. So I am happy to admire these delightful views from my armchair. And I shall cross my fingers and make a wish for a fayrie island for my favourite Bookfayries 😀
Jude xx
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Hello, dear Jude,
we changed our wish: We want an island like Bass Rock but with less birds. But this Siri-Selma-Island has to have a lighthouse which will be our home.
Thank you so much, dear Jude, to cross your fingers for us, so kind!
The happy Bookfayries wish you a great weekend
Siri and Selma xxxxx
🙂 🙂
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Good morning, dear Jude,
you are absolutely right. I think I will rather stay at Cley next the sea, which is actually called “The Mecca of Birdwatching”. But the birds are in a safe distance from my house 🙂 Already in the 16th c. Paracelsus pointed out that quantity matters if something is good (medicine) or bad (poison).
With kind greetings from the little village next the big sea
Klausbernd
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Very nice photo’s and a great interesting post
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Thank you very much 🙂 Great that you like our post.
We wish you a happy weekend
the Fab Four of Cley
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My goodness, these photographs are just beautiful.
Thank you so very much for your visit.
It is how I found you here, and I am so glad that I did!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
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Good morning, dear Lisa,
thank you so much for your kind commentary we are very happy about 🙂
For us it was great as well finding your site.
We wish you a happy weekend too
the Fab Four of Cley
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Such an impressive post!!!!
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Thank you very much 🙂
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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Bath Rock continues to cast a spell on those who catch a glimpse of it’s haunting beauty. An interesting history, and how frustrating not to be able to scramble ashore! Beautiful photographs…continued safe and happy travels to all.
Elisa
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Dear Elisa,
good morning. Bass Rock did cast this spell on us, we couldn’t help.
Thank you very much for your kind words.
I send lots of love from our little village next the big sea
Klausbernd
and Siri, Selma and Dina sending it from the Rhine valley in Germany
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Wow! An extraordinary adventure!
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Indeed. We loved it 🙂
The chirpy Bookfayries wish you a great weekend
Siri and Selma
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Thank you 🙂
All the best
Klausbernd and Dina
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Hej Kb! Draussen stürmt es gerade – das Schottlandtief? – wie gut das ich jetzt nicht auf einem Felsen sitze. Aber Meer ist Meer, ich halte mit und es geht nichts über den grünen Saum. In vieler Hinsicht. Und manchmal tun es auch Tiefebenenen, die zum Meer führen. Warum war ich dieses Jahr eigentlich nicht in Schottland? Allen ein feines Wochenende. Kram Ruth
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Hej, liebe Ruth,
es ist fein, wieder von dir zu lesen. Ich hoffe, dir geht’s gut.
Hier ist es auch ziemlich kühl geworden. So holte ich heute Morgen mein Boot rein, was stets das Ende des Sommers markiert. Aber es ist nach wie vor sonnig und (zu) trocken.
Wir sind ja auch “Meerfreaks”, obwohl uns die Berge in Schottland auch gefielen, aber auf die Dauer benötigen wir die weite Sicht. Sea is freedom, I suppose. Diese Freiheit, die sich mit Meer assoziiert, ist wahrscheinlich etwas Archetypisches.
Auch dir ein feines Wochenende, ha en fin dag
Kram xxx
Klausbernd
the Fab Four of Cley
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Siri and Selma, your words and photos just drew me in to a part of the world I had no idea existed. Tusen takk! Danke schön! Thank you! … for your wonderful observations.
It’s so good to see you safely back from your wonderful vacation. 🙂
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Good afternoon, dear Cindi,
thank you very much for your kind comment 🙂
Well, Scotland is not out of this world, at least no for us. It’s a relaxed two days drive from the North Norfolk coast to the Scottish Highlands.
Great, that you like our blog and we are happy reading from you again.
Have a relaxing Sunday
Love
the Fab Four of Cley
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Was für ein imposanter Ort!
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Ja, das fanden wir auch.
Herzliche Grüße vom sonnigen Meer
the Fab Four of Cley
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Fabulous photos!! Great post, well done.
Saraj
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Dear Sarah,
thanks for your kind comment 🙂
Have a nice Sunday
the Fab Four of Cley
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So long as it’s snug and warm in the lighthouse I don’t mind. I suspect it could be chilly, though. 🙂
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Dear Jo,
we would need central heating in the lighthouse, of course. And a big problem are the round walls for our bookshelves. But Siri and Selma don’t mind.
Thanks for commenting
the Fab Four of Cley
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What an island!! The gannets are beautiful and you obviously had a great holiday. 🙂
My dear friends, you have got to come to come to Norway and experience our famous RUNDE:
Out in the rough sea in Herøy municipality you can visit the famous bird island Runde. The little island has only got 150 regular inhabitants, but from February to August every year, more than 500.000 birds come to Runde for the nesting season. Around 80 species have been proved nesting here, and more than 230 species have been observed in total. The nesting cliff is the southernmost in Norway, and the one with the most variety of birds in the country. The bird life is active all year round, and during the winter you can study those species that are roughest, and thrive in the wild and untamed climate at Runde.
During the summer season you have the opportunity to join a guided boattrip around Runde, and this is a remarkable way to see the birds and their bustling activities up close. It is also possible to see the colonies by hiking up the mountain along marked paths. Which ever way you chose it is important that you respect that the area is protected due to its vulnerable nature.
For Siri and Selma; Runde is also known as The Treasure Island, due to the gold that has been found in the wreck of the Dutch ship “Akerendam” from 1725, and is a fantastic area for diving and fishing.
Ha en god søndag!
Hjerter
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Good morning, dear Hjerter,
thanks a lot telling us about Runde, the treasure island. Oh dear, now Siri and Selma want to go there next year. Maybe we will meet you out there.
With lots of love to Norway
the Fab Four of Cley
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Takk for at du minnet meg på Runde, vennen min. Den øya var ikke i mine tanker før nå… 🙂
Ha en find søndag du og dine også!
Klem fra meg
og masse hilsener fra de andre tre
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Me again,
I found something about RUNDE in German:
Die Vogelinsel Runde ist der letzte Vorposten vor dem offenen Meer. Die kleine Insel zählt nicht mehr als 90 Einwohner, aber in der Brutzeit von Februar bis August kommen über 500.000 Vögel zur Insel. Es gibt keinen anderen Ort in Skandinavien, wo sich so viele Seevögel treffen wie hier auf Runde. Zwischen 250 und 300 Vogelarten sind hier registriert worden, darunter Papagaientaucher, Dreizehenmöwe, Alk, Trottellumme, Basstölpel, Eissturmvogel, Krähenscharbe und Adler. Runde ist wie geschaffen für Vogelbeobachtung. Manchmal sind es bis zu 700.000 Vögel, die die Insel in Besitz nehmen. Warum gerade auf der Insel Runde so viele Vögel Halt machen, ist einfach zu erklären: Das umliegende Meer ist ein guter Laichplatz für Fische.
Die spektakulären Klippen des Fuglefjellet, „des Vogelfelsens“, liegen auf der Westseite der Insel. Die gewöhnlichsten Vogelarten sind Papagaientaucher, Dreizehenmöwe, Alk, Trottellumme und Basstölpel. Die Krähenscharbe hat eine der größten Kolonien der Welt auf der Nordseite der Insel, in Skarveura. Der Eissturmvogel hat dahingegen seinen Lieblingsplatz in den Grashängen auf der Nord- und Ostseite.
Mehr zu Treasure Island:
http://www.visitalesund-geiranger.com/de/Runde-ein-Ort-fur-Naturliebhaber/
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Liebe Hjerter,
da würden wir uns wie in Cley fühlen: birdwatcher’s paradise 😉
Bei Lummen und Tölpel finden wir interessant, dass sie im Deutschen auch als milde Schimpfwörter benutzt werden. “Du Tölpel” bedeudet z.B., dass einer etwas unüberlegt gemacht hat. Warum ist das so? Wir haben keine Idee, denn für uns sind die Tölpel keineswegs “doofe Vögel”.
Wir wünschen dir noch einen rundum feinen Sonntag.
Woher sprichst du so gut Deutsch?
Ganz liebe Grüße von den
Fabulous Four
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Gester fragte ich/yesterday I asked Carl who runs the very good bird blog, Letter from Norfolk: http://letterfromnorfolk.wordpress.com/about/
Dina:
Carl, maybe you can help us answering a question: we recently visited Scotland and saw Bass Rock, a gannetry with 150.000 gannets. Why on earth do the birds cling together like this (as we have see on the Farne Islands as well) when they obviously have to compete with each other?
Carl:
Good question Dina. Importantly the nests are inaccessible to predators; either on steep sea cliffs, like at Bempton in Yorkshire, or on isolated islands like Bass Rock. Given the scarcity of this habitat the birds are initially ‘pushed together’ as it were. The other thing is ‘safety in numbers’. The thousands of pairs of eyes looking for danger and the big numbers to confuse predators must be ample compensation for the competition for nest sites (and nest material) Competition for food is not such an important factor as Gannets have been proven (sometimes) to fly many miles from gannetries to fish; indeed it can also be an advantage for Gannets to stick together when feeding too as if one Gannet finds a bait ball of say Herring it will soon be joined by others to take advantage of the food source.
Also, as an aside, one of the best ways of finding cetaceans is to look for Gannets feeding on the same food source. That’s how a friend of mine, Ryan Irvine, found last years first Humpback for Norfolk … by noticing a flock of Gannet feeding offshore (which would probably have been coming down from our nearest nesting site in Yorkshire to feed) Please take a look at another site I run http://norfolkcetaceans.wordpress.com/ if this interests you.
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Thanks dear Carl and Dina! I was wondering too why birds seem to have the tendency nesting very close to each other. Now I know 🙂
Blogging is educational, isn’t it? 😉
I wish you all a happy Sunday 🙂
Klausbernd
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Indeed it is!
We wish you a happy Sunday too!
Lots of love from the sunny Rhine Valley,
Dina, Siri and Selma
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Stunning photos!
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THANK YOU!
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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I love Gannets’ faces. Such an interesting post – thanks for all of it. So, what’s the connection between Bass Rock having been both a utopian religious community and a penal colony? 😉 When I lived in NYC, back when there were many more homeless people on the streets than there are now, I used to think they provided a kind of service to the vast sea of “normal” people around them. They blatantly manifested so much that the rest of us carefully hide. Thus we could go about our business, safely projecting everything onto them, maybe like projecting a utopian fantasy onto an isolated island? And maybe similar to what you allude to with Levi-Strauss?
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Dear Bluebrightly,
we always look for objects or people we can project on. The religious community is the positive utopia and the penal colony its shadow side – as C.G. Jung would express it. Every utopia has its dark sides as well. Projections onto island are popular because it’s isolated as utopias need a certain isolation like the homeless people. And what’s isolated draws positive and negative projections. The Swiss author Max Frisch wrote “Andorra” a play which shows these mechanisms very well.
Thank you very much for your interesting commentary.
Have an easy week
the Fab Four of Cley
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Reblogged this on Travels with Mary and commented:
Wow!!!! What a spectacular shot!
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Thank you very much for reblogging 🙂 We feel honoured.
We wish you a happy week
Klausbernd and Dina, Siri and Selma
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Dearest friends,
that seems to be really a magic place. Unfortunately I have never been to Scotland, but one day, maybe …
How is Dina? Is she a bit better now? I can imagine how hard it is to keep her in her bed. Siri and Selma will nurse her well, I suppose. All my best wishes to her
Annalena from beautiful Stockholm xxx ooo
Greetings to Klausbernd and Siri and Selma as well
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Hej, dear Annalena,
it’s great to read from you.
Yes, Dina is a bit better now and you are absolutely right, it’s hard to keep her resting. That’s Siri’s and Sema’s constant struggle with her. She has to accept that one doesn’t recover after a pneumonia within a couple of days.
I hope you are well and happy 🙂
Have a relaxing afternoon and thank you very much
Klausbernd 🙂 xxx
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Forget the entire island! That place is so extraordinary that I would considered myself blessed to have a few square feet nearby the lighthouse where I can connect with heaven. The photography is simply stunning!
Love,
Francesca
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Hi, dear Francesca 🙂
thank you so much for your kind words.
Well, you see Siri and Selma always think big. They won’t do it under an island on their own – probably because they read too much fiction.
But connecting with heaven they like. Siri is just reading quite excited about Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. She is wondering if this star is named after her. Selma is laughing her head off about these crazy ideas of her beloved sister.
Love to you and all your family from sunny Cley
Klausbernd
Dina is in Bonn and our dear Bookfayries are nursing her because she is ill. But she feels better now.
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Nothing wrong with dreaming big!
I’ll do it all the time! 🙂
Hope Dina feels better soon.
Please give her my best wishes for a full and fast recovery!
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I will do. THANK YOU! 🙂
wow, you answered as swift as lightning! I am impressed.
Lots of love
Klausbernd
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What a fabulous sight to see so many birds in one place!
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Dear Lady Fi,
these birds make the magic of the Bass.
In our next blog we will post about the other bird-islands on this coast: the Farne Islands.
Have an easy week.
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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This lighthouse is SO precious among this landscape of mother nature.
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Indeed! We love it. Actually we love most lighthouses 🙂
Have a happy day and thanks for your comment
the Fab Four of Cley
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The image of the colony of birds takes my breath away. How fortunate you are to have experienced this slice of nature.
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Dear Sally,
this bird colony is amazing and we are very happy to had the chance to see it 🙂
Thanks for commenting.
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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Oh, I have come back here several times just to look at the photography and revel in the history of such a remarkable place. Lovely!!! Lovely!!! Lovely!!! There is a freedom that comes from these places. Many hugs from across the way to the Fabulous Four!!! Looking forward to your next post on other bird-islands on this coast.
“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” Robert Louis Stevenson
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Good morning, dear Rebecca,
thanks for this Rober Louis Stevenson quote. I like Stevenson and read “Treasure Island” to Siri and Selma as a good-night-story. They loved it!
We always saw the Bass hiking up and down this coast but we didn’t know anything about it. We wanted to get nearer and so we found ourselves at Tantallon Castle. Not before then we noticed all the birds.
With big HUGs from us
the Fab Four of Cley xxx
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Ihr Lieben! Ich danke Euch fuer Euren sehr interessanten Artikel ueber Bass Rock mit den tollen Aufnahmen. Es ist so schoen dort, kein Wunder, dass alle Toepel dort wohnen wollen, Hugs! Veraiconica
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Guten Morgen, liebe Veronica,
ja diese Tölpel haben eine Vorliebe dafür, in bester Lage zu wohnen :-), atemberaubend!
Ganz liebe Grüße, einen schönen Tag und vielen Dank fürs Kommentieren
the Fab Four of Cley
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An island is the yin to the ocean’s yang.
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Good morning, dear Thorsaurus,
well, you made us think. That’s a new perspective for us seeing islands. But we can see your point. Thank you!
Have a happy day
the Fab Four of Cley
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Natures wonders, how fascinating, and of course they feel safe there. Only one bad circumstance: next to a nuclear power station. They always makes me worry.
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Dear Bente,
well, we were a bit shocked noticing that our B&B was just at the fence of nuclear power station. But when we saw our huge, really nicely funitured room, cozy and ideal for writing, we forgot about the powerstation.
We would not like to live all the time next to such a power station but the gannets don’t seem to mind. Even when we pass by a nuclear power station we feel worried but there we successfully repressed it
Love from
the Fab Four of Cley
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Die Faszination, die dieser Felsen ausübt, spürt man allein schon durch die herrlichen Fotos. Wie muss seine Anziehungskraft erst in der Wirklichkeit sein. Sagenhaft – diese Vielzahl von Vögeln 🙂
Liebe Grüße schickt Euch die Silberdistel
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Guten Tag, liebe Silberdistel,
der Bass hat schon etwas Magnetisches und das nicht nur für die Vögel. Man sieht ihn von Weitem, da er so auffällig geformt vor der Küste liegt und kommt man näher, sieht man diese Vogelwolke ihn umschwirren und wird noch neugieriger. So kamen auch wir dahin, die rein gar nicht vorher über Bass Rock wussten.
Ganz liebe Grüße auch dir
the Fab Four of Cley
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I must admit I’d not heard of it but it is FANTASTIC; I loved your very thorough history report, and I especially loved the gannett closeup which I assume was your friend Richard’s. I wondered when I saw it how you could get so close! I cannot imagine how bad it smells there, but think it would be worth it to see so many birds in one place; and they are beautiful indeed, aren’t they?! Great post Dina et al!
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Dear Tina,
you can get so close to the birds by boat. There is a tourist boat that goes breathtakingly near around Bass’ shore. Or you need a strong telelens photographing from Tantallon Castle. In this case the birds are about 2 km away.
Thanks for commenting and have a happy day
the Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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That is absolutely amazing looking!
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Thank you 🙂
All the best
the Fab Four of Cley
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Fascinating post, great photos. I’ve always found Bass Rock both romantic and yet forbidding (imagine being a prisoner there… in winter). Maybe a previous comment has dealt with the ownership – I haven’t read through them all – but yes, it is privately owned. I think it’s been in only 2 families for about 1000 years! Lauders until the c18, then Dalrymples to the present day. Maybe you should put in an offer? RH
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Dear RH,
no, it’s not the Bass which Siri and Selma want. It’s too “birdy” as they say, meaning too loud, smelly and busy. But they want something like the Bass, well, for Christmas.
Do you know, if this explorer G.E. Dalrymple was a member of this Dalrymple family owning the Bass?
Thanks for commenting, all the best from sunny Cley
the Fab Four
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What a cool, lovely post this is!
Georgous even fabulous pictues too! Waw even! Amazing!
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Dear Sophie,
thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 Great that you like it 🙂
Have a happy day
Lots of love
the Fab Four of Cley
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Der Geräuschpegel auf der Insel ist bestimmt ohrenbetäubend! Wie klug von den Feen ein Domizil in der Nähe zu suchen. Bass Rock wird nicht in meinem Schottland Reisführer erwähnt und viele andere kannten den auch nicht. Eigentlich verwunderlich, wo der Felsen quasi von Sir David Attenborough “geadelt” worden ist. Vielleicht ist das gut so. Vielen Dank für diesen wunderbar bebilderten Bericht!!
Liebe Grüße, Jürgen
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Guten Morgen, lieber Jürgen,
im Grunde sind wir auch nur durch Zufall zum Bass Rock gekommen. Wahrscheinlich konnte er Reiseführern entkommen, da er ein no-go-area ist. Es gibt jedoch Touristenboote, mit denen man ihn umrunden und atemberaubend nahe kommen kann.
Ganz liebe Grüße vom sonnigen Cley und vielen Dank
Klausbernd
Grüße auch von Dina und unseren beiden geliebten Buchfeen aus Bonn
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A superb post with much information that was new to me. The photograph of the gannet colony is magnificent.
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Dear Louis,
thank you very much 🙂
We didn’t know much about the Bass before we visited Tantallon Castle. But then Selma did a research und Siri started to read of everything about the Bass she could find and told us.
Love
the Fab Four of Cley
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The Gannet really is an elegantly marked bird. I’ve never seen one but your marvelous post has inspired me to look for some vids so I can hear them.
As an aside I love lighthouses. We have quite a few of them here in the Great Lakes. Thanks for sharing this new to me island world.
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Good evening, dear Dunelight,
thanks for commenting 🙂
We saw in our beloved Master’s books some lighthouses in the Great Lakes. We love lighthouses very, very much and we’ll soon live in one – hopefully.
Have a happy weekend
the Fab Four of Cley
Siri & Selma
🙂 🙂
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The rock looks spectacular! Hadn’t heard about it, and hadn’t seen a gannet before. Am guessing the local fish population isn’t very appreciative of this wildlife wonder 🙂
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Dear Madhu,
the Bass is magic. And you are so right, fishermen hate these gannets. But now most of them live of tourism anyhow and so they love the gannets suddenly 😉 It’s the same at our coast with the seals. Local fishermen tried to kill as much as they could but now they are happy because our big seal colony brings lots of tourists.
Love from the
Fab Four of Cley
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I’m sure Tippi Hedren would not be interested in this rock. 😉
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😄
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Quite a spectacle!
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Well, isn’t it
Love
The Fab four of Cley
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I do hope your wishes come true, but please do carry on with your posts as they really are a joy to read and the images are a spectacular accompaniment.
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Wow, thank you so much for your kind words. We promise with a big fayrie promise to go on blogging.
Thank you very much and have a great weekend
the Fab Four of Cley
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Reblogged this on Myblog's Blog.
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THANK YOU 🙂
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Min glede❤️🌹
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your pictures are stunning! i can’t get enough of them 😉
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Thank you VERY much 🙂
We try to combine Dina’s beautiful pictures with text every fortnight.
With lots of love from Norway to Israel
The Fab Four of Cley
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The pleasure is mine
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