Speaker Ken Morris - Scotland in Photographs

“Where Am I in Scotland?” was the question put to members by guest speaker Ken Morris.

“Where indeed,” was the answer from most when Ken presented a well-constructed slide show of magnificent colour photographs taken by himself, his wife Grace and their daughter on their many travels the length and breadth of the country.

Grace, a club member, aided and abetted Ken by controlling the photographic side of the operation – and generally helping out most of the members who had no clue where they were at any given time.

“No surprise there,” announced one wit.

The pictorial extravaganza ranged from showing the Italian Kirk built by World War 2 POWs in Orkney in the far north to colourful slides of historic buildings and landscapes in Border country. In between there were many superb views of the likes of Mull and Staffa on the west coast, a number of the picturesque fishing ports on the east and a variety of inland views, such as Linlithgow Miners’ Gala Parade, the crannog at Kenmore on Loch Tay and islands in the River Forth.

Ken revealed one of his favourite landscape pictures came about by chance. It was taken from the east side of the hills above Loch Lomond back down the loch. And only because he and Grace were subjected to a merciless midge attack when setting out to walk north on the West Highland Way.

“We lasted 15 minutes and gave up on being eaten alive,” said Ken.

The story of another body of water intrigued the audience when it was explained how Scotland’s only lake came to be known as such. Lake of Menteith is not, said Ken, an Anglicised version of loch, but comes from the ancient Gaelic word “laigh”. Which means loch, but has been misrepresented in translation over time.

It is fair to say a small percentage of the audience did have some knowledge of the locations on show.

However, the final two photographs flummoxed all present. No-one had a clue where they had been taken. Until Ken revealed they were of St Andrews Botanic Gardens not more than 10 minutes walk away!

In thanking Ken for his presentation, James Yule described it as a truly wonderful journey through our great country – and that the show had persuaded him to make his next holiday a “staycation”.