Fall into Colour

What a fabulous day it was! Everything seemed to be touched by gold and bathed in wonderful sunshine. It was autumn at its very best and we went off to Dawyck to enjoy a long walk. We had overlooked the fact that it was open under the Garden Scheme and it was very busy, but most people stayed in the coffee and gift shops and once we ventured up the hill, we lost most of the other visitors. And they missed a treat! Above the view towards Dawyck House (not open to the public) and the surrounding countryside as seen from the Beech Walk, 

The sun and resulting shadows added a special touch to even the most mundane subjects. The view above reminded me of fairy tales and imaginary hiding places.

 But the colours were what attracted me most! Not that strange for a visual artist, I suppose.

 The purple of the colchicum really stood out amongst the earth tones of autumn.

A detail of Dayck House with the weathervane in the shape of a galleon in full sail. I wish I could reach a bit closer with my zoom lens but for that I will have to carry my DSLR with me one of these days. I do love this higgledy-piggledy arrangements of old chimney pots and modern aerials.

Some leaves looked like ancient and weathered leather.

 Such amazingly rich colours which were jewel-like in the sun.

 And the shadows under the multi coloured canopies were beautiful. Had to crawl to get under the above one, much to John's disgust, but worth the effort, I hope you will agree.

Ligularia seed heads with their lovely soft textures also looked their very best under these conditions.

And the beauty continued on the road home. I made John come to a screeching halt to capture this view of the nearby hills! And tomorrow is meant to be just as good weather wise.